Jo Trizila, an M.B.A. student at the School of Management at University of Texas—Dallas and president of the Dallas-based public relations firm TrizCom, says stage experience can help distinguish job candidates.
"Whenever I'm looking at résumés, and I look at quite a few ... I'm always looking for something that stands out from the ordinary, because it adds a little more to the person's background. Whether that be Shakespeare or captain of the swim team, it's something different than just pure academia," says Trizila.
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Beverly Butler, vice president of public relations for the internet services group at Wells Fargo & Company, agrees that recruiters like to see job applicants with a range of experiences.
"Many recruiters like seeing a breadth of experience, especially background in the arts, rather than an M.B.A.'s singular focus on one thing like financial services, technology, or data analysis," she says.
"In the corporate world, we need to interact with so many different kinds of people. Having the theater arts background helps bridge gaps, and who doesn't like a good Shakespearean quote during a three-hour meeting?"
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