Making the Best Impression at Your Summer Program

Many high school students will be heading to training programs this summer. Whether you are attending a camp or a pre-college intensive it’s important to remember that you will be meeting people who could be involved in your life for a very long time. You will meet fellow students who will become future colleagues, directors who could potentially employ you in the future, University faculty members who could be deciding if they want you in their programs and staff members who will remember if you were disrespectful to them! 

It’s a FIRST IMPRESSION... and you only get the chance to make that ONCE!

So here are a few strategies to make the best first impression possible and leave everyone wanting more of what you are offering!

Be Timely 

Meet all program deadlines and reply to all correspondence. Don’t make the staff “hunt you down” to get your response to an email or to submit forms. It can show that you lack respect or maturity… neither of which are good first impressions!

Arrive with a Smile

Everyone will likely arrive at the program nervous, fearful or apprehensive. The best approach is to smile and be your authentic self. (I’m assuming your authentic self is open and friendly… if not then we need to have a different conversation!) You don’t need to overdo it and try to be everyone’s best friend in the first five minutes - that can come across as overbearing -  but do try to have an open attitude and let people know you are friendly and approachable. If you tend to get overwhelmed in these types of situations, find a quiet place to just breathe for a few minutes. It will help you maintain a willing attitude and show that you are open to this new experience.

Be Courteous

In today’s world, courtesy - saying thank you, please, showing respect, acts of kindness, etc. - can go a LONG way in helping you stand out from a crowd! You will be interacting with professionals in your field as well as highly respected faculty members... always come from a position of courtesy and respect!

Be Positive

Think about the people you are drawn to… Do you want to be around negative, mean people who are constantly pointing out your flaws? 

Don't Sweat the Small Stuff

This may be your first time away from home or your first time at camp or on a college campus. Before you complain about something just remember you’re not at home or an upscale hotel! There may be things that don’t work the way they do at home. If something is threatening your safety by all means bring it to the staff’s attention! But don’t complain about it to your friends… that sends the wrong message! And DON’T call your mom and complain about it to her because then she’s  going to call the staff and they’re going to wonder why you didn’t just tell them about it in the first place?? (insert ALLLL the emojis here… eye roll, head scratch, shoulder shrug... You get the message!) If something is a big enough issue for you to be complaining about it then be assertive enough to bring it up to the appropriate staff.

Be Prepared to Work

You will have fun, you will make new friends… that’s a given any time theater kids are together for any length of time! But don’t forget you are here to learn!! A good program is going to expect that you work hard and focus on what you’re there to do. Leave the “shenanigans” at home and be ready to do good work with a good attitude.

Listen More Than You Talk

I don’t mean this in an Aaron Burr “talk less, smile more” kind of way. I want you to approach this situation with the attitude that you are going to LEARN as much as humanly possible. And to do that you need to drop all your preconceived notions about yourself, your abilities, and all the things your think you know and become a sponge! Your brain is a computer that can focus on one problem at a time and if you are always in “output” mode you won’t be absorbing new information. Listen, absorb, process. This is your new job!

Summer Programs are a valuable time to improve your skills, work with industry professionals, and meet lifelong friends. If you attend a pre-college training program on a college campus it’s also a great way to “test drive” the University. So I would definitely advise you to seek out summer training programs and learn all you can… just remember you never get a second chance to make a first impression!