When I work with my individual coaching clients, I like to bring a little bit of Broadway into the mix. Partially this is because I know the words to way too many showtunes, but mainly it’s because I believe in the concept - and action - of rehearsal. After all, practice - especially when it’s focused and targeted - makes perfect.

When it comes to your career, whether you’re looking for work or want to make more out of the job you’ve got, add a few Broadway elements:

Create a script. Stop trying to ‘wing it’ or play it by ear, whether you’re preparing for a job interview, a networking event, or a sales call. Instead, get very serious about practicing things ahead of time. For job seekers, you’ll start by creating your script - if you’re prepping for a job interview, anticipate the questions you’ll be asked (start with common ones, like, “Take me through your resume,”) and write out what you’ll say. That’s right - write it all out, not just jotting down notes or ideas.This isn’t so that you’ll sound like a robot or unnatural once you sit down to interview. Instead, this process allows you to create a script of sharp, concise talking points - and cuts down significantly on rambling or getting off topic. You may not be able to anticipate every question that might get thrown your way, but if you’ve got a script with some good stories and tight responses, you’ll be able to use this in a variety of ways once you’re sititng down for an interview.

Even better, you’ll ensure that you say what you need to say - a key point, especially if you’re someone who tends to leave the interview or the meeting, and say to yourself, “I can’t believe I forgot to mention ____!”

Run lines and get feedback. Once you’ve got your talking points established, run lines and rehearse. Say out loud, word for word, exactly what you’d plan to say in an interview, for instance. Then, do this again. This is a good start, but it isn’t enough, because we all know that we can sound amazing talking to the mirror - and fall apart when we’re actually speaking with someone sitting across from us.

To take your practice to the next level, videotape yourself answering these questions. With inexpesive flip cameras, or even your iPhone, it’s easy to videotape yourself, so there’s no excuse for not getting this done. Once you’ve accomplished that, videotape yourself again, but wear what you’d wear during the interview. Even better, hire an actor or get a professional (not a friend or someone you’re already very comfortable with) to sit down and actually run through the interview with you.

Finally, take that video footage, and send it to a career coach or other expert and get professional feedback. By the end of this video process, you’ll be the next Scorsese. Even better, you’ll have improved by leaps and bounds.