Department of English

AURORAS ENGINEERING COLLEGE, BHONGIR AURORAS ENGINEERING COLLEGE, BHONGIR

ADVANCED ENGLISH COMMUNICTION SKILLS
ADVANCED ENGLISH COMMUNICTION SKILLS
LABORATORY MANUAL
LABORATORY MANUAL
Evaluation of Laboratory Marks for III Year I Semester (Internal Exams)
1. The internal lab examination schedules will be given by the Examination Branch.
2. During a year there will be three lab exams and each exam will be evaluated for 25
marks.
. !verage of three lab exams will be the final internal lab exam marks.
". #irst laboratory exam will be conducted on #irst 1$ of the total number of ex%eriments&
'econd (aboratory Exam will be conducted on the 'econd 1$ of ex%eriments and the
Third (aboratory Exam will be conducted on the last 1$ of ex%eriments.
The evaluation is as follows
). *ontinuous evaluation + 15 marks
)). )nternal (aboratory Exam + 1, marks
I. Continuous Evaluation
a- Day to day evaluation + 1, marks
Each ex%eriment $ %rogram will be evaluated for 1, marks.
The s%litting of marks is as follows
i- !ttendance + 2 marks
The student should attend the lab regularly. if he$she is absent he$she will be losing 2
marks.
ii- Ex%eriments $ %rogram and observation
The student should com%lete the %rogram $ ex%eriment within the assigned time
otherwise he $ she will be losing 2 marks.
iii- Ex%eriment result will carry " marks.
iv- /ecord 2 marks
'tudent must submit the record in the next lab session.
v- !verage marks of the 0alf of the ex%eriments will be considered for day to day
evaluation for 1, marks se%arately for lab examination one and two.
b- (ab knowledge Test 12ui3- 5 marks
! 4ui3 will be conducted along with the internal lab exam and schedule will be given
se%arately.
The 4ui3 will be conducted for 2, minutes. The 4ui3 contains 2, 4uestions of ty%e
multi%le choice. Each 4uestion carrying ,.25 marks.
II. Internal laboratory examination + 1, marks
a- Exam + 5 marks
The '%litting of marks as follows
i- Ex%eriments $ 6rogram write u% + " marks
ii- /esult and 7ra%hs + marks

b- 8iva 8oce + marks
The internal lab examination duration + 2 hours
Every student will be given %rograms $ ex%eriments in the internal lab exam. )n
case the student wishes to change the %rograms $ ex%eriments 1 mark will be
deducted. ! time slot of "5 minutes is given for write u% of %rograms $
ex%eriments.
The student is ex%ected to com%lete the assigned %rogram $ ex%eriment within 1
hour and the remaining 15 minutes will be utili3ed for viva voce examination.
5. There shall be no su%%lementary exams in case the student fails to attend internal lab and
4ui3 exam as %er schedule.
LAB COE
1. 'tudents should re%ort to the labs concerned as %er the timetable.
2. 'tudents who turn u% late to the labs will in no case be %ermitted to %erform the
ex%eriment scheduled for the day.
. !fter com%letion of the ex%eriment& certification of the staff in+charge concerned in
the observation book is necessary.
". 'tudents should bring a notebook of about 1,, %ages and should enter the
readings$observations$results into the notebook while %erforming the ex%eriment.
5. The record of observations along with the detailed ex%erimental %rocedure of the
ex%eriment %erformed in the immediate %revious session should be submitted and
certified by the staff member in+charge.
9. :ot more than three students in a grou% are %ermitted to %erform the ex%eriment on a
set u%.
5. The grou%+wise division made in the beginning should be adhered to& and no mix u%
of student among different grou%s will be %ermitted later.
;. The com%onents re4uired %ertaining to the ex%eriment should be collected from (ab+
in+charge after duly filling in the re4uisition form.
<. =hen the ex%eriment is com%leted& students should disconnect the setu% made by
them& and should return all the com%onents$instruments taken for the %ur%ose.
1,. !ny damage of the e4ui%ment or burnout of com%onents will be viewed seriously
either by %utting %enalty or by dismissing the total grou% of students from the lab for
the semester$year.
11. 'tudents should be %resent in the labs for the total scheduled duration.
12. 'tudents are ex%ected to %re%are thoroughly to %erform the ex%eriment before coming
to (aboratory.
1. 6rocedure sheets$data sheets %rovided to the students> grou%s should be maintained
neatly and are to be returned after the ex%eriment.
C!""IC!L!M
1. #unctional English
2. 'ituational Dialogues
. 8ocabulary Building
". 7rou% Discussion
5. )nterview 'kills
9. /esume> =riting
5. Technical /e%ort =riting
;. 6ositive Thinking
<. Time ?anagement
1,.Decision ?aking
11. Team Building
CO#$E#$S
Introduction
Objectives
1. #unctional English
2. 'ituational Dialogues
. 8ocabulary Building
". 7rou% Discussion
5. )nterview 'kills
9. /esume> =riting
5. Technical /e%ort =riting
;. 6ositive Thinking
<. Time ?anagement
1,.Decision ?aking
11. Team Building
I#$"O!C$IO#
Todays increasing need to broaden the horizons of learning in order to successfully find a
place (ment?) in this highly competitive job market the engineering student has to hone his
!"#$ skills along %ith another infact a more important pair of skills& verbal and soft skills'
(ence great care is taken to design a perfectly balanced and profoundly effective curriculum
%hich consists of all the indispensable aspects of the )nglish language and the important life
skills' Its no %onder I* %as superseded by )* %hich in turn has been elo+uently replaced
by ,* and #* %hich are the most needed skills of the day the management +uotient and
relationship +uotient' -eople skills are the cry of the day'
"o the chief objective behind this special and e.tra curricular syllabus and a training on
those lines is to e+uip the young aspirants to crack the national and international entrance
e.ams such as /0T TO)1! 2#) 2,0T I)!T" etc' and to come out successfully in the
campus recruitment drives'
0nd the soft skills training in %hich time management, decision making, problem solving,
self improvement and SWOT analysis are some of the modules is intended to enhance the
inherent talents of the young engineering student and also train him to be practically
successful at both the fronts personal and professional'
@OB%EC$I&ES
The language lab focuses com%uter+aided multi+media instruction and language
ac4uisition to achieve the following targets A
7ather ideas and information& to organi3e ideas relevantly and coherently.
