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8/18/2019 CBCS Soft Skills
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D R A V I D I A N U N I V E R S I T Y
Srinivasavanam, Kuppam – 517 426
Department of English and Communications
CBCS
Two-year PG Program
First Year
Semester 2
External Elective
Soft Skills
Soft Skills 1
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Soft Skills: ‘What?’ and ‘Why?’ of
the Subject
The term ‘skills' refers to the entire
spectrum of talents, traits and practical
knowledge that each of us possesses.
Skills are specialized abilities to do things
well and the know-how to perform a
given task eectivel. The important
thing to remember is that skills are not
static. !hile the ma be rooted in
natural-born talent, the are developed
through a wide variet of e"periences in
life. This means that practice will help a
person re#ne his$her e"isting skills and
learn new ones.
Soft skills is a sociological term relating
to a person's cluster of personalit traits,
social graces, communication, language,
personal habits, friendliness, and
optimism that characterize relationships
with other people. Soft skills complement
hard skills or technical skills, which are
the occupational re%uirements of a &ob
and man other activities !ikipedia,()*)+.
Soft skills are %uite useful to the
universit student during his$her sta in
the universit pre-emploment stage
and would help him$her achieve success
at work. ften, retaining a &ob and
progress in a career are dependent of a
person having desirable soft skills. ur
competence re/ects the sum total of atriad of factors0 our skills, knowledge and
attitudes in the conte"t of stud or work.
Skills or soft skills are
1 2 wide variet of skills which can
be transferred from one &ob to
another. These come from all areas
of life, and are used everda. The
ma come from volunteer work,work, leisure, education or personal
life. Transferable skills are highl
marketable because the are
needed for a wide variet of &obs.
These skills are needed to secure
emploment and ensure a person3s
progress in a chosen career.
Transferable skills can be
categorized into the following
groups0
*. 4eople Skills
(. Thinking Skills
5. 2pplied$4ractical Skills
6. 2daptabilit Skills
1. PEOPLE SKILLS
1.1. Interpersonal Skills
able to interact successfull with awide range of people andunderstand how to e"pressfeelings warml and sensitivel7work well with a wide variet of
people0 males and females7 peoplefrom other social, educational,religious, cultural and racialbackgrounds (this links toanother priority area i.e.ethnic harmony)
• give and receive feedback in aconstructive manner (thiscommunication is mutually enriching to both the giver of feedback and the recipient)
• able to listen activel (eectivelistening skills can prevent conict among people holding diverseopinions)
• know how to use tact anddiplomac (needed for developingnetworking skills)
1.. Oral !ommunication Skills
•
present information and ideasclearl and concisel, with content
Soft Skills Page (
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and stle appropriate for theaudience, in a one-to-one or agroup setting (a highly marketableskill)
• able to think fast and respond as
appropriate• able to make formal presentations
and present ideas, positions andproblems in an interesting wa
• be able to hold ourself up inpublic or one-to-onesituations (helps develop your image as well as that of theorganization you represent)
1.". Supporting Others (as a friend,counselor or even a mentor)
listen to others and respond towhat others have said in a non-
&udgemental wa
give sound advice in an eective,constructive and persuasive wa
build trust and openness withothers
able to help others understandthemselves better and to buildself-esteem
able to help others solve theirproblems
able to demonstrate empath
help others to increase theirknowledge or skills
work and communicate withothers to satisf their needs ande"pectations
able to help others gain knowledgeand skills
able to motivate people to learnnew things and to perform well
able to ad&ust content andteaching stle to the audience
able to create an eective learningenvironment
1.#. Leadership Skills
• motivate and empower others toact
• inspire trust and respect in others
• be able to build eective teams
•
involve others without forcing orca&oling
• promote open discussion andinvolvement of all participants,while not dominating
• able to facilitate and managegroup interactions
• able to delegate eectivel
• able to gain cooperation fromdi8cult people
1.$. Persuading Skills
• communicate eectivel to &ustifa position or in/uence a decision
• eective spokesperson7 able toe"plain goals and activities in awa appropriate to the audience
• able to sell products or promoteideas
eective in lobbing for change
1.%. &egotiating and 'ediation Skills
• be able to negotiate skilfull
• know how and when tocompromise
• able to resolve con/icts
• help those with oppositeviewpoints reach mutualagreements, either through
consensus or compromise
• encourage give and take' fromboth sides7 can persuade others toagree to disagree if a compromiseposition cannot be found
• able to deal with con/ict in anopen, honest and positive wa
. hinking Skills
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.1. nalytical*Logical hinking
Skills
• able to draw speci#c conclusions
from a set of general observationsdeductive reasoning
• able to draw general conclusionsfrom a set of speci#c factsinductive reasoning
• able to interpret data and makedecisions
able to snthesize information andideas
.. !ritical hinking Skills
• able to review dierent points of view or ideas and make ob&ective
&udgements
• able to e"amine underlingassumptions
• able to formulate a %uestion,analse a problem or de#ne asituation with clarit, accurac andfair-mindedness
• investigates all possible solutions
to a problem, weighing the prosand cons
able to review or develop policand programs
.". !reati+e hinking Skills
• able to use imagination andintuition freel7 able to generatenew ideas, invent new things,create new images or designs7 #ndnew solutions to problems
• able to conceive newinterpretations to ideas orinformation
• able to design new approaches tosolve problems
• able to make connections betweenseemingl unrelated things
• able to reshape goals to revealnew possibilities
able to use wit and humour
eectivel.#. Problem,Sol+ing Skills
• able to clarif the nature of aproblem, evaluate alternatives,propose viable solutions anddetermine the outcome of thevarious options
!orks well in group problemsolving situations7 9ses reasoneven when dealing with emotionaltopics.
