Communication Skills

Effective reading/writing/listening skills:

Communication skills are one of the fundamental life skills which are required
for greater understanding of information. It can be done vocally, visually, non-
verbally and through written media. All these are means of communication
which are essential soft skills which are required for a successful career.
Communication is an act of conveying meanings from one entity to another
with the use of understood signs, symbols and rules. Communications skills, in
a nutshell, are a set of activities you make giving and receiving various kind of
information. Some of the examples of communicating are; expressing your
viewpoint on a topic, updating new additions on your project, expressing
feelings etc.
Communication skills involve speaking, listening, observing and empathizing.
It also helps to understand how to communicate by phone conversations, face-
to-face interactions, digital communications like social media and email.
Listening, speaking, reading and writing are critical language skills you need to
navigate a changing professional landscape. The understanding may have
changed but the fundamentals remain the same. How these four language skills
are relevant today and how you can develop your listening, speaking, reading
and writing skills.

1. What Are Language Skills?

2. What Are The Four Language Skills?
3. What Are The Advantages Of Building Language Skills?
4. The Habit Of Communicating Impactfully

What Are Language Skills?

Every activity from reading this blog and writing an email to listening to a
podcast and speaking in a meeting constitutes communication. Whether you’re
with friends or at work, you have to communicate every day, all the time
. Language skills are communication skills that help you convey your ideas
with clarity and precision. Not only do you learn to speak well but also listen
attentively. Writing clearly with brevity is another skill that’s considered crucial
in a professional setting. Reading helps you make sense of vast amounts of data
and information.
Developing your linguistic skills will help you become a proficient
communicator who knows how to get from point A to B effectively.

What Are The Four Language Skills?

Basic language skills that you need today are listening, speaking, reading and
writing. Regardless of whether you’re a student or professional, your years of
experience or goals, linguistic skills will always come in handy.

1. Active Listening
Listening is a lot more than simply hearing what someone is saying.
There’s a big difference between hearing and listening. Hearing is when
you don’t really register the words, instead, you nod and smile while your
mind is drifting off to neverland. Listening is an activity where you’re
fully engaged. Not only are you registering their words but also getting
curious to learn more. Listening successfully will usually end with you
asking follow-up questions about the speaker’s intent, drive and purpose.
Here are some of the traits of active listening:

• You want to actively understand what they’re trying to convey

• You give them your complete attention
• You ask more questions than giving answers
• You listen first, speak or interject later
• You make the speaker feel welcome so they can open up to you

2. Reading Well
When you read, you take your time to understand what the author’s trying
to convey with their words. Whether it’s a novel, online article or even a
business report, it’s important to take your time with it and make sense of
the original intent. Reading well and deeply requires complete attention
 but also efficiency so you don’t end up going over the same sentence
multiple times. You can make notes, add comments or summarize the
contents of a text to get a deeper insight. Here are some of the
characteristics of deep reading:

• You’re able to understand what the author wants to convey the first time
• You manage your time well without spending hours with a text
• You can draw conclusions, write summaries and analyze the content
without a problem
• You make notes and memos so it’s easier to identify parts of a text
• You’re not afraid to tackle 100-page reports because you know how to
approach a large body of text

3. Speaking Impactfully

If there’s one communication skill everyone needs, but many fear, it’s
speaking effectively. The fear is in terms of speaking in front of an
audience—presentations, meetings and speeches. It may even be
communicating with an interviewer if you’ve applied for a job. Speaking
well helps you in many areas of life. Talking to friends, coworkers or
clients requires some skill, attention and concentration. Here are some
characteristics of speaking with impact:
• You speak clearly and concisely to draw your audience’s attention
• You’re able to convey your ideas, thoughts and opinions with impact
• You articulate things well into words with a strong verbal delivery

4. Proficient Writing

Linguistic skills are incomplete without proficient writing abilities.