Engage in debates
6artici%ate in grou% discussions.
#ace interviews.
=rite %roBect$research re%orts$technical re%orts.
?ake oral %resentations.
=rite formal letters.
Transfer information from non+verbal to verbal texts and vice versa.
To take %art in social and %rofessional communication.
'. (!#C$IO#AL E#)LIS*
#unctional English in the broad sense %rovides learners with skills and abilities they need to
take an active and res%onsible role in their communities& everyday life the work%lace and
educational settings. )t re4uires learners to communicate in ways that make them effective
and involved to se%arate confidently and to convey their ideas and o%inions clearly.
#unctional English su%%orts learners in building& develo%ing and consolidating skills that can
be a%%lied and transferred to a range of context& both within and beyond English class room.
The focus is on securing skills that can be used in learning& work and every day life.
The reason for learning any foreign language is to do things in that language. They want to
agree$disagree with some one& acce%t or reBect an offer& deny something& ex%ress
likes$dislikes& offer food and drink& com%liment some one and do a lot of things like these.
They want to use the language and %erform a number of everyday communicative functions.
#unctions like these are everyday function because we have to %erform these functions
whenever we deal with %eo%le. )n fact we have to %erform each of these functions not once
but several times& everyday.
!t times some factors under%in %rogress. The com%lexity of situations and activities the
technical demand associated in these %u%ils level of familiarity with the task or activity the
level of inde%endence with which a %u%il can com%lete the activity.
)t is essential to think of learners becoming functional in their English language. The
curriculum o%%ortunities s%ecifies that %u%ils s%eak& think& listen and write for contexts
beyond the class room. The re4uirement ensures that %u%ils select& use& and a%%ly functional
skills in range of %ur%oseful situations.
They are A
Ex%ressing ability
Ex%ressing inability
!sking about ability or inability
!cce%ting something 1an a%ology& hel%& invitation& an offer of food or drink-
Ex%ressing admiration 1a%%reciation& a%%roval& com%liments-
!dmitting something
!dmonishing somebody
?aking re4uests
7reeting and leave taking
Ex%ressing gratitude
!%ologi3ing
Ex%ressing necessity$obligation
'tating %references
?aking suggestions
!sking for information
*om%laining $ *ongratulating
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Ex%ressing sur%rise
7iving o%inions
Ex%ressing %ossibility
6ersuading
Ex%ressing %ur%ose
!greeing $ disagreeing
Ex%ressing intension
*onsoling $ comforting
!sking for and giving advice
Cffering to hel%
!sking for and giving %ermission

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+. SI$!A$IO#AL IALO)!ES
'ituational Dialogues is the core of the communicative a%%roach. )t is a %ractical dimension
of enriching one>s communication skills. 0ere are some models to initiate what exactly a
situational dialogues is. They facilitate how one has to organi3e a%t words for the sentence
formation u%to the mark. They also encom%ass the manners and formalities of social living.
A$ $*E "AIL,AY S$A$IO#
?adhu A 7ood afternoon
En4uiry *lerk A 7ood afternoon. =hat can ) do for you& 'irD
?adhu A =hat time is the !ndhra 6radesh Ex%ress ex%ectedD
En4uiry *lerk A The scheduled time of its arrival is " C> *lock
?adhu A But it>s already fifteen minutes %ast four and there>s yet no sign of
its arrival
En4uiry *lerk A )>m afraid it>s running late by over an hour& and we>ve already
announced it>s running late
?adhu A ) haven>t heard any such announcement. )>ve been at the station
for over ten minutes
En4uiry *lerk A 6erha%s& it was made before you came. (et me checkE. )t was
made at .55& exactly 2, minutes ago
?adhu A Do you make only oral announcementsD
En4uiry *lerk A :o& we also write them on the notice board Bust in front of the
!'?>s office
?adhu A Don>t you think these announcements should be a little more
fre4uentD
En4uiry *lerk A =ell& ) can>t answer that 4uestion. #or that you can s%eak to the
!'?& if you like
?adhu A 8ery well. =hen exactly will the train arriveD
En4uiry *lerk A !t 5.1,. This is the %osition at the moment. But& it may cover
some time& or it may be delayed further. =e>ll make another
announcement as soon as we receive a message.
?adhu A BotherFD This will mean a lot of inconvenience to %eo%le. 0ave
you thought of thatD
En4uiry *lerk A )>m sorry& but ) can>t hel% it. Bear with me for some more time&
%lease& and make yourself comfortable in the waiting room
?adhu A !ll right. Thank you.
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AS-I#) ABO!$ A CO!"SE
G,anjula is interested in doing a course in journalism' "he rings up the 6epartment of
7ournalism to find out the details of the course' The -ublic #elations Officer ans%ers the
phone.H
6./.C A 7ood morning. De%artment of Iournalism.
?anBula A 7ood morning& sir. ) wanted to know the details of the courses offered by
the De%artment. )f itJs not too much trouble& could you %lease give me the
detailsD
6./.C A :o trouble at all. =e offer two courses + B*I& Bachelor of *ommunication
and Iournalism& and ?*I& ?aster of *ommunication and Iournalism.
?anBula A =hatJs the duration of these coursesD
6./.C A B*I is a two+year course and ?*I is a one+year course.
