CBCS Soft Skills

8/18/2019 CBCS Soft Skills

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D R A V I D I A N U N I V E R S I T Y

Srinivasavanam, Kuppam – 517 426

Department of English and Communications

CBCS

Two-year PG Program

First Year

Semester 2

External Elective

Soft Skills

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Soft Skills: ‘What?’ and ‘Why?’ of

the Subject

The term ‘skills' refers to the entire

spectrum of talents, traits and practical

knowledge that each of us possesses.

Skills are specialized abilities to do things

well and the know-how to perform a

given task eectivel. The important

thing to remember is that skills are not

static. !hile the ma be rooted in

natural-born talent, the are developed

through a wide variet of e"periences in

life. This means that practice will help a

person re#ne his$her e"isting skills and

learn new ones.

Soft skills is a sociological term relating

to a person's cluster of personalit traits,

social graces, communication, language,

personal habits, friendliness, and

optimism that characterize relationships

with other people. Soft skills complement

hard skills or technical skills, which are

the occupational re%uirements of a &ob

and man other activities !ikipedia,()*)+.

Soft skills are %uite useful to the

universit student during his$her sta in

the universit pre-emploment stage

and would help him$her achieve success

at work. ften, retaining a &ob and

progress in a career are dependent of a

person having desirable soft skills. ur

competence re/ects the sum total of atriad of factors0 our skills, knowledge and

attitudes in the conte"t of stud or work.

Skills or soft skills are

1 2 wide variet of skills which can

be transferred from one &ob to

another. These come from all areas

of life, and are used everda. The

ma come from volunteer work,work, leisure, education or personal

life. Transferable skills are highl

marketable because the are

needed for a wide variet of &obs.

These skills are needed to secure

emploment and ensure a person3s

progress in a chosen career.

Transferable skills can be

categorized into the following

groups0

*. 4eople Skills

(. Thinking Skills

5. 2pplied$4ractical Skills

6. 2daptabilit Skills

1. PEOPLE SKILLS

1.1. Interpersonal Skills

able to interact successfull with awide range of people andunderstand how to e"pressfeelings warml and sensitivel7work well with a wide variet of

people0 males and females7 peoplefrom other social, educational,religious, cultural and racialbackgrounds (this links toanother priority area i.e.ethnic harmony)

• give and receive feedback in aconstructive manner (thiscommunication is mutually enriching to both the giver of feedback and the recipient)

• able to listen activel (eectivelistening skills can prevent conict among people holding diverseopinions)

• know how to use tact anddiplomac (needed for developingnetworking skills)

1.. Oral !ommunication Skills

•

present information and ideasclearl and concisel, with content

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and stle appropriate for theaudience, in a one-to-one or agroup setting (a highly marketableskill)

• able to think fast and respond as

appropriate• able to make formal presentations

and present ideas, positions andproblems in an interesting wa

• be able to hold ourself up inpublic or one-to-onesituations (helps develop your image as well as that of theorganization you represent)

1.". Supporting Others (as a friend,counselor or even a mentor)

listen to others and respond towhat others have said in a non-

&udgemental wa

give sound advice in an eective,constructive and persuasive wa

build trust and openness withothers

able to help others understandthemselves better and to buildself-esteem

able to help others solve theirproblems

able to demonstrate empath

help others to increase theirknowledge or skills

work and communicate withothers to satisf their needs ande"pectations

able to help others gain knowledgeand skills

able to motivate people to learnnew things and to perform well

able to ad&ust content andteaching stle to the audience

able to create an eective learningenvironment

1.#. Leadership Skills

• motivate and empower others toact

• inspire trust and respect in others

• be able to build eective teams

•

involve others without forcing orca&oling

• promote open discussion andinvolvement of all participants,while not dominating

• able to facilitate and managegroup interactions

• able to delegate eectivel

• able to gain cooperation fromdi8cult people

1.$. Persuading Skills

• communicate eectivel to &ustifa position or in/uence a decision

• eective spokesperson7 able toe"plain goals and activities in awa appropriate to the audience

• able to sell products or promoteideas

eective in lobbing for change

1.%. &egotiating and 'ediation Skills

• be able to negotiate skilfull

• know how and when tocompromise

• able to resolve con/icts

• help those with oppositeviewpoints reach mutualagreements, either through

consensus or compromise

• encourage give and take' fromboth sides7 can persuade others toagree to disagree if a compromiseposition cannot be found

• able to deal with con/ict in anopen, honest and positive wa

. hinking Skills

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.1. nalytical*Logical hinking

Skills

• able to draw speci#c conclusions

from a set of general observationsdeductive reasoning

• able to draw general conclusionsfrom a set of speci#c factsinductive reasoning

• able to interpret data and makedecisions

able to snthesize information andideas

.. !ritical hinking Skills

• able to review dierent points of view or ideas and make ob&ective

&udgements

• able to e"amine underlingassumptions

• able to formulate a %uestion,analse a problem or de#ne asituation with clarit, accurac andfair-mindedness

• investigates all possible solutions

to a problem, weighing the prosand cons

able to review or develop policand programs

.". !reati+e hinking Skills

• able to use imagination andintuition freel7 able to generatenew ideas, invent new things,create new images or designs7 #ndnew solutions to problems

• able to conceive newinterpretations to ideas orinformation

• able to design new approaches tosolve problems

• able to make connections betweenseemingl unrelated things

• able to reshape goals to revealnew possibilities

able to use wit and humour

eectivel.#. Problem,Sol+ing Skills

• able to clarif the nature of aproblem, evaluate alternatives,propose viable solutions anddetermine the outcome of thevarious options

!orks well in group problemsolving situations7 9ses reasoneven when dealing with emotionaltopics.