.$. -ecision,'aking Skills
able to identif all possibleoptions, weigh the pros and cons,assess feasibilit and choose themost viable option
.%. Planning Skills
• able to plan pro&ects, events andprograms
• able to determine the need foraction
• able to la out a step-b-stepprocess for achieving a goal
• able to establish ob&ectives andneeds, evaluates options, choosesbest option
• able to analze all the
re%uirements i.e., human,#nancial and material resourcesto accomplish speci#c goals
able to establish realistictimetables and schedules
.. Organi/ational Skills
• able to organize information,people or things in a sstematicwa
• able to break down an activit into
component tasks and coordinatesresources both human and#nancial7
• assigns appropriate people toundertake tasks
• able to establish priorities andmeet deadlines
• able to understand the inter-relationship between the parts of awhole
•
able to develop or streamlineprocedures
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• monitors progress andeectiveness
". PPLIE-*P0!I!L SKILLS
".1. d+anced riting Skills (Can be
taught in class or in !"!day workshops)
• able to communicate in writing forma"imum impact
• able to select, interpret, organizeand snthesize ke ideas
• able to ad&ust stle, form andcontent to a particular audience
• able to draft non-routinecorrespondence and comple"reports
• able to write in a creative wa forthe general public e.g. publicitmaterial
• able to edit a written te"t toensure that the message is asclear, concise and accurate aspossible
".. 0esearch Skills (this aspect is
covered to a certain e#tent in the $nal year dissertation)
• able to design research pro&ects
• able to de#ne the scope of a topic
• able to develop appropriatemethodolog and implement aplan
• knows how to #nd and collectrelevant background information
• able to identif people who haveinformation relevant to the task
• knows how to collect and compiledata
• able to analse data, summarize#ndings and write a report
attention to detail7 observationskills
".". 2inancial Skills
•
able to keep accurate #nancialrecords7 manage a budget
• able to compile and understand#nancial and other numerical data
able to interpret #nancial reportsand audited statements
".#. Language Skills
• competence in languages otherthan the one dominant in theorganization
preferabl be functionall trilingualSinhala, Tamil and :nglish
".$. d+anced !omputer Skills
• able to use a variet of softwareprograms
able to learn new software %uickl
".%. Per3orming Skills
• able to make presentations in aninteresting wa
• able to entertain, amuse andinspire an audience
able to act, sing or pla aninstrument in public
#. -P4ILI5 SKILLS
• capacit to adapt to new situations
and settings and to toleratechange well
• abilit to work in a changingenvironment7 tolerance forambiguit
• /e"ibilit to adapt to the needs of the moment
a positive attitude towards change(this means seeing change as achallenge and yes, even anopportunity rather than as a
problem)
Importance o3 !ommunication skills
oday
The potential for the emploment of
students graduating from professional
colleges is enormous, but one ma&or
handicap which man of them face is
poor communicative abilit in :nglish. ;n
the past, this de#cienc ma not havemattered ver much because ;ndia3s
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contacts with the outside world were
restricted and :nglish was mostl used
b ;ndians to communicate with other
;ndians within the countr. The contact
between :nglish and the ‘vernacular3
languages led to the development of
several kinds of ‘;ndian :nglish3, which
were easil understood inside the
countr but not when used to
communicate with people from other
lands. =owever, following the two recent
phenomena known as ‘liberalization3 and
‘globalization3, our international contacts
have grown rapidl and more and more
;ndian professionals are re%uired to
communicate with ‘foreigners3, inside;ndia as well as abroad. The language of
communication is almost invariabl
:nglish. ;f ;ndia is to become a ma&or
plaer in the world3s econom, more
;ndians should be able to communicate
through a kind of ‘international3 :nglish
which will be understood all over the
world.
Communication as skill
>ommunication is an activit 1
something that we do. !hen we
communicate, we have to perform
various ‘tasks3, some of which are fairl
simple. ?or e"ample, when a child in a
kindergarten class has to inform the
teacher of its need to visit the bathroom,
all that it has to do is to hold up the little
#nger of one hand. @ost children are
able to do this %uite easil. ;t is less eas,
however, to persuade someone to part
with mone. The successful performance
of this task re%uires a great deal of skill.
6o7 skills are ac8uired
2 ‘skill3 is de#ned as the abilit to
perform a task. :ver human being is
called upon to perform a number of
routine tasks everda. Some are simplebut others re%uire special skills. 2 few
skills are ‘inborn3 1 that is, human beings
are born with the abilit to perform
certain activities 7 but most skills have to
be learnt or ac%uired. ?or e"ample,
human babies, unlike ducklings, are not
born with the natural abilit to swim 7
the have to learn the skills of swimming.
he role o3 practice in skill
de+elopment
Skills are ac%uired through practice% !e
develop the abilit to perform an activit
b repeatedl making the eort to
perform it. ne who wants to learn how
to swim must get into the water andmove his$her arms and legs in a certain
wa. ?ew people are able to swim at the
#rst attempt 7 it takes time, and much
practice, before one is able to master the
skill of swimming.
4ractice is re%uired also to develop the
skills of communication. The more
practice we give ourselves in
communicating, the easier it becomes to
communicate.
K&OLE-9E &- SKILLS
Some skills re%uire a lot of ‘background
knowledge3, while little or no knowledge
is re%uired for certain other skills. Aer
little knowledge is re%uired, for e"ample,
for the activities of walking or swimming,
so that even babies and small children
are able to walk or swim after somepractice.