?anBula A =hat are the entrance 4ualificationsD )Jm a fresh ?.!. in English with no
work ex%erience. !m ) eligible for any of these coursesD
6./.C A Kou can a%%ly for B*I !ny graduate can a%%ly for B*I
?anBula A !nd for ?*ID
6./.C A ?*I& as ) said earlier& is a 67 degree course Cnly those who have %assed
B*I can a%%ly for ?*I
?anBula A 'ir& howJs the selection doneD
6./.C A ThereJll be a written test and an interview. 'election will be based on
%erformance at these.
?anBula A Cne more thing& sir. =hen are these courses likely to be advertisedD
6./.C A The notification will be issued in a fortnightJs time. Kou can a%%ly then.
?anBula A Thank you very much& sir. KouJve been very kind and hel%ful
6./.C A Thank you.
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.. &OCAB!LA"Y
Intro/u0tion
! word is an effective unit of language and language is a vehicle for communication. #rom
beginners to veterans& everyone knows the frustration of not getting the right word suitable
for a given context. 'ometimes it is a matter of not being able to recall the right word.
sometimes we never knew it. Building vocabulary that is ade4uate to the needs of one>s
reading and self ex%ression has to be a %ersonal goal for every learner of the language.
=ords are uni4ue and interesting. ! limited vocabulary kee%s you from ex%ressing your real
thoughts and feelings. ! strong vocabulary gives you the right words to use at the right time.
8ocabulary building takes %atience and continued effort. Kour vocabulary can and should be
a reflection of you. Kour vocabulary is you. !nd like you& your vocabulary should be alive.
)t should change and grow to meet your needs. =ords are great subBects to investigate.
=hen you become a student of language& and delight in discovering words relationshi%s& and
become aware of how you can make words work for you& you are ore likely to sto% when
lyou encounter an unfamiliar word and consider its meaning. )f you do this& you will
become a master of words and your vocabulary will grow. Kou must develo% strategies to
con4uer unfamiliar words when you find them in your college textbooks and in your learning
to make words work for you.
,1at is &o0abulary2
8ocabulary is knowledge of words and word meanings in both oral and %rint language and in
%roductive and rece%tive forms. ?ore s%ecifically& we use vocabulary to refer to the kind of
words that students must know to read increasingly demanding texts with com%rehension.
Cral vocabulary includes those words that we recogni3e and use in listening and s%eaking.
6rint vocabulary includes those words that we recogni3e and use in reading and writing.
=ord knowledge also comes in two forms& rece%tive and %roductive. /ece%tive vocabulary
includes words that we recogni3e when we hear or see them. 6roductive vocabulary includes
words that we use when we s%eak or write. /ece%tive vocabulary is ty%ically larger than
%roductive vocabulary& and may include many words to which we assign some meaning& even
if we don>t know their full definitions and cannotations.
The English language is said to have more than six lakhs of words. )t may not be %ossible to
learn all these words. The extent of individual vocabularies varies from %erson to %erson.
=e select words de%ending on their fre4uency of occurrence& usefulness and range of their
a%%licability. There is not one single way to learn words. There are several ways and one
should known what they are. To know a word is to know how to spell it& say it and use it
a%%ro%riately in a sentence. )t is im%ortant to have a keener interest and greater insight into
words.
,or/ (ormation
!s you read you come to know many interesting things about words and many ways to make
new words. ?ost of the words in English are nouns& verbs& adBectives and adverbs. )f you
know one form of the word you can change it into another form. #or exam%le& if you know
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the word communication 1noun- you can change it into communicate 1verb-. 'imilarly& if
you know the verb form of a word& you can change it into its corres%onding noun form.
?any verbs in English take Led in the %ast tense and many nouns end with Ltion or Lstion.
#ead the follo%ing sentences :
1. The doctor e.amined the %atient 1verb-
2. The selection of candidates is based on their %erformance in the written e.amination
1noun-
. The :i3am collected beautiful %ieces of Bewellery during his lifetime 1verb-
". The Iacob Diamond is the best %iece of :i3am>s Bewellery collection 1noun-
5. 0e associated himself with the /otary *lub 1verb-
9. The 0ssociation has called for nominations to conduct elections 1noun-
5. The committee has resolved to promote international understanding 1verb-
;. The board has formulated new rules for the promotion of cricket 1noun-
<. The candidates should apply for the %ost before 15
th
Ianuary& ,2 1verb-
1,. 0pplications are invited for the %ost of *om%uter C%erator in the !rmy 'chool 1noun-
11. The %eo%le were informed of the new tax rules 1verb-
12. The information on the new tax rules was given to the %eo%le 1noun-
Exam3les
Verb Noun
!ccom%lish !ccom%lishment
!c4uaint !c4uaintance
*ommit *ommitment
*onceive *once%tion@
Decide Decision
!dmit !dmission
*ollide *ollision
:otify :otification
'elect 'election
!%%ly !%%lication
!ttest !ttestation
/egister /egistration
Examine Examination
8erify 8erification

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Noun Verb
Belief Believe
Bath Bathe
*haracter *haracteri3e
*entre *entrali3e
*om%any !ccom%any
*ircle Encircle
*olony *olonise
Electricity Electrify
#ool Befool
#ood #eed
#orce Enforce
#riend Befriend
#rost #ree3e
#urniture #urnish
7lory 7lorify
Antonyms an/ Synonyms
Each word in English has its own meaning and it can hardly be re%laced by any other word.
0owever& there are a number of words which are similar in meaning. These words are called
synonyms& and learning them will hel% avoid re%etition of the same word again and again in
writing or s%eech. #or exam%le& complement praise congratulate applaud salute acclaim
hail are synonymous words as they convey similar meanings.
Cn the other hand& antonyms are words with o%%osite meanings. #or exam%le& real genuine
true and fact are antonyms of false.
