HS 85 81 PROFESSIONAL COMMUNICATION LAB MANUAL

 

PARK COLLEGE OF ENGINEERING AND TECHNOLOGY

Kaniyur, Coimbatore 641659

(Affiliated to Anna University, ISO 9001: 2008   Certified)

(Approved by AICTE, Accredited by Board of Accreditation, Accredited by NAAC)

 

 

 

HS 8581

PROFESSIONAL COMMUNICATION

 

RECORD WORK

Submitted by

 

 

 

Register No                             :

 

Roll No                                                :

 

Name                                       :

 

Branch                                                :

 

Semester                                 :

 

 

 

UNDER THE GUIDANCE OF

 

PROF. C. GOVINDASWAMY

HOD/ ENGLISH

 

 

 

 

BONAFIDE CERTIFICATE

REGISTER NUMBER            :

ROLL NUMBER                     :

NAME                                              :

BRANCH                                :

SEMESTER                                      :

 

Certified that this record work on PROFESSIONAL COMMUNICATION ( HS  8581) is a bonafide work of the above student and is submitted for the practical examination held on ________________

 

                                      

 

SIGNATURE OF THE                                                  SIGNATURE OF THE

FACULTY                                                                     HOD/ ENGLISH

 

 

SIGNATURE OF THE                                                  SIGNATURE OF THE

INTERNAL EXAMINER                                              EXTERNAL EXAMINER

 

 

 

 

INDEX PAGE

S,No	Date	Topic	Page No.	Remarks
01	18.8.21	Syllabus
02	18.8.21	Questions on the syllabus
03	18.8.21	Evaluation pattern
04	18.8.21	Questions on the evaluation pattern
		Unit 1
05	25.8.21	Define Soft skills. Give some examples
06	25.8.21	Define hard skills. Give some examples
07	25.8.21	Task 1 Sort the following into soft skills ( SS) and hard skills(HS)
08	25.8.21	Task 2 Fill in the blanks with words from the options provided
09	25.8.21	Task 3 Answer the following questions
10	1.9.21	Employability and career skills
11	1.9.21	Task 4 Employability skills(Matching)
12	1.9.21	Grooming as a professional
13	8.9.21	Time management
14	8.9.21	Task 1 Sort the following into important activities and time stealers
15	8.9.21	Task 2 Choose the best response in the following situations
16	8.9.21	General awareness of current affairs Task 1
		UNIT 2
17	15.9.21	Self introduction ( template)
18	15.9.21	Task 1 Introducing oneself to the audience
19	22.9.21	Presentation skills
20	22.9.21	Task1 Oral presentation ( on the topic of your choice)
		UNIT 3
21	29.9.21	Group discussion
22	29.9.21	Task 1 Which of the following factors are not required for successful group discussion?
23	29.9.21	Task 2 Match the actions in a GD with the appropriate skills that they reflect
24	29.9.21	Task 3 Classify the following instructions as do’s and don’ts in group discussions
	6.10.21	Internal test
	13.10.21	Pooja holiday
		Unit4
25	20.10.21	Interview Skills Cover letter and resume
26	27.10.21	Tips to face interview
	27.10.21	Frequently asked questions in interview
	27.10.21	HR expectations
	27.10.21	Useful web sites for improving employability skills
27	3.11.21	Task 1 Write down 10 important tips for attending the interview
28	3.11.21	Task 2 Answer the following frequently asked questions in the interview.
29	3.11.21	Task 3 Write down any seven websites that are useful for improving your employability skills
	3.11.21	Task 4   Write a job application letter with resume to the HR Manager, The Innovators India Digital Technologies Pvt. Ltd., Chennai – 20,  applying for the post of Junior Engineer
30	10.11.21	On line test ( sample) 1. Listen and answer the following learnenglish.britishcouncil.org/skills/listening/beginner-a1/the-first-english-class
31	17.11.21	2. Read and answer the following.
32	24.11.21	3. Common errors( Choose the correct sentence)

 

 

 

Syllabus

 

HS8581         PROFESSIONAL COMMUNICATION                                             L T P C: 0 0 2 1

 OBJECTIVES:

The course aims to:

·         Enhance the Employability and Career Skills of students

·   Orient the students towards grooming as a professional

·   Make them Employability Graduates

·   Develop their confidence and help them attend interviews successfully.

 UNIT I

 Introduction to Soft Skills-- Hard skills & soft skills - employability and career Skills—Grooming as a professional with values—Time Management—General awareness of Current Affairs

 UNIT II

 Self-Introduction-organizing the material - Introducing oneself to the audience – introducing the topic – answering questions – individual presentation practice–– presenting the visuals effectively – 5 minute presentations

 UNIT III

 Introduction to Group Discussion— Participating in group discussions – understanding group dynamics - brainstorming the topic -– questioning and clarifying –GD strategies- activities to improve GD skills

UNIT IV

 Interview etiquette – dress code – body language – attending job interviews– telephone/skype interview -one to one interview &panel interview – FAQs related to job interviews

 UNIT V

Recognizing differences between groups and teams- managing time-managing stress- networking professionally- respecting social protocols-understanding career management-developing a long term career plan-making career changes.

TOTAL :                                                                                                                      30 PERIODS

 OUTCOMES:

 At the end of the course Learners will be ability to:

 • Make effective presentations

 • Participate confidently in Group Discussions.

• Attend job interviews and be successful in them.

• Develop adequate Soft Skills required for the workplace

 Recommended Software

 1. Open Source Software

2. Win English

 REFERENCES:

1. Butterfield, Jeff Soft Skills for Everyone. Cengage Learning: New Delhi, 2015

 2. Interact English Lab Manual for Undergraduate Students,. Orient Black Swan: Hyderabad, 2016.

3. E. Suresh Kumar et al. Communication for Professional Success. Orient Black swan: Hyderabad, 2015

 4. Raman, Meenakshi and Sangeeta Sharma. Professional Communication. Oxford University Press: Oxford, 2014

5. S. Hariharan et al.  Soft Skills. MJP Publishers: Chennai, 2010

 

QUESTIONS ON THE SYLLABUS

Read the syllabus carefully and answer the following questions:

1. What are the four objectives of the course?

2. How many hours are allotted for the completion of the syllabus?

3. How many units are there in the syllabus?

4. Mention at least four outcomes of the course?

5. Mention the recommended software

6. Write down all the five reference books quoted in the syllabus along with authors and publishers

7. Which unit deals with GD?

8. Which unit speaks about dress code?

9. What are the skills introduced in the first unit?

10. Are you satisfied with the content of the syllabus? If not what topics would you like to add?

 

 

ANSWERS FOR THE QUESTIONS ON THE SYLLABUS

 

 

Evaluation pattern

Professional Communication (HS8581)

 

Online Test: 25

Distribution of Marks:

Reading Comprehension      (10)

Listening Comprehension    (10)

Error Correction                   (05)

 

Pattern: Reading and listening comprehension passages will be based on soft skills.

Error Correction exercises will resemble those found in the earlier ‘Employability Skills’

paper.

Apart from the online test, the End Semester examination will have the following

components, which will be conducted along with the External Examiner.

1. Group Discussion              : 25 marks

2. Oral Presentation               : 25 marks

3. Interview                            : 25 marks

Total                                      : 75 marks

 

Group Discussion Dynamics

1. Each group will have no more than 7 students.

2. The Group Discussion will have to be conducted for a maximum of 20 minutes

Marks for the GDs could be given based on the following two criteria.

a. Students’ ability to communicate in English and perform various language functions

such as ability to negotiate, persuade, summarize agree disagree introduce,

initiate, conclude etc.

b. Students’ ability to display people skills which will include ability to tolerate

opposing views, display leadership skills by initiating the discussion, use repair

strategies if and when necessary, students are aware of conventions such as turn

taking and turn giving.

 

1. Oral Presentation: 5-7 minutes.

Following criteria could be used for marking students.

a. Content

b. Fluency

c. Organization- structure

d. Vocabulary

e. Grammar

f. Body Language

g. Answering questions

h. Delivery

i. Pronunciation

 

 

 

 

2. Interview:

15 marks for the interview, 10 marks for the CV that the student will submit to

the examiners. The students are to be informed that they will have to prepare for an

interview in their core companies. The CV will have to match the job that they are applying for. (Since they are freshers, their CVs will need to be drawn up for the junior company positions).

 

1. The interviews will have to be conducted for 15-20 minutes.

2. 5-7 questions are to be asked to each student.

