Communication Skills

Communication Skills

Effective communication is all about conveying your messages to other people clearly and unambiguously. It's also about receiving information that others are sending to you, with as little distortion as possible.

Communication is generally classified into a couple of types. The classifications include:

1. Verbal and non-verbal

2. Technological and non-technological 3. Formal and Informal

However, the commonly known types of communications are:

Intra-personal communication skills: This implies individual reflection and meditation. According to the experts this type of communication encompasses communicating with the divine in the form of prayers and rites and rituals.

Interpersonal communication skills: This is direct, face-to-face communication that occurs between two persons. It is essentially a dialogue or a conversation between two or more people. It is personal, direct, as well as intimate and permits maximum interaction through words and gestures the first and foremost primary step to being good communicator.

The verbal barriers are:

Attacking :

Interrogating, Criticizing , Blaming, Shaming You messages :

Moralizing, Preaching, Advising, Diagnosing, Endorsing Power, Ordering, Threatening, Commanding, Directing

Shouting

Name-calling, Refusing to talk The non-verbal barriers are:

Flashing eyes, Rolling eyes, Quick movements, Slow movements, Arms crossed , Legs crossed Gestures out of exasperation

Slouching, Hunching, Lack of personal hygiene, Doodling, Avoiding eye contact, Staring at people, Over fidgeting, Non verbal communication includes the following aspects:

Facial expressions, Voice , culture, Gestures, Eye contact, Tips for Effective Communication

 Be honest while communicating. Dishonesty will somewhere show up along a line.

 Take interest in the people you are communicating with. Remember the people are more attracted towards those who have interest in them, and pay more attention to what they say.

 Think before you speak or put pen to paper: what message you trying to convey? What outcome do you want to elicit?

 Be direct and not aggressive.

 Don't use the jargon – and acronyms, and also the technical expressions, unless you are sure about that your listeners do understand

 Write the way as you will speak. Do not fall into a trap of using the long words just because it is written down.

 Take time. Whether in the speech or in paper, rushing will make you seem nervous, unconfident

and like downright scared.

1. Listen to the person first. Communication is the two-way process; getting your entire message across depends on understanding another person.

2. Be interested in people you will be communicating with. Remember that the people are more attracted towards those who have interest in them, and therefore will pay more attention to what they will say.

3. Relax. The bad body language like hunched shoulders, fidgeting, the toe-tapping or the hair-twiddling all give a game away.

4. Smile and use the eye contact. It is a most positive signal which you can give.

5. Ask the questions. It is great way to show the people that you really are interested in them.

6. If the other person has different point of view towards you find out why they have such point of view.

More you understand reasons behind their thinking more you will be able to understand their point of view or can help them understand your point of view.

7. Be assertive. So that we can try to value their input as your own inputs. Do not be pushy and do not be a pushover. Try for a right balance.

8. When you will be speaking try to be enthusiastic in appropriate context. Use voice and the body language to show this.

9. Immediately don't try to latch to something which someone has just now said ... "oh yes it happened to me" and immediately go on and telling your own story. Make sure that you ask questions about them first and then be careful while telling your story so as not to sound like a competition.

10. Learn from the interactions. If you have a good conversation with someone, try to think why it all went well and remember key points for the next time. If it did not go well - again try and learn something out of it.

Body Language

We all do communicate with one another through our look as well as what we do say and how do we sound. In fact what our body is doing while we are talking (i.e. the body language) could often play much greater part in the communication than we do think.

The eye contact

The eye contact helps to create the better interaction and the rapport with the listeners. Always try to look at listener at the end of the sentence to reinforce a message in that sentence.

The gesture

The gestures can help to give your voice the extra energy and the confidence Try to gesture on some of the key words – this will give the words a greater emphasis.

The Presence

Adopt ‘Anchor Position’ whenever you do want to keep the body language calm and controlled. Aim to keep the body language open and be relaxed all the times. Physical attitude can affect the psychological attitude.

The Movement and the Space

Be sensitive towards the people’s space and try not to intrude into it. To achieve the report when speaking to others try to match up the levels –like either both are sitting or standing with a body angled in towards other person.

Presentation Skills

Presentations and reports are ways of communicating ideas and information to a group. But unlike a report, a presentation carries the speaker's personality better and allows immediate interaction between all the participants.A good presentation has:

 Content — It contains information that people need but presentations must account for how much information the audience can absorb in one sitting.

 Structure — It has a logical beginning, middle, and end. It must be sequenced and paced so that the audience can understand it.

 Packaging — It must be well prepared. A report can be reread and portions skipped over, but

with a presentation, the audience is at the mercy of a presenter.

 Human Element — A good presentation will be remembered much more than a good report because it has a person attached to it.

The Voice

 Volume: How loud the sound is. The goal is to be heard without shouting. Good speakers lower their voice to draw the audience in, and raise it to make a point.

 Tone: The characteristics of a sound. An airplane has a different sound than leaves being rustled by the wind. A voice that carries fear can frighten the audience, while a voice that carries laughter can get the audience to smile.

 Pitch: How high or low a note is.

 Pace: This is how long a sound lasts. Talking too fast causes the words and syllables to be short, while talking slowly lengthens them. Varying the pace helps to maintain the audience's interest.

The Body

Your body communicates different impressions to the audience. People not only listen to you, they also watch you. Slouching tells them you are indifferent or you do not care... even though you might care a great deal! On the other hand, displaying good posture tells your audience that you know what you are doing and you care deeply about it. Also, a good posture helps you to speak more clearly and effective.

 Eye contact: This helps to regulate the flow of communication. Speakers who make eye contact open the flow of communication and convey interest, concern, warmth, and credibility.

 Facial Expressions: Smiling is a powerful cue that transmits happiness, friendliness, warmth, and liking. So, if you smile frequently you will be perceived as more likable, friendly, warm, and approachable. They will be more comfortable around you and will want to listen to you more.

 Gestures: If you fail to gesture while speaking, you may be seen as boring and stiff. A lively speaking style captures attention, makes the material more interesting, and facilitates

understanding.