List of Synonyms an/ Antonyms
Word Synonyms Antonyms
!bandon #orsake& leave& give u% /etain& stay with& exalt& u%lift
!bnormal Mnusual& irregular& unnatural :ormal& usual& regular
Brutal *ruel& rough& beastlike 0uman& kindly& gentle
Brus4ue !bru%t& rude& blunt Di%lomatic& gracious& mannerly
*ease (eave off& sto%& desist give u% Begin& continue& hold
*heer 7ladden& encourage& exhilarate *hill& de%ress& dis%rit
Declare !dvertise& announce& enunciate *ensor& conceal& withhold
Danger 0a3ard& Beo%ardy& menace Defence& %rotection& safety
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Word Synonyms Antonyms
Emotion !ffect& desire& feeling )ndifference& reason
Endorse !%%rove& sanction& back Disa%%rove& o%%ose& censure
#old *rease& crim%& line 'mooth& straighten& unfold
#uneral Dismal& mournful& gloomy *heerful& bright
7enuine !ctual& authentic& real !rtificial& fake& forged
7orgeous '%lendid& su%erb& neat 'habby& mean& dirty
0obby !vocation& %astime& s%ort Business& labour& livelihood
0umorous *omic& comical& funny 7loomy& dull& seadate
)mmerse Di%& %lunge& douse& submerge Draw out
)m%licate Entangle& involve Exclude
Iumble *onglomeration& mess& muddle *lear& straightforward& se4uential
Iurisdiction !uthority& domination #orbidding& %reventing
Nidna% !bduct& carry off /estore& bring back
Nnotty 0ard& intricate 'mooth& easy& sim%le
(avish Excessive& extravagant& %rodigal /estrained& economical
(uster Brilliance& brightness Dimness& %lainness
?eager 'canty& %oor 6lentiful& %lum%
?igrate Emigrate& immigrate& move& travel /emain& stationary
:ative !boriginal& indigenous !lien& exotic& foreign
:otorious =ell known& renowned Mnknown& re%utable
Cbscene #ilthy& indecent 6ure& clean
Crifice C%ening& a%erture& hole Ending
6acific 6eaceful& gentle 8iolent& hostile
6ro%el 6ress& %ush& shove Discourage& %ull& sto%
2uack *harlatan& im%oster 6rofessional& 4ualified
2uell *alm& %lacate& subdue :oisy
/eveal 6ublish& disclose *onceal& hide
/idiculous (aughable& absurd 7rave& serious
/u%ture Breach& break Mnion& attachment
'huffle ?ix& confuse *lear& be frank
'ecular Tem%oral& civil& lay /eligious& eternal
Tangible Tactile& substantial )m%al%able& unreal
Trium%h 8ectory& achievement (ament& fail
Mnethical !moral& immoral& un%rinci%led ?oral& %rinci%led
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Word Synonyms Antonyms
Mni4ue 'olve& single& unmatched *ommon& fre4uent
8elocity 'wiftness& ra%idity 'lowness& tardiness
8anish Disa%%ear& %ass away !%%ear& live& survive
=rinkle #old& crease& crim% 'mooth surface& flat
=istful 6ensive& thoughtful *heerful& ha%%y
Kearn 0anker& long& %ine Be satisfied& be contended
Kield #orgo& give in& surrender /esist& withhold& refuse
Oeal 6assion& eagerness !%athy& weakness
Oenith To%& a%ex& climax Base& bottom& foot
"oots of En4lis1 ,or/s
!t least half of the words in the English language are derived from 7reek and (atin roots.
Nnowing these roots hel%s us to gras% the meanings of words before we look them u% in the
dictionary. )t also hel%s us to see how words are often arranged in families with similar
characteristics.
#or instance& if we look at the word P%hiloso%hy>& Qso%hoR is a %art of the word related to
knowledge and Q%hilR is related to love. Both the words come from 7reek roots that give us
Q6hiloso%hyR which means Qlove of knowledgeR. )n 7reek Qanthro%osR means humankind
and QlogyR refers to study of any kind. Q6hilR is related to love and thus a %hilanthro%ist is
someone who loves mankind and does something for them. !nd an Qanthro%oidR is an
animal which walks like a human being. (earning the roots of words can enhance our
vocabulary and can even be an interesting %astime.
"ome common 2reek and !atin roots and %ords derived from them :
astr& astr 1g- star astronomy& astrology
audi 1l- to hear audible& auditorium
bene 1l- good& well benefit& benevolent
bio 1g- life biology& autobiogra%hy
dic& dict 1l- to s%eak dictionary& dictator
fer 1l- to carry transfer& referral
fix 1l- to fasten fix& suffix& affix
geo 1g- earth geogra%hy& geology
gra%h 1g- to write gra%hic& %hotogra%hy
Bur& Bust 1l- law Bury& Bustice
log& logue 1g- word& thought& s%eech monolog1ue-& astrology& biology&
neologism
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luc 1l- light lucid& translucent
manu 1l- hand manual& manuscri%t
meter& metr& measure
1g-
metric thermometer
o%& o%er 1l- work o%eration& o%erator
%ath 1g- feeling %athetic& sym%athy& em%athy
%ed 1g- child %ediatrics& %edo%hile
%hil 1g- love %hiloso%hy& biblio%hile
%hys 1g- body& nature %hysical& %hysics
scri%& scri%t 1l- to write scribble& manuscri%t
tele 1g- far off tele%hone& television
ter& terr 1l- earth territory& extraterrestrial
vac 1l- em%ty vacant& vacuum& evacuate
verb 1l- word verbal& verbose
vid& vis 1l- to see video& vision& television
5refixes an/ Suffixes
! %refix is a letter or grou% of letters added to the beginning of a word to change its meaning.
#ead the follo%ing sentences'
a- The leader is capable of doing service to %eo%le
b- The leader is incapable of doing service to %eo%le
a- The officer was a%%reciated for using the funds %ro%erly
b- The officer was %rosecuted for misusing the funds
a- ) was able to contact him on tele%hone
b- ) am unable to contact him on tele%hone
a- The committee has approved the chairman>s decision
b- The committee has disapproved the chairman>s decision
a- =e furl the flag with flowers before it is hoisted
b- The %rinci%al unfurled the flag and hoisted it
! suffix is a letter or grou% of letters added to the end of a word& to change its meaning.