So3t Skills and
!ommunication Skills
;n toda3s competitive, global market
environment, our success is a
combination of our technical skills or
BhardC skills, and of our BsoftC skills.
Dour level of accomplishment and
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advancement hinges upon the educated
blending of both of these skills sets.
Soft skills are nontechnical skills such as0
leadership, verbal and written
communication skills, interpersonal skills,active listening, and motivation. The are
simple, et comple" areas of e"pertise
that help people to survive and to
succeed both sociall and professionall.
Soft skills are transferable to an
position7 the do not rel on technical
abilities.
Since soft skills are a part of everda
business and personal relationships, theare often taken for granted and$or
overlooked. ?re%uentl, the are not
acknowledged as areas that ma re%uire
improvement, until it is too late. Toda3s
emploers are activel seeking those
individuals that the feel will help to
improve their organizations3 culture and
pro#tabilit. @ore and more corporations
around the world recognize that, in order
to gain a competitive advantage, theneed to make sure their people know
how to handle themselves at work and
how to relate with their customers and
peers.
2s an ;T support professional, or in an
other profession for that matter, ou not
onl need to be able to diagnose
computer problems, ou also must be
able to eectivel communicate the
problem to the user. ;n their continual
struggle to align ;T with the business, ;T
e"ecutives sa the are increasingl
looking for staers who have, in addition
to technical credentials, strong soft skills.
>lear communication with nontechnical
people can help eliminate inter-
departmental communication barriers,
and increase our productivit.
;n addition, the shifting econom andever-evolving industr have e"panded
&ob roles, making it essential for the ;T
pro to wear man dierent hats. 2side
from simpl providing technical
assistance, support pros ma #nd
themselves taking on the &ob of
salesperson, manager, or public speaker.
:"perts agree that communication is the
most important nontechnical skill for ;T
pros to master. !hether it3s speaking
with a customer, interacting with
coworkers, or drawing a diagram, ou
must use clear, understandable
language. Some recruiters believe that
soft skills make the dierence between
the candidate who is hired and thesecond choice applicant. :mploers
toda seek /e"ibilit, teamwork and
integrit. The realize that someone who
communicates well and has a strong
work ethic makes a good emploee. 2s a
result, incorporating these skills on our
resume ma make the dierence
between getting an interview and getting
passed over.
he !s o3 !ommunication
!hecklist 3or !lear !ommunication
Fearn how to use the G >s to
communicate more
eectivel, in this video.
Think of how often ou communicate
with people during our da. Dou write
emails, facilitate meetings, participate in
conference calls, create reports, devise
presentations, debate with our
colleaguesH the list goes on. !e can
spend almost our entire da
communicating.
So, how can we provide a huge boost to
our productivitI !e can make sure that
we communicate in the clearest, most
eective wa possible.
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This is wh the G >s of >ommunication
are helpful. The G >s provide a checklist
for making sure that our meetings ,
emails , conference calls , reports , and
presentations are well constructed and
clear 1 so our audience gets our
message.
2ccording to the G >s, communication
needs to be0
*. >lear.(. >oncise.5. >oncrete.6. >orrect.oherent.
E. >omplete.G. >ourteous.
;n this article, we look at each of the G >s
of >ommunication, and we'll illustrate
each element with both good and bad
e"amples.
1. !lear !hen writing or speaking to
someone, be clear about our goal or
message. !hat is our purpose in
communicating with this personI ;f
ou're not sure, then our audiencewon't be sure either.
To be clear, tr to minimize the number
of ideas in each sentence. @ake sure that
it's eas for our reader to understand
our meaning. 4eople shouldn't have to
Jread between the linesJ and make
assumptions on their own to understand
what ou're tring to sa.
. !oncise !hen ou're concise in our
communication, ou stick to the point
and keep it brief. Dour audience doesn't
want to read si" sentences when ou
could communicate our message in
three.
• 2re there an ad&ectives or J#llerwordsJ that ou can deleteI Doucan often eliminate words like Jfor
instance,J Jou see,J Jde#nitel,JJkind of,J Jliterall,J Jbasicall,J orJ; mean.J
• 2re there an unnecessarsentencesI
• =ave ou repeated the pointseveral times, in dierent wasI
". !oncrete hen our message is
concrete, then our audience has a clearpicture of what ou're telling them. There
are details but not too manK and vivid
facts, and there's laser-like focus. Dour
message is solid.
#. !orrect !hen our communication is
correct, it #ts our audience. 2nd correct
communication is also error-free
communication.
• Lo the technical terms ou use #tour audience's level of educationor knowledgeI
• =ave ou checked our writing for grammatical errorsIMemember, spell checkers won'tcatch everthing.
• 2re all names and titles spelledcorrectlI
$. !oherent !hen our communication
is coherent, it's logical. 2ll points are
connected and relevant to the maintopic, and the tone and /ow of the te"t is
consistent.
%. !omplete ;n a complete message,
the audience has everthing the need
to be informed and, if applicable, take
action.
• Loes our message include a Jcallto action,J so that our audience
clearl knows what ou want themto doI
• =ave ou included all relevantinformation 1 contact names,dates, times, locations, and so onI
. !ourteous >ourteous communication
is friendl, open, and honest. There are
no hidden insults or passive-aggressive
tones. Dou keep our reader's viewpoint
in mind, and ou're empathetic to their
needs.