 

Sample questions:

1. Could you tell me something about yourself? /Please introduce yourself.

2. What according to you are your greatest professional strengths?

3. What do you see as your weaknesses?

4. What do you know about the Company and the position for which you are    applying?

5. Where do you see yourself five years down the line?

 

 

QUESTIONS ON THE EVALUATION PATTERN

1. How many marks are allotted for online test?

2. Write down the distribution of marks for the online examination

3. Who conducts the end semester examination, Internal or external examiner?

4. What are the components that are tested in the end semester examination apart from the on-line test?

5. Write down the criteria used for evaluating your oral presentation.

6. How long will the interview – skill test be conducted?

7. How many questions will be asked to each student to test their interview – skills?

8. Are you supposed to submit your CV to the external examiner?How many marks are allotted for your CV?

9. Write a few sample questions that are asked at the time of interview.

10. Are you sure that you will face the practical tests confidently?

 

ANSWERS FOR THE QUESTIONS ON THE EVALUATION PATTERN

 

SOFT SKILLS

Define soft skills. Give some examples:

Soft skills are personal attributes that enable someone to interact effectively and harmoniously with other people

Soft skills are interpersonal skills such as the ability to communicate well with other people and to work in a team

Soft skills are desirable qualities for certain forms of employment that do not depend on acquired knowledge. They include common sense, the ability to deal with people and a positive flexible attitude.

Soft skills are a combination of people skills, social skills, communication skills, character or personality traits, attitude, and career attributes social intelligence among others, that enable people to navigate their environment, work well with others, perform well, and achieve their goals with complementing hard skills

Soft skills are subjective skills that are much harder to quantify. Also known as people skills, or interpersonal skills, soft skills relate the way you relate to and interact with other people.

Soft skills are interpersonal skills which are used to describe your approach to life, work, and relationships with other people. Unlike hard skills, they are not professional job- specific skills like accountancy, graphic designing etc.

Soft skills are traits, such as etiquette, communication and listening, that make you a good employee, getting along with other people

A buzz word all around the world.

An umbrella term for variety of skills

Soft skills correlate with some terms of a very close meaning,’ life skills, emotional intelligence quotients, social skills, and interpersonal skills

Soft skills are yard sticks used by the organizations to evaluate employees. They are also used as a measure to understand who should be hired, retained or promoted

Soft skills convey more about what a person ‘is’ rather than what he or she ‘knows’

It is through our soft skills that we deploy our personality, attitude, and behavior to successfully manage our lives and relationships around us.

Soft skills are habits that can be cultivated over time

Examples of soft skills:

1. Communication

2. Flexibility

3. Leadership

4. Motivation

5. Patience

6. Problem solving abilities

7. Team work

8. Time management

9. Creativity

10. Confidence

11. Friendliness

12. Self motivation

13. Common sense

14. Strong work ethics

 

HARD SKILLS

Define hard skills. Give some  examples.

Hard skills are teachable and measurable abilities such as writing, reading mathematics, or ability to use computer programmes.

Hard skills are teachable abilities or skill sets that are easy to quantify. Typically you learn hard skills in the class room, through books, or other training materials

Hard skills are specific abilities which help people carry out different jobs. They are teachable, meaning you can develop them through dedicated training.

It is often said that hard skills will get you an interview but you need soft skills to get and keep the job.

Hard skills contribute to only about 15% of one’s success, where as soft skills contribute around 85%

Hard skills are defined as ‘the abilities which arise from knowledge, practice, and aptitude to do something well.’

Hard skills are technical qualifications required to do a job effectively. They are teachable abilities that can be defined and measured

Examples:

1. Proficiency in a foreign language

2. A degree certificate

3. Typing speed

4. Machine operation

5. Computer programming

6. Coding ability

7. Book keeping

 

 

 

 

 

 

Task 1:

Sort the following into soft skills (SS) and hard skills (HS)

Programming skills       self- confidence      assertiveness                accounting skills Typing speed                 politeness               decision making          time management Communication skills   editing skills           carpentry                     leadership Mathematical skills      small talk                 courteousness              listening skills Etiquette                       ability to use  computer programs

 

Answer:

Soft skills(SS)	Hard skills( HS)

 

 

TASK 2

 

Fill in the blanks with words from the options provided:

 

team player       leader       motivates       cooperation      communication

 

1. The interviewer was impressed with the…………………… skills of the candidate.

2. Anitha understands her team members, provides them with guidance and support and listens patiently to their suggestions; she is considered to be a good…………………..

3. ‘You have to learn to accommodate other’s opinion and be a good………………..’ said the manager

4. A good leader…………………… the team and enables …………… among members

 

 

Task 3

Answer the following questions:

1. What is the difference between soft skills and hard skills?

2. How can soft skills contribute success in one’s personal life?

3. List a few hard skills and soft skills that you possess. Write a few lines        describing the importance of each of the skills listed.

 

Task 3

Answers

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Employability skills:

Employment is to be working in a job and employability is the overall capacity that you have to possess in order to be offered a job.

Employability means that you have career- ready skills, attributes and values.

Employability goes much beyond merely having a degree in your subject and having only job- specific skills. It is a measure of your being able to handle day today requirements at your work place and also contribute meaning fully to the organization you join

. Employability Skills can be defined as the transferable skills needed by an individual to make them 'employable'. Along with good technical understanding and subject knowledge, employers often outline a set of skills that they want from an employee

What are the essential employability skills?

Communication

Self- management

Initiative and enterprise

Team play

Openness to learning

Problem solving

Planning and organizing

Technology

Time management

Stress management

 

Why employability skills are important?

Employability skills assume importance in the real world because they round you off well, whereby you can fit in, get along with people and perform in every situation without much of a problem.

Employability skills are key competencies that also reveal your personal qualifies and value system,

 

 

Task 1:

 

Employability skills

Complete the ideas expressed below by connecting the items in column A with those of in column B

Employability skills help you to:

Column A	Column B
1. solve	a. like a leader
2. communicate	b. initiative and enterprise
3. take decisions	c. in planning
4. be cooperative	d. issues and problems amicably
5. be systematic	e. effectively with every one
6. show	f. with colleagues

 

Answers:

Employability skills help you to:

Column A	Column B
1. solve
2. communicate
3. take decisions
4. be cooperative
5. be systematic
6. show

 

 

Grooming as a professional

What is grooming?

Grooming is the processes of making yourself look neat and attractive.

Grooming is the things which you do to make yourself and your appearance tidy and pleasant

Grooming refers to the things that people do to keep themselves clean and make their face, hair and skin look nice.

Grooming refers to the things that you do to make your appearance clean and neat, for example, brushing your hair.

Good grooming includes:

Bathing/ neat hair/ clean, trimmed finger nails/ brushing your teeth/ wearing clean clothes/ etc.

Grooming involves all the aspects of your body:

1. over all cleanliness

2.Hair

3. Nails

4.Teeth

5.Dress

6. Make up

Why professional grooming is important?

Dressing will not only increase your self confidence but it will also impresses and attracts other people.

Proper grooming and professional appearance are important to gain respect in the work place

First impression is the best impression

You are being seen before you are being heard

Grooming tips:

1. Wear formal clothes

2. Avoid use of strong perfumes

3. Pay attention to your hair- cut

4. Keep a professional looking folder to carry your mark sheet, certificates and resume

5. Keep your cell- phone switch off or in silent mode;

6. Avoid growing beard

 

 

TIME MANAGEMENT

The five most important time management skills are:

 

·         Planning.

·         Decision making and prioritization.

·         ‍Setting boundaries and saying no.

·         ‍Delegating and outsourcing tasks.

·         ‍Building a system and diligently following it.

 

What is time management?

 

Time management” is the process of organizing and planning how to divide your time between specific activities. Good time management enables you to work smarter – not harder – so that you get more done in less time, even when time is tight and pressures are high. ... The answer lies in good time management.

Time management is a self-management technique which help employees plan both their work as well as their leisure ahead of time.. This allows them to invest time in personal growth, make immense progress in their professional career and lead a healthier, relaxed life at home. On the work front, time management enhances an individual’s efficiency and contributes immensely to an organization’s profitability. The concept of time management goes beyond the mere completion of tasks on time. It is a value system which involves the commitment of an individual to a much more disciplined way of life. People who manage time effectively are successful, happy and positive in their thoughts and interactions with others

Prioritization

To prioritise is to ‘arrange or do things in the order of their relative importance.’ The key is not to preoritise your schedule, but to schedule your prioritise. (Stephen Covey) In his book,’ First things first’ Stephen Covey, provides a simple demonstration of the concept of prioritization. Imagine that you are given an empty glass bowl and some rocks, gravel, and sand with which to fill the bowl. The rocks represent the most strategically significant tasks in our lives, the gravel, the work that demands the next highest priority; and the sand the least important of our activities. Now if we start filling the bowl with the sand and gravel, it leaves no room for the rocks. But if we work backwards, and start with rocks first, then gravel, and finally add sand, we will find that there is plenty of room for everything.