#or exam%le&
a- /aBani was asked to sing a %rayer song
b- /aBani is a singer
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a- 0e created history in the world of cricket
b- =e are studying the historical background of the #rench /evolution
?ost of the %refixes and suffixes are formed from 7reek and (atin roots. Nnowing them
will hel% us determine the meaning of words.
0ere are some exam%les of %refixes and their meanings. The %refixes in the words are
underlined A
5refix Meanin4 5refixe/ ,or/s
semiL half semiannual& hemis%here
uniL& monoL one unicycle& monarchy& monorail
biL& diL two binary& bimonthly& dilemma& dichotomy
centL hundred century& centimeter
milliL& kiloL thousand millimeter& kilometer
aL& ilLm imL& inL& unL without& no& not
absence
anonymous& illegal& immoral& invalid& irreverent&
unskilled
nonL& antiL& contraL of& o%%osing&
against
nonbreakable& anti%athy& contradict
counterL o%%osite to& counterclockwise& counterweight
deL do the o%%osite of&
remove& reduce
dehorn& devitali3e& devalue
disL do the o%%osite of
de%rive of
disestablish& disarm
misL wrongly& bad misBudge& misdeed
anteL&foreL& %reL& %roL before antecedent& forecast& %recede& %rologue
%ostL after %ostwar
reL again rewrite& redundant
su%erL above& over su%ervise& su%erhuman
transL across& over trans%ort& translate
infraL& subL& hy%oL below& under infrasonic& infrastructure& subterranean&
hy%odermic
eL& exL& esL out of eru%t& ex%licit& ecstasy
inL& imL& enL& emL into inBection& immerse& encourage& em%ower
circumL& %eriL around circumnavigate& %erimeter
coL& colL& comL& conL&
corL& symL& synL
with coexist& collo4uy& communicate& conse4uence&
corres%ond& sym%athy& synchroni3e
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Suffixes
Suffix Meanin4 Suffixe/ 6or/s
+able 0aving the 4uality *omfortable& readable& fashionable& changeable&
ca%able
+ible + /es%onsible& visible& eligible
+al *oncerning )nternal& historical& %olitical& nominal
+an$+ian 6erson connected with a
%lace or a %rofession or a
thing
!merican& )ndian& %olitician& historian&
grammarian& musician& !sian& Euro%ean
+ant$+ent 'omething& someone that 6artici%ant& contestant& resident& incumbent&
inhabitant
+ar *oncerning something *ircular& triangular& singular
+cide Nilling something& someone 6esticide& suicide
+cy The 4uality of being !ccuracy& %rivacy& %iracy& bureaucracy&
aristocracy
+ce 'omeone who is Em%loyee& %ayee& interviewee& nominee& trainee&
examinee
+en ?ade of 7olden& silken& darken
+er 'omeone who does
something
)nterviewer& em%loyer& trainer& %layer& dancer&
singer& manager& gardener
+ess Msed to denote the feminine
gender
!ctress& lioness& head+mistress& hostess& goddess
,or/s Often Confusin4
'ome words in English are confusing due to their similarity in s%elling and %ronunciation.
#or exam%le& %eak and %eek& soul and sole& right and %rite& may 1verb- and ,ay 1a month-.
These words are called homonyms. )f we do not make the right choice when we use these
words in a sentences& the meaning of the entire sentence is changed or sometimes the
sentence becomes meaningless.
!ook at the follo%ing e.amples :
a. 0e worked hard. 1meaning A 0e worked hard-
b. 0e hardly worked 1meaning A 0e did not work-
a- There is a big rock near the well 1rock 1n- S formation of stone-
b- The band rocked the crowd with its music 1rock1v- S swing& move-
(ere are some e.amples of hononyms :
Alrea/y 1%reviously-
) had already finished my homework before you called.
All rea/y 1all are ready-
=e are all ready to %lay.
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Alto4et1er 1entirely-
) do not altogether a%%rove of his idea.
All to4et1er 1everyone together-
=e will all together celebrate *hristmas this year.
A00e3t 1agree-
The 6rinci%al did not acce%t the %ro%osal made by the teachers.
Ex0e3t 1not including-
The entire class have secured first division exce%t one student.
Ex3e0t 1believe it to be-
The t"rain is ex%ected to arrive at 9."5 %m
Affe0t 1to %roduce an im%act-
7uBarat was badly affected by the earth4uake.
Effe0t 1result-
The modern methods of farming had adverse effects on )ndian agriculture.
Allusion 1reference-
?illion>s %aradise (ost is full of biblical allusions
Illusion 1false im%ression-
/avi is under the illusion that he can get a Bob very easily.
A6ar/ 1%ri3e-
The award for the best musician has been given to !./. /ehman
"e6ar/ 1something that is given for good work-
The event manager was rewarded for organi3ing the show well.
Course 1%ath of action-
0e com%leted a course in 0otel ?anagement last year.
*oarse 1rough& crude-
The car%et is made of coarse material.
Ceremonial 1as a %art of ceremony-
The wedding was %erformed with due ceremonial
Ceremonious 1in a formal way-
The 6rinci%al ceremoniously %resented the re%ort on the !nnual Day
Com3liment 1%raise or favourable remark-
The ca%tain com%limented the team on their victory
Com3lement 1to make it better or to im%rove or to com%lete-
The )ndian team needs good %layers to com%lement on e another
esert 1a dry region-
6eo%le travel on camels in a desert
eserte/ 1with no %eo%le in it-
The village was deserted after the floods
esert 1sweet food that is eaten at the end of a meal-
)ce+cream is a delicious dessert.
%u/i0ial 1concerned with law-
The cul%rit was taken into Budicial custody.
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%u/i0ious 1%rudent& thoughtful-
?amata made a Budicious decision by choosing to do ?edicine
Lea/ 1a heavy metal-
(ead is used to make %encils.