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http://www.mindtools.com/CommSkll/RunningMeetings.htmhttp://www.mindtools.com/CommSkll/EmailCommunication.htmhttp://www.mindtools.com/pages/article/RunningTeleconferences.htmhttp://www.mindtools.com/pages/article/newCS_95.htmhttp://www.mindtools.com/pages/article/DeliveringGreatPresentations.htmhttp://www.mindtools.com/CommSkll/WritingSkills.htmhttp://www.mindtools.com/CommSkll/EmailCommunication.htmhttp://www.mindtools.com/pages/article/RunningTeleconferences.htmhttp://www.mindtools.com/pages/article/newCS_95.htmhttp://www.mindtools.com/pages/article/DeliveringGreatPresentations.htmhttp://www.mindtools.com/CommSkll/WritingSkills.htmhttp://www.mindtools.com/CommSkll/RunningMeetings.htm
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&ote:
There are a few variations of the G >s of
>ommunication0
•
!redible 1 Loes our message
improve or highlight ourcredibilit I This is especiallimportant when communicatingwith an audience that doesn'tknow much about ou.
• !reati+e 1 Loes our messagecommunicate creativelI >reativecommunication helps keep ouraudience engaged.
E;ecti+e !ommunication
:ective communication helps us betterunderstand a person or situation and
enables us to resolve dierences, build
trust and respect, and create
environments where creative ideas,
problem solving, aection, and caring
can /ourish. 2s simple as communication
seems, much of what we tr to
communicate to othersOand what others
tr to communicate to usOgets
misunderstood, which can cause con/ictand frustration in personal and
professional relationships. P learning
these eective communication skills, ou
can better connect with our spouse,
kids, friends, and co-workers.
hat is e;ecti+e communication<
;n the information age, we have to send,
receive, and process huge numbers of
messages ever da. Put eective
communication is about more than &ust
e"changing information7 it's also about
understanding the emotion behind the
information. :ective communication
can improve relationships at home, work,
and in social situations b deepening
our connections to others and
improving teamwork, decision-making,
and problem solving. ;t enables ou to
communicate even negative or di8cultmessages without creating con/ict or
destroing trust. :ective
communication combines a set of skills
including nonverbal communication,
attentive listening, the abilit to manage
stress in the moment, and the capacit
to recognize and understand our own
emotions and those of the person ou3re
communicating with.
!hile eective communication is a
learned skill, it is more eective when it3s
spontaneous rather than formulaic. 2
speech that is read, for e"ample, rarel
has the same impact as a speech that3s
delivered or appears to be delivered
spontaneousl. f course, it takes timeand eort to develop these skills and
become an eective communicator. The
more eort and practice ou put in, the
more instinctive and spontaneous our
communication skills will become.
E;ecti+e communication skills:
Listening
Fistening is one of the most important
aspects of eective communication.Successful listening means not &ust
understanding the words or the
information being communicated, but
also understanding how the speaker feels
about what the3re communicating.
:ective listening can0
@ake the speaker feel heard
and understood, which canhelp build a stronger, deeperconnection between ou.
>reate an environment where
everone feels safe to e"pressideas, opinions, and feelings,or plan and problem solve increative was.
Save time b helping clarif
information, avoid con/ictsand misunderstandings.
Melieve negative emotions.
!hen emotions are running
high, if the speaker feels thathe or she has been trul
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http://www.mindtools.com/pages/article/establishing-credibility.htmhttp://www.mindtools.com/pages/article/establishing-credibility.htm
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Pod language refers to the
nonverbal signals that we use to
communicate. 2ccording to e"perts,
these nonverbal signals make up a
huge part of dail communication.?rom our facial e"pressions to our
bod movements, the things we don&t
sa can still conve volumes of
information.
2ccording to various researchers,
bod language is thought to account
for between onfusion :"citement Lesire >ontempt
>ni+ersal 2acial E=pressions
?acial e"pressions are also among the
most universal forms of bod
language. The e"pressions used to
conve fear, anger, sadness, and
happiness are similar throughout the
world. Mesearcher 4aul :kman has
found support for the universalit of a
variet of facial e"pressions tied to
particular emotions including &o,
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anger, fear, surprise, and sadness.
The ees are fre%uentl referred to as
the Jwindows to the soulJ since the
are capable of revealing a great deal
about what a person if feeling or
thinking. 2s ou engage in
conversation with another person,
taking note of ee movements is a
natural and important part of the
communication process. Somecommon things ou ma note is
whether people are making direct ee
contact or averting their gaze, how
much the are blinking, or if their
pupils are dilated.
!hen evaluating bod language, pa
attention to the follow ee signals0
• Eye ga/e !hen a person looksdirectl into our ees when
having a conversion, it
indicates that the are
interested and paing attention.
=owever, prolonged ee
contact can feel threatening.n the other hand, breaking
ee contact and fre%uentl
looking awa ma indicate that
the person is distracted,
uncomfortable, or tring to
conceal his or her real feelings.
• 4linking Plinking is natural,
but ou should also pa
attention to whether a person isblinking too much or too little.
4eople often blink more rapidl
when the are feeling
distressed or uncomfortable.
;nfre%uent blinking ma
indicate that a person is
intentionall tring to control
his or her ee movements. ?or
e"ample, a poker plaer mightblink less fre%uentl because he
is purposel tring to appear
une"cited about the hand he
was dealt.
• Pupil si/e ne of the most
subtle cues that ees provide is
through the size of the pupils.
!hile light levels in the
environment control pupil
dilation, sometimes emotions
can also cause small changes in
pupil size. ?or e"ample, ou
ma have heard the phase
Jbedroom eesJ used to
describe the look someone
gives when the are attracted
to another person.