 Posture and body orientation: You communicate numerous messages by the way you talk and move. Standing erect and leaning forward communicates that you are approachable, receptive, and friendly. Interpersonal closeness results when you and your audience face each other.

Speaking with your back turned or looking at the floor or ceiling should be avoided as it communicates disinterest.

 Proximity (distance between people): Cultural norms dictate a comfortable distance for interaction with others. You should look for signals of discomfort caused by invading other's space. Some of these are: rocking, leg swinging, tapping, and gaze aversion. In large rooms, there is too much distance. To counteract this, move around the room to increase interaction with your audience. Increasing the proximity enables you to make better eye contact and increases the opportunities for others to speak.

 Appearance - first impressions influence the audience's attitudes to you. Dress appropriately for the occasion.

Questioning

Keep cool if a questioner disagrees with you. You are a professional. Questions do not mean you did not explain the topic well enough, but that their interest is deeper than the average audience.

If someone takes issue with something you said, try to find a way to agree with part of their argument.

For example, “Yes, I understand your position...” or “I'm glad you raised that point, but...” The idea is to praise their point and agree with them.

Preparing the Presentation

Great presentations require some preplanning.

 What is the purpose of the presentation?

 Who will be attending?

 What does the audience already know about the subject?

 What is the audience's attitude towards me (e.g. hostile, friendly)?

You want to include some visual information that will help the audience understand your presentation.

Develop charts, graphs, slides, handouts, etc.

After the body, comes the closing. This is where you ask for questions, provide a wrap-up (summary), and thank the participants for attending.

Tips and Techniques for Great Presentations

 If you have handouts, do not read straight from them. The audience does not know if they should read along with you or listen to you read.

 Do not put both hands in your pockets for long periods of time. This tends to make you look unprofessional. This will distract the listeners.

 Do not wave a pointer around in the air like a wild knight branding a sword to slay a dragon. Use the pointer for what it is intended and then put it down; otherwise the audience will become fixated upon your “sword”, instead upon you.

 Speak to the audience...NOT to the visual aids, such as flip charts or overheads. Also, do not stand between the visual aid and the audience.

 Speak clearly and loudly enough for all to hear. Do not speak in a monotone voice. Use inflection to emphasize your main points.

 Learn the name of each participant as quickly as possible. Based upon the atmosphere you want to create, call them by their first names.

 Listen intently to comments and opinions, the audience will feel that their ideas, comments, and opinions are worthwhile.

 Circulate around the room as you speak. This movement creates a physical closeness to the audience.

 Vary your techniques (lecture, discussion, debate, films, slides, reading, etc.)

 Get to the presentation before your audience arrives; be the last one to leave.

 Consider the time of day and how long you have got for your talk. Time of day can affect the audience. After lunch is known as the graveyard section in training circles as audiences will feel more like a nap than listening to a talk.

Delivery

Speak clearly. Don't shout or whisper - judge the acoustics of the room.

Don't rush, or talk deliberately slowly. Be natural - although not conversational.

Deliberately pause at key points - this has the effect of emphasizing the importance of a particular point you are making.

To make the presentation interesting, change your delivery, but not too obviously, eg: speed, pitch of voice

Use your hands to emphasize points but don't indulge in to much hand waving. People can, over time, develop irritating habits. Look at the audience as much as possible, but don't fix on an individual - it can be intimidating. Avoid moving about too much. Pacing up and down can unnerve the audience, although some animation is desirable. Keep an eye on the audience's body language. Know when to stop.

GROUP DISCUSSION SKILLS

A GD is a methodology used by an organization to gauge whether the candidate has certain personality traits and/or skills that it desires in its members. In this methodology, the group of candidates is given a topic or a situation, given a few minutes to think about the same, and then asked to discuss it among themselves for 6 to 8 minutes.

Some of the personality traits the GD is trying to gauge may include :- Ability to work in a team

Communication skills

Reasoning ability

Leadership skills

Initiative

Assertiveness Flexibility Creativity

Ability to think on ones feet

Why GDs:-The reason why institutes put you through a Group discussion and an interview, after testing your technical and conceptual skills in an exam, is to get to know you as a person and gauge how well you will fit in their institute. The Group discussion tests how you function as a part of a team. That is the reason why management institutes include GD as a component of the selection procedure.

Company's Perspective: -

Companies conduct group discussion after the written test so as to check on your interactive skills and how good you are at communicating with other people. The GD is to check how you behave, participate and contribute in a group, 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 contrary to your own. The aspects which make up a GD are verbal communication, non-verbal behavior, and conformation to norms, decision-making ability and cooperation. You should try to be as true as possible to these aspects.

Reasons for having a GD

 It helps you to understand a subject more deeply.

 It improves your ability to think critically.

 It helps in solving a particular problem.

 It helps the group to make a particular decision.

 It gives you the chance to hear other students' ideas.

 It improves your listening skills.

 It increases your confidence in speaking.

 It can change your attitudes.

What skills are judged in group discussion?

 How good you are at communication with others.

 How you behave and interact with group.

 How open minded are you.

 Your listening skill.

 How you put forward your views.

 Your leadership and decision making skills.

 Your analysis skill and subject knowledge.

 Problem solving and critical thinking skill.

 Your attitude and confidence.

Topic based Gds can be classified into three types :- 1. Factual Topics

2. Controversial Topics 3. Abstract Topics Factual Topics:-

Factual topics are about practical things, which an ordinary person is aware of in his day-to-day life. Typically these are about socio-economic topics. E.g. The education policy of India, Tourism in India, State of the aged in the nation.

Controversial Topics: -

Controversial topics are the ones that are argumentative in nature. They are meant to generate controversy. E.g. Reservations should be removed, Women make better managers

Abstract Topics:-

Abstract topics are about intangible things. These topics are not given often for discussion, but their possibility cannot be ruled out. These topics test your lateral thinking and creativity.

E.g. A is an alphabet, Twinkle twinkle little star, The number 10, half filled glass of water etc.

Case-based Gd:-

Another variation is the use of a case instead of a topic.