Time stressors

Time stressors are sources of pressure in the work place, when you have a lot to do and very little time to do it in, for example, imagine that within a single day, you must accomplish the following: prepare reports for the board meeting, attend two other meetings, reply to several mails from clients, interview a candidate for a position in your team, and be a part of a technical training programme. This can be a demanding task. How do we handle so much work in a single day?

To make the best use of time, we need to identify the purpose of each activity. Then based on the relative importance and urgency of the activity, we arrange our tasks in a specific order. We try and multi task where possible, delegate work where we can, take help where necessary and by the end of the day, accomplish all our goals,

Good time management implies we divide our time wisely between things which are important as well as those that are urgent. It is imperative to balance the ‘important’ with the ‘urgent’

Urgent activities demand an immediate attention, whether they are important or not. They may or may not contribute to our long –term growth. Important activities, on the other hand, help us achieve our long term professional and personal growth.

Time stealers

Time stealers also called ‘time wasters’ are those activities or tasks that draw your attention away from the more important work in hand. They nibble away the time that you would have otherwise spent on accomplishing more important goals, both professional and personal.

Examples:

Unwanted phone calls

Unnecessary and inordinately late meetings

Long commuting distances

 

Slow gadgets or lack of automation processes

Distractions from colleagues and friends

Tendency to procrastinate over decisions,  etc.

Time wasters are a drain on our patience. The best way to tackle them is to prioritise your important work and minimize the time stealers as far as possible

The time management matrix

Urgency means a situation in which a task requires our immediate attention

Examples of urgent tasks: pressing appointments, overdue assignments, some phone calls, request for help from managers, attending to work place emergencies, etc.

Important tasks contribute to our long-term mission, value and goals.

Examples of important tasks: keeping track of our learning goals, taking care of our health, building rapport with clients/ colleagues, improving our skill-set etc.

How do we balance the ‘important’ and the ‘urgent’? Here is the two-by two matrix that can be used to achieve this goal. This matrix helps us identify the relative significance of our day-to-day activities and to perioritise them effectively.

THE TIME MANAGEMENT MATRIX

(Source: Stephen Covey, 7 Habits of highly effective people)

Important	Urgent	Not urgent
	I ACTIVITIES Crises Pressing problems Deadline-driving projects	II ACTIVITIES Prevention, PC activities Relationship building Recognising new opportunities Planning Recreation
Not important	III ACTIVITIES Interruptions, some calls Some mails, Some reports Some meetings Proximate, pressing matters Popular activities	IV ACTIVITIES Trivia, busy work Some mail Some phone calls Time wasters Pleasant activities

 

Quadrant 1: Urgent and important activities

Examples: Immediate and important deadlines, certain emails that require immediate action, assignment deadlines, deadlines for tax returns, major customer complaints, a report due in an hour, etc.

How to handle Q1 activities: All that fall within Q1 need top priority. There is on option but to give immediate attention to them. Postponing or avoiding them can have serious repercussions both professionally and personally

Quadrant 2:  Important but not urgent activities

Examples: Long term development, exercising, learning a new language, learning a new skill,  creating a budget and saving plan, long term planning, studying for an examination, etc.

How to handle Q2 activities: These activities need our focus on daily basis. Systematic time management to accommodate these activities in our daily schedule will help us derive immense benefit in areas of professional and personal growth.

Quadrant 3: Urgent but not important activities

Examples: Time pressured distractions, activities that require now ( urgent)  but don’t help us  achieve our goals or fulfill our mission ( not important), requests from collegues for help with their work,  emails that don’t require urgent attention, text messages and promotional phone calls from random sales persons

How to handle Q3 activities: Most Q3 tasks are interruptions from other people and often involve helping them meet their own goals and fulfill their own priorities. The best way to deal with them is to use your assertiveness and refuse to devote time to them.

Quadrant 4 : not urgent, not important activities

Examples: Activities that yield little value fall under Quadrant 4  simply surfing the web, playing video games in every spare moment of time, scrolling through social media like Face book, Twitter, Instagram, going on shopping sprees etc.

How to handle Q4 activities: The best option is to minimize the time spent on these activities, especially when you are loaded with work.

The four Ds of time management:

Interruptions and distractions keep us away from our most important work. Most interruptions/ distractions come in the form of emails and phone calls.Before you respond, filter them with the help of the four Ds:

1.Delete

2.Delegate

3. Defer and

4.  Do

 

DELETE: Delete all unwanted mails

DELEGATE: Delegate tasks if your team member is equally competent to do it the way you can.

DEFER: Put away tasks that need not be done immediately.

DO: Do the most important tasks that can add value to you and your organization

 

 

QUOTATIONS ON TIME MANAGEMENT

Time is more valuable than money. You can get more money, but you cannot get more time." - Jim Rohn

Better to be three hours too soon, than a minute too late." - William Shakespeare

Yesterday is gone. Tomorrow has not yet come. We have only today. Let us begin." - Mother Teresa

Give me six hours to chop down a tree and I will spend the first four sharpening the axe." - Abraham Lincoln

Take care of the minutes and the hours will take care of themselves." - Lord Chesterfield

The bad news is time flies. The good news is you're the pilot." -- Michael Altshuler

காலம் பொன்னானது

 ஞாலம் கருதினும் கைகூடும் காலம் கருதி

 இடத்தார் செயின்

மூன்று மணிக்கு எழுபவன் முனிவன்

 நான்கு மணிக்கு எழுபவன் ஞானி

 ஐந்து மணிக்கு எழுபவன் அறிஞன்

ஆறு மணிக்கு எழுபவன் மனிதன்

 ஏழு மணிக்கு எழுபவன் எருமை

இந்தியர்கள் காலத்தை மணிக்கணக்கில் பார்க்கிறார்கள்

 ஜப்பானியர் காலத்தை நிமிட கணக்கில பார்க்கிறார்கள்

 ஐரோப்பியர்கள் காலத்தை வினாடி கணக்கில பார்க்கிறார்கள்

 

 

TASK 1:

Imagine a busy day at college and sort the following into important activities (IA) and time stealers ( TS)

1. working on a college assignment

2. checking social media posts

3. spending time in the canteen

4. completing your lab work

5. helping a friend with his assignment]

6. attending to your friend’s malfunctioning mobile phone

7. attending all the lectures scheduled for the day

8, reference work at the library

9. deciding which dress to wear to college

10. playing a sport

 

ANSWERS

Important activities( IA)	Time stealers(TS)

 

 

 

 

 

TASK 2

Choose the best response in the following situations.

A. Imagine that you are busy working on a project report that is due in a few hours. Your colleague approaches you for help with his work. How would you politely turn him down?

1. I am busy with my own work. I can’t help you.

2. Please don’t disturb me. I’m facing a deadline myself.

3. Sorry, any other day I would help you, but today I am facing a deadline myself

4. How can I help you, when I am overloaded with myself?

Answer:

………………………………………………………………………………………..

B. You need to reach work early as you must prepare for an important meeting, A neighbor requests you to drop him at his work place, as his vehicle has broken down, How will you turn him down without offending him?

1. I can’t drop you, as I need to rush to my office. I have an important meeting

 

2. Why don’t you call a cab? I can help you with the phone number of a reliable

     Cab service

 

3. I am sorry but my scooter is low on petrol as well.

 

4. Dropping you will mean a long detour for me. I don’t have time for that today.

 

Answer:

 

…………………………………………………………………………………….

 

 

GENERAL AWARENESS OF THE CURRENT AFFAIRS

Task  1

 

Answer the following questions:

 

1. Who is present the vice- chancellor of Anna university, Chennai?

……………………………………………………………………………..

 

2. Name the present governor of Pondicherry (additional charge)

…………………………………………………………………………..

 

3. Who is the governor of Tamilnadu now?

………………………………………………………………………………..

 

4. What does the acronym, POCSO stand for?

……………………………………………………………………………………

 

5. What does the abbreviation DVAC stand for?

………………………………………………………………………………………

 

6. What does the abbreviation NHRC stand for?

…………………………………………………………………………………………..