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@outh e"pressions and movements
can also be essential in reading bod
language. ?or e"ample, chewing on
the bottom lip ma indicate that the
individual is e"periencing worr, fear,or insecurit.
>overing the mouth ma be an eort
to be polite if the person is awning
or coughing, but it ma also be an
attempt to cover up a frown of
disapproval. Smiling is perhaps one of
the greatest bod language signals,
but smiles can also be interpreted in
man was. 2 smile ma be genuine,or it ma be used to e"press false
happiness, sarcasm, or even
cnicism. !hen evaluating bod
language, pa attention to the
following mouth and lip signals0
Pursed lips 4ursed lips might be an
indicator of distaste, disapproval, or
distrust.
Lip biting 4eople sometimes bite
their lips when the are worried,
an"ious, or stressed.
!o+ering the mouth !hen people
want to hide an emotional reaction,
the might cover their mouths in
order to avoid displaing a smile.
urned up or do7n Slight changesin the mouth can also be subtle
indicators of what a person is feeling.
!hen the mouth is slightl turned up,
it might mean that the person is
feeling happ or optimistic. n the
other hand, a slightl downturned
mouth can be an indicator of sadness,
disapproval, or even an outright
grimace.
9estures
estures can be some of the most
direct and obvious bod language
signals. !aving, pointing, and using
the #ngers to indicate numerical
amounts are all ver common and
eas to understand gestures. Some
gestures ma be cultural, however, so
giving a thumbs-up or a peace sign
might have a completel dierent
meaning than it might in the 9nited
States.
The following e"amples are &ust a fewcommon gestures and their possible
meanings0
• clenched ?st can indicate
anger or solidarit.
• thumbs up and thumbs
do7n are often used as
gestures of approval and
disapproval.
• he @Okay@ gesture, made btouching together the thumb
and inde" #nger in a circle
while e"tending the other three
#ngers can be used to mean
okay . ;n some parts of :urope,
however, the same signal is
used to impl you are nothing.
;n some South 2merican
countries, the smbol isactuall a vulgar gesture.
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• he A sign created b lifting
the inde" and middle #nger and
separating them to create a A-
shape, means peace or victory
in some countries. ;n the 9nitedUingdom and 2ustralia, the
smbol takes on an oensive
meaning when the back of the
hand is facing outward.
he rms and Legs
The arms and legs can also be
useful in conveing nonverbal
information. >rossing the arms canindicate defensiveness. >rossing
legs awa from another person
ma indicate dislike or discomfort
with that individual. ther subtle
signals such as e"panding the
arms widel ma be an attempt to
seem larger or more commanding,
while keeping the arms close to
the bod ma be an eort to
minimize oneself or withdraw from
attention.
!hen ou are evaluating bod
language, pa attention to some of
the following signals that the arms
and legs ma conve0
• !rossed arms might indicate
that a person is feel defensive,
self-protective, or closed-o.
• Standing 7ith hands placed on
the hips can be an indication that
a person is read and in control, or
it can also possibl be a sign of
aggressiveness.
• !lasping the hands behind the
back might indicate that a person
is feeling bored, an"ious, or even
angr.
• 0apidly tapping ?ngers or
?dgeting can be a sign that a
person is bored, impatient, or
frustrated.
• !rossed legs can indicate that a
person is feeling closed o or in
need of privac.
Posture
=ow we hold our bodies can alsoserve as an important part of bod
language. The term posture refers tohow we hold our bodies as well asoverall phsical form of an individual.4osture can conve a wealth of information about how a person isfeeling as well as hints aboutpersonalit characteristics, such aswhether a person is con#dent, open,or submissive.
Sitting up straight, for e"ample, ma
indicate that a person is focused andpaing attention to what's going on.Sitting with the bod hunchedforward, on the other hand, can implthat the person is bored or indierent.
!hen ou are tring to read bodlanguage, tr to notice some of thesignals that a person's posture cansend.
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• Open posture involveskeeping the trunk of the bodopen and e"posed. This tpe of posture indicates friendliness,openness, and willingness.
• !losed posture involves
keeping the obscured or hiddenoften b hunching forward andkeeping the arms and legscrossed. This tpe of posturecan be an indicator of hostilit,unfriendliness, and an"iet.
Personality development
Personality development is something which is
considered as improving the way we think, feel,
behave and carry ourselves. In other words, it is
not confined to the improvement of a single
aspect of an individual; rather it is about
improving an entity or a cluster of qualities
which helps in achieving and presenting
oneself in a better way. Well, if you are
wondering how to improve your personality,here are a few tips which could help you
improve your personality.
Positive approach and confidence:
Positive approach and confidence are two
different terms but are interrelated in many
sorts. A positive approach will make one
believe in them and this self belief will help a
lot in achieving a difficult task. eing positive
in whatever you do will skyrocket your
confidence level and helps in finding better
solutions even in worst case scenarios.
!onfidence in turn will help in making the best
use of your own abilities.
Listen with intent: "istening with intent
results in a better understanding of the core
point of what you listen to. eing a better
listener makes the person whom you listen to
feel like they are important to you and in return
they will begin to value you more.
Be good in learning: Always have a curiosity
to learn new things. "earning will keep you
updated in a challenging working environmentand open minded towards accepting new
happenings. At the same time, learning is not
confined only to getting to know about
something which you are not familiar about;
rather it also includes learning from the
mistakes of others and your own.