Writing well means you’re able to succinctly present your ideas. You
don’t have to write long, complex sentences stuffed with heavy
vocabulary to write well. What you do need is the ability to convey your
thoughts in short, crisp sentences. Writing well will help you with
business communication or if you’re in a creative field that involves
copywriting, blogs or social media posts. Here are some aspects of
proficient writing:

• You know how to structure your writing to generate interest

 • You can tell a story with your words to make your communication all
the more interesting
• Your writing is succinct, clear and precise without wasting words
• You’re able to put your thoughts into words
• You can summarize long reports and texts for easier understanding

What Are The Advantages Of Building Language Skills?

Communication pervades each and every aspect of our personal and
professional lives. You may have a job interview lined up at your dream
organization or you could be writing an email to your manager requesting
leave. You need to have the right skills to perform well in each of these
tasks.

Here are the advantages of developing your language skills:

1. Make An Impact At Work
2. 2. Become A Storyteller
3. Stand Out
4. Present Ideas With Precision
5. Understand Both Verbal and Non-verbal Communication

Hard skills & soft skills

When a company is looking for new recruits or promoting from within there
will be a set of skills a role require. Some skills people will have as part of their
nature, while others need to be taught. The hard skills can be defined as part of
the role specification. And soft skills are defined as the person’s specification.
The hard and soft skills are needed to open positions and it will also benefit to
revamp their CV and highlight their best skills.
Hard skills are specific competencies, skills, knowledge, and abilities needed to
perform a specific task or role. They can be learned through education and
professional development. Usually, they are technical (but not always) and
easily measurable. Hard skills can be demonstrated through educational
certificates or practical demonstrations.
For example, software development requires knowledge of some programming
language and can be used for a variety of tasks, but the main goal is to write a
computer program. The proficiency level can be easily measured. Another
example, design (of course it can be different - interior design, web design, etc.)
but in general it is a specific skill set needed to perform exact tasks.
Microsoft suite knowledge, another example of hard skills, you can learn how to
use Microsoft Word and Excel, and most often it will be needed for specific
tasks. So, each role will have different skill set requirements but they will be
needed to perform a specific task.
What are Soft Skills?
Soft skills are personality traits, social competencies and skills, knowledge, and
abilities used to perform interpersonal activities and unique tasks. Sometimes
they are also called human skills. Usually, they are more closely linked to
people’s personality traits they are born with and social skills. But they also can
be trained and developed through practice and professional development.
Unfortunately, it is not that easy to gauge if someone has the right soft skills as
there is less information to draw upon. This is especially true when hiring new
employees as their soft skills will need to be assessed by getting to know them.

There are specific techniques and tests that can be used to measure soft skills,
but note the results will be quite vague and not accurate. Only real-life
situations will display how good people are in this area. Certain soft skills you
would ideally like all of your employees to have are punctuality and
collaboration. Other skills might only be necessary for specific roles like
leadership, communication, strategic thinking, and problem-solving.

Soft skills don’t come with certification but they are easily identified while
working with someone. People with leadership skills will naturally take
ownership and step up to lead. Those who are excellent timekeepers will always
be on time or be forthcoming about potential lateness.

What’s the difference between hard skills and soft skills?

The main difference is that soft skills are heavily linked to an individual’s
personality and are not something that can always be taught. Of course, there
are courses for people to develop leadership skills, communication skills, and
other soft skills. However, there is always going to be a natural element at play
here. Some people are simply more likely to have good leadership skills than
others.
Hard skills on the other hand are much more grounded in what people learn,
they are focused on a specific task and can be taught more easily. People can go
for development courses to learn new hard skills or develop the skills they
already have. Throughout career development, people might, or even will have
to, change their skill set and develop more soft skills, especially if they are
taking leadership positions. They will have practical knowledge needed for the
role as well as having the interpersonal skills to make them shine.