The case study tries to simulate a real-life situation. Information about the situation will be given to you and you would be asked as a group to resolve the situation. In the case study there are no incorrect answers or perfect solutions. The objective in the case study is to get you to think about the situation from various angles.

IIM A, IIM Indore and IIT SOM Mumbai have a case-based discussion rather than topic-based discussion in their selection procedures.E.g. Rise of Dhirubai Ambani, Satyam Fraud etc.

Discussion Etiquette (or minding your manners) Do,

 Speak pleasantly and politely to the group.

 Respect the contribution of every speaker.

 Remember that a discussion is not an argument. Learn to disagree politely.

 Think about your contribution before you speak. How best can you answer the question/

contribute to the topic?

 Try to stick to the discussion topic. Don't introduce irrelevant information.

 Be aware of your body language when you are speaking.

 Agree with and acknowledge what you find interesting.

Don't,

 Lose your temper. A discussion is not an argument.

 Shout. Use a moderate tone and medium pitch.

 Use too many gestures when you speak. Gestures like finger pointing and table thumping can appear aggressive.

 Dominate the discussion. Confident speakers should allow quieter students a chance to contribute.

 Draw too much on personal experience or anecdote. Although some tutors encourage students to reflect on their own experience, remember not to generalise too much.

 Interrupt. Wait for a speaker to finish what they are saying before you speak.

GROUP DISCUSSION TECHNIQUES

1. Initiation Techniques

2. Body of the group discussion 3. Summarization/ Conclusion Initiation Techniques

Initiating a GD is a high profit-high loss strategy.

When you initiate a GD, you not only grab the opportunity to speak, you also grab the attention of the examiner and your fellow candidates.

If you can make a favourable first impression with your content and communication skills after you initiate a GD, it will help you sail through the discussion.

But if you initiate a GD and stammer/ stutter/ quote wrong facts and figures, the damage might be irreparable.

If you initiate a GD impeccably but don't speak much after that, it gives the impression that you started the GD for the sake of starting it or getting those initial kitty of points earmarked for an initiator!

When you start a GD, you are responsible for putting it into the right perspective or framework.

So initiate one only if you have in-depth knowledge about the topic at hand.

Body of the group discussion

 Different techniques to initiate a GD and make a good first impression:

i. Quotes ii. Definition iii. Question

v. Facts, figures and statistics vii. General statement

Summarization/ Conclusion

 Most GD do not really have conclusions. A conclusion is where the whole group decides

in favor or against the topic.

 But every GD is summarized. You can summaries what the group has discussed in the GD in a nutshell.

Keep the following points in mind while summarizing a discussion:

1. Avoid raising new points.

2. Avoid stating only your viewpoint.

3. Avoid dwelling only on one aspect of the GD.

4. Keep it brief and concise.

5. It must incorporate all the important points that came out during the GD.

6. If the examiner asks you to summaries a GD, it means the GD has come to an end.

7. Do not add anything once the GD has been summarized.

Tips to improve your GD skills

 First things first. There are no quick tricks to improve your GD techniques or communication skills. Improvement is a continuous process and continues forever. Knowledge is strength. A candidate with good reading habits has more chances of success than others.

 Effective communication and persuasive skills will certainly improve your performance in GD. It is a good idea to attend some communication and personality development workshops.

 If you have a problem with your pronunciation or expression you need t work on it. With the help of a good instructor it is possible to acquire clarity in speech and expression. It has been said earlier and can be repeated again and again and again…Learn to Listen.

Listening is one of the most neglected skill and every one can do wit working on it. Listening attentively to others will improve your knowledge much more than if you are addicted to listening to your own voice.

 Choosing appropriate language to express your self is important. Use simple, straightforward and direct language to express your opinion. A GD is a formal discussion and it is best to avoid using slang

 A GD is not a place to get into an argument. It is a methodology devised to test certain communication, interpersonal and leadership qualities and skills.

 Non-verbal cues are even more reliable than the verbal communication. Make sure you remain positive and optimistic during the session though positive attitude can’t be acquired overnight. You have to make it. Listening intently, looking at the speaker, maintaining eye- contact, leaning a bit forward are some non verbal clues that show that you care and value their opinion.

 Avoid talking to a single person in the group. Treating everyone equal is part of good

communication etiquette. Do not ignore anyone in the group. Everyone worth talking to is

worth looking at. Address the entire group in such a way that everyone feels you are

speaking to them.

INTERVIEW SKILLS

To meet the challenges of professional life, one has to be familiar with many skills to grab the attention of an interviewer, out of which Interview skills are the basic necessities to meet up the future challenges with success. If you can show your trust, your confidence, your commitment, and appropriate skills, then you could win a successful future. Interview is a form of oral communication. It’s one to one, or one to group interaction, where an applicant proves themselves as a unique person to be the part of an

organization. Remember that interview is always pre-planned and structured. It’s a formal presentation between an interviewer and an interviewee. Only those pass it with flying colours, who are original and show their interest with confidence and who present themselves appealing.

Types of interviews

 One-to-one Interview

 Panel Interview

 Telephone Interview

 Conference call Interview BEFORE INTERVIEW

First of all, prepare your mind in advance that you are going to have an interview next morning. Relax yourself and do not get nervous, tense or tired at any cost. Before going for an interview, pre-planned few things:

1. Learn about the company, organization or educational institution and do some research in advance.

2. Why should you perform an advance research?

3. Simply to develop good answers and to prove yourself unique.

4. What you have to Research?

5. You can gather information about organizational structure; type of their clients/ students; departments and its branches; past and present achievements etc. Simply search yellow pages or ask your friend or family member/relative who are familiar about organization or you can collect information through newspapers and websites.

Prepare answers to typical questions. Practice your answer and never rote learn it. Here are few of the sampling questions, which you can practice in advance.

1. What do you feel about our organization?

2. What are your weaknesses?

3. Why do you want to become a part of our organization?

4. Tell me about your self and about your hobbies.

5. Who is your role model and why?

The first few minutes are crucial; studies have shown that interviewers form their overall impression of applicants within the first four minutes of the interview. Be sure to keep in mind the following basic things:

 Stand tall.