Body Language (Eye contact, Body Posture,
Hand shake):
ody language is the way through which you
e#hibit your inner personality to others. A
positive body language can work out wonders
in impressing others. Well, to maintain a perfect
body language make sure you connect with the
eyes of the person whom you are conversing to.
It reflects your honesty and boldness.
$aintain an erect body posture which reflectsyour energy level, but at the same time don%t be
very robotic in moves. Avoid shaking legs and
hands or playing with your pen. It indicates
your disinterest. And finally, don%t forget to
give a firm handshake when you greet someone
and while signing off.
Be yourself:
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&he best thing you can do to yourself is 'ust
being yourself. &hough inspirations are good,
trying to turn yourself into a person whom you
admire will have negative effects on you. (o,
try not to be like someone else as each andevery individual is unique. It is this originality
which can help in creating a branding for you.
ress up well:
)ressing up well is one of the most looked*into
aspects in a corporate work culture. In order to
carry yourself in a confident manner, the way
you dress up yourself is important. &ry to
maintain a decent and professional look in your dressing by avoiding striking colors. $ake sure
your dress is neatly pressed and most
importantly wear laced shoes. &hough proper
dressing alone will not improve your
personality, it has a considerable amount of
impact on it.
!anners:
$anners are the rating scales through which
people rate you as a well behaved and a
respectful human being. &reat your team mates
respectfully and politely. +elp your colleagues
in their work if possible which will earn you
their respect off*stage. !ooperativeness and
being considerate in manner are the qualities
that help you in emerging as a reat leader in
the future"
Be encouraging:
In general, we all seek for encouragement of
some kind or the other while getting a work
done. )espite of all our hard efforts, interest
and thirst to prove, it is the encouragement
which acts as an off*stage positive catalyst in
reaching the goal. -our encouraging quality
will help others identify you as a better team
player. (o, try to be motivating and encourage
others and for sure you%ll get plenty of them in
return.
Being social:
(ocialie with your colleagues as it will help in
creating an environment in which you can work
comfortably in. /obody would love a sober or
an e#pressionless person. +aving fun at work
with your colleagues is no harm as it will be a
re'uvenating timeout which will pedal up work
to a more brisk pace. (ocialiing with people
will help in understanding individuals and turns
you adaptable towards any group.
#ndulge in conversations:
eneral conversations will teach a lot as it
usually involves topics unrelated to your work.
(uch conversations are the gateways for
knowledge e#changes. /obody knows about
everything and so indulge in conversations and
get to know more on what you know the least
or on what is totally new to you. It is also
important to share your own thoughts and
opinions but try not to be too preachy as it
would bore the other involved in the
conversation.
Presentation Skills
Say hello and smile 7hen yougreet the audience0 our audience
will probabl look at ou and smileback0 an instinctive reaction.
Speak clearlyB #rml and con#dentlas this makes ou sound in control.Lon't speak too 8uickly: ou arelikel to speed up and raise the pitchof our voice when nervous. ive theaudience time to absorb each point.Lon't talk in a monotone the wholetime. Fift our head up and address
our words to someone near the back
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=ow much time have ; gotI
!hat visual aids are availableI
4owerpoint pro&ectorI /ipchartI Lon't necessaril use
these. Sometimes the bestpresentations are the mostinformal.
Introduction
• elcome the audience.
• Say 7hat your presentation7ill be about: the aims and
ob&ectives.
• The introduction should catchthe attention. 4erhaps aprovocative statement or ahumorous anecdote0
o Beneticall-modi#ed
crops could save millionsof people from starvationC
o BThe #rst da of mvacation &ob went with abang, but it wasn't mfault that the microwavee"ploded.
he 'iddle should outline yourargument or de+elop your story
• ;n #ve minutes you 7ill only
ha+e time 3or t7o or threemain points and alloweverthing else to supportthese. Fist our main headingsand an ke phrases ou willuse.
• -onCt try to say pack toomuch content in or ou willtalk non- stop tring to get allour content and the audiencewill switch o with informationoverload long before the end.
• 9se graphics or anecdotes toadd variet.
!onclusion: Prie/ summarise ourmain points.
• ns7er any 8uestions.
• hank the audience forlistening. Fook at the audienceagain, smile and slow down.
• he end should be on a
strong or positi+e note 1 nottailing awa to B..well that's all
;'ve got to sa so thank ouver much for listening ladiesand gentlemenC. Dou could trsomething along these lines0
o B=ang-gliding is brilliant,
so tr it 1 ou'll believe aman can /KC
o BThe danger is increasing
1 if we don't all act soon itcould be too lateK
The above has been neatlsummarised as JTell them what ouwill tell them introduction, tell themdevelopment, tell them what outold them conclusionJ.
9roup discussions
roup discussions are ver commonlheld in order to evaluate student3spersonalit. 2 group of participantsare made to discuss on a topic orsub&ect for a limited time and thenassessed accordingl. ;t is a chancefor ou to be more vocal.
There are a lot of advantages of agroup discussion0
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*. ;t helps to shed awa theshness of a candidate and brings hisviewpoint amidst all.
(. ;t stimulates to think in a
dierent, new wa.
5. ;t helps the candidate inunderstanding his$ her own strengthsand weaknesses.
6. ;t acts as an aid in e"pansion of the knowledge of the participant.
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;f ou were choosing team membersfor a business team in ourorganization, who would the bestteam plaers beI 2ssuming thatpeople have the right technical skills
for the work to be done, what otherfactors would ou use to select ourteam membersI
Teams need strong team plaers toperform well. Put what de#nes suchpeopleI Mead on.