.$. -ecision,'aking Skills

able to identif all possibleoptions, weigh the pros and cons,assess feasibilit and choose themost viable option

.%. Planning Skills

• able to plan pro&ects, events andprograms

• able to determine the need foraction

• able to la out a step-b-stepprocess for achieving a goal

• able to establish ob&ectives andneeds, evaluates options, choosesbest option

• able to analze all the

re%uirements i.e., human,#nancial and material resourcesto accomplish speci#c goals

able to establish realistictimetables and schedules

.. Organi/ational Skills

• able to organize information,people or things in a sstematicwa

• able to break down an activit into

component tasks and coordinatesresources both human and#nancial7

• assigns appropriate people toundertake tasks

• able to establish priorities andmeet deadlines

• able to understand the inter-relationship between the parts of awhole

•

able to develop or streamlineprocedures

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• monitors progress andeectiveness

". PPLIE-*P0!I!L SKILLS

".1. d+anced riting Skills (Can be

taught in class or in !"!day workshops)

• able to communicate in writing forma"imum impact

• able to select, interpret, organizeand snthesize ke ideas

• able to ad&ust stle, form andcontent to a particular audience

• able to draft non-routinecorrespondence and comple"reports

• able to write in a creative wa forthe general public e.g. publicitmaterial

• able to edit a written te"t toensure that the message is asclear, concise and accurate aspossible

".. 0esearch Skills (this aspect is

covered to a certain e#tent in the $nal year dissertation)

• able to design research pro&ects

• able to de#ne the scope of a topic

• able to develop appropriatemethodolog and implement aplan

• knows how to #nd and collectrelevant background information

• able to identif people who haveinformation relevant to the task

• knows how to collect and compiledata

• able to analse data, summarize#ndings and write a report

attention to detail7 observationskills

".". 2inancial Skills

•

able to keep accurate #nancialrecords7 manage a budget

• able to compile and understand#nancial and other numerical data

able to interpret #nancial reportsand audited statements

".#. Language Skills

• competence in languages otherthan the one dominant in theorganization

preferabl be functionall trilingualSinhala, Tamil and :nglish

".$. d+anced !omputer Skills

• able to use a variet of softwareprograms

able to learn new software %uickl

".%. Per3orming Skills

• able to make presentations in aninteresting wa

• able to entertain, amuse andinspire an audience

able to act, sing or pla aninstrument in public

#. -P4ILI5 SKILLS

• capacit to adapt to new situations

and settings and to toleratechange well

• abilit to work in a changingenvironment7 tolerance forambiguit

• /e"ibilit to adapt to the needs of the moment

a positive attitude towards change(this means seeing change as achallenge and yes, even anopportunity rather than as a

problem)

Importance o3 !ommunication skills

oday

The potential for the emploment of

students graduating from professional

colleges is enormous, but one ma&or

handicap which man of them face is

poor communicative abilit in :nglish. ;n

the past, this de#cienc ma not havemattered ver much because ;ndia3s

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contacts with the outside world were

restricted and :nglish was mostl used

b ;ndians to communicate with other

;ndians within the countr. The contact

between :nglish and the ‘vernacular3

languages led to the development of

several kinds of ‘;ndian :nglish3, which

were easil understood inside the

countr but not when used to

communicate with people from other

lands. =owever, following the two recent

phenomena known as ‘liberalization3 and

‘globalization3, our international contacts

have grown rapidl and more and more

;ndian professionals are re%uired to

communicate with ‘foreigners3, inside;ndia as well as abroad. The language of

communication is almost invariabl

:nglish. ;f ;ndia is to become a ma&or

plaer in the world3s econom, more

;ndians should be able to communicate

through a kind of ‘international3 :nglish

which will be understood all over the

world.

Communication as skill

>ommunication is an activit 1

something that we do. !hen we

communicate, we have to perform

various ‘tasks3, some of which are fairl

simple. ?or e"ample, when a child in a

kindergarten class has to inform the

teacher of its need to visit the bathroom,

all that it has to do is to hold up the little

#nger of one hand. @ost children are

able to do this %uite easil. ;t is less eas,

however, to persuade someone to part

with mone. The successful performance

of this task re%uires a great deal of skill.

6o7 skills are ac8uired

2 ‘skill3 is de#ned as the abilit to

perform a task. :ver human being is

called upon to perform a number of

routine tasks everda. Some are simplebut others re%uire special skills. 2 few

skills are ‘inborn3 1 that is, human beings

are born with the abilit to perform

certain activities 7 but most skills have to

be learnt or ac%uired. ?or e"ample,

human babies, unlike ducklings, are not

born with the natural abilit to swim 7

the have to learn the skills of swimming.

he role o3 practice in skill

de+elopment

Skills are ac%uired through practice% !e

develop the abilit to perform an activit

b repeatedl making the eort to

perform it. ne who wants to learn how

to swim must get into the water andmove his$her arms and legs in a certain

wa. ?ew people are able to swim at the

#rst attempt 7 it takes time, and much

practice, before one is able to master the

skill of swimming.

4ractice is re%uired also to develop the

skills of communication. The more

practice we give ourselves in

communicating, the easier it becomes to

communicate.

K&OLE-9E &- SKILLS

Some skills re%uire a lot of ‘background

knowledge3, while little or no knowledge

is re%uired for certain other skills. Aer

little knowledge is re%uired, for e"ample,

for the activities of walking or swimming,

so that even babies and small children

are able to walk or swim after somepractice.