 Make eye contact.

 Shake hands firmly.

 Be polite; use the formal address of Mr., Ms., unless invited to do otherwise.

 Wait for invitation; do not sit until invited to do so. Sit straight and tall and look attentive and enthusiastic. All of these things indicate that you want to be there and that you are calm, confident and professional.

What to Expect

1. All interviews have certain basic elements in common. When you first arrive, the

interviewer will likely try to put you at your ease with some small talk. This may include discussion of the weather or current events, or questions about your interests and hobbies.

2. Respond appropriately. Be warm and conversational, but don’t ramble. Remember that your hobbies, your life in general, will reflect to the employer who you are and what kind of employee you might be.

3. The body of the interview will likely begin with the interviewer giving a detailed description of the job. This is an opportunity for you to ask intelligent questions and demonstrate what you know about the position and the company.

4. The main portion of the interview is all about you, the applicant. You will be asked to answer questions about yourself: your skills, applicable studies and training, past work experience, etc.

5. Remember to make eye contact, keep your answers succinct but thorough, and focus on the positive. Be enthusiastic and use good grammar; do your best to avoid too many

“um”s, “ah”s, “you know”s and other such fillers.

6. Don’t fidget or exhibit other distracting nervous mannerisms, and don’t offer any negative information about yourself or criticize previous employers.

7. Remember, this is your chance to make a great impression in person and get the job you want. Make sure you are well prepared and practice answering questions before the interview. During the interview be sure to make eye contact, shake hands firmly, sit up straight and show enthusiasm. Be confident and give it your best.

8.

TRADITIONAL INTERVIEW QUESTIONS

1. Tell me about yourself (in two minutes).

2. Why do you feel that you will be successful in...?

3. Why did you decide to interview with our organization?

4. Are you willing to relocate?

5. Tell me about your scholastic record.

6. Tell me about your extra-curricular activities and interests.

7. What are your strengths and weaknesses?

8. Why should we hire you?

9. Why did you choose to become a teacher, nurse,...?

10. Where do you see yourself in 5 years? 10 years?

11. Why do you want to leave your current job? AFTER INTERVIEW With a pleasing smile, say thanks

and ask about the next step in the process. Follow up. Call them if you do not get a call within a given

time frame and don't forget to write a thank you letter to an organization for taking out their precious time

for your interview. Few reasons for not getting a job might be your lack oral communication skills or writing skills. Your inappropriate attitude could also let you down in your interview. Lack of knowledge about the working world, Lack of confidence, Inappropriate/fake degree, Lack of experience, Lack of motivation are also some of the reasons.

How to Dress Up For Job Interview For Men

 Wear a well-fitting suit in a dark, solid color. Team it up with a long sleeved button-up shirt in a coordinating, solid color.

 Go for a conservative tie. Avoid bright colors or patterns.

 In case you are not wearing a suit, a light colored shirt with a contrasting tie will also do. Make sure that it is neatly pressed and lightly starched.

 Wear dark shoes and dark socks.

 Keep a professional hairstyle and hair color. Avoid dying hair in any color that is not considered mainstream. Go for colors like brown, black, blonde, etc.

 Neatly trimmed nails are a must.

For Women

 Pastel shade dresses preferably cotton salwars.

 Wear a simple dresses in a coordinating color, which fits the body nicely. It should not be too tight, very loose or too low cut.

 Go for shoes that are flat and have a color matching your dress. You may also go for heels, but not more than two-inch. You may also feel uncomfortable in higher heels.

 Minimalist jewelry should be your style. Stay with pearls, gold and silver jewelry, though nothing too big or gaudy should be worn in an interview.

 Keep a professional hairstyle and avoid any non-mainstream hair colors.

 Wear light perfume and light makeup. Your makeup should be subtle, so that it does not distract attention.

 Neatly trimmed and manicured nails are a must. Avoid bright nail polish or nails that are too long.

Additional Tips

 Whether you go for casual or formal wear, make sure that your clothes look smart and crease- free.

 Take care that your clothes fit you comfortably. You can’t afford a wardrobe malfunction in the middle of an interview.

 Women should keep their makeup to a minimum.

 Keep your hairstyle simple and presentable. This doesn’t mean you can go for stylish hair cuts.

You just have to keep your hairstyle simple and manageable.

Do's and Don'ts of Interview

Do's of Interview

a) Do take a practice run to the location where you are having the interview or be sure you know exactly where it is and how long it takes to get there.

b) Do your research and know the type of job interview you will be encountering. And do prepare and practice for the interview.

c) Do dress the part for the job, the company, the industry.

d) Do plan to arrive about 10 minutes early. Late arrival for a job interview is never excusable. If you are running late, do phone the company.

e) Do greet the receptionist or assistant with courtesy and respect. This is where you make your first impression.

f) Do bring extra resumes to the interview.

g) Do greet the interviewer(s) by title (Ms., Mr., Dr.) and last name if you are sure of the pronunciation.

(If you're not sure, do ask the receptionist about the pronunciation before going into the interview.

h) Do shake hands firmly. Don't have a limp or clammy handshake!

i) Do wait until you are offered a chair before sitting. And do remember body language and posture: sit upright and look alert and interested at all times.

j) Do make good eye contact with your interviewer(s).

k) Do show enthusiasm in the position and the company.

l) Do avoid using poor language, slang, and pause words (such as "like," "uh," and "um").

Don'ts of Interview

a) Don't tell jokes during the interview.

b) Don't smoke, even if the interviewer does and offers you a cigarette, and don't smoke beforehand so that you smell like smoke. And do brush your teeth, use mouthwash, or have a breath mint before the interview.

c) Don't be soft-spoken. A forceful voice projects confidence.

d) Don't act as though you would take any job or are desperate for employment.

e) Don't chew gum during the interview.

Frequently asked questions

Question 1 Tell me about yourself.

Most of the interviews begin with this innocent question. Many candidates go unprepared for this question and skewer themselves by telling their personal matters, marks and colleges that they studied in.