List of hard and soft skills

Hard skills Soft Skills
Web development Communication
skills
Microsoft office Timekeeping
Interpreting data Persuasion
Financial planning Leadership
skills
Copywriting Motivation
Troubleshooting Ambition
Project management Negotiating
Programming skills Critical thinking
Social Media Marketing Creative
thinking
Bookkeeping Work ethic
Spoken languages Collaboration
Adobe Creative Cloud Active listening

Overcoming stage fear:

Fear of public speaking, or even just anxiety about speaking in large groups or
on a stage, is one of the most common fears, and nothing to be embarrassed
about. Anxiety is caused when you feel threatened, and your body reacts to raise
your heart rate, increase your breathing, and start perspiration.
What is stage fright? You may have a dry mouth, tight throat, sweaty, shaky or
cold hands, a fast pulse, nausea, and you may start trembling slightly. You
probably feel nervous and uncomfortable. Stage fright affects everyone in
different ways. Some people may have little to no anxiety while speaking in
public, while others may find it quite the ordeal. Here are some strategies for
dealing with this very common- and very manageable- problem.

Advance Preparation
-Practice, Perform your presentation for friends, roommates, a tutor, or anyone
else who will listen.
Become familiar with the space where you will be presenting
-Make sure you are wearing comfortable clothing, especially shoes. Minor
physical annoyances will distract you during the presentation
-Pick a simple phrase that will relax you that you can silently repeat to yourself
immediately before presenting. “You’re fine” works nicely, as does “all right.”

Before the Presentation

-Do something relaxing. Read a favourite poem or listen to a favourite song.
-Exercise! A quick walk will get oxygen to your brain and calm you.
- Avoid caffeinated foods and beverages like chocolate, soda and coffee. They
will not give you true energy, but they will speed up your heart rate and make
your anxiety more intense.
-Take small sips of room-temperature water. -Don’t force yourself to eat if
you’re not hungry. -Warm up your voice! Talk to friends, call a family member,
or find a private space to sing your favourite song or give yourself a pep talk.
-Tense up your muscles for ten seconds, then release and focus on the feeling of
relaxation. Start with your feet and work your way up to your shoulders.
-Visualize! Imagine how well the presentation is going to go, and picture
yourself being extremely successful during the presentation- happy, prepared
and confident.
During the Presentation
-If standing, stand with your feet shoulder-width apart, one foot slightly in front
of the other. This will help your balance and discourage a nervous rocking.
-If your legs are trembling, lean onto the lectern or move around a bit.
-Make eye contact. This might sound hard, but it will make you feel less
isolated. -Focus on the friendly faces in the audience and think of how well
you’re doing. -Keep breathing deeply!
Don’t be afraid to pause and collect your thoughts.
All of these tips will not work for everyone. The single most important thing
you can do to eliminate stage fright is to be entirely prepared for the
presentation, so practicing is a must. People react to potentially stressful
situations in different ways, so experiment with some of these strategies to see
what works best to reduce your own public speaking anxieties.

Role of body language:

Body language is the use of physical behaviour, expressions, and mannerisms
to communicate non-verbally. Non-verbal behaviours can allow people to be at
ease, build trust and connections with others. However, they can also confuse
others, generate tension, and even create an uncomfortable environment. Being
able to understand one’s body language has always been interesting for me
personally, as I have been in situations where, despite what one person says,
their body language communicates something different or vice versa. Non-
verbal communication can affect our words as it can reiterate our message,
contradict our words, reinforce our statement, substitute the meaning of what
we are trying to say, and complement what we are trying to say. Body language
is something that is usually natural and is often done instinctively rather than
consciously.