So3t Skills and

!ommunication Skills

;n toda3s competitive, global market

environment, our success is a

combination of our technical skills or

BhardC skills, and of our BsoftC skills.

Dour level of accomplishment and

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advancement hinges upon the educated

blending of both of these skills sets.

Soft skills are nontechnical skills such as0

leadership, verbal and written

communication skills, interpersonal skills,active listening, and motivation. The are

simple, et comple" areas of e"pertise

that help people to survive and to

succeed both sociall and professionall.

Soft skills are transferable to an

position7 the do not rel on technical

abilities.

Since soft skills are a part of everda

business and personal relationships, theare often taken for granted and$or

overlooked. ?re%uentl, the are not

acknowledged as areas that ma re%uire

improvement, until it is too late. Toda3s

emploers are activel seeking those

individuals that the feel will help to

improve their organizations3 culture and

pro#tabilit. @ore and more corporations

around the world recognize that, in order

to gain a competitive advantage, theneed to make sure their people know

how to handle themselves at work and

how to relate with their customers and

peers.

2s an ;T support professional, or in an

other profession for that matter, ou not

onl need to be able to diagnose

computer problems, ou also must be

able to eectivel communicate the

problem to the user. ;n their continual

struggle to align ;T with the business, ;T

e"ecutives sa the are increasingl

looking for staers who have, in addition

to technical credentials, strong soft skills.

>lear communication with nontechnical

people can help eliminate inter-

departmental communication barriers,

and increase our productivit.

;n addition, the shifting econom andever-evolving industr have e"panded

&ob roles, making it essential for the ;T

pro to wear man dierent hats. 2side

from simpl providing technical

assistance, support pros ma #nd

themselves taking on the &ob of

salesperson, manager, or public speaker.

:"perts agree that communication is the

most important nontechnical skill for ;T

pros to master. !hether it3s speaking

with a customer, interacting with

coworkers, or drawing a diagram, ou

must use clear, understandable

language. Some recruiters believe that

soft skills make the dierence between

the candidate who is hired and thesecond choice applicant. :mploers

toda seek /e"ibilit, teamwork and

integrit. The realize that someone who

communicates well and has a strong

work ethic makes a good emploee. 2s a

result, incorporating these skills on our

resume ma make the dierence

between getting an interview and getting

passed over.

he !s o3 !ommunication

!hecklist 3or !lear !ommunication

Fearn how to use the G >s to

communicate more

eectivel, in this video.

Think of how often ou communicate

with people during our da. Dou write

emails, facilitate meetings, participate in

conference calls, create reports, devise

presentations, debate with our

colleaguesH the list goes on. !e can

spend almost our entire da

communicating.

So, how can we provide a huge boost to

our productivitI !e can make sure that

we communicate in the clearest, most

eective wa possible.

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This is wh the G >s of >ommunication

are helpful. The G >s provide a checklist

for making sure that our meetings ,

emails , conference calls , reports , and

presentations are well constructed and

clear 1 so our audience gets our

message.

2ccording to the G >s, communication

needs to be0

*. >lear.(. >oncise.5. >oncrete.6. >orrect.oherent.

E. >omplete.G. >ourteous.

;n this article, we look at each of the G >s

of >ommunication, and we'll illustrate

each element with both good and bad

e"amples.

1. !lear !hen writing or speaking to

someone, be clear about our goal or

message. !hat is our purpose in

communicating with this personI ;f

ou're not sure, then our audiencewon't be sure either.

To be clear, tr to minimize the number

of ideas in each sentence. @ake sure that

it's eas for our reader to understand

our meaning. 4eople shouldn't have to

Jread between the linesJ and make

assumptions on their own to understand

what ou're tring to sa.

. !oncise !hen ou're concise in our

communication, ou stick to the point

and keep it brief. Dour audience doesn't

want to read si" sentences when ou

could communicate our message in

three.

• 2re there an ad&ectives or J#llerwordsJ that ou can deleteI Doucan often eliminate words like Jfor

instance,J Jou see,J Jde#nitel,JJkind of,J Jliterall,J Jbasicall,J orJ; mean.J

• 2re there an unnecessarsentencesI

• =ave ou repeated the pointseveral times, in dierent wasI

". !oncrete hen our message is

concrete, then our audience has a clearpicture of what ou're telling them. There

are details but not too manK and vivid

facts, and there's laser-like focus. Dour

message is solid.

#. !orrect !hen our communication is

correct, it #ts our audience. 2nd correct

communication is also error-free

communication.

• Lo the technical terms ou use #tour audience's level of educationor knowledgeI

• =ave ou checked our writing for grammatical errorsIMemember, spell checkers won'tcatch everthing.

• 2re all names and titles spelledcorrectlI

$. !oherent !hen our communication

is coherent, it's logical. 2ll points are

connected and relevant to the maintopic, and the tone and /ow of the te"t is

consistent.

%. !omplete ;n a complete message,

the audience has everthing the need

to be informed and, if applicable, take

action.

• Loes our message include a Jcallto action,J so that our audience

clearl knows what ou want themto doI

• =ave ou included all relevantinformation 1 contact names,dates, times, locations, and so onI

. !ourteous >ourteous communication

is friendl, open, and honest. There are

no hidden insults or passive-aggressive

tones. Dou keep our reader's viewpoint

in mind, and ou're empathetic to their

needs.