Lea/ 1to go first& to act as leader-
7anguly will lead the team in the next one+day series
Cor3s 1division of army-
0e is a member of :ational *adet *or%s.
*or%se 1dead body-
The cor%se was taken for burial.
airy 1%lace where cream& butter and milk are %roduced and distributed-
8iBaya Dairy is the most %o%ular dairy in 0yderabad.
iary 1a %ersonal record of daily events-
0e made a note of the events ha%%ened on that day in his diary.
e0ent 1looking %leasant-
8enue wore a decent dress
es0ent 1coming down or origin-
The road from the hill has a stee% descent
evi0e 1n- 1a %rice of e4ui%ment-
Television is an electronic device
evise 1v-. 1to find a %lan or method-
The government has devised a %lan to eliminate terrorists
Moral 1a good code of conduct-
This lesson conveys a moral
Morale 1mental condition$s%irit-
The morale of the army should be ke%t high
5ea0e 1o%%osite of strife and war-
6eace is more glorious than war
5ie0e 1a %art of something-
They ate every %iece of the cake
5rin0i3al 1n- 1the head of an organi3ation- adB A main& chief-
The 6rinci%al %resided over the teachers> meeting
The %rinci%al obBective of this scheme is to eradicate %overty
5rin0i3le 1a rule or a moral-
Sole 1single-
The sole reason for my visiting this %lace is to see you
Soul 1s%iritual %art of a %erson-
0e believes in the existence of human soul after death.
Stationery 1a sho% selling writing and office material-
(alitha went to the market to buy some stationery.
Stationary 1not moving-
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The scooter collided with a stationary bus.
Su3erfi0ial 1not thorough-
0e has only a su%erficial knowledge of the subBect
Su3erfluous 1more than needed-
The ?anager was given su%erfluous funds to organi3e the event
O#E7,O" S!BS$I$!$ES
6hrases or grou% of words which can be substituted by single words are called one+word
substitutes.
Phrase !roup of Words One"#ord Substitute
1. ! %erson who looks at the dark side of every thing 6essimist
2. a %erson who looks at the bright side of every thing C%timist
. Total abstainer from all alcoholic drinks Teetotaler
". Cne who conceals his identity as a writer under an assumed
%en+name
6seudonym
5. =oman having many husbands at one and the same time 6olyandry
9. 6lurality of wives 6olygamy
5. The stage of growth between boyhood and youth !dolescent
;. !n organ of body cut off by surgery !m%uted
<. ! %erson who believes in going out naked :udist
1,. Cne who eats every thing Cmnivorous
11. !nimal or man who eats flesh or other animals *arnivorous
12. !nimals that can live on land and water !m%hibians
1. /esiding in a country of which one is not yet a full fledged
citi3en
!lien
1". ! %erson who knows or can s%eak many languages 6olyglot
15. ! child without %arents Cr%han
19. 'omething very ancient Cbsolete
15. Easy to sha%e in desired form ?alleable
1;. Easy to carry to long distance 6ortable
1<. !n obBect through which light %asses but %eo%le Translucent
2,. !n obBect through which light %asses and one can see through
it
Trans%arent
21. ! child born after the death of its father 6osthumous child
22. Direct vote of all the selectors of the state 6lebiscite
2. That which can be drunk 6otable
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2". That which can be eaten or taken as food Edible
25. that which can be easily digested 6alatable
29. ! %erson who can use both hands with e4ual facility !mbidexterous
25. Belonging to one>s ancestors !ncestral
2;. ! truce or cessation from arms before a formal treaty is signed !rmistice
2<. ! state of com%lete continence *elibacy
,. Deserving blame of an offence or crime *ul%able
1. ! state of %erfect balance E4uilibrium
2. !t which lasts forever or never+ending Eternal
. ! s%eech without any %revious %re%aration Extem%ore
". ! s%eech made by a s%eaker for the first time in a %articular
gathering
?aiden+s%eech
5. ! hater of women ?isogynist
9. Cne who hates mankind ?isanthro%e
5. )llicit %artner of a married an or woman 6aramour
;. Beyond all %owers of destruction of time )m%erishable
<. (asting only a very short time Transient
",. =hich can be destroyed 4uickly 6erishable
"1. ! state of com%lete continence on the %art of a woman 8irginity
"2. ! %erson who is very fond of sensuous enBoyment 0edonist
". ! %erson with refined taste in food and wine E%icure
"". ! %hysician who s%eciali3es in diseases of skin Dermatologist
"5. ! %hysician who s%eciali3es in heart diseases *ardiologist
"9. ! %hysician$surgeon dealing with diseases of the female 7ynaecologist
"5. '%ecialist in bone or skeleton disorders Crtho%aedist
";. '%ecialist of eye diseases C%hthalmologist
"<. '%ecialist of diseases of infants 6aediatrician
5,. The large scale de%arture of %eo%le Exodus
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8. )"O!5 ISC!SSIO#S
! grou% discussion is used widely as a variant of %ersonality test for evaluating several
candidates simultaneously. )n fact& it hel%s to shortlist candidates for the final interview or to
select %ersonnel for the administrative %osts in the armed services& for the executive cadre in
banks& financial sector in %rivate and %ublic undertakings& and also for the award of national
and international fellowshi%s or for admission to %restigious %rofessional institutes. )ts
%otential was gras%ed initially by the defence forces who incor%orated it into their battery of
test for recruitment of officers. 'ince then& grou% discussions have become immensely
%o%ular with different recruiting bodies because of their sim%licity& ease& and time+%lus cost+
effectiveness. )t is considerably different from %ublic s%eaking& a general debate& and an
interview.
The ability to take effective %art in grou% discussions is one of the most im%ortant skills that
contribute to %rofessional success.