 

7. Who is the speaker of Tamilnadu Assembly?

………………………………………………………………………………………….

 

8. Who is the minister for higher education in Tamilnadu?

………………………………………………………………………………………….

 

9. What game that comes to your mind when you think of P.V.Sindhu?

…………………………………………………………………………………………….

 

10. Who is the CEO of your college?

………………………………………………………………………………………………….

 

 

 

 

 

SELF INTRODUCTION (template)

1. Greet the audience: Hello/Hi/ Good morning/ good afternoon/

2. I am pleased to introduce myself (or)

Thank you for giving me the opportunity to introduce myself

3.1.  My name is…………………….. (Your name) (or)

    I am………………………………..( or)

   This is………………………………

3.2 I study in …………………………  ( Name of the institution) ( or)

      I am a student in……..  (mention the branch and year) ( or)

      I am currently pursuing………….. ( degree and year of study)

3.3. I am from……………. (your home town)  ( or)

      I belong to …………….( Your home town) ( or)

      I am a native of …………. (your home town) (or)

     I come from………………( or)

     I was born in……….. and raised in…………( or)

     I have been living in………… for……… years

3.4. It is famous for…………… ( e,g. holy temples, fire crackers, textiles, etc.)

3.5. My father is a………………… (Profession)  and

      My mother is a…………………. (Profession)

     My family consists of ………….. members.( give the number)

3.6. My hobbies are………………  ( or)

      I am interested in ……………….. ( skills)

3.7. My strength is…………………

3.8 My weakness is………………..

3.9. My role model is………………..

3.10.My role model is………………..

4.0. Conclusion: Thank you very much for the opportunity ( or)

                           Thank you all for your patient listening. ( or)

                           That is all, Thank you

 

 

TASK 1

SELF INTRODUCTION

 

 

PRESENTATION SKILLS

Remember the following:

1. ‘KISS” Principle:

Keep It Short and Sweet.

2. Three Ts:

 Tell them what you are going to tell them (Introduction)

Tell them (body)

Tell them what you have told them (conclusion)

Importance of presentation skills:

Why are presentation skills and public speaking so important?

Presentation skills should be a priority skill for you to develop as it rounds you off well- professionally and socially.

The ability to hold the attention of an audience is a major accomplishment. But unlike other professional skills, public speaking is known to cause deep anxiety among us all. Even experienced presenters often confess to having butterflies in their stomachs before giving presentations. This situation can be avoided or minimized, to a large extend, if you spend time and effort in preparing your presentations well, along with some rehearsal and practice.

Presentations can be made in different formats and for various occasions. It could be a prepared or an impromptu speech delivering a power point or multimedia presentation, giving an informative talk or participating in a question and answer session. Whatever be the format, if you want to make a mark with your presentation you need to prepare and practice the presentation diligently.

The best way to overcome fear of public speaking is to first deconstruct its components and deal with them systematically.  The fear can thus be rationalized as components that can be handled one by one.

Tips for making effective presentations

1. Know your audience

2. Be well prepared

3.Rehearse your presentation

4. Seek feedback from others

5. Be passionate about the subject of your presentation

6. Practice breath control

7. Speak slowly and deliberately

PLANNING THE PRESENTATION:

You must recognize that every presentation must have

A solid beginning

A pithy middle and

An effective conclusion with a lasting message

Remember that you cannot get a second chance to create a first impression.

 

PRESENTATION SKILLS

TASK 1

Prepare a speech on any topic of your choice that runs about for five minutes (about one page) 

 

 

GROUP DISCUSSION

What is a  group?

 A Group is a collection of people working together to get a job done.

When they are working together in this way, the group process leads to a spirit of cooperation, coordination and commonly understood procedures.

What is group discussion?

A group discussion can be defined as a formal discussion involving 10 to 12 people in a group

A group discussion is a systematic oral exchange of information, views, and opinions about a topic, issue, problem or situation among members 0f a group who share certain common objectives

A group discussion is a group interactive selection process, which the employers use to gauge certain personality traits of prospective candidates.

A group discussion is all about coordination and cooperation

Group discussion involves interactive communication among group of people bound by a given/chosen topic. Usually, the candidates will be asked to respond to the topic within 15 to20 minutes. Thus, time is a crucial phenomenon in group discussion. Given infinite time, everybody can speak on any topic. But when time is limited, it calls for one’s presence of mind, mental alertness, ability to apply knowledge within the stipulated time. When the employers select a candidate, they looking for: leadership skills, group management/team working skills, communication skills, reasoning ability, analytical ability, logical and coherent thinking, adaptability and flexibility, positive mental outlook, decent and professional dressing/grooming sense, assertive body language, and projection of a distinctively likeable personality

 

Group discussion elicits the views of all participants and evolves a consensus through active and intense interaction. Even if somebody is passive, and somebody else is indifferent, it is the responsibility of other participants to involve them in the discussion in order to elicit their views on the topic before arriving at a conclusion. Often, introverted people keep the best views to themselves; a sensitive leader among the participants will not only note this but also gently persuade them to come out. Overall, the purpose and aim of group discussion is to elicit views from all and then arrive at a consensus. Consensus is the collective agreement on an issue after successive stages of conflict, agreement, disagreement, negotiation, and reconciliation. This is done through a very intense and interactive process.

Understand that group discussion is essentially about group—NOT individual—discussion! Hence, in a group discussion, an individual cannot choose to have a discussion with his known friend or somebody whom s/he likes to talk to. In fact, group discussion tests how one can push oneself out of the comfort zone and talk to strangers and win over them with logical and persuasive argument. That is why, a diffident candidate who only murmurs and avoids discussing gets eliminated in the preliminary round itself. A candidate, however self-centered s/he might be, should never ignore the fact that there are other participants who are equally interesting in sharing their views.

Understand that it is group discussion—NOT public speaking or debate or interview. How do we differentiate discussion from public speaking? When we say discussion, it involves so many people interacting with each other. In public speaking, the audience judges a speaker without competing with him. In group discussion, there are judges who assess the participants with whom the other persons are competing with equal interest. In public speaking, the speaker has already been conferred leadership by the audience. In group discussion, leaders are what the audience (or the judges) are looking for.

In a debate, there are two sets of participants representing two opposing sides. There are views and counterviews, points and counter points, and one set of people arguing for the motion, and the other, arguing against. Most importantly, there is the chairperson or the moderator who presides and gives the debate a proper shape and direction. No such moderator will be present in group discussion to direct its participants to amicably arrive at a consensus. In an interview, an individual candidate faces a panel that evaluates the candidate’s suitability for the concerned job. The panel, apart from testing the candidate’s subject knowledge, will also make note of the psychological outlook and the positive frame of mind. But in the GD, the candidate is not sitting as an individual, but sits amidst so many other people in a group. And there is no visible panel that directly assesses the candidate by asking questions. If at all a panel is involved in assessing GD candidates, it will be kept invisible behind semi-transparent walls. The group discussion participant will not see any panel at all. Once you clearly understand how group discussion is different from all other speech activities, you will develop the right frame of mind to attend a GD.

WHY GROUP DISCUSSION?

 

Today Group Discussion has become a mandatory elimination process for securing seats in higher education or for gaining lucrative job positions. Group discussion has become an integral part of assessment for entry into business schools where along with written tests and interviews equal weightage is given to GDs. In multinational corporations, most of the times, group discussion is used for assessing some of the most pertinent personality traits relevant for their organizations

Group discussion offers an easy way to evaluate and eliminate several candidates simultaneously. Unlike cumbersome efforts taken in written tests such as setting question papers, correcting huge numbers of scripts, group discussion demands no prior work. The only work that needs to be done is finalizing a topic. But even the choice of a topic is often left to the candidates! Besides, it is easy to select any desirable number of candidates, whether it is 5 out of 50 or 2 out of 20. Group discussion is thus found to be a time and cost efficient method. Above all, the best way to identify a natural leader is by using group discussion

A natural leader is somebody who will emerge in a chaotic environment. You can observe this in any strikes by students or workers. When the strike begins just people gather for a common cause, but as it progresses, the natural leaders rise from a mass group of followers. These natural leaders exhibit all leadership traits and good coordinating abilities. Typical management GDs sound literally like fish market in which the real leader negotiates, resolves conflicts, coordinates and cooperates to bring peace to the whole group.