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http://www.mindtools.com/CommSkll/RunningMeetings.htmhttp://www.mindtools.com/CommSkll/EmailCommunication.htmhttp://www.mindtools.com/pages/article/RunningTeleconferences.htmhttp://www.mindtools.com/pages/article/newCS_95.htmhttp://www.mindtools.com/pages/article/DeliveringGreatPresentations.htmhttp://www.mindtools.com/CommSkll/WritingSkills.htmhttp://www.mindtools.com/CommSkll/EmailCommunication.htmhttp://www.mindtools.com/pages/article/RunningTeleconferences.htmhttp://www.mindtools.com/pages/article/newCS_95.htmhttp://www.mindtools.com/pages/article/DeliveringGreatPresentations.htmhttp://www.mindtools.com/CommSkll/WritingSkills.htmhttp://www.mindtools.com/CommSkll/RunningMeetings.htm


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&ote:

There are a few variations of the G >s of

>ommunication0

•

!redible 1 Loes our message

improve or highlight ourcredibilit I This is especiallimportant when communicatingwith an audience that doesn'tknow much about ou.

• !reati+e 1 Loes our messagecommunicate creativelI >reativecommunication helps keep ouraudience engaged.

E;ecti+e !ommunication

:ective communication helps us betterunderstand a person or situation and

enables us to resolve dierences, build

trust and respect, and create

environments where creative ideas,

problem solving, aection, and caring

can /ourish. 2s simple as communication

seems, much of what we tr to

communicate to othersOand what others

tr to communicate to usOgets

misunderstood, which can cause con/ictand frustration in personal and

professional relationships. P learning

these eective communication skills, ou

can better connect with our spouse,

kids, friends, and co-workers.

hat is e;ecti+e communication<

;n the information age, we have to send,

receive, and process huge numbers of

messages ever da. Put eective

communication is about more than &ust

e"changing information7 it's also about

understanding the emotion behind the

information. :ective communication

can improve relationships at home, work,

and in social situations b deepening

our connections to others and

improving teamwork, decision-making,

and problem solving. ;t enables ou to

communicate even negative or di8cultmessages without creating con/ict or

destroing trust. :ective

communication combines a set of skills

including nonverbal communication,

attentive listening, the abilit to manage

stress in the moment, and the capacit

to recognize and understand our own

emotions and those of the person ou3re

communicating with.

!hile eective communication is a

learned skill, it is more eective when it3s

spontaneous rather than formulaic. 2

speech that is read, for e"ample, rarel

has the same impact as a speech that3s

delivered or appears to be delivered

spontaneousl. f course, it takes timeand eort to develop these skills and

become an eective communicator. The

more eort and practice ou put in, the

more instinctive and spontaneous our

communication skills will become.

E;ecti+e communication skills:

Listening

Fistening is one of the most important

aspects of eective communication.Successful listening means not &ust

understanding the words or the

information being communicated, but

also understanding how the speaker feels

about what the3re communicating.

:ective listening can0

@ake the speaker feel heard

and understood, which canhelp build a stronger, deeperconnection between ou.

>reate an environment where

everone feels safe to e"pressideas, opinions, and feelings,or plan and problem solve increative was.

Save time b helping clarif

information, avoid con/ictsand misunderstandings.

Melieve negative emotions.

!hen emotions are running

high, if the speaker feels thathe or she has been trul

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Pod language refers to the

nonverbal signals that we use to

communicate. 2ccording to e"perts,

these nonverbal signals make up a

huge part of dail communication.?rom our facial e"pressions to our

bod movements, the things we don&t

sa can still conve volumes of

information.

2ccording to various researchers,

bod language is thought to account

for between onfusion :"citement Lesire >ontempt

>ni+ersal 2acial E=pressions

?acial e"pressions are also among the

most universal forms of bod

language. The e"pressions used to

conve fear, anger, sadness, and

happiness are similar throughout the

world. Mesearcher 4aul :kman has

found support for the universalit of a

variet of facial e"pressions tied to

particular emotions including &o,

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anger, fear, surprise, and sadness.

The ees are fre%uentl referred to as

the Jwindows to the soulJ since the

are capable of revealing a great deal

about what a person if feeling or

thinking. 2s ou engage in

conversation with another person,

taking note of ee movements is a

natural and important part of the

communication process. Somecommon things ou ma note is

whether people are making direct ee

contact or averting their gaze, how

much the are blinking, or if their

pupils are dilated.

!hen evaluating bod language, pa

attention to the follow ee signals0

• Eye ga/e !hen a person looksdirectl into our ees when

having a conversion, it

indicates that the are

interested and paing attention.

=owever, prolonged ee

contact can feel threatening.n the other hand, breaking

ee contact and fre%uentl

looking awa ma indicate that

the person is distracted,

uncomfortable, or tring to

conceal his or her real feelings.

• 4linking Plinking is natural,

but ou should also pa

attention to whether a person isblinking too much or too little.

4eople often blink more rapidl

when the are feeling

distressed or uncomfortable.

;nfre%uent blinking ma

indicate that a person is

intentionall tring to control

his or her ee movements. ?or

e"ample, a poker plaer mightblink less fre%uentl because he

is purposel tring to appear

une"cited about the hand he

was dealt.

• Pupil si/e ne of the most

subtle cues that ees provide is

through the size of the pupils.

!hile light levels in the

environment control pupil

dilation, sometimes emotions

can also cause small changes in

pupil size. ?or e"ample, ou

ma have heard the phase

Jbedroom eesJ used to

describe the look someone

gives when the are attracted

to another person.