The literal meaning of the word Pdiscuss> is Pto talk about a subBect in detail>. 'o& grou%
discussion may refer to a communicative situation that allows its %artici%ants to ex%ress
views and o%inions to other %artici%ants. )t is a systematic oral exchange of information&
views& and o%inions about a to%ic& issue& %roblem& or situation among members of a grou%
who share certain common obBectives.
7rou% discussion differs from debate in nature& a%%roach& and %rocedure. Debates are
intended to advocate a %articular %oint of view while 7Ds raise a %articular issue for a
%ositive exchange of views. Mnlike debate& which is com%etitive in nature& 7D is basically a
coo%erative grou% %rocess. ! debate follows a limited a%%roach because the s%eaker must
argue either in favour or against a given %oint of view. Cn the other hand& in 7D the
a%%roach is not limited to the su%%ort of a single %oint of view.
2roup discussions aid in problem solving decision making and personality assessment'
'uccessful 7Ds share some or all of the seven features A agreement on grou% goals& goal
oriented interaction& agreement on %rocedures& coo%erative and friendly atmos%here& use of
effective communication techni4ues& e4uitable distribution of %artici%ation& and shared
leadershi%.
Sele0tion )rou3 is0ussions
There are four maBor areas of evaluation in selection 7Ds A subBect knowledge& oral
communication skills& leadershi% skills& and team management.
Sub$ect kno#ledge
!s all %artici%ants must %ossess a thorough understanding of the to%ic on which they are
su%%osed to s%eak& subBect knowledge is the first re4uirement of effective %artici%ation in a
grou% discussion. 6artici%ants need to have a fair amount of knowledge on a wide range of
subBects. They should know all about national and international affairs& burning social and
economic to%ics& scientific and environmental issues& key newsmakers& controversial to%ics&
and a lot more.
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The to%ics for 7D tests may include interesting and relevant ideas %ertaining to society&
culture& %olity& economy& scientific and technical research. social& economic& %olitical or
environmental %roblems. controversial issues. or case studies. The best way to kee% one
atleast of latest events and national as well as international develo%ments is to read daily
news%a%ers& good maga3ines and %eriodicals& watch news bulletins and informative
%rogrammes on television. ?oreover& we should use the internet to im%rove our knowledge
about recent develo%ments in different areas.
Oral %ommunication Skills
The %artici%ants in a grou% discussion must %ossess not only subBect knowledge but also the
ability to %resent that knowledge in an effective way. !s the exchange of ideas in a grou%
discussion takes %lace through s%eech& one of the %rere4uisites of success in grou% discussion
is the ability to s%eak confidently and convincingly. )nfact& a vital %art of every successful
grou% discussion is high 4uality oral communication. The members of the selection
committee closely evaluate the oral communication skills of the candidates. They generally
assess the oral com%etence of a candidate in terms of team listening& a%%ro%riate language&
clarity of ex%ression& %ositive s%eech attitudes and adBustments& clear articulation& and
effective non+verbal communication.
&eadership Skills
!eadership functions during a 26 include initiative analysis assertiveness self@confidence
objectivity patience and composure persuasiveness and motivation'
! candidate>s success in a 7D test will de%end not only on his$her subBect knowledge and
oral skills but also on his$her ability to %rovide leadershi% to the grou%. The examiners
evaluate a candidate>s uni4ue set of %ersonal skills& which allow him$her to %rove
himself$herself as a natural leader in a 7D. Thus& it is necessary to reflect the 4ualities of
leadershi% in order to create the right im%ression on one>s examiners. !da%tability& analysis&
assertiveness& com%osure& self+confidence& decision making& discretion& initiative& obBectivity&
%atience& and %ersuasiveness are some of the leadershi% skills that are tremendously useful in
%roving oneself as a natural leader in a 7D.
)n every grou% discussion& there is an element of leadershi%. =e can define leadershi% in 7D
on a functional basis. Thus& anything that contributes to goal achievement can be considered
a leadershi% function. !lthough leadershi% functions are shared in 7D& each %artici%ant
should try to be the first one to %erform the function whenever a need arises.
Team 'anagement
!%art from subBect knowledge& oral communication& and leadershi% skills& every %artici%ant
needs team management skills in order to be successful in a 7D test. The leader in a grou%
discussion should be able to manage the grou% des%ite differences of o%inion and steer the
discussion to a logical conclusion within the fixed time limit. The examiners will assess
whether each %artici%ant is a team %layer who can get along with %eo%le or an individualist
who is always fighting to save his$her ego. Em%loyers today look for candidates who can
work in a team+oriented environment. 7D %artici%ants need a number of team management
skills in order to function& effectively in a team. 'ome of the skills needed to manage a grou%
effectively include ada%tability& %ositive attitude& coo%eration& and coordination.
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The success of a grou% discussion de%ends on a systematic contribution by each member of
the grou%. *reating an atmos%here conducive to %ositive discussion is the res%onsibility of
each member of the grou%. ! friendly& coo%erative atmos%here encourages effective and
%ositive deliberations that lead to successful conclusion.
)t is very im%ortant to avoid any digression that may sidetrack the grou%. The leader may
volunteer to avoid digressions and bring order out of chaos by re4uesting the members to see
reason and come to the %oint.
!s the success of a 7D largely de%ends on the involvement of each member of the grou%& the
leader should %romote o%timal %artici%ation.
*an/lin4 0onfli0t
Cne im%ortant as%ect of %artici%ating in any grou% discussion is dealing with conflict. !s a
grou% always tends to be heterogeneous& conflict is natural in any grou% activity and may
sometimes be desirable for the success of a grou% %rocess. Ex%ect differences of o%inions
during a 7D but do not let these conflicting o%inions go against the basic %ur%ose of a 7D.
Do not be a silent s%ectator when two or more %eo%le are in conflict. !lthough conflict
resolution is a com%lex art& a leader needs to remember Bust a few sim%le ti%s in order to
handle conflict during a 7D.