Answer: Start with present and prove how you are the best suit for the vacant position, Be sure to illustrate with specific examples of your responsibilities and especially your achievements, all of which are geared to present yourself as a perfect match for the needs he has just described.

Question 2 What are your greatest strengths?

This question seems like a softball lob, but be prepared. You know that your key strategy is to first uncover your interviewer's greatest wants and needs before you answer questions. And from Question 1, you know how to do this.

Answer: As a general guideline, the 10 most desirable traits that all employers love to see in their employees are:

1. A proven track record as an achiever...especially if your achievements match up with the employer's greatest wants and needs.

2. Intelligence...management "savvy".

3. Honesty...integrity...a decent human being.

4. Good fit with corporate culture...someone to feel comfortable with...a team player who meshes well with interviewer's team.

5. Likeability...positive attitude...sense of humor.

6. Good communication skills.

7. Dedication...willingness to walk the extra mile to achieve excellence.

8. Definiteness of purpose...clear goals.

9. Enthusiasm...high level of motivation.

10. Confident...healthy...a leader.

Question 3 What are your greatest weaknesses?

Beware - this is an eliminator question, designed to shorten the candidate list.

Answer: Disguise a strength as a weakness.

Example: “I sometimes pressurize my people too hard to achieve targets."

Question 4 Why should I hire you?

Please attend the interview with well prepared to answer this question.

Answer: By now you may understand employer’s expectations fro a person who serves for the vacant position. So your answer should be the exact matching for that question which explains you are the best match, than anyone else.

Question 5 Where do you see yourself five years from now?

One reason interviewers ask this question is to see if you’re settling for this position, using it merely as a stopover until something better comes along. Or they could be trying to gauge your level of ambition.

Answer: Reassure your interviewer that you’re looking to make a long-term commitment. Tell him “I am definitely interested in making a long-term commitment to my next position. Judging by what you’ve told me about this position, it’s exactly what I’m looking for and what I am very well qualified to do.

Question 6 Why do you want to work at our company?

This is a hidden question, to check you back ground home work about the company. If you don’t know the companies pros, its gone.

Answer: Express the positive factors of the company, which you noticed from your studies. Give brief but concrete reasons for your interest in that firm

Question 7 “The Salary Question” – How much money do you want?

May also be phrases as, “What salary are you worth?”…or, “How much are you making now?”

This is your most important negotiation. Handle it wrong and you can blow the job offer or go to work at far less than you might have gotten.

Answer : Never bring up salary. Let the interviewer do it first. If your interviewer raises the salary question too early, say, “Money is important to me, but is not my main concern.

Opportunity and growth are far more important."1. Never lie about what you currently make, but

feel free to include the estimated cost of all your fringes, which could well tack on 25-50% more

to your present “cash-only” salary.

Telephone Etiquette

Do’s

1. Do speak clearly. Remember, the caller can't see you to read lips, facial expressions facial expression,

n the use of the facial muscles to communicate or to convey mood. of body language, t le or she can only hear you. Take the time to speak dearly the first time, and you won't waste time

repeating yourself.

2. Do use your normal voice. If you have to raise your voice because of poor cell phone

reception or a noisy environment such as a restaurant or building site, be aware that the listener may not be experiencing similar problems and may misinterpret

1. To interpret inaccurately.

2. To explain inaccurately. your response as anger, frustration of hostility. Advise the person on the other end that you are having difficulty and either leave the restaurant or call back later when the jackhammer has stopped.

3. Do remove gum, pencils, cigarettes or anything else from your mouth while talking on the phone. Put the coffee cup down. Consider removing your tongue-piercing jewelry

jewelry, personal adornments worn for ornament or utility, to show rank or wealth, or to follow superstitious custom or fashion.

The most universal forms of jewelry are the necklace, bracelet, ring, pin, and earring. during business hours BUSINESS HOURS. The time of the day during which business is transacted. In respect to the time of presentment and demand of bills and notes, business hours generally range through the whole day down to the hours of rest in the evening, except when the paper is payable it a bank or by a . The sounds of chewing, slurping See pod slurping. and clicking are not attractive or professional.

4. Do use the entire word "yes" or "no" when speaking. Avoid saying "yeah," "nah nah interj. Informal

No.

[Variant of no

.] " or similar terms. It may also be helpful to say "can not" as opposed to "can't"

which often has to be repeated to be understood.

5. Do address the caller by the proper title, Mr., Ms., Mrs. or Dr. as indicated. If uncertain as to marital status marital status,

n the legal standing of a person in regard to his or her marriage state. , business or academic

level, use Mr. or Ms. If uncertain as to the gender of the individual you are calling, use the entire

name, as in, "May I speak to Pat Smith?" Then revert to using Mr. of Ms. Maintain a polite formality, especially on initial contact.

6. Do avoid poor language habits and using filler words such as "you know," "you guys," "like"

or "ummm."

7. Do identify yourself not only when speaking directly with a person, but also when leaving messages with others of on answering machines. Give your name and contact number both at the beginning of the message and at the conclusion so the listener will not have to replay the

message for the information.

8. Do be aware of people around you while talking on the phone. Be discreet. Someone next to you might overhear o·ver·hear

9. Do ask if you can put a person on hold and then wait for them to reply. Not everyone delights in being put on hold. Either do not interrupt the original call or, if you think this may be the call you've been waiting for all morning,

excuse yourself, tell the first caller you will call back in a few minutes and allow them to get on with their day.

10. Do listen to the caller. Pay attention to what they are saying so that you can answer the question they ask, instead of the one you thought they were going to ask. Write down important information as they are talking.

Do not

1. Don't speak too fast. People sometimes speak too fast because they are in a hurry or they are bored and not paying attention Noun 1. paying attention - paying particular notice (as to children or helpless people); "his attentiveness to her wishes"; "he spends without heed to the consequences"

attentiveness, heed, regard . Remember, although you may say the name of your company or your own name dozens of times in a day, for many callers, this is the first time they may be hearing it.

2. Don't speak too softly or breathy trying for an effect. This does not sound good, rather it sounds childish and people may not take you seriously.