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@outh e"pressions and movements

can also be essential in reading bod

language. ?or e"ample, chewing on

the bottom lip ma indicate that the

individual is e"periencing worr, fear,or insecurit.

>overing the mouth ma be an eort

to be polite if the person is awning

or coughing, but it ma also be an

attempt to cover up a frown of

disapproval. Smiling is perhaps one of

the greatest bod language signals,

but smiles can also be interpreted in

man was. 2 smile ma be genuine,or it ma be used to e"press false

happiness, sarcasm, or even

cnicism. !hen evaluating bod

language, pa attention to the

following mouth and lip signals0

Pursed lips 4ursed lips might be an

indicator of distaste, disapproval, or

distrust.

Lip biting 4eople sometimes bite

their lips when the are worried,

an"ious, or stressed.

!o+ering the mouth !hen people

want to hide an emotional reaction,

the might cover their mouths in

order to avoid displaing a smile.

urned up or do7n Slight changesin the mouth can also be subtle

indicators of what a person is feeling.

!hen the mouth is slightl turned up,

it might mean that the person is

feeling happ or optimistic. n the

other hand, a slightl downturned

mouth can be an indicator of sadness,

disapproval, or even an outright

grimace.

9estures

estures can be some of the most

direct and obvious bod language

signals. !aving, pointing, and using

the #ngers to indicate numerical

amounts are all ver common and

eas to understand gestures. Some

gestures ma be cultural, however, so

giving a thumbs-up or a peace sign

might have a completel dierent

meaning than it might in the 9nited

States.

The following e"amples are &ust a fewcommon gestures and their possible

meanings0

• clenched ?st can indicate

anger or solidarit.

• thumbs up and thumbs

do7n are often used as

gestures of approval and

disapproval.

• he @Okay@ gesture, made btouching together the thumb

and inde" #nger in a circle

while e"tending the other three

#ngers can be used to mean

okay . ;n some parts of :urope,

however, the same signal is

used to impl you are nothing.

;n some South 2merican

countries, the smbol isactuall a vulgar gesture.

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• he A sign created b lifting

the inde" and middle #nger and

separating them to create a A-

shape, means peace or victory

in some countries. ;n the 9nitedUingdom and 2ustralia, the

smbol takes on an oensive

meaning when the back of the

hand is facing outward.

he rms and Legs

The arms and legs can also be

useful in conveing nonverbal

information. >rossing the arms canindicate defensiveness. >rossing

legs awa from another person

ma indicate dislike or discomfort

with that individual. ther subtle

signals such as e"panding the

arms widel ma be an attempt to

seem larger or more commanding,

while keeping the arms close to

the bod ma be an eort to

minimize oneself or withdraw from

attention.

!hen ou are evaluating bod

language, pa attention to some of

the following signals that the arms

and legs ma conve0

• !rossed arms might indicate

that a person is feel defensive,

self-protective, or closed-o.

• Standing 7ith hands placed on

the hips can be an indication that

a person is read and in control, or

it can also possibl be a sign of

aggressiveness.

• !lasping the hands behind the

back might indicate that a person

is feeling bored, an"ious, or even

angr.

• 0apidly tapping ?ngers or

?dgeting can be a sign that a

person is bored, impatient, or

frustrated.

• !rossed legs can indicate that a

person is feeling closed o or in

need of privac.

Posture

=ow we hold our bodies can alsoserve as an important part of bod

language. The term posture refers tohow we hold our bodies as well asoverall phsical form of an individual.4osture can conve a wealth of information about how a person isfeeling as well as hints aboutpersonalit characteristics, such aswhether a person is con#dent, open,or submissive.

Sitting up straight, for e"ample, ma

indicate that a person is focused andpaing attention to what's going on.Sitting with the bod hunchedforward, on the other hand, can implthat the person is bored or indierent.

!hen ou are tring to read bodlanguage, tr to notice some of thesignals that a person's posture cansend.

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• Open posture involveskeeping the trunk of the bodopen and e"posed. This tpe of posture indicates friendliness,openness, and willingness.

• !losed posture involves

keeping the obscured or hiddenoften b hunching forward andkeeping the arms and legscrossed. This tpe of posturecan be an indicator of hostilit,unfriendliness, and an"iet.

Personality development

Personality development is something which is

considered as improving the way we think, feel,

behave and carry ourselves. In other words, it is

not confined to the improvement of a single

aspect of an individual; rather it is about

improving an entity or a cluster of qualities

which helps in achieving and presenting

oneself in a better way. Well, if you are

wondering how to improve your personality,here are a few tips which could help you

improve your personality.

Positive approach and confidence:

Positive approach and confidence are two

different terms but are interrelated in many

sorts. A positive approach will make one

believe in them and this self belief will help a

lot in achieving a difficult task. eing positive

in whatever you do will skyrocket your

confidence level and helps in finding better

solutions even in worst case scenarios.

!onfidence in turn will help in making the best

use of your own abilities.

Listen with intent: "istening with intent

results in a better understanding of the core

point of what you listen to. eing a better

listener makes the person whom you listen to

feel like they are important to you and in return

they will begin to value you more.

Be good in learning: Always have a curiosity

to learn new things. "earning will keep you

updated in a challenging working environmentand open minded towards accepting new

happenings. At the same time, learning is not

confined only to getting to know about

something which you are not familiar about;

rather it also includes learning from the

mistakes of others and your own.

Body Language (Eye contact, Body Posture,

Hand shake):

ody language is the way through which you

e#hibit your inner personality to others. A

positive body language can work out wonders

in impressing others. Well, to maintain a perfect

body language make sure you connect with the

eyes of the person whom you are conversing to.

