GROUP DISCUSSION: 1.5

GROUP DISCUSSION: 1.5 

[7 Top Rules to STAND OUT in a G.D.]

"Written Tests are like a Sprint. It's about you and the track...Interviews are like Playing Golf. Its about you and the lay of the land...But, Group Discussion is similar to an American Soccer Match. If you have the ball in hand, 11 players pounce on you to prevent you from touching the goal line. If you follow the rules and understand your opponents, you can project the right image in a Group Discussion. Let's See How!

RULE 1: Prepare as many topics as you can. Practice mock discussions, preferably with differing groups of friends. Train your mind to think of the pros and cons with reference to different topics. More importantly, it is about looking at all the possible angles.

RULE 2: Carry a notepad and pen to note down the discussion points and participants' names. Addressing by name shows your people skills and presence of mind.

RULE 3: Let your body posture be of polite intensity so that you come across as a balanced individual with ample energy.

RULE 4: Take Charge of the discussion Right at the Beginning. It shows your Leadership Capability. Start the discussion by setting the framework, state your opening point and leave it to the group. Conclude the discussion by summing up if you can.

RULE 5: If you disagree, present your argument without aggression. You are not there to prove that your stand is right, but to show your maturity and capability to think logically.

RULE 6: Some companies expect you to stand for yourself in an aggressive environment. Know the company culture beforehand. Look out for yourself. But, do not take all the airtime. You will look immature and self-centred.

 
RULE 7: If another candidate is taking all the airtime, intervene when he pauses so that you can state your Point and pass on the chance to someone who hasn't had his say. Group discussions are as much about your point of view as about how you handle yourself."

GROUP DISCUSSION: 1.4

 GROUP DISCUSSION: 1.4

List of Frequently Asked GD Topics

• Position of Women in India compared to other nations. 

• India or west , which is the land of opportunities

• Effect of cinema on Youth 

• Education in India compared to Foreign nations 

• Environment - Whose Responsibility?

• About Hockey being the primary game in India. 

• Advantages of Co-education. 

• Is Globalization Really Necessary? 

• What shall we do about our ever-increasing Population? 

• Corruption is the price we pay for Democracy. 

• Is dependence on computers a good thing? 

• Should the public sector be privatized? 

• China and India are similar nations with contrasting ways 

• Value based politics is the need of the hour 

• Reservation: legacy of the British and has done more harm than good. 

• Cricket as a national obsession and detriment to other sports. 

• Advertising is a waste of resources. 

• Privatization will lead to less corruption. 

• Women are good managers.

• Indians perform better as individuals rather than in groups. 

• Business and ethics go hand in hand, or do they? 

• Developing countries should spend more on development than on defense.

• Money is required to earn more money. 

• Science: A Boon Or Bane

• All Work And No Play Make Jack A Dull Boy 

• Bullet For Bullet: Is It The Right Policy? 

• Brain-Drain Has To Be Stopped.

• Are women As good as Men Or Inferior? 

• Experience or Young Talent ?

• Education in India – burden or opportunity?

• Human relations vs. Materialistic things? 

• Money or fame? 

• Reality shows

• Study or extra curricular activity is the drive-force to success? 

• Machine over man or man over machine?

• Spiritualism is a curtain to crime?

• Theory or practical? 

• India: leader or follower in 21st century? 

• Team worker or a Leader? Who is most imp.?

• There is no right way to do a wrong thing.

• Do Beauty and Brains Go Together?

GROUP DISCUSSION: 1.3

GROUP DISCUSSION: 1.3

[POINTS TO REMEMBER]

• If you are not sure about the topic of discussion, it’s better not to initiate. Lack of knowledge or wrong approach creates a bad impression. Instead, you might adopt the ‘Wait & Watch’ attitude. Listen attentively to others, may be you would be able to come up with a point or two later.
• A GD is a formal occasion where slangs are to be avoided.Language used should be simple, direct and straight forward. 
• Knowledge is strength. A candidate with good reading habits has more chances of success.
• Power to convince effectively is another quality that makes you stand out among others.
• Clarity in speech and expression is yet another essential trait. 
• A GD is not a debating stage. Participants should confine themselves to express their viewpoints. In the second part of the discussion candidates can exercise their choice in agreeing, disagreeing or remaining neutral. 
• Don't interrupt a speaker when the session is on. Try to score by increasing the size and quality of your discussion; not by cutting others short. 
• Maintain rapport with fellow participants. Eye contact plays a major role. Non-verbal gestures, such as listening intently or nodding while appreciating someone's viewpoint speak of you positively. 
• Communicate with each and every candidate present. While speaking don't keep looking at a single member. Address the entire group in such a way that everyone feels you are speaking to him or her.