Effe0tin4 Closure
Every member has to see that the 7D ends with %ositive conclusions within the given time
limit. )n order to com%lete the 7D within the allotted time& the leader has to remind the
grou% of its goal and re4uest them to reach to a grou% consensus. 0e$she should do the
following himself$herself or get them done by other grou% members in order to develo% grou%
consensusA
'ummari3e the %rogress made by the grou%
6ut forward the common %oints of agreement
)ndicate the differences that need to be resolved
/eview decisions$suggestions$views already decided
Cnce the closure of a 7D is successfully initiated& the leader may %ro%ose the consensus
views& if any. )t is not essential that every 7D ends with a consensus but every 7D must end
with some %ositive conclusion. The leader must em%hasi3e the %oints of agreement in order
to indicate a common view%oint regarding the to%ic.
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9. I#$E"&IE,
The mention of interviews creates a flutter in many stomachs. There are not many who can
remain unaffected by the idea of facing an interview. !ctually& we %ass through interview
situations very fre4uently without being aware of them. #or exam%le& when waiting in a
railway hall for your scheduled train you could start a conversation with the man in the
adBacent chair. Kou may exchange names& designations of your travel& occu%ations& and
other such information. )n another case& when you visit your doctor& you are once again in
an interview situation. 0e asks for the details of your %roblems in order to diagnose and
treat you. 'everal such situations ha%%en all the while and we deal with them effortlessly&
unconsciously. =hile facing a formal interview for admission or recruitment we are very
aware of the situation. 'uch interviews need a lot of %re%aration.
The word interview is derived from intrevue meaning the sight between. )t is an interaction
between two or more %ersons for a s%ecific %ur%ose.
)nterview is a face+to+face inter%ersonal role situation in which one %erson L the interviewer
asks the %erson L being interviewed s%ecific 4uestions in order to assess his suitability for
admission& recruitment& or %romotion& or for an o%inion.
0 job intervie% is a pre@arranged and planned conversation used for evaluating the
suitability of a candidate for a particular position'
$*E I#$E"&IE, 5"OCESS
Initiation of t1e Intervie6
The interviewer>s task is not to trick or tra% the candidate but to get the best out of him.
:ormally& therefore& the interview begins with encouraging& lively 4uestions. There are
several methods of initiating an interview. 'ome of them are discussed below.
Initiation from t1e Can/i/ate:s Ba0k4roun/
)n many cases the chair%erson tries to begin the interview with 4uestions connected to the
educational or the family background of the candidate. 0e may en4uire about the %lace the
candidate belongs to& its im%ortant %laces& features or %ersons. The %ur%ose is to make the
candidate feel at ease and to make the %rocess of interview interesting for the candidate. #or
instance&
Initiation base/ on t1e Can/i/ate:s Interests an/ *obbies
The chair%erson could %ut a 4uestion related to the candidates field of interest. *andidates
must be honest in mentioning their hobbies and interests. ! wrong %iece of information
could lead to a 4uestion the answer to which may not be known to the candidate. #or
instance&
Initiation base/ on )eneral A6areness
'ometimes the members or the ex%erts of the board initiate the interview with 4uestions that
list the general awareness of the candidate. This is a tough beginning. 2uestions may be
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asked on subBects from the big bang theory to the internet& from nuclear ex%losions to the
current budget& from global terrorism to the %roblem of a dying s%ecies& and so on. Thus
candidates must develo% wide knowledge on a variety of subBects. They should read
news%a%ers and maga3ines regularly& and listen to news& and discuss current affairs with
friends and relatives fre4uently. #or instance&
Initiation t1rou41 A0a/emi0 $o3i0s
This method seems difficult but& in truth& it is convenient for the candidates because the
4uestions asked relate to subBects of s%ecific interest to the candidate. 0e should& therefore&
be aware of the basics& fundamental conce%ts& and the latest information on his disci%line and
must develo% the confidence to ex%lain or clarify any 4uestion of a related disci%line. #or
instance&
Initiation Base/ on O// ;uestions
'ometimes the interview begins with 4uestions which may %er%lex the candidate. 'uch
4uestions are meant to evaluate the ability of the candidate in a tricky situation. *andidates
should remain calm under such circumstances.
Ex3lorin4 t1e Matri0es of Be1aviour
'ince an interview is an assessment of the total %ersonality of the candidate im%erative on the
%art of the interviewer to ex%lore the im%lications of the behavioural %attern of the candidate
right from the moment of his entrance in the interview hall& his way of walking& his way of
sitting& and his manners during the interview to his final exit from the interview hall. The
dialogues between the members of the interview board or the chair%erson and the candidate
also reveal many facets of the latter>s %ersonality.
"ee intervie% ,odel I as an e.ample of a good candidate %hile ,odel 4 sho%s a poor
candidate'
Assessin4 t1e Can/i/ate:s -no6le/4e an/ A6areness
This is a very im%ortant as%ect of the interview %rocess. The board evaluates the candidate>s
general knowledge& his study of s%ecific subBects& his understanding of current affairs& his
interest in add critical awareness of all that is ha%%ening around him. The candidate>s ability
to a%%ly his knowledge to a given situation or social %roblem is also tested. 0is ability to
organi3e ideas and information into a coherent conce%t or a%%roach is also evaluated.
*andidates must make an in+de%th study of their s%ecific subBects and be u%+to+date on to%ics
of current affairs. #or this they should read editorials and im%ortant articles %ublished in
maga3ines& and news%a%ers and go through their analyses either in news%a%ers or in
television %rogrammes.
Assessin4 Inter3ersonal an/ So0ial ;ualities
)n most cases the 4uestions asked at different stages of an interview themselves reveal the
social as%ects of the %ersonality of the candidate like his sense of res%onsibility& coo%eration&
ada%tability& integrity& grou% sense& and %ersuasiveness. 0owever& the interview board may
also ask s%ecific 4uestions which will reveal the above 4ualities of the candidate.
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"ee intervie% ,odel 