It reflects your honesty and boldness.

$aintain an erect body posture which reflectsyour energy level, but at the same time don%t be

very robotic in moves. Avoid shaking legs and

hands or playing with your pen. It indicates

your disinterest. And finally, don%t forget to

give a firm handshake when you greet someone

and while signing off.

Be yourself:

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&he best thing you can do to yourself is 'ust

being yourself. &hough inspirations are good,

trying to turn yourself into a person whom you

admire will have negative effects on you. (o,

try not to be like someone else as each andevery individual is unique. It is this originality

which can help in creating a branding for you.

ress up well:

)ressing up well is one of the most looked*into

aspects in a corporate work culture. In order to

carry yourself in a confident manner, the way

you dress up yourself is important. &ry to

maintain a decent and professional look in your dressing by avoiding striking colors. $ake sure

your dress is neatly pressed and most

importantly wear laced shoes. &hough proper

dressing alone will not improve your

personality, it has a considerable amount of

impact on it.

!anners:

$anners are the rating scales through which

people rate you as a well behaved and a

respectful human being. &reat your team mates

respectfully and politely. +elp your colleagues

in their work if possible which will earn you

their respect off*stage. !ooperativeness and

being considerate in manner are the qualities

that help you in emerging as a reat leader in

the future"

Be encouraging:

In general, we all seek for encouragement of

some kind or the other while getting a work

done. )espite of all our hard efforts, interest

and thirst to prove, it is the encouragement

which acts as an off*stage positive catalyst in

reaching the goal. -our encouraging quality

will help others identify you as a better team

player. (o, try to be motivating and encourage

others and for sure you%ll get plenty of them in

return.

Being social:

(ocialie with your colleagues as it will help in

creating an environment in which you can work

comfortably in. /obody would love a sober or

an e#pressionless person. +aving fun at work

with your colleagues is no harm as it will be a

re'uvenating timeout which will pedal up work

to a more brisk pace. (ocialiing with people

will help in understanding individuals and turns

you adaptable towards any group.

#ndulge in conversations:

eneral conversations will teach a lot as it

usually involves topics unrelated to your work.

(uch conversations are the gateways for

knowledge e#changes. /obody knows about

everything and so indulge in conversations and

get to know more on what you know the least

or on what is totally new to you. It is also

important to share your own thoughts and

opinions but try not to be too preachy as it

would bore the other involved in the

conversation.

Presentation Skills

Say hello and smile 7hen yougreet the audience0 our audience

will probabl look at ou and smileback0 an instinctive reaction.

Speak clearlyB #rml and con#dentlas this makes ou sound in control.Lon't speak too 8uickly: ou arelikel to speed up and raise the pitchof our voice when nervous. ive theaudience time to absorb each point.Lon't talk in a monotone the wholetime. Fift our head up and address

our words to someone near the back

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=ow much time have ; gotI

!hat visual aids are availableI

4owerpoint pro&ectorI /ipchartI Lon't necessaril use

these. Sometimes the bestpresentations are the mostinformal.

Introduction

• elcome the audience.

• Say 7hat your presentation7ill be about: the aims and

ob&ectives.

• The introduction should catchthe attention. 4erhaps aprovocative statement or ahumorous anecdote0

o Beneticall-modi#ed

crops could save millionsof people from starvationC

o BThe #rst da of mvacation &ob went with abang, but it wasn't mfault that the microwavee"ploded.

he 'iddle should outline yourargument or de+elop your story

• ;n #ve minutes you 7ill only

ha+e time 3or t7o or threemain points and alloweverthing else to supportthese. Fist our main headingsand an ke phrases ou willuse.

• -onCt try to say pack toomuch content in or ou willtalk non- stop tring to get allour content and the audiencewill switch o with informationoverload long before the end.

• 9se graphics or anecdotes toadd variet.

!onclusion: Prie/ summarise ourmain points.

• ns7er any 8uestions.

• hank the audience forlistening. Fook at the audienceagain, smile and slow down.

• he end should be on a

strong or positi+e note 1 nottailing awa to B..well that's all

;'ve got to sa so thank ouver much for listening ladiesand gentlemenC. Dou could trsomething along these lines0

o B=ang-gliding is brilliant,

so tr it 1 ou'll believe aman can /KC

o BThe danger is increasing

1 if we don't all act soon itcould be too lateK

The above has been neatlsummarised as JTell them what ouwill tell them introduction, tell themdevelopment, tell them what outold them conclusionJ.

9roup discussions

roup discussions are ver commonlheld in order to evaluate student3spersonalit. 2 group of participantsare made to discuss on a topic orsub&ect for a limited time and thenassessed accordingl. ;t is a chancefor ou to be more vocal.

There are a lot of advantages of agroup discussion0

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*. ;t helps to shed awa theshness of a candidate and brings hisviewpoint amidst all.

(. ;t stimulates to think in a

dierent, new wa.

5. ;t helps the candidate inunderstanding his$ her own strengthsand weaknesses.

6. ;t acts as an aid in e"pansion of the knowledge of the participant.


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;f ou were choosing team membersfor a business team in ourorganization, who would the bestteam plaers beI 2ssuming thatpeople have the right technical skills

for the work to be done, what otherfactors would ou use to select ourteam membersI

Teams need strong team plaers toperform well. Put what de#nes suchpeopleI Mead on.