 

STRUCTURE OF GROUP DISCUSSION

Now let’s briefly look at the structure of a group discussion. In fact, I would say that it’s ironic that I have put structure on the title because GD operates as a structure-less activity. A group discussion is an unstructured activity: there is no moderator, there is no panel, there is no time-manager. It is deliberately set-up in such a manner that a spontaneous structure should evolve along with one’s ability to structure an unstructured activity.

Another interesting thing about group discussion is that it starts with a leaderless group. Nobody is assigned the job of a leader or that of a moderator. Nonetheless, people imbibed with such traits are the ones who will be finally selected from GDs.

There is no single leader assigned to do the role of a moderator in a GD for the specific reason that all the candidates are competitors and all are expected to exhibit leadership qualities in some form or other. Each candidate is expected to join the discussion without the presence and participation of the examiner.

A GD can have 10 to 50 participants and can last for 15 to 30 minutes. Within this limited time frame, one is expected to maximize one’s participation and at the same time ensure that everybody’s opinion is heard.

 

Advantages of group discussion:

Ideas can be generated

Ideas can be shared

Ideas can be tried out

Ideas can be responded to by others

Group discussion skills have many professional applications

Working groups is fun

Types of GD:

1. Structured

2. Unstructured

Personality traits assessed in GD

The unstructured GD is normally used by companies to assess a candidate’s personality traits

1. Team player

2. Reasoning ability

3. Leadership

4. Flexibility

5. Assertiveness

6. Initiative

7. Creativity/ out of box thinking

8. Inspiring ability

9. Listening

10. Awareness

11. Communication skills

12. Confidence

13. Ability to think on one’s feet

Three different phases of GD

A group discussion can be divided into three different phases:

1. Initiation/ Introduction

2. The actual group discussion

3. Summarization/ conclusion

1. Initiating techniques:

There are different techniques to initiate a GD and make a good impression

1. Quotes

2. Definition

3. Question

4. Shock statement

5. Facts, figures and statistics

6. Short story

 

2. The actual Group discussion:

Remember the following things while taking part in the discussion

1. Speaking is important; do not sit silent; speak freely

2. Do not monopolize the conversation or talk too much

3. Give everyone a chance to speak

4. Manitain eye contact with everyone in the group

5. Show active listening skills to impress the observer

6. Do not interrupt any one. Wait till the other person completes.

7. Do not argue with any one

8. Be brief

9. Do not commit grammatical errors in your hurry to speak

Summarisation techniques:

Most GDs do not really have conclusions. A conclusion is where the whole group decides in favour  of  or against the topic.

But every GD is summarized. You can summarise what the group has discussed

Keep the following points in mind while summarizing a discussion

1. Avoid raising new points

2. Avoid stating only your view point

3. Keep the conclusion brief and concise

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

Four basic components of GD

The four basic components of a GD are

 Leadership,

 Knowledge,

 Communication skills, and

Personality manifestation.

 Leadership traits include initiative, decision-making, planning, and vision. Knowledge implies thorough subject knowledge, keeping abreast of current affairs and technical advancements.

Communication skills imply active listening, fluency, clarity, coherence, diction, enunciation and effectiveness.

 Finally, personality manifestation is perceived from soft skills, body language, positive outlook, and pleasing mannerism. These basic components are used for evaluating the candidates. I conclude this lecture with the following tables which clearly demonstrate the evaluation criteria.

BENEFITS OF GROUP DISCUSSION

 Group discussion offers certain benefits irrespective of whether one is trying to compete for a job. Practising group discussion increases motivation and persistence in learning. Two heads are better if they are coming out with better ideas, compared to a single one. In organizational setups if a decision is made by a single person, and if goes wrong, it will cost millions. Besides, a cohesive group performs at high energy levels by mutually motivating its members. Mild group pressure also helps introverts to come out and perform better. Above all, group discussion helps in making individuals not to get distracted and focused on the given task. Group discussion improves learning outcomes because learners must articulate what they know and do not know. They challenge their own assumptions and connect with each other in order to consolidate ideas. Thus, a misogynist who has firm-rooted belief about suppression of women, participates in a GD on women emancipation, but being open-minded, lets others challenge his assumptions, and being adaptable, ends up positively supporting the group consensus. Overall, group discussion enhances communication skills. It’s only when a person tries to communicate an idea, s/he knows how effective s/he is able to communicate, especially, in a group with participants of multiple mind-sets. GD facilitates empathy in communication. This means one can get into the shoes of others and perceive their viewpoints too. Actively participated, group discussion can help in changing individual values. Now once you understood that GD has also some benefits apart from just selecting or eliminating a candidate for job situation, let me explain to you the basic components of a GD.

 

 

 

TASK 1

Which of the following factors are not required for successful group discussion?

1. Agreement on group procedures

2. Meaningful interactions

3. Designated leadership

4. Unfriendly atmosphere

5. Goal- oriented confrontation

6. Common group goals

7. Effective use of communication techniques

8. Goal – oriented interaction

9. Unequal distribution of participation

10. Communication skills

 

Answers:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Task 2

Match the actions in a GD with the appropriate skills that they reflect.

S.No	Actions in a GD	Leadership/ Team management skills
1	Keep a patient profile despite provocation	(a) initiative
2	Encourage other members to contribute effectively to the group process	( b) analysis
3	Convince others effectively	(c) assertive ness
4.	Promote optimal participation	(d)self- confidence
5.	Clarify points  and point out areas of agreement and disagreement when needed	( e) objectivity
6.	Coordinate the group activities	(f) patience
7.	Bring order to a chaotic group	(g) persuasiveness
8	View a situation dispassionately	(h) motivation
9	Get along with other members of the group	(i) adaptability
10	Supports other members of the group	(j) positive attitude
11	Talk with self confidence	(k)  cooperation
12	Analyse the given topic	(l) coordination
	Answers:
S.No	Actions in a GD	Leadership/ Team management skills
1	Keep a patient profile despite provocation
2	Encourage other members to contribute effectively to the group process
3	Convince others effectively
4.	Promote optimal participation
5.	Clarify points  and point out areas of agreement and disagreement when needed
6.	Coordinate the group activities
7.	Bring order to a chaotic group
8	View a situation dispassionately
9	Get along with other members of the group
10	Supports other members of the group
11	Talk with self confidence
12	Analyse the given topic

 

TASK 3

Classify the following instructions as do’s and don’ts in group discussions

1. Initiating the proceedings of the group discussion

2.Get involved in cross talk , low key conversations, cross consultations

3. Force the group to start the discussion without wasting time

4. Propose the procedure to be followed during the discussion

5. Encourage personality conflicts

6. Create an atmosphere in which all members feel free to participate

7. Try to be the centre of attention all the time

8. Comment on everyone and everything

9. Keep members informed of their oen progress

10. Monopolise the discussion

11. Avoid any digression that may sidetrack the group

12. Encourage nonparticipants to speak

13. Make each member feel that his or her contribution is important

14. Control talkative members

15. Push the GD too fast

16. Maintain a friendly attitude

17. Avoid conflict between ideas

18. Provide positive guidance to the group by making occasional summaries

19. Help to establish the attitude of critical objectivity

20. Put forward the common points of agreement

 

Task 3

Answers

Do’s	Don’ts

 

 

 

INTERVIEW SKILLS

1. COVER LETTER:

A covering letter (or cover letter) is a formal business letter that accompanies a CV/ resume or an application form. It sets a stage for the resume and introduces your resume to the prospective employer.

In Britain and North America a cover letter is usually typed on a single page.

A good cover letter uses formal language and presents some key argument for why your application should be taken seriously.

As with every letter, check the spelling and grammar carefully. Typos and carelessness in the letter can cause the receiver to stop reading and discard your resume.

State the purpose of the letter in the first paragraph. State the job title you seek, the company’s name and how you heard the job opening.

In the next paragraphs highlight the accomplishments in your work history or education that make you especially suited for the job. Indicate your interest in the job and show enthusiasm. Finally end the letter with a statement of your availability for interview and willingness to provide references.

Letter format

The two standard formats for business letters are the blocked and the modified block with indented paragraphs.

BLOCKED

The blocked style is the simplest.

Here all the elements are aligned to the left of the margin.

There is open punctuation.

Punctuation marks are not used for the elements of a letter.

Start every part of the letter and every paragraph in the body of the letter at the left margin and skip one line between parts and paragraphs. Use open punctuation (no punctuation) for the parts. Of course punctuation marks are essential in the body of the letter.

 

MODIFIED BLOCK

Heading is aligned to the right.

Complimentary close is again aligned to the right.