As humans, we express ourselves in different ways, including verbal, vocal

(This refers to the tone, pace, and inflection. The tone of one’s voice can
indicate various emotions including sarcasm, anger, affection, confidence, fear,
etc.), and nonverbal. Non-verbal communication constitutes the majority of our
overall communication.
 1. Facial Expressions – Eyes
2. Facial Expressions – Eyebrows
3. Vocal
4. Mirroring
5. Body Posture
6. Gestures: (Posture, position and movement)
There are three types of hand movements: Give, show and chop
• The Give gesture shows options (Keeping your hands open),
• Show is just like showcasing
• Chop gesture (Just like we chop vegetables in the same manner if we keep our
hands) shows a stronger opinion either by using it with one hand or both the
hands. Your hand movements and communication should link. Eg: If you are
saying the inflation is increasing and taking hand in downwards direction
7. Palm movements
8. Handshakes
Handshakes depict a lot about a person. If one person handshakes hard
(dominating or powerful or competitive), light handshake (not interested),
Rushed handshake (unconcerned), Lingering handshake (desperation),
Intense glare handshake (aggression). The perfect handshake is the one
with normal eye contact and touching the other person’s palm with their
thumb around your palm.

Understanding body language can help you to be aware of the situation

and also take control. What to do if the audience shows a dull response?
Looking at the watch, just nodding, sleeping, playing on the phone. It’s
important to engage with the audience by using good body language, eye
movement or using humour or just by asking a random question.

Art of professional presentation:

Everyday millions are suffering death by PowerPoint yet our
effectiveness as educators depends on our presentation skills. The
following are notes to help you improve your presentation whether it be a
5 min, 30 min or one hour lecture.

Presentation format:
I. Introduction (20%)
 II. Body (60%)
III. Conclusion (20%)

I Introduction
Use the introduction to convince the audience they should listen to you. You
need to explain why they should pay attention and what’s in it for them. Part of
the introduction is the preview. You must explain where you are going and how
you will get there.

II. Body:
The body should have a few main points that are interconnected. Do not force
feed too much information.
The 10-minute rule. The audience will loose interest in about 10 minutes and
you need to work to regain their attention just about every 10 minutes. This can
be done with the power weapons that slice through inattention – the weapons to
use are connectives

Connectives are words that connect your ideas together and also force you to
stop and see who is not following you and get them back in line with where you
are going. There are three types of connectives: Transitions, Internal
Previews and Internal summaries. Transitions simply state what you will be
discussing in the next slide or two. Internal previews outline what will come
next over the next part of your presentation. Internal summaries review the
points you want the audience to remember from a section of your presentation.

IV Conclusion:
A lecture is like a symphony – you know when the end is coming. It is startling
when the speaker simply announces he or she will stop there. Conclusions must
be planned out just like the introduction. Make your endings memorable.
Dos and Don’ts
Don’ts:
• Don’t start with a joke because the audience response is unpredictable and you
may then begin with the audience having a negative feeling about you.
• Don’t start out with an apology for the same reason.
• Don’t give a laser light show with the pointer.
• Don’t use clip art.
• Don’t use low resolution images that appear pixilated (< 800X600 or 480K).
• Don’t use pictures that have copyright or stock images labelled across them
• Don’t read from your slides because the audience can read faster than you can
speak and they cannot read and listen at the same time.
• Don’t utter those thinking sounds: ahs and ums.
• Absolutely minimize the use of bullet points.
The most common complaint about a speaker is that he or she read their bullet
points to the audience. People have trouble remembers bullet points – nearly all
bullet points can be converted to a memorable image. It is your job to help your
audience remember the points of your presentation – and you do not achieve
that reading to the audience.

Do’s:
• Practice eye contact
• Tell stores. Much has been written on the power of storytelling to transmit
your ideas and viewpoints.
• Repetition works. Repeat the information you want the audience to know.
Never hesitate to use repetition. That is why pop tunes use refrains – so that you
can remember the words.
• Use analogies and metaphors. Analogies and metaphors are like flypaper for
the mind - they get thoughts to stick. They form a bridge from what the
audience knows to the new information you would like them to understand and
remember
 Use of audio & visuals presentation

Audio visual aid is a term that comes up frequently within the education,
training and marketing sectors. The term is self-explanatory: aids that utilize
both audio and visual mediums. However audio visual aids are so much more
than these eight words. So, what’s the in-depth definition of audio visual aids?

What are audio visual aids?