-emonstrates reliability
Dou can count on a reliable teammember who gets work done anddoes his fair share to work hard andmeet commitments. =e or she followsthrough on assignments. >onsistencis ke. Dou can count on him or her todeliver good performance all thetime, not &ust some of the time.
!ommunicates constructi+ely
Teams need people who speak up ande"press their thoughts and ideasclearl, directl, honestl, and withrespect for others and for the work of the team. That's what it means tocommunicate constructivel. Such ateam member does not sh awafrom making a point but makes it inthe best wa possible O in a positive,con#dent, and respectful manner.
Listens acti+ely
ood listeners are essential for teamsto function eectivel. Teams needteam plaers who can absorb,understand, and consider ideas andpoints of view from other peoplewithout debating and arguing everpoint. Such a team member also canreceive criticism without reacting
defensivel. @ost important, foreective communication and problem
solving, team members need thediscipline to listen #rst and speaksecond so that meaningful dialogueresults.
2unctions as an acti+e participant
ood team plaers are activeparticipants. The come prepared forteam meetings and listen and speakup in discussions. The're fullengaged in the work of the team anddo not sit passivel on the sidelines.
Team members who function asactive participants take the initiativeto help make things happen, and thevolunteer for assignments. Theirwhole approach is can-do0 J!hatcontribution can ' make to help theteam achieve successIJ
Shares openly and 7illingly
ood team plaers share. The'rewilling to share information,
knowledge, and e"perience. Thetake the initiative to keep other teammembers informed.
@uch of the communication withinteams takes place informall. Peonddiscussion at organized meetings,team members need to feelcomfortable talking with one anotherand passing along important newsand information da-to-da. ood
team plaers are active in thisinformal sharing. The keep otherteam members in the loop withinformation and e"pertise that helpsget the &ob done and preventssurprises.
!ooperates and pitches in to help
>ooperation is the act of working with
others and acting together toaccomplish a &ob. :ective team
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plaers work this wa b secondnature. ood team plaers, despitedierences the ma have with otherteam members concerning stle andperspective, #gure out was to work
together to solve problems and getwork done. The respond to re%uestsfor assistance and take the initiativeto oer help.
E=hibits De=ibility
Teams often deal with changingconditions O and often createchanges themselves. ood teamplaers roll with the punches7 theadapt to ever-changing situations. The don't complain or get stressedout because something new is beingtried or some new direction is beingset.
;n addition, a /e"ible team membercan consider dierent points of viewsand compromise when needed. =e orshe doesn't hold rigidl to a point of
view and argue it to death, especiallwhen the team needs to moveforward to make a decision or getsomething done. Strong team plaersare #rm in their thoughts et open towhat others have to oer O /e"ibilitat its best.
Sho7s commitment to the team
Strong team plaers care about their
work, the team, and the team's work. The show up ever da with thiscare and commitment up front. Thewant to give a good eort, and thewant other team members to do thesame.
orks as a problem,sol+er
Teams, of course, deal with problems.
Sometimes, it appears, that's thewhole reason wh a team is created
O to address problems. ood teamplaers are willing to deal with allkinds of problems in a solutions-oriented manner. The're problem-solvers, not problem-dwellers,
problem-blamers, or problem-avoiders. The don't simpl rehash aproblem the wa problem-dwellersdo. The don't look for others to fault,as the blamers do. 2nd the don't puto dealing with issues, the waavoiders do.
Team plaers get problems out in theopen for discussion and thencollaborate with others to #ndsolutions and form action plans.
reats others in a respect3ul andsupporti+e manner
Team plaers treat fellow teammembers with courtes andconsideration O not &ust some of thetime but consistentl. ;n addition,the show understanding and the
appropriate support of other teammembers to help get the &ob done. The don't place conditions on whenthe'll provide assistance, whenthe'll choose to listen, and whenthe'll share information. ood teamplaers also have a sense of humorand know how to have fun and allteams can use a bit of both, but thedon't have fun at someone else'se"pense. Vuite simpl, eective team
plaers deal with other people in aprofessional manner.
Leadership Skills
@In+entories can be managedB butpeople must be led.@ - . Moss 4erot
6ere are the tips 3or good
leadership:
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2ocus on the big picture9nderstand how the work our teamperforms #ts into the productivit,image and overall success of thecompan. 4lan long-term strategies
for our department andcommunicate them to superiors andsta members. Set realistic andmeasurable individual and teamgoals, and communicate oure"pectations in the conte"t of the bigpicture.
4e ambitiousPeing ambitious doesn't have tomean being cut throat andaggressive. 9se our ambition wisel. Dou shouldn't climb the corporateladder b stepping on other people.Unow where ou want to go in ourcareer, and accept opportunities andchallenges. room potentialsuccessors. ;f ou're seen asirreplaceable in our particularposition, ou will not be promoted.
Kno7 yoursel3 Mecognize our strengths and workon our weaknesses. Rever be afraidof asking %uestions or takingadditional training. Dou don't need toknow everthing or be the best. ;fou're weak on detail work, makesure ou have people on our teamwho e"cel in that. Surround ourselfwith people who make the companlook good, not Jes menJ who onl
sa what the think ou want to hear.
4e decisi+e4lan for the une"pected and nothingwill surprise ou. ;f ou've thought ofthe things that could go wrong with apro&ect, ou'll be able to makecon#dent decisions on correctiveaction when necessar.