 

 

Block form ( lay out)   ………….. …………… ……………heading   …………..   date   …………… …………….. ……………. Inside address   ……………. Salutation   …………………………………………. …………………………………………. ………….body( first paragraph   …………………………………………. …………………………………………. ………….body( second paragraph)   ………………………………………….. ………….body( third paragraph   ………….closing ………….hand written signature …………typed signature

Modified block form( lay out)   Heading                         ………………..                                        ………………..                                         ………………….   Date                                   …………………   ……………….. ………………… ………………….. Inside address   ………………….Salutation         ……………………. ……………………….. …………….Body( first word indented)          ………………………………. ………………………………….  .. ……………..body( second paragraph)           ………………………………. …………………..body ( last paragraph)   Closing                       …………………… Signature                    …………………….

 

 

 

FORMAT OF A COVER LETER (block type)

 

………………. ………………. ………………. ……………….    1. Sender’s address   ………………..   2. Date line   ………………. ………………. ………………. ……………….    3.’ To’ address or inside address   ………………..   4. Salutation or greeting   ………………     5. Subject line   ………………..    6. Reference line                                 7. Body ……………………………………………………………………………… ………………………………………………………………………………. ………………………………………………………………………………. ………………….. ( paragraph 1)   ………………………………………………………………………………. ………………………………………………………………………………. ………………………………………………………………………………. ………………….. ( paragraph 2)   ………………………………………………………………………………….. ………………………………………………………………………………….. ………………………………………………………………………………….. ………………..    ( paragraph 3)   ………………………………………………………………………………….. ………………………………………………………………………………….. ………………… ( last paragraph)   ……………….   8. Closing ………………..  9. Hand written signature of the sender ………………   10. Typed name and title of the sender ……………….. 11. Enclosure

 

1. Sender’s address: It should contain complete address of the sender such as door number, name of the street, locality, telephone number, mobile number, and email address. All lines should be in flush with the left margin. It should not contain your name.

2. Date line: Type the date of the letter directly below the sender’s address. Use the American style (March 5 2019) or the international style (5 March 2019). Don’t write the date as 5.3.2019or 5/3/2019 or5-3-2019 as it creates confusion among the eastern part as well as the western part of the globe. People from the eastern part of the globe interpret 5.3.2019 as the fifth of March 2019 and at the same time people from the western part of the globe interpret it as third May 2019.

3. To address or inside address: Skip one line after the date. Align the receiver’s information with the left margin.

4. Salutation or greeting: Skip one line after the address. Align the greeting with the left margin. The most common greeting is ‘Dear sir’ or Dear followed by the formal name. Possible greetings are:                         

                                    Dear Sir

                                    Dear Madam

                                    Dear Sir/Madam

Dear Mr. Arun

Dear Human Resources Manager

5. Subject: (optional) Skip one line after greeting. It can be placed even before ‘greeting’

6. Reference: Quote the source of information

7. Body of the letter:

            Skip one line after reference. The body of the letter has three or four main divisions.

            Skip lines between each paragraph. Don’t indent the first word of each paragraph.

Paragraph 1: State your purpose for writing. Say which job you are applying for and how/where you heard about it.

Paragraph 2: Outline your current job and responsibilities. Make it relevant to the post you are applying to.

Paragraph 3: State why you want the job and what you can bring to the company. It is important to say what you can do for them.

Paragraph4: Give other relevant information and when you are available for the interview.

8. Closing: Skip one line after the last paragraph. Use suitable phrases like , yours faithfully or yours sincerely for cordial closure. The phrase, ‘yours sincerely’ goes with the salutation, dear + name

9. Hand written signature of the sender: Leave four blank spaces for your signature.

10. Typed name and title of the sender: Type your name in capital letters followed by your title.

11. Enclosure or copy information: Skip one line after your typed name and title

 

Sample cover letter: 1

Write an application for the post of a junior accounts clerk.

15/17 R G Puthur street P N Puthur post Coimbatore District Pin: 641041 Phone: 0422 2437947 Mobile: 9443898886 Email: garun@live.co.in   5 March 2019   The Manager Personnel ACC Cement Companies Private Limited Madukkarai Cement Works Madukkarai post Coimbatore 641001   Dear Sir/Madam   Sub: Application for the post of senior accounts clerk Ref: Your advertisement published in ‘The Hindu’ dated 28 February 2019   I write this letter to apply for the post of senior accounts clerk advertised in ‘The Hindu’ dated 28 March 2019   As you will see from my enclosed CV, I am currently employed as an accounts clerk in a medium sized printing firm. In addition to my normal book keeping duties, I am responsible for invoicing and checking up late payments. I also deal with credit checks on potential customers.   I am committed to pursuing a career in management accounting and am currently studying for further professional qualification by distant learning. I am particularly  interested in your post as it would enable me to gain experience  of working in a larger company with opportunities for professional training and development that this brings. I addition to my skills and experience as an account clerk, I would bring to the post a proven ability to deal successfully and tactfully with customers and clients.   I am available for the interview at any date of your convenience.   I look forward to hearing from you   Yours faithfully   ( G.ARUN)   Encl: CV

Sample cover letter: 2

Write an application for the post of a computer networking assistant

13/14 Bharathiyar street Jayalalitha colony Vadavalli Coimbatore Pin:641043 Phone:0422 2437947 Mobile: 9847832051 Email: anitha@yahoo.co.in   4 March 2019   The HR Manager United international Tidal park Coimbatore 643075   Dear Sir/ Madam   Sub: Application for the post of computer networking assistant Ref: Your advertisement appeared in ‘The Hindu’ dated 25 February 2019   I am responding to the position advertised in ‘The Hindu’ dated 25 February 2019 for a computer networking specialist with Microsoft certified professional certification. I am enclosing my resume for your consideration.   At my previous company, I was responsible for supporting the Coimbatore and Salem regions. This December, I will graduate with my B.E, degree in computer net working system from the Government College of Technology, Coimbatore. I am anxious to find a position with a large company like yours that needs the skills I posses.   I want to emphasise my concentration in programming languages and my versatility between platforms. In particular, I have written several C++ programmes and successfully posted them from a window- based to a Macintosh.   I look forward to an interview at your convenience.   Yours faithfully   (G.Anitha)   Encl: Resume

Possible opening of a cover letter:

 

1. I would like to be considered as a candidate for the assistant computer programmer position advertised in…………..( name of the daily) dated………….. (Date)

2. I was very much interested to see your advertisement for a technical officer in today’s ‘Evening Mail’ and would like to be considered for the post.

3. Your advertisement for a production manager in the December 15 Journal caught my attention since your requirement closely parallels my working experience. I should like to be considered for the post, which sounds interesting and challenging.

4. The sales position with your company advertised in yesterday’s’ POST’ sounds just the kind of thing I have been looking for. I hope that my CV will convince you that I am well cut out such a position.

5. I am writing to apply for the post advertised in today’s ‘Malai Malar.

6. I was delighted to see your add for a computer software engineer in Sunday’s newspaper.

7. With reference to your advertisement in ‘The Hindu’ dated…... I would like to apply for the post of a Design Engineer in your company

 

A few possible phrases for the last paragraph:

1. My skills match your requirements and I would look forward to working in a reputed company like yours.

2. I look forward to hearing from you at an early date.

3. I request you to consider my application favorably.

4. I would be grateful if you could grant me an interview in the next few days.

5. I would be happy to meet you and provide first hand evidence of my abilities and attend an interview at your earliest convenience.

6. I am available for the interview for the next three weeks. Look forward to hearing from you.

 

 

2. RESUME./ CV:

What is a resume?

A resume is a French word meaning ‘summary’

A resume is a technical specification that describes you, your education, related skills and experience in a format that is attractive and professional and distinguishes you from your classmates and others. A resume can run from one to two pages. It is suitable for fresher from educational institutions It is brief and concise. The main purpose of your resume is to help you get an interview.

Americans use resume.

 

What is a CV?

CV is the abbreviation for curriculum vitae. It is a Latin word meaning’ course of life’. It is a brief account of a person’s qualifications and previous occupations sent with a job application.

It is a brief written account of one’s past history. It runs from 2 to 8 pages. It is for experienced professionals.

British use CV.

 

Biodata or bio data:

Biodata or bio data is a short form for biographical data and is a form of resume used when applying for certain jobs. A bio data focuses on the candidate’s personal information such as gender, race, age, and religion, and for this reason it is not commonly used in The United States.

 

Some tips for Writing a CV/ or Resume:

A well written, well produced appropriate CV ( British English) or Resume( American English) is vital for getting you to the interview stage for a job.