3. Don't talk with your mouth full. Do not eat your lunch and try to make a sales presentation at the same time. This is not effective multi-tasking. It's irritating and impolite

4. Don't say "uh-huh" and "unh-unh". These vague grunts can easily be misunderstood and they also give the impression that you are not paying attention to the speaker.

5. Don't express a false familiarity and address a new caller by his or her first name. Americans

tend to be very informal in addressing others. However, not every one appreciates a stranger

saying, "Hey, Bob, this is Bill and I'd like to talk to you about Upson Downs Ladres ..." For

many cultures, this is actually considered rude.

6. Don't swear. This sounds like no-brainer, but when driving, and using your hands-free headset Headphones combined with a microphone. Used in call centers and by people in telephone- intensive jobs, headsets provide the equivalent functionality of a telephone handset with hands- free operation. Many people use headsets at the computer so they can converse and type comfortably.

7. Don't leave long garbled, wandering messages that no one can understand or that take six replays to get the information. No one is going to listen to a message multiple times. Use written notes to help you be brief and to the point.

8. Don't talk about personal matters so that others will overhear or will be forced to listen to more than they care to know. The person standing next to you could be your boss's good friend or a representative from some interested government agency.

9. Don't keep someone on hold more than few seconds, not minutes. Seconds feel like minutes if you are the one on hold and rarely does anyone really like the taped music selections. If you think the interruption will take more than one minute, end the call, and call back later.

10. Don't engage in side conversations while trying to talk to someone on the phone. Unable to actually see or participate in what is happening around you, your caller will feel ignored and resentful

Resume Writing Tips for Freshers & Experienced

Resume Format

 Always have a .doc (Microsoft Word) format and .txt format of your resume with you.

When you are filling your resume in websites, you need the text format and when you are sending resume through mail, it's better to send the .doc format.

Resume File Name

 Don't give some junk names as file name for the resume. Eg:

Resume_Chetana_FRESHER_B Tech_Computers.doc Exclusive Mail IDs

 Use only one (or maximum of 2) mail Ids exclusively for the purpose of recruitments.

chetanasinterview.com Always keep a copy

 While sending the resume, always keep a CC/BCC to your mail ID Subject Line Covering Letter

 Always try to include a "short" covering letter just containing your experience, current location, contact details (address & phone number) current company name, technology you are working in. Don't write too long covering letters. No HR will spend time on reading your long letters.

Short is Sweet

 Don't make the resume too long. Keep it short & sweet. It should be less than 3

pages (and up to a maximum of 4). The HR will hardly have 1 minute to glance at

your resume. He won't have the time to read story-like resume. So, be precise, clear and straight to the point.

Check BULK mail folder

 Check the BULK mail folder before blindly emptying it. I have seen people who lost call letters because of it.

INSIDE RESUME: w

ww.ChetanaSinterview.com Header & Footer!

 Always have a header & footer in your resume.

 Header can contain a simple heading of your resume.

 Footer should preferably contain the page number.

First Page is the best page to convey all about you!

Typically the HR expects all the important details in the first page. He receives hundreds of resumes and hardly gets 1 minute to look at your resume and so he won't bother to search your resume for the required details, if the details are not found in his first glance at your resume.

The first page of resume must contain the following things:

 Personal Details: Full Name, Date of Birth, Passport Number.

 Current Contact Details: Full Contact Address, Contact Phone Numbers, Mail ID &

Alternate Mail ID.

 Work Experience Summary: All the companies you have worked so far, Company Address, Website, Dates of Duration in each Company. Don't assume that everyone knows about your company. (You can highlight if your current company has any good quality levels like CMM/CMMI)

 Job Responsibilities: Your job profile in your past companies. For example, you should highlight that you are working as 'Module Leader leading a team of 6 people' in your current company.

 Skill Set Summary: Highlight all the technologies you know well. Don't include any technologies you have not worked on.

 Certifications: Include any relevant certifications you have. That gives you an edge over others. .chetanasinterview.com

 Education Details Summary: Your Post Graduation, Graduation, Intermediate, 10 th details, Aggregate Percentage, Year of Pass out (Most important).

Contact Details at the top, not at bottom!

 Contact Details should be at the top of resume, not at the bottom.

 Never include the contact details in Header or Footer. They won't be visible properly.

Always provide an alternate mail ID!

 Do NOT give more than 2 mail Ids in resume. The recruiters as well as you will get confused which mail Id to send/receive call letters.

Never use official mail ID! (for Experienced people)

 NEVER use OFFICIAL MAIL ID or OFFICIAL PHONE NUMBER in the resume. You must always provide the Personal mail Id & Personal Phone/Mobile Number. You can give the OFFICIAL MAIL ID for reference at the end the resume.

www.chetanasinterview.com Spell Check!

 Always perform a spell check and grammar check on the resume. You don't deserve a job if you can't write your resume without mistakes.

 There is nothing wrong in getting your resume reviewed by someone else. They

might catch the mistakes that your eyes can never detect.

 People think that they don't need to give the educational details. But they are important. If not all details, at least give the highest qualification, college/university name and aggregate percentage. (Some HR people simply delete the resumes without educational details.)

Reverse Chronological order!

 Your latest job profile is more important than your first one. So, always write the details in reverse chronological order (start with the latest) especially when you are listing previous company details or educational qualification details.

Avoid Irrelevant Details!

 Write straight to the point and only the details relevant to the job. (You don't need to include your family tree or how many children you have or what your wife does.)

 Do not write stereotype sentences like 'I am sincere, intelligent, hardworking' etc.

 Use simple Language Write the Crux of Projects!

Don't write all about your projects. That will make the resume very lengthy. Write only the crux of the information. Following details would be enough.

 Project Name, Team Size, Client Name, Duration of Project.

 Short description of project (Not more than 5 to 6 lines).

 Your role in project (This is very important).

 Technologies used in project.

You should convey where you want to work ! Experience!

 Project Training done in your final academic year does not come under professional work experience. You can mention it, but not under 'Work Experience' section.