- G.D. Dos -

 a. Define the Topic/ Issue and Interpret It.

b. Keep Your Points Simple and Understandable to Others.

c. Be Polite and Courteous.

d. Maintain Friendly and Pleasant Atmosphere throughout the GD.

e. Be Clear in Expressing Your Point of View.

f. Look at and Address all the Group Members of while Expressing Your Point of View.

g. Emphasize the Points which You Consider Significant.

h. Be brief and Speak with Proper Pronunciation.

i. Keep the Discussion on Track.

j. Keep Your Mind Focused all the time on What was being said.

k. Intervene Politely.

l. Try to Conclude within the Scheduled Time.

m. Summarize the Main Points at the end. 

- G.D. Don’ts -

a. Neither Raise Your Voice too High Nor Speak too Softly

b. Don’t Become Monotonous.

c. Don’t Show Emotional Outburst.

d. Don’t Display Over-excitement or Anger.

e. Don’t Become Aggressive in Presenting Your Views.

f. Don’t Become Autocratic.

g. Don’t Encourage Personal Conflicts.

h. Don’t Jump to Conclusions too Quickly.

[to be continued...]

GROUP DISCUSSION: 1.2

GROUP DISCUSSION: 1.2

[Valuable GD Tips]

1. Be as natural as possible. Do not try and be someone you are not. Be yourself.
2. A group discussion is your chance to be more vocal. The evaluator wants to hear you speak.
3. Take time to organize your thoughts. Think of what you are going to say.
4. Seek clarification if you have any doubts regarding the subject.
5. Don't start speaking until you have clearly understood and analyzed the subject.
6. Work out various strategies to help you make an entry: initiate the discussion or appreciate someone's point and then move onto express your views.
7. Opening the discussion is not the only way of gaining attention and recognition. If you do not give valuable insights during the discussion, all your efforts of initiating the discussion will be in vain.
8. Your body language says a lot about you - your gestures and mannerisms are more likely to reflect your attitude than what you say.
9. Language skills are important only to the effect as to how you get your points across clearly and fluently.
10. Be assertive not dominating; try to maintain a balanced tone in your discussion and analysis.
11. Don't lose your cool if anyone says anything you object to. The key is to stay objective: Don't take the discussion personally.
12. Always be polite: Try to avoid using extreme phrases like: `I strongly object' or `I disagree'. Instead try phrases like: `I would like to share my views on…' or `One difference between your point and mine…' or "I beg to differ with you"
13. Brush up on your leadership skills; motivate the other members of the team to speak (this surely does not mean that the only thing that you do in the GD is to say "let us hear what KIran has to say," or "Raghu, let us hear your views" - Essentially be subtle), and listen to their views. Be receptive to others' opinions and do not be abrasive or aggressive.
14. If you have a group of like-minded friends, you can have a mock group discussion where you can learn from each other through giving and receiving feedback.
15. Apart from the above points, the panel will also judge team members for their alertness and presence of mind, problem-solving abilities, ability to work as a team without alienating certain members, and creativity.

- Don't Forget -

• Knowledge is strength. A candidate with good reading habits has more chances of success. In other words, sound knowledge on different topics like politics, finance, economy, science and technology is helpful.
• Power to convince effectively is another quality that makes you stand out among others.
• Clarity in speech and expression is yet another essential quality.
• If you are not sure about the topic of discussion, it is better not to initiate. Lack of knowledge or wrong approach creates a bad impression. Instead, you might adopt the wait and watch attitude. Listen attentively to others, may be you would be able to come up with a point or two later.
• A GD is a formal occasion where slang is to be avoided.
• A GD is not a debating stage. Participants should confine themselves to express their viewpoints. In the second part of the discussion candidates can exercise their choice in agreeing, disagreeing or remaining neutral.
• Language used should be simple, direct and straight forward.
• Don't interrupt a speaker when the session is on. Try to score by increasing your size, not by cutting others short.
• Maintain rapport with fellow participants. Eye contact plays a major role. Non-verbal gestures, such as listening intently or nodding while appreciating someone's viewpoint speak of you positively.
• Communicate with each and every candidate present. While speaking don't keep looking at a single member. Address the entire group in such a way that everyone feels you are speaking to him or her.