-emonstrates reliability

Dou can count on a reliable teammember who gets work done anddoes his fair share to work hard andmeet commitments. =e or she followsthrough on assignments. >onsistencis ke. Dou can count on him or her todeliver good performance all thetime, not &ust some of the time.

!ommunicates constructi+ely

Teams need people who speak up ande"press their thoughts and ideasclearl, directl, honestl, and withrespect for others and for the work of the team. That's what it means tocommunicate constructivel. Such ateam member does not sh awafrom making a point but makes it inthe best wa possible O in a positive,con#dent, and respectful manner.

Listens acti+ely

ood listeners are essential for teamsto function eectivel. Teams needteam plaers who can absorb,understand, and consider ideas andpoints of view from other peoplewithout debating and arguing everpoint. Such a team member also canreceive criticism without reacting

defensivel. @ost important, foreective communication and problem

solving, team members need thediscipline to listen #rst and speaksecond so that meaningful dialogueresults.

2unctions as an acti+e participant

ood team plaers are activeparticipants. The come prepared forteam meetings and listen and speakup in discussions. The're fullengaged in the work of the team anddo not sit passivel on the sidelines.

Team members who function asactive participants take the initiativeto help make things happen, and thevolunteer for assignments. Theirwhole approach is can-do0 J!hatcontribution can ' make to help theteam achieve successIJ

Shares openly and 7illingly

ood team plaers share. The'rewilling to share information,

knowledge, and e"perience. Thetake the initiative to keep other teammembers informed.

@uch of the communication withinteams takes place informall. Peonddiscussion at organized meetings,team members need to feelcomfortable talking with one anotherand passing along important newsand information da-to-da. ood

team plaers are active in thisinformal sharing. The keep otherteam members in the loop withinformation and e"pertise that helpsget the &ob done and preventssurprises.

!ooperates and pitches in to help

>ooperation is the act of working with

others and acting together toaccomplish a &ob. :ective team

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plaers work this wa b secondnature. ood team plaers, despitedierences the ma have with otherteam members concerning stle andperspective, #gure out was to work

together to solve problems and getwork done. The respond to re%uestsfor assistance and take the initiativeto oer help.

E=hibits De=ibility

Teams often deal with changingconditions O and often createchanges themselves. ood teamplaers roll with the punches7 theadapt to ever-changing situations. The don't complain or get stressedout because something new is beingtried or some new direction is beingset.

;n addition, a /e"ible team membercan consider dierent points of viewsand compromise when needed. =e orshe doesn't hold rigidl to a point of

view and argue it to death, especiallwhen the team needs to moveforward to make a decision or getsomething done. Strong team plaersare #rm in their thoughts et open towhat others have to oer O /e"ibilitat its best.

Sho7s commitment to the team

Strong team plaers care about their

work, the team, and the team's work. The show up ever da with thiscare and commitment up front. Thewant to give a good eort, and thewant other team members to do thesame.

orks as a problem,sol+er

Teams, of course, deal with problems.

Sometimes, it appears, that's thewhole reason wh a team is created

O to address problems. ood teamplaers are willing to deal with allkinds of problems in a solutions-oriented manner. The're problem-solvers, not problem-dwellers,

problem-blamers, or problem-avoiders. The don't simpl rehash aproblem the wa problem-dwellersdo. The don't look for others to fault,as the blamers do. 2nd the don't puto dealing with issues, the waavoiders do.

Team plaers get problems out in theopen for discussion and thencollaborate with others to #ndsolutions and form action plans.

reats others in a respect3ul andsupporti+e manner

Team plaers treat fellow teammembers with courtes andconsideration O not &ust some of thetime but consistentl. ;n addition,the show understanding and the

appropriate support of other teammembers to help get the &ob done. The don't place conditions on whenthe'll provide assistance, whenthe'll choose to listen, and whenthe'll share information. ood teamplaers also have a sense of humorand know how to have fun and allteams can use a bit of both, but thedon't have fun at someone else'se"pense. Vuite simpl, eective team

plaers deal with other people in aprofessional manner.

Leadership Skills

@In+entories can be managedB butpeople must be led.@ - . Moss 4erot

6ere are the tips 3or good

leadership:

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2ocus on the big picture9nderstand how the work our teamperforms #ts into the productivit,image and overall success of thecompan. 4lan long-term strategies

for our department andcommunicate them to superiors andsta members. Set realistic andmeasurable individual and teamgoals, and communicate oure"pectations in the conte"t of the bigpicture.

4e ambitiousPeing ambitious doesn't have tomean being cut throat andaggressive. 9se our ambition wisel. Dou shouldn't climb the corporateladder b stepping on other people.Unow where ou want to go in ourcareer, and accept opportunities andchallenges. room potentialsuccessors. ;f ou're seen asirreplaceable in our particularposition, ou will not be promoted.

Kno7 yoursel3 Mecognize our strengths and workon our weaknesses. Rever be afraidof asking %uestions or takingadditional training. Dou don't need toknow everthing or be the best. ;fou're weak on detail work, makesure ou have people on our teamwho e"cel in that. Surround ourselfwith people who make the companlook good, not Jes menJ who onl

sa what the think ou want to hear.

4e decisi+e4lan for the une"pected and nothingwill surprise ou. ;f ou've thought ofthe things that could go wrong with apro&ect, ou'll be able to makecon#dent decisions on correctiveaction when necessar.

!ontrol stress;f ou feel ou have to control

something, control our stress level.2s the old saing goes0 JRever letthem see ou sweat.J =avecon#dence in ourself and ou'llinspire others to have con#dence in

ou.

ccept criticismLemonstrate our self-con#dence baccepting other people's negativecomments without becomingdefensive, arrogant or submissive.Fook for something useful andconstructive in an criticism andthank the person. Show ourprofessionalism and maturit.