·         Adapt your CV/ resume so that it is appropriate for the job you are applying to.

·         Keep your CV short- no more than two pages.

·         Present yourself positively and accurately.

·         Make your CV attractive and easy to read: use capitals, bold type, spacing and underlining.

·         Choose a typeface such as Times New Roman, Arial or verdana.Use atleast 10pt.

 

 

 

 

 

 

BRITISH STYLE CV

Name               Arun Prasanth.G Address           40 Kamban Street  Udumalpet Tirupur District   Pin:664241 Telephone        0422 2437946        Mobile 9334896585 Email                arunprasanth@gmail.com       Objective        To find a role in a film or TV production company that will enable me  to acquire                         And develop the skills required for a career in film or television   Profile            An outgoing and articulate graduate with work experience in both television and                        Teaching   Education and qualification                          2015              MA  in media studies     Hindusthan College of Arts and Science                          2012-1015    BA in media sciences    PSG College of Arts and Science                          2010-2012    HSc    Kikani Higher Sec. School, Coimbatore                          2005-2010   SSLC  Corporation Boys School Coimbatore Work experience                         October 2017-June2018Language assistant in a secondary school Vellore.                         Taught English to large classes and small groups.                          Ran a film club and a holiday dance and drama club. Assisted with school                          Drama productions.                          September 2015-August 2016 Production assistant at Chennai AVM studio.                          Performed office and onset duties   Skills:              Languages: French- near native-speaker fluency                                             German- Can speak a little                          Good key board skills                          Familiarity with word, excel and film editing packages                          Clean driving license   Interests         Drama, both acting and directing; singing; regular volunteer at a local centre for                         homeless                                              References     Attached

Personal information You can omit the labels. There is no need to mention your age. religion or marital status. Don’t send a photo unless you are asked to.   Profile and Objective Some people do ot include this. But they do give an employer an idea of who you are.     Education Put the most recent first. Add prizes and awards. Omit primary school   Work experience Put this in reverse order Experience candidates: Put this before education and write more about your most recent post     Skills Your practical abilities Include exams passed Write more here if you are experienced   Interests Keep this short Include a sport creative and a communality activity if you can. References Give the names, titles, and addresses when you sent your CV either here or on a separate page

                                               

           

 

American style resume

These are similar to British style CV. But notice:

·         For new graduates your resume should be only one page.

·         Describe your work experience in terms of self motivation, team work. Organization, problem solving and enthusiasm

Provide your college or temporary address if you have one         Objective: To summarize your goals and customize your resume for specific positions. State a realistic short term goal and/  or job for which you are currently qualified         Use bold to highlight Key information

Arun Prasanth G Arun 1990@gmail.com Present address                                      Permanent address 15/14 Elango street                                89 Nethaji Street P.N.Puthur post                                     Gudimangalam post Coimbatore 41                                       Udumalpet 26   Objective:     To obtain an entry level position within an an                         international hospitality organization   Education :    Master’s in Business administration  ( MBA)                         2011-13 Anna University, Chennai                         B.A. in international hospitality 2008-2011                          Hindusthan College of Arts and Science,                          Coimbatore. Experience:    Travel agent September 2015 to present                          Hindusthan travels Coimbatore                          Organised adventure package tours for large                          Student groups. Trained and supervised new                          Staff members and maintained partner                          relationships                           Camp counselor June 2014- August2015                           Group leader for children aged 10-15   Honours:         Agent of the month   Asian extreme tours                            March 2014                           Voted most popular counselor Youth                             organisation 2014-15      Skills and         Fluent in French and English, conversational Interests:           Hindi. Enjoy web design in HTML and flash

 

 

 

LANGUAGE BANK

Action words Use action words to describe your achievements and make them look more dynamic. Examples: Achieved, administered, analysed, advised, arranged, compiled, conducted, created, designed, devised, distributed, evaluated, examined, executed, implemented, increased, introduced, managed, mentored, monitored, negotiated, organized, oversaw, prepared, recommended, reduced, etc.

 

 

 

Positive adjectives: Use positive adjective to describe yourself: Examples: Active, adoptable, committed, competent, dynamic, experienced, effective, efficient, enthusiastic, flexible, highly motivated, organized, professional, proficient, qualified, successful, etc

 

 

 

Other useful phrases: Skills Native  French speaker Near native command of English Good spoken and written Hindi Computer literate Familiar with HTML Experienced , trained facilitator   Personal qualities Work well as part of a team Work well under pressure Able to meet deadlines Welcome new changes Can- do- attitude

 

 

 

 

 

TIPS TO FACE INTERVIEWS

• Maintain Professional Ethics and Moral Standards

• Read Frequently Asked Questions by interviewers’ andprepare the answers and practice them

• Prepare a Comprehensive Resume

• Practice with Mock Aptitude Test / Mock GD / Mock Interview etc.,

• Prepare well in fundamental & core subjects of respective branches

• Update database after declaration of revaluation / arrear result

• View the placement Notice Board regularly

• As for as possible change of contact details should be avoided

Visit the company’s website before attending the Pre Placement Talk (PPT) to get clear idea

• Avoid Wearing Jeans / T-shirts/ Slippers / Half sleeves

• Be punctual for PPT as well as for Test / Interview

• Avoid standing outside or near the PPT hall

• Occupy first benches also, during the PPT

• Maintain Gender separation during the PPT

• Maintain discipline during PPT

Avoid coming late to the PPT/test/interview

• Ask only relevant / valid questions during the PPT

• Carry Pen, Pencil, Eraser, Passport Size Photograph etc.,for the test

• Avoid contacting the HR directly. It should be through CUIC only.

Carry Resume / Copy of Mark Sheets / Community / Cocurricular/ Extra-curricular Certificate etc for the interview

• Bring OBC Certificate for PSU interview

• Bring doctor certificate for differently abled physique

• Inform at the beginning itself about color blindness, hearing disorder to avoid disqualification at the end.

• Attend the interview with clean dress (tucked-in) and neatly shaved to maintain dignity and decorum

• Wish the interviewer while entering the room. Thank the interviewer before leaving the room

• During the interview, relax and avoid showing your nervousness obvious

Speak loudly, clearly; sit up straight; try to look at the interviewer’s eyes when you speak to him/her

• Be honest in your approach

• Keep your answers brief and to the point.

• Do not give ‘YES’ or ‘NO’ replies.

• Don’t discuss your personal difficulties

• Show your enthusiasm and willingness

• Exhibit your skills and abilities.

• Avoid passing bad comments /Remarks about the College/University/ Staff during the nterview

• Prepare in advance, the questions you want to ask about thejob and company

• Be available till the announcement of results

• Maintain silence during announcements of results

• Do not exhibit bad mannerism during the placementactivity

 

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS (FAQ)

  Tell me about yourself

• What are your long range goals, ambitions, future plans?

• What do you want to be doing 5 or 10 years from now?

• How do you feel that you can contribute to this job?

• What are your hobbies?

• What are your strengths? Your weaknesses?

• What are your big accomplishments?

• What are your special abilities?

• Why you think that you are suitable for this kind of job?

• What is your career goal?

• What do you know about our company?

• Why are you applying for a job with us?

• What salary do you expect?

• Do you have any plans to go back to school?

What kind of job profile you enjoy the most, the least and why?

• I have interviewed others for this job, why should I give you the job?

• Would you be willing to take an aptitude test?

• Can you tell me anything about yourself that you think I might want to know?

• What is the lowest salary you would accept?

• Can you handle criticism? How do you deal with it?

• Do you have any questions?

 

USEFUL WEBSITES FOR IMPROVING

EMPLOYABILITY SKILLS

FOR APTITUDE, GD, TECHNICAL & HR INTERVIEW

http://www.indiabix.com

http://www.freshersworld.com

http://www.placementpapers.net

http://www.allinterview.com

http://www.geekinterview.com

http://www.careersvalley.com

http://www.sampleplacementpapers.com

http://www.chetanasinterview.com

http://www.ittestpapers.com

http://www.indianfresher.com

http://www.freeplacementpapers.com

http://www.educationindiaworld.com

http://www.jobsnresults.com

http://www.psychometric-success.com

http://testfunda.com

http:/www.test4free.com

http://www.placementexpress.com

 

FOR TECHNICAL

http://www. mechanicalengineeringblog.com

http://www.indiabix.com

 

Task 1

Write down 10 important tips for attending the interview.

1.

2.

3.

4.

5.

6.

7.

8.

9.

10.

 

 

Task 2

Answer the following frequently asked questions in the interview.