 [to be continued...]

GROUP DISCUSSION: 1.1

 GROUP DISCUSSION: 1.1

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 10-15 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 one's feet

Improving GD Skills

Asking questions and joining in discussions are important skills. If you find it difficult to speak or ask questions, try the following.

A. Observe

If you are weak in required GD Skills, start with observing others whether in class or outside:

• How do other students make critical comments?
• How do they ask questions?
• How do they disagree with or support arguments?
• What special phrases do they use to show politeness even when they are voicing disagreement?
• How do they signal to interrupt, ask a question or make a point?

B. Practice

Start practicing your discussion skills in an informal setting or with a small group. Start with asking questions of fellow students. Ask them about the course material. Ask for their opinions. Ask for information or ask for help.

C. Participate

Take every opportunity to take part in social/informal discussions as well as more structured/formal discussions. Start by making small contributions to classroom discussions; prepare a question to ask, or agree with another speaker's remarks.

  Discussion Etiquette 

(Minding Your Manners)

Dos

• 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'ts

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

Note: Leading a Discussion: You may be in a group that requires you to lead a group discussion, or lead a discussion after an oral presentation. You can demonstrate leadership by: a. Introducing yourself and the members of the group, b. Stating the purpose of the discussion, c. Inviting quiet group members to speak, d. Being objective, e. Summarizing the discussion .

[to be continued...]

RESUME: 1.4

RESUME: 1.4

[TOP 3 TIPS FROM THE INDUSTRY EXPERTS]

"Creating a customised CV for every job position that you wish to apply to is a necessity. Remember, there is no standard resume for all job roles! Simply copy pasting the contents of the same CV in every job application can be disastrous. Making a resume requires one to put in time and rest assured it is worth the effort. Also take feedback from friends and family on the contents that you plan to put in. Such feedback will not only give you invaluable perspective, but also help weed out the extraneous matter. Often the small things in a CV make a big difference. Providing juvenile email ids, including unnecessarily flamboyant statements, putting in irrelevant facts and mentioning your weaknesses in the resume are a strict no-no. You are what your CV represents. Think it through!"

~ Damayanti Bhattacharya, CEO, IIT-Bombay Alumni Association

"A person's achievements and accomplishments form a critical part of his/her resume. Try to communicate the extent of your knowledge and experience clearly in a specific and relevant manner. Portray your willingness to join the organisation. Most importantly, everything that you intend to put on your CV must be justifiable. Do not even attempt to misrepresent your qualifications, experience or even hobbies. You'll be caught. Always review the CV for spelling, grammar and formatting errors. The presentation of information in the CV is also critical. Keep the header simple and clean, with as little information as necessary. A personal email address, a home address and a mobile number is all the contact information you need to put in."

~ Ritesh Goel, Founder, HR Reflections

"Be clear about your professional goals and objectives before you attempt to write your CV. Formulate these objectives in a simple, yet well-worded manner. Having appropriate professional and personal references is another important aspect to bear in mind before writing a CV. Usually, giving a brief synopsis of the roles and responsibilities discharged in previous jobs will help the recruiter understand your skills set and abilities. For a fresher, focusing on projects that one has completed as part of the academic curriculum or otherwise is necessary. Additionally, the emphasis must be on the quality of work done, rather than just the number of projects handled. Be sure to keep the format consistent in the body of the CV. It is a bad idea to have varied font sizes, styles and colours. Remember, there is no hard and fast rule to CV formatting. Just try to keep it clean, yet visually appealing! Usually, laying out the resume in a way that your unique strengths are highlighted is the best approach.”

~ Subhashini Naikar, PDLC