A broadcasting school assignment that has stayed with me: Students were asked to record a one-minute ad-lib about a favorite food or beverage. I began my ad-lib, "David Letterman once said there isn't a man, woman, or child who doesn't enjoy the taste of a lovely beverage. My beverage of choice is Dr. Pepper. Mr. Pibb deserves a nod, too, although given the similarity in cherry-based flavor, I think Mr. Pibb is really Dr. Pepper under an alias..."
The instructor who listened to my tape said, "It was refreshing to hear your ad-lib. You're one of the few people who chose to talk about a beverage. I get so tired of hearing one tape after another in which students say, 'My favorite food is pizza...'"
If you're given the chance to ad-lib for an assignment or during an interview, pull the best original thoughts you have out of your mind and articulate them. Chances are, you'll get a higher grade, and you might just get a job, as a result.