The Merriam-Webster dictionary defines audio visual aids as “designed to aid in
learning or teaching by making use of both hearing and sight.

Audio visual aids may take the form of

• PowerPoint presentation in support of a verbal lecture
• Video clip with voice over, and moving or still images
• Interactive whiteboard
• Television
• Projected images in support of verbal dialogue
• A graphic, chart or written material in support of verbal dialogue

Functions of Audio Visual Aids

i) Convey meaning clearly
ii) Capture attention, arouse and sustain interest
iii) Increase the correctness, clarity and effectiveness of the idea and skills
being transferred
iv) Help in learning more, faster, and with thoroughness
v) Help in remembering longer
vi) Reach more people, irrespective of their level of literacy, or language
Save the instructor’s time
vii) Reduce the possibility of misinterpreting concepts
viii) Clarify the relationship between material objects and concepts
ix) Supplement the spoken word – the combination of audio and visual
stimuli is particularly effective since the two most important senses
are involved
x) Highlight the main points of the message clearly.

Social etiquettes:
Humans are social animals and it’s important that they follow certain
norms that facilitate interpersonal relationships. Social etiquette is exactly
how it sounds, it refers to the behaviour you resort to in social situations
—interactions with your family, friends, coworkers or strangers. We’re
expected to follow social norms in order to coexist and live in harmony

Social etiquette influences how others perceive and treat you. It can help
you create lasting impressions that establish trust and reliance. Practicing
good social manners not only help you build lifelong relationships; it also
helps you create fruitful opportunities. Let’s look at some real-life social
etiquette examples to understand the concept better.

• Remembering people’s names and making them feel good

• Saying ‘sorry’ or ‘excuse me’ immediately after sneezing
• Using ‘thank you’ and ‘sorry’ when a situation calls for it
• Saying ‘excuse me’ while navigating your way through a crowd
• Holding the door for somebody standing in front of or behind you

Types Of Social Etiquette

We practice different kinds of social etiquette depending on the situation
we’re in. For example, the way you behave at a family dinner is quite
different from the way you behave at a business lunch. Let’s look at the
types of social etiquette we practice depending on different situations:

1. Face-To-Face Etiquette
Face-to-face interactions aren’t always easy. Here are a few etiquette
practices to follow when you meet someone:

Use your full name to introduce yourself and greet the other person.
You can simply use ‘hello, nice to meet you’ to break the ice. A smile
and a firm handshake make it easier to build rapport.
• Pay attention to your body language so that you don’t come off as
rude or unprofessional. Good posture, eye contact and a confident
attitude can make a huge difference.
• One of the most important aspects of social etiquette is paying
attention to people. Never interrupt anyone mid-sentence and always
listen respectfully.

2. Social Media Etiquette

Work from home has become the new normal for most businesses today
and virtual meetings have become a part of daily work routine. Here are a
few tips to help you maintain proper social etiquette during online
meetings:

Dress for success! Wearing appropriate attire can help you feel confident.
It also shows that you pay attention to details and it’ll impress your
audience.
• Mute your microphone when you’re not speaking. It ensures that there’s
no echo and you don’t disrupt the flow of meetings.
• It may be tempting to check your phone but try to stay present and
active. Participate in discussions and show anyone who’s speaking that
you’re respectfully listening to them.

Basic rules of social etiquette

1. Say thank you
A simple thank you goes a long way in showing your appreciation for a
kind deed. It is merely good manners to thank people who have come to
your aid even if it is a small thing.

2. Offer compliments
Be generous with your words of appreciation and offer compliments
and praise when required. If you are sincere in your efforts and offer
genuine admiration, it will create a rapport that will keep you in good
stead in the days to come.

3. Self-control
Self-control is one of the most basic etiquettes when you are sitting in
a company. Keep a check on your behaviour, voice, and manners if
you are looking for basic rules of social etiquette.