 Always highlight your onsite (customer interaction experience) in your resume. That gives you an edge over others.

Salary Details

 Better not to include current & expected compensation details in resume. You can convey them when you are asked to provide them during interview.

You are not submitting the application for matrimonial!

 Do not include any photos in the resume unless specifically asked by the company.

 Avoid unwanted graphics: Either in resume or the covering letter, avoid jazzy graphic images, emoticons or multiple colors.

 Avoid jazzy fonts: Preferably use some professional font (Arial or Times or Verdana) and use the same across. Use same font size across the resume (except for

headings). Don't write each line in a different font and size.

 Take a printout of your resume and see. If you do not like it in the first look, the same will be with recruiters.

Email Etiquette

Why do you need email etiquette?

A company needs to implement etiquette rules for the following three reasons:

Professionalism: by using proper email language your company will convey a professional image.

Efficiency: emails that get to the point are much more effective than poorly worded emails.

Protection from liability: employee awareness of email risks will protect your company from costly law suits.

What are the etiquette rules?

There are many etiquette guides and many different etiquette rules. Some rules will differ according to the nature of your business and the corporate culture. Below we list what we consider as the 32 most important email etiquette rules that apply to nearly all companies.

32 most important email etiquette tips:

1. Be concise and to the point

2. Answer all questions, and pre-empt further questions 3. Use proper spelling, grammar & punctuation

4. Make it personal

5. Use templates for frequently used responses 6. Answer swiftly

7. Do not attach unnecessary files 8. Use proper structure & layout

9. Do not overuse the high priority option 10. Do not write in CAPITALS

11. Don't leave out the message thread 12. Add disclaimers to your emails 13. Read the email before you send it 14. Do not overuse Reply to All

15. Mailings > use the bcc: field or do a mail merge 16. Take care with abbreviations and emoticons 17. Be careful with formatting

18. Take care with rich text and HTML messages 19. Do not forward chain letters

20. Do not request delivery and read receipts 21. Do not ask to recall a message.

22. Do not copy a message or attachment without permission 23. Do not use email to discuss confidential information 24. Use a meaningful subject

25. Use active instead of passive

26. Avoid using URGENT and IMPORTANT 27. Avoid long sentences

28. Don't send or forward emails containing libelous, defamatory, offensive, racist or obscene remarks

29. Don't forward virus hoaxes and chain letters 30. Keep your language gender neutral

31. Don't reply to spam 32. Use cc: field sparingly 1. Be concise and to the point.

Do not make an e-mail longer than it needs to be. Remember that reading an e-mail is harder than reading printed communications and a long e-mail can be very discouraging to read.

2. Answer all questions, and pre-empt further questions.

An email reply must answer all questions, and pre-empt further questions – If you do not answer all the questions in the original email, you will receive further e-mails regarding the unanswered questions, which will not only waste your time and your customer’s time but also cause

considerable frustration. Moreover, if you are able to pre-empt relevant questions, your customer

will be grateful and impressed with your efficient and thoughtful customer service. Imagine for

instance that a customer sends you an email asking which credit cards you accept. Instead of just

listing the credit card types, you can guess that their next question will be about how they can order, so you also include some order information and a URL to your order page. Customers will definitely appreciate this.

3. Use proper spelling, grammar & punctuation.

This is not only important because improper spelling, grammar and punctuation give a bad impression of your company, it is also important for conveying the message properly. E-mails with no full s s or commas are difficult to read and can sometimes even change the meaning of the text. And, if your program has a spell checking option, why not use it?

4. Make it personal.

Not only should the e-mail be personally addressed, it should also include personal i.e.

customized content. For this reason auto replies are usually not very effective. However, templates can be used effectively in this way, see next tip.

5. Use templates for frequently used responses.

Some questions you get over and over again, such as directions to your office or how to subscribe to your newsletter. Save these texts as response templates and paste these into your message when you need them. You can save your templates in a Word document, or use pre- formatted emails. Even better is a tool such as ReplyMate for Outlook (allows you to use 10 templates for free).

6. Answer swiftly.

Customers send an e-mail because they wish to receive a quick response. If they did not want a quick response they would send a letter or a fax. Therefore, each e-mail should be replied to within at least 24 hours, and preferably within the same working day. If the email is complicated, just send an email back saying that you have received it and that you will get back to them. This will put the customer's mind at rest and usually customers will then be very patient!

7. Do not attach unnecessary files.

By sending large attachments you can annoy customers and even bring down their e-mail

system. Wherever possible try to compress attachments and only send attachments when they are productive. Moreover, you need to have a good virus scanner in place since your customers will not be very happy if you send them documents full of viruses!

8. Use proper structure & layout.

Since reading from a screen is more difficult than reading from paper, the structure and lay out is very important for e-mail messages. Use short paragraphs and blank lines between each

paragraph. When making points, number them or mark each point as separate to keep the overview.

9. Do not overuse the high priority option.

We all know the story of the boy who cried wolf. If you overuse the high priority option, it will lose its function when you really need it. Moreover, even if a mail has high priority, your message will come across as slightly aggressive if you flag it as 'high priority'.

10. Do not write in CAPITALS.

IF YOU WRITE IN CAPITALS IT SEEMS AS IF YOU ARE SHOUTING. This can be highly annoying and might trigger an unwanted response in the form of a flame mail. Therefore, try not to send any email text in capitals.

11. Don't leave out the message thread.

When you reply to an email, you must include the original mail in your reply, in other words

click 'Reply', instead of 'New Mail'. Some people say that you must remove the previous

message since this has already been sent and is therefore unnecessary. However, I could not

agree less. If you receive many emails you obviously cannot remember each individual email.

This means that a 'threadless email' will not provide enough information and you will have to spend a frustratingly long time to find out the context of the email in order to deal with it.

Leaving the thread might take a fraction longer in download time, but it will save the recipient much more time and frustration in looking for the related emails in their inbox!