1. Tell me about yourself.

 

 

2. What are your strengths and weaknesses?

 

 

3. Why are you applying for a job with us?

 

 

4. Why should I give you the job?

 

 

5. Do you have any planes to go back to school?

 

 

6. What is your career goal?

 

 

7. What are your big accomplishments?

 

 

 

Task 3

Write down any seven websites that are useful for improving your employability skills

 

Online test

Click the following link on the website.

learnenglish.britishcouncil.org/skills/listening/beginner-a1/the-first-english-class

and listen to the content .Then, answer the following questions

Task 1

Are the sentences true or false?                                              Answer                                               

1. This is an English course.                                                          True                       False

 2. There are three classes every week.                                                 True                       False

3. The class begins in May.                                                           True                      False                                                     

4. There is a book for the course.                                              True                       False

5. The students need the teacher’s book.                            True                       False

 6. Photocopies of the book are not allowed.                                      True                       False                     

7. The first class is next Monday.                                               True                       False

 8. The next class is on Tuesday                                                  True                       False

 

Task 2

Circle the best answer

1. What is the teacher’s name?

 a. Lindsay Black

b. Lindsey Black

c. Linsey Black

2. What room is the class in?

a. Room 13

                b. Room 30

 c. Room 33

3. What days is the class?

a. Monday and Tuesday

b. Monday and Wednesday

c. Monday and Thursday

4. How long is the class?

a. One hour

b. One hour and a half

c. Two and a half hours

5. When is the teacher’s office hour?

a. On Monday and Wednesday

b. Room 7B

c. Friday at 18.00

6. What date does the course begin?

                a. Monday 13 March

b. Monday 30 March

c. Monday 13 May

 

 

Comprehension

Directions: Read the following passage and answer the questions given below it in the context of the passage.

A well-dressed young man entered a big textile shop one evening. He was able to draw the attention of the salesmen who thought him rich and likely to make heavy purchases. He was shown the superior varieties of suit lengths and sarees. But after casually examining them, he kept moving to the next section, where readymade goods were being sold and further on to the hosiery section. By them, the salesmen had begun to doubt his intentions and drew the attention of the manager. The manager asked him what exactly he wanted and he replied that he wanted courteous treatment. He explained that he had come to the same shop in casual dress that morning and drawn little attention. His pride was hurt and he wanted to assert himself. He had come in good dress only to get decent treatment, not for getting any textiles. He left without making any purchase.

Choose the right answer and put a tick mark against it

1. The young man was well-dressed because

A. it was his habit to dress well

B. it was his wedding day

C. he wanted to meet the manager of the shop

D. he wanted to impress the salesmen

2. The salesmen in the shop are described as people who pay attention to

A. only young men and women

B. pretty women

C. only rich customers

D. regular customers

3. The young man moved away to the hosiery section because he

A. was not interested in purchasing anything now

B. did not like the readymade clothes

C. wanted better clothes

D. was restless

 

4. The manager asked the young man what he wanted because

A. he would give him exactly what he was looking for

B. the salesman had drawn his attention to the indifferent attitude of the young man

C. he thought they could do more business with him that way

D. he thought the visitor was dissatisfied

 

 

 

5. The young man left without making purchases because he

A. did not have money

B. could not find any item of his choice

C. had come only to make a point about the indifferent attitude of the salesmen towards casually dressed customers

D. decided to come to make the purchases later on

 

COMMON ERRORS

 

 Common Errors are deviations from Standard English usage. They are deviations because they are errors which are not acceptable in terms of grammar, spelling, punctuation, and even pronunciation. When you deviate from the normal set of rules, the accepted norms, then you might be committing Common Errors. They are common because they are so glaring, and are frequently committed errors. They are not accepted by sophisticated speakers of English. If you are in a formal situation such as addressing a learned audience or writing for a sophisticated group of readers, these errors should be avoided. Otherwise, it gives the impression that you are a very poor communicator of English. These are deviations from Standard English usage, and generally teachers would expect that you avoid committing these Common Errors. Moreover, professional writers and editors would recommend a standard usage for good intelligibility. Common Errors are committed mostly by those who learn English as their second language; most of the Indian speakers for example, who have not got an exposure to learning English in the environment of native speakers like the Americans, the British or the Australians.

Avoiding common errors reduces noise in communication and adds to its effectiveness. Knowing how to avoid common errors gives you a cutting edge in your oral and written communication. An easy way to identify common errors is to emulate the way the native speakers speak English. You listen to the BBC or any TV channel in which you come across native speakers speaking English. Besides, you should read materials written by native speakers. Learning to avoid common errors will give you naturalness and spontaneity to your communication.

Find out the errors:

1. I am disagree with the statement                                        Wrong

    I disagree with the statement                                                right

Explanation: You cannot use disagree an adjective. It can be used only as a verb

My cousin always disagrees with me.                                     Right

2. The boy had been a blind since birth                  wrong

    The boy had been blind since birth                                      Right

Explanation: You should not use a/an before an adjective (deaf, dumb, poor, rich) unless the adjective is followed by a noun

The boy had been blind since birth                                          Right

The girl had been a deaf person since birth                          Right

The child had been a rich since birth                                        wrong

The child had been rich since birth                                           right

The child had been a rich person since birth   right

3. I have a good news for you                                                wrong

    I have good news for you.                                      Right

Explanation: News is an uncountable noun. We use a/ an only before countable singular nouns.  You can also say, a piece of news; a bit of news

4. She is a M.A. student                                             wrong

    She is an M.A. student                                           right

Explanation: You should use only “an” and not” a” before a word beginning with a vovel sound.

She is an M.A.( /em/ei) student                                  right

An MLA,  an MP,  an MSc,  an sms

5. Please send the letter to the address above -mentioned     wrong

   Please send the letter to the above-mentioned address       right

Explanation: Use above-mentioned before the noun

6. Anitha wants to continue her studies in abroad                 wrong

   Anitha wants to continue her studies abroad                      right

Explanation: ( Except from) “ abroad”is not used with other prepositions as in, at, to

Anitha came back from abroad with a strange English accent.          Right

You should go abroad, if you want to make good money.                Right

Those who live abroad often miss their home lands                           Right

(I am going to abroad, I will be in abroad, I will be at abroad, are wrong sentences.)

7. She wants to improve her ability of English                                   wrong

   She wants to improve her ability in English                                    Right

Explanation:

Usually when a language or subject is referred to, it is ability in English, ability in French, ability in Japanese, ability in Germen, ability in Chinese, and ability in mathematics, ability in physics, and ability in chemistry

8. She wants to improve her ability of teaching.                                 Wrong

   She wants to improve her teaching ability                                                         Right

Explanation:

The normal expression is not ability of teaching. The activity goes before and determines the word ability. So you have reading ability: Her reading ability is remarkable. Writing ability: So, apart from being a good speaker she also has a great amount of writing ability.

                Ability in language/ subject         but reading/ writing/ acting ability

9. Arun does not able to pay his college fees.                      Wrong

   Arun is not able to pay his college fees                                Right

Explanation: “able is an adjective and cannot be used as a verb

10. The principal gave him advice                                              Wrong

      The Principal gave him a piece of advice                          Right

Explanation: advice is an uncountable noun. You cannot use it in singular unless you say ‘ a piece of advice

 

Further reference: Books:

1. Ajmani. J.C. Good English: Getting it Right. New Delhi: Rupa Publications, 2012

2. Fitikides, T.J. Common mistakes in English. London: Orient Longman, 1984

3. Turton,  N.D. & J.B. Heaton. Longman Dictionary of Common Errors. Essex: Longman, 1987.First Indian Edn.1998

 

 

               

 

Task 1

Identify the correct sentence from the given pair of sentences and put a tick mark against it.

1. Let’s eat, grandma

  Let’s eat grandma

 

2. One of the girl in our class has won the prize.

   One of the girls in our class has won the prize

 

3. I play the hockey.

   I play hockey

4. Anitha is more taller than Aruna

   Anitha is taller than Aruna

 

5. We entered into the room

   We entered the room

6. Many people died from cholera.

   Many people died of cholera

 

7. Mohan died of over –eating.

   Mohan died from over-eating.

 

8. I did not went to office yesterday

   I did not go to office yesterday

 

9. Do not make noise.

   Do not make a noise.

10. The PM has constituted a five-men committee to look into that matter.

     The PM has constituted a five-man committee to look into that matter.

 

11. She has accepted to give a lecture

      She has agreed to give a lecture.

12. He returned back home from his office.

      He returned home from his office.