4. Active listening
Do not put your full onus on speaking; instead, listen actively if you
are looking for basic rules of social etiquettes. Be genuine in your
efforts as it is the best way to show respect.

5. Speak with caution

Pay attention to your words as they are considered a strong tool in
building and destroying relationships. Speak with kindness as well as
due caution if you are looking for basic rules of social etiquette.

6. Be punctual
One of the most desired traits in a human being is his habit of being
on time. Arriving too early is not good etiquette, nor is it arriving late.
Be punctual at all occasions at all costs if you are looking for basic
rules of social etiquette.

7. Make eye contact

Maintain eye contact during conversations if you are looking for basic
rules of social etiquette. It establishes a level of trust and
understanding. Moreover, it is a sign of confidence and shows you in
good stead and positive light.
8. Stand during the introduction
During an introduction, it is important to stand and offer a handshake
or greetings if you are looking for basic rules of social etiquette.

9. Offer your seat

If you are traveling in public transport and you see an older adult or
someone pregnant or in poor health, it is common courtesy to offer
your seat to that person
10.Be on time
Be on time for get-together, events, dates, etc. if you are looking for
basic rules of social etiquette. Being late shows a lack of respect and
understanding that seems very rude

11.Hold doors If you see someone struggling with the door it is basic
etiquette to help him/her especially if you are looking for basic rules
of social etiquette.
12.Take a gift
If you are invited to a party, or you are visiting someone, it is basic
etiquette to take a gift or something with you.
13.Pay your share
If you are going out in a group, pay your share if you are looking for
basic rules of social etiquette. Dividing the bill is the common thing
nowadays, and if you do not follow this social norm no one is going to
invite you again.

Benefits of using the correct etiquette

1. It is proper etiquette that helps to create the first impression on

others. The first few seconds when you are waiting to be introduced,
and your smile is cordial and warm, and later when your handshake is
firm are basic etiquette and manners that can have a positive impact
on others
2. Following proper business etiquettes in your professional life will
enhance your status at the workplace. People will consider you more
capable, intelligent, and professional than the others
3. The benefit of etiquette is that it can boost self-confidence and self-
esteem
4. Etiquette helps in making people around you comfortable. This
proves beneficial as it helps in creating strong relationships and
friendship
5. It is the etiquette that urges you to be kind to others. This boosts
your satisfaction level as well as happiness
6. People who are well mannered and follow proper etiquette rules
often stand out even in the crowd. Their solid foundation provides
more opportunities for growth compared to people who are lagging in
social etiquettes.
7. Using proper etiquette ensures a clear and better level of
communication between people as it breaks unnecessary barriers that
are standing in the way of open communication.
The Art of participating in Group Discussion

Group Discussion: The group discussion is a personality test most

popular with public / private sector undertaking, government
departments, commercial firms, IIMs, universities and other
educational organizations to screen candidates, after the written test.
In GD all there equal as participants. No one is officially chosen as
leader. But a candidate by his / her initiative / ability to join in the
discussion, maturity and clarity or ideas and understanding of group
dynamics gradually beings to direct the course of discussion and
mediate between the opposing views to above a evolve a
comprehensive view of the whole group.

Techniques for GD

1. The group usually consists of 8 to 10 candidates

2. No one is nominated as leader, coordinator or chairman to conduct
the discussion.
3. Normally, 20 to 30 min. is given as time to complete the discussion.
4. Each candidate is indicated by his / her roll number and is to be
addressed adoringly.
5. The seating is arranged is a circle and the candidate are seated
adoring to the ascending order of whole members.

I Strategy:
To gain group’s attention
➢ To begin speak to the person sitting diagonally opposite to you.
➢ Or, begin speaking to the person who has just finished talking.
 ➢ Make friend by speaking to those who have been ignored by the
rest of the group

II. Your objective

:Getting the group’s attention is the first thing.Having got it,use it to
make your point most effectively

III Language:
• Formal
• Simple, correct spoken English
• Not colonial English
• Not literary English

IV Body Language:-
a. Posture-

• Formal (Straight back, hands together in the front/on the edge of the
table)
• Must reflect enthusiasm

b. Gestures and body movements:

• Shouldn’t be threatening or restricting other members.
• Avoid excessive use of hands.
• Be natural

c. Eye contact: Establish eye contact with as many as you while

speaking.