12. Add disclaimers to your emails.

It is important to add disclaimers to your internal and external mails, since this can help protect your company from liability. Consider the following scenario: an employee accidentally forwards a virus to a customer by email. The customer decides to sue your company for damages. If you add a disclaimer at the bottom of every external mail, saying that the recipient must check each email for viruses and that it cannot be held liable for any transmitted viruses, this will surely be of help to you in court (read more about email disclaimers). Another example:

an employee sues the company for allowing a racist email to circulate the office. If your

company has an email policy in place and adds an email disclaimer to every mail that states that employees are expressly required not to make defamatory statements, you have a good case of proving that the company did everything it could to prevent offensive emails.

13. Read the email before you send it.

A lot of people don't bother to read an email before they send it out, as can be seen from the many spelling and grammar mistakes contained in emails. Apart from this, reading your email through the eyes of the recipient will help you send a more effective message and avoid misunderstandings and inappropriate comments.

14. Do not overuse Reply to All.

Only use Reply to All if you really need your message to be seen by each person who received the original message.

15. Mailings > use the Bcc: field or do a mail merge.

When sending an email mailing, some people place all the email addresses in the To: field. There are two drawbacks to this practice: (1) the recipient knows that you have sent the same message to a large number of recipients, and (2) you are publicizing someone else's email address without their permission. One way to get round this is to place all addresses in the Bcc: field. However, the recipient will only see the address from the To: field in their email, so if this was empty, the To: field will be blank and this might look like spamming. You could include the mailing list email address in the To: field, or even better, if you have Microsoft Outlook and Word you can do a mail merge and create one message for each recipient. A mail merge also allows you to use fields in the message so that you can for instance address each recipient personally. For more information on how to do a Word mail merge, consult the Help in Word.

16. Take care with abbreviations and emoticons.

In business emails, try not to use abbreviations such as BTW (by the way) and LOL (laugh out loud). The recipient might not be aware of the meanings of the abbreviations and in business emails these are generally not appropriate. The same goes for emoticons, such as the smiley :-).

If you are not sure whether your recipient knows what it means, it is better not to use it.

17. Be careful with formatting.

Remember that when you use formatting in your emails, the sender might not be able to view formatting, or might see different fonts than you had intended. When using colors, use a color that is easy to read on the background.

18. Take care with rich text and HTML messages.

Be aware that when you send an email in rich text or HTML format, the sender might only be

able to receive plain text emails. If this is the case, the recipient will receive your message as a

.txt attachment. Most email clients however, including Microsoft Outlook, are able to receive

HTML and rich text messages.

19. Do not forward chain letters.

Do not forward chain letters. We can safely say that all of them are hoaxes. Just delete the letters as soon as you receive them.

20. Do not request delivery and read receipts.

This will almost always annoy your recipient before he or she has even read your message.

Besides, it usually does not work anyway since the recipient could have blocked that function, or his/her software might not support it, so what is the use of using it? If you want to know whether an email was received it is better to ask the recipient to let you know if it was received.

21. Do not ask to recall a message.

Biggest chances are that your message has already been delivered and read. A recall request would look very silly in that case wouldn't it? It is better just to send an email to say that you have made a mistake. This will look much more honest than trying to recall a message.

22. Do not copy a message or attachment without permission.

Do not copy a message or attachment belonging to another user without permission of the originator. If you do not ask permission first, you might be infringing on copyright laws.

23. Do not use email to discuss confidential information.

Sending an email is like sending a postcard. If you don't want your email to be displayed on a bulletin board, don't send it. Moreover, never make any libelous, sexist or racially discriminating comments in emails, even if they are meant to be a joke.

24. Use a meaningful subject.

Try to use a subject that is meaningful to the recipient as well as yourself. For instance, when you send an email to a company requesting information about a product, it is better to mention the actual name of the product, e.g. 'Product A information' than to just say 'product information' or the company's name in the subject.

25. Use active instead of passive.

Try to use the active voice of a verb wherever possible. For instance, 'We will process your order today', sounds better than 'Your order will be processed today'. The first sounds more personal, whereas the latter, especially when used frequently, sounds unnecessarily formal.

26. Avoid using URGENT and IMPORTANT.

Even more so than the high-priority option, you must at all times try to avoid these types of words in an email or subject line. Only use this if it is a really, really urgent or important message.

27. Avoid long sentences.

Try to keep your sentences to a maximum of 15-20 words. Email is meant to be a quick medium and requires a different kind of writing than letters. Also take care not to send emails that are too long. If a person receives an email that looks like a dissertation, chances are that they will not even attempt to read it!

28. Don't send or forward emails containing libelous, defamatory, offensive, racist or obscene remarks.

By sending or even just forwarding one libelous, or offensive remark in an email, you and your company can face court cases resulting in multi-million dollar penalties.

29. Don't forward virus hoaxes and chain letters.

If you receive an email message warning you of a new virus that will immediately delete

everything from your computer, this is most probably a hoax. By forwarding hoaxes you use

valuable bandwidth and sometimes virus hoaxes contain viruses themselves, by attaching a so-

called file that will s the dangerous virus. The same goes for chain letters that promise incredible riches or ask your help for a charitable cause. Even if the content seems to be bona fide, the senders are usually not. Since it is impossible to find out whether a chain letter is real or not, the best place for it is the recycle bin.

30. Keep your language gender neutral.

In this day and age, avoid using sexist language such as: 'The user should add a signature by configuring his email program'. Apart from using he/she, you can also use the neutral gender:

''The user should add a signature by configuring the email program'.

31. Don't reply to spam.

By replying to spam or by unsubscribing, you are confirming that your email address is 'live'.

Confirming this will only generate even more spam. Therefore, just hit the delete button or use email software to remove spam automatically.

32. Use cc: field sparingly.

Try not to use the cc: field unless the recipient in the cc: field knows why they are receiving a

copy of the message. Using the cc: field can be confusing since the recipients might not know

who is supposed to act on the message. Also, when responding to a cc: message, should you

include the other recipient in the cc: field as well? This will depend on the situation. In general,

do not include the person in the cc: field unless you have a particular reason for wanting this

person to see your response. Again, make sure that this person will know why they are receiving

a copy.