Inter+ie7 ips

:ven the smartest and most %uali#ed &ob seekers need to prepare for &obinterviews. !h, ou askI;nterviewing is a learned skill, andthere are no second chances to makea great #rst impression. So studthese *) strategies to enhance our

interview skills.

Practice 9ood &on+erbal!ommunication

;t's about demonstrating con#dence0standing straight, making ee contactand connecting with a #rmhandshake. That #rst nonverbal impression can be a great beginning

-- or %uick ending -- to our interview.

-ress 3or the ob or !ompany

Toda's casual dress codes do notgive ou permission to dress asJtheJ do when ou interview. ;t isimportant to know what to wear to aninterview and to be well-groomed.!hether ou wear a suit or

something less formal depends onthe compan culture and the position

Soft Skills Page ((

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ou are seeking. ;f possible, call to#nd out about the compan dresscode before the interview.

Listen

?rom the ver beginning of theinterview, our interviewer is givingou information, either directl orindirectl. ;f ou are not hearing it,ou are missing a ma&or opportunit.ood communication skills includelistening and letting the person knowou heard what was said. bserveour interviewer, and match thatstle and pace.

-onCt alk oo 'uch

Telling the interviewer more than heneeds to know could be a fatalmistake. !hen ou have not preparedahead of time, ou ma ramble whenanswering interview %uestions,sometimes talking ourself right outof the &ob. 4repare for the interview

b reading through the &ob posting,matching our skills with theposition's re%uirements and relatingonl that information.

-onCt 4e oo 2amiliar

The interview is a professionalmeeting to talk business. This is notabout making a new friend. Dour levelof familiarit should mimic the

interviewer's demeanor. ;t isimportant to bring energ andenthusiasm to the interview and toask %uestions, but do not overstepour place as a candidate looking fora &ob.

>se ppropriate Language

;t's a given that ou should use

professional language during theinterview. Pe aware of an

inappropriate slang words orreferences to age, race, religion,politics or se"ual orientation -- thesetopics could send ou out the doorver %uickl.

-onCt 4e O+ercon?dent

2ttitude plas a ke role in ourinterview success. There is a #nebalance between con#dence,professionalism and modest. :ven ifou're putting on a performance todemonstrate our abilit,overcon#dence is as bad, if notworse, as being too reserved.

ake !are to ns7er theFuestions

!hen interviewers ask for ane"ample of a time when ou didsomething, the are askingbehavioral interview %uestions, whichare designed to elicit a sample ofour past behavior. ;f ou fail to relate

a speci#c e"ample, ou not onl don'tanswer the %uestion, but ou alsomiss an opportunit to prove ourabilit and talk about our skills.

sk Fuestions

!hen asked if the have an%uestions, most candidates answer,JRo.J !rong answer. 4art of knowinghow to interview is being read to ask

%uestions that demonstrate aninterest in what goes on in thecompan. 2sking %uestions also givesou the opportunit to #nd out if thisis the right place for ou. The best%uestions come from listening towhat ou're asked during theinterview and asking for additionalinformation.

-onCt ppear -esperate

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!hen ou interview with the Jplease,please hire meJ approach, ou appeardesperate and less con#dent. Me/ectthe three >s during the interview0cool, calm and con#dence. Dou know

ou can do the &ob7 make sure theinterviewer believes ou can, too.

ypes o3 resumes

&here are three common resume formats0

chronological, functional, and combination.)epending on the type of 'ob you are applying to,

different resume formats may apply. &he four

standard types of resumes include 12 chronological,

32 functional, 42 combination, or 52 targeted. elow

are definitions of each type and recommendations

on which format works best.

$hronological:

• %hat is it & !hronological resumes are

the most commonly used format. &hey

list work history in chronological order,

starting with your most recent 'ob down

to your earliest. &his resume is

preferred by most employers because it provides a quick snapshot of work

history, with most recent positions up

front.

• %ho should use & If you have a solid

work history, your e#perience is aligned

with the 'ob you are applying to, and

you have no lapses between

employment, use this format

'unctional esume:

• %hat is it & 6nlike chronological

resumes, functional resumes focus on

your skills and e#perience first. &his

type of resume de*emphasies the dates

in which you have worked.

7mployment history is secondary, and

is listed under the details of your skills.

•

%ho should use & If you have lapses inemployment, are in the middle of a

career transition, are a recent college

grad with limited work e#perience, or

have a diverse background with no clear

career path, this is the most effective

type of resume.

$omination esume:

• %hat is it & !ombination resumes let

you detail both your skills and

e#perience, while also backing this up

with a chronological listing of work

history. 8le#ible in nature, the

combination resume lets you tailor to

the prospective 'ob opening and tell

hiring managers a story.

• %ho should use & 6se this resume if

you want to detail work e#perience to

show hiring managers the type of

employee you are.

*argeted esume:

• %hat is it & &argeted resumes are

customied in detail to the prospective

'ob you are seeking. 7verything fromyour ob'ective, your qualifications to

educational e#perience mirrors the 'ob

requirements.

• %ho should use & &hese resumes are

the most time*consuming, but can

generate the best results as the

qualifications and e#perience you

outline mirror the prospective 'ob

opening closely. e careful, however

When you develop a targeted resumeyou need to be as accurate as possible

and not embellish career highlights

simply to mirror the 'ob.

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L F9>U

Documents

CBCS Soft Skills