GD gives the opportunity to assess certain traits and skills, (such as

the following) of the candidates that are not possible to observe in a
resume, written examination or an interview:
• leadership qualities
• quality of participation
• analytical skills
• problem solving skills
• oral communication skills
• ability to handle people
• team spirit
• non-verbal behaviour
• conformation to norms
• decision-making ability
• inter-personal behaviour
• behaviour in a group
• body language
• how much importance do you give to the group objective as well as
your own
• how well do you listen to viewpoints of others and how open-minded
are you in accepting views

WHAT DO SELECTORS LOOK FOR?

In a GD what do the panel of selectors look for? They will be looking
for a variety of attributes in you, which they were unable to assess
from the resume. These will include the following:
• Did you make any useful contribution at all?
• What was your level of knowledge about the subject?
• Did you communicate effectively?
• Were you a good listener?
• Did you unnecessarily interrupt others?
• How positive or negative was your body language?
• Did you exhibit any analytical skills?
• Did you provide leadership to the group?
• How good a team player were you?
• Did you look or sound “selfish”?
• Did you do anything to bring the group to focus on the topic rather
than going outside it?

GROUP DISCUSSION: THE DO’S:

So also your proficiency in vocabulary, grammar, accent and so on.
These help to draw the attention of the selectors towards you. To bring
out the best in you and to create the desired impact on the selectors,
you need to adhere to some Do’s and Don’ts.
These Do’s are:
o Listen to others attentively; you may even take brief notes.
o Enter the discussion at an early stage.
o Communicate with confidence.
o Make sure that your contributions are focused on the given topic.
o Try to speak something new which has not been said by the earlier
speakers.
o Even when you oppose a view point, use dignified language.
o Try to make your contributions take the centre point for the
discussion.
o If the discussion is going out of focus, try to point this out and bring
it back on track
. o Use positive body language.
o Remain confident and interested throughout, whether you are
speaking or not speaking.
o Conclude each argument at the right time and in the right manner.
o Collaborate instead of compete.

GROUP DISCUSSION: THE DON’TS:

The selectors will be critically observing your every action while the
GD is on, and will be making notes of the positive points as well as
the negative points. While it is important to demonstrate strengths, it is
equally important to work on your weaknesses. So please take note of
the don’ts listed below:

• Don’t appear or feel restless when someone is speaking.

• Don’t keep silent for a long time; the selectors are there to hear you
speak.
• Don’t exhibit negative body language.
• Don’t use abusive or objectionable language or gestures.
• Don’t interrupt others when they are speaking.
• Don’t impose your views upon others.
• Don’t get irritated or lose temper if someone disagrees with you.
• Don’t deviate from the subject given for discussion.
• Don’t take anything personally.
• Don’t give instructions to others in the group.
• Don’t speak for the sake of speaking.
Mock Interview Sessions

Definition:

Mock Interview is an imitation interviewing session of an actual

interview, which can be conducted by anyone who has little
knowledge about the respective industry of candidate’s interest. The
interview tries to emulate an actual interview as closely as possible
and aims to provide the candidate with relevant experience. With such
a session, the candidate can learn and react to situations that are
expected to happen during the real interview. Generally, these sessions
are videotaped, as the candidate is shown with the tape once the
interview is completed. Such interviews can be organized by career
services for freshers, or by alumni, or even by friends and relatives.