!ontrol stress;f ou feel ou have to control
something, control our stress level.2s the old saing goes0 JRever letthem see ou sweat.J =avecon#dence in ourself and ou'llinspire others to have con#dence in
ou.
ccept criticismLemonstrate our self-con#dence baccepting other people's negativecomments without becomingdefensive, arrogant or submissive.Fook for something useful andconstructive in an criticism andthank the person. Show ourprofessionalism and maturit.
Inter+ie7 ips
:ven the smartest and most %uali#ed &ob seekers need to prepare for &obinterviews. !h, ou askI;nterviewing is a learned skill, andthere are no second chances to makea great #rst impression. So studthese *) strategies to enhance our
interview skills.
Practice 9ood &on+erbal!ommunication
;t's about demonstrating con#dence0standing straight, making ee contactand connecting with a #rmhandshake. That #rst nonverbal impression can be a great beginning
-- or %uick ending -- to our interview.
-ress 3or the ob or !ompany
Toda's casual dress codes do notgive ou permission to dress asJtheJ do when ou interview. ;t isimportant to know what to wear to aninterview and to be well-groomed.!hether ou wear a suit or
something less formal depends onthe compan culture and the position
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ou are seeking. ;f possible, call to#nd out about the compan dresscode before the interview.
Listen
?rom the ver beginning of theinterview, our interviewer is givingou information, either directl orindirectl. ;f ou are not hearing it,ou are missing a ma&or opportunit.ood communication skills includelistening and letting the person knowou heard what was said. bserveour interviewer, and match thatstle and pace.
-onCt alk oo 'uch
Telling the interviewer more than heneeds to know could be a fatalmistake. !hen ou have not preparedahead of time, ou ma ramble whenanswering interview %uestions,sometimes talking ourself right outof the &ob. 4repare for the interview
b reading through the &ob posting,matching our skills with theposition's re%uirements and relatingonl that information.
-onCt 4e oo 2amiliar
The interview is a professionalmeeting to talk business. This is notabout making a new friend. Dour levelof familiarit should mimic the
interviewer's demeanor. ;t isimportant to bring energ andenthusiasm to the interview and toask %uestions, but do not overstepour place as a candidate looking fora &ob.
>se ppropriate Language
;t's a given that ou should use
professional language during theinterview. Pe aware of an
inappropriate slang words orreferences to age, race, religion,politics or se"ual orientation -- thesetopics could send ou out the doorver %uickl.
-onCt 4e O+ercon?dent
2ttitude plas a ke role in ourinterview success. There is a #nebalance between con#dence,professionalism and modest. :ven ifou're putting on a performance todemonstrate our abilit,overcon#dence is as bad, if notworse, as being too reserved.
ake !are to ns7er theFuestions
!hen interviewers ask for ane"ample of a time when ou didsomething, the are askingbehavioral interview %uestions, whichare designed to elicit a sample ofour past behavior. ;f ou fail to relate
a speci#c e"ample, ou not onl don'tanswer the %uestion, but ou alsomiss an opportunit to prove ourabilit and talk about our skills.
sk Fuestions
!hen asked if the have an%uestions, most candidates answer,JRo.J !rong answer. 4art of knowinghow to interview is being read to ask
%uestions that demonstrate aninterest in what goes on in thecompan. 2sking %uestions also givesou the opportunit to #nd out if thisis the right place for ou. The best%uestions come from listening towhat ou're asked during theinterview and asking for additionalinformation.
-onCt ppear -esperate
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!hen ou interview with the Jplease,please hire meJ approach, ou appeardesperate and less con#dent. Me/ectthe three >s during the interview0cool, calm and con#dence. Dou know
ou can do the &ob7 make sure theinterviewer believes ou can, too.
ypes o3 resumes
&here are three common resume formats0
chronological, functional, and combination.)epending on the type of 'ob you are applying to,
different resume formats may apply. &he four
standard types of resumes include 12 chronological,
32 functional, 42 combination, or 52 targeted. elow
are definitions of each type and recommendations
on which format works best.
$hronological:
• %hat is it & !hronological resumes are
the most commonly used format. &hey
list work history in chronological order,
starting with your most recent 'ob down
to your earliest. &his resume is
preferred by most employers because it provides a quick snapshot of work
history, with most recent positions up
front.
• %ho should use & If you have a solid
work history, your e#perience is aligned
with the 'ob you are applying to, and
you have no lapses between
employment, use this format
'unctional esume:
• %hat is it & 6nlike chronological
resumes, functional resumes focus on
your skills and e#perience first. &his
type of resume de*emphasies the dates
in which you have worked.
7mployment history is secondary, and
is listed under the details of your skills.
•
%ho should use & If you have lapses inemployment, are in the middle of a
career transition, are a recent college
grad with limited work e#perience, or
have a diverse background with no clear
career path, this is the most effective
type of resume.
$omination esume:
• %hat is it & !ombination resumes let
you detail both your skills and
e#perience, while also backing this up
with a chronological listing of work
history. 8le#ible in nature, the
combination resume lets you tailor to
the prospective 'ob opening and tell
hiring managers a story.
• %ho should use & 6se this resume if
you want to detail work e#perience to
show hiring managers the type of
employee you are.
*argeted esume:
• %hat is it & &argeted resumes are
customied in detail to the prospective
'ob you are seeking. 7verything fromyour ob'ective, your qualifications to
educational e#perience mirrors the 'ob
requirements.
• %ho should use & &hese resumes are
the most time*consuming, but can
generate the best results as the
qualifications and e#perience you
outline mirror the prospective 'ob
opening closely. e careful, however
When you develop a targeted resumeyou need to be as accurate as possible
and not embellish career highlights
simply to mirror the 'ob.
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?unctional Mesume
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L F9>U