Importance of Mock Interview:

The main focus of the mock interview is to figure out self-knowledge,

industry knowledge, behavioural competencies, skills proficiency, and
more such aspects of the candidate. It is an excellent tool to practice
for an interview for freshers, due to its worth even few experienced
professionals prefer a mock interview before they finally go for the
genuine interview round. Mock interviews present the candidates with
a fair idea of things and elements that they are going to experience
during an actual interview round. Being a fresher, attending such an
interview program can provide you with more other benefits as
follow:

Advantages of Mock Interview

 Helps in reducing anxiety and stress related to the interview:
Interview is almost similar to an exam. And, the fear of
answering unknown questions and meeting unfamiliar faces,
normally generate lots of stress. The mock interview offers you
a great opportunity to test your responses to such questions. You
can even opt to hire skilled interviewer if you wish to secure
feedback that is precise yet friendly. If you have someone
experienced in the same industry in which you hold interest,
then hiring him as an interviewer can be really fruitful for you.

 Greatly supportive in boosting candidate’s confidence:

The main aim of mock interviewers is to focus and highlight the
candidate’s strength. They also focus towards correcting the
candidate’s weakness or weak points. As a result to this, candidates
get familiar with their strengths and skills and able to secure high
confidence level. They, therefore, perform well in their actual
interview, keeping in consideration the fails during the mock
interview session.

 Offers you with constructive feedback in a friendly manner: No

candidate is absolutely perfect, but a mock interview can help
you to comprehend suitable responses to vital questions and
also work on your weak areas. In a real interview, there is no
feedback given for your interviewing, but the mock interview
can be your best opportunity to get prepared for your first ever
job interview. If you have given a couple of interviews
previously, then such a session can help you understand your
flaws that are coming in between of your path to your dream
job.

 Excellent way to get prepared for behavioural based interview

sessions: Even if you are a fresher, it might happen that the
company outlines a behavioural based interview session for
you. Most of the time, company judge behavioural skills of a
fresher through their body language. So, as a fresher it becomes
extremely vital that you learn the right way to behave and react
in an interview. Conducting a mock interview will also help you
to learn basic practices and ways that are expected by the
interviewer during the actual round.
 Some Mock Interview Questions and Answers for Freshers

How do you manage stress while you are working? Or, have you
ever handled a stressful situation?

Answer. Stress is a vital element on which most freshers are tested. It

is because, most of the times, freshers are not able to cope up with
stress and, therefore, deliver unproductive results. So when you are
asked such a question, it is very much essential that you are prepared
in advance for your own, unique stress management techniques. A
good answer can be, you speaking about your any past experience
during which you effectively managed stress and deliver same or high
productive end results.

Have you ever worked with a team or do you always prefer to work
alone?

Answer. Being a fresher, you might not have got enough chances to
work with a team, but make sure you have at least one experience to
share when you worked and performed well with a team. It would be
great if you were the team leader, but even if you were a resourceful
team member, then it will impress the interviewer. Make sure that you
portray to the interviewer that you are a good team player. You should
also convey that you are equally comfortable working with a team or
working alone.

If the job requires travelling to distant locations, then will you be

able to manage it?

Answer. Since you are a fresher, so the possibility is that you will have
fewer responsibilities to look after. For this reason, the interviewer is
always expecting a ‘YES’ to the answer for this question. In case you
are not willing to travel due to any personal reason, so it is better that
you clear this out during your interview session only.

Do you think you are a successful person? If yes, then why, and if
no, then also give us a reason?
Answer. The answer to this question must always be a positive one.
You should always consider yourself successful, and this is what that
the interviewer is interested to listen. A good explanation for this can
be your goals that you have achieved. You can even talk about
upcoming goals which you will achieve soon as you are moving on
the right track. It is because a person who is able to achieve his goal
within his assigned time frame is considered successful by others.

What major accomplishments did you achieve during your course

study program?

Answer. Since you are a fresher, so definitely you won’t possess any
prior work experience. But surely you must have some
accomplishments from your course program to discuss with others.
You can speak about any successfully completed project or when you
were being awarded for excel performance in a specific field and more
such events. It is because, the interviewer just want to have an idea
that whether you were a bright performer during your course study
program or were you just another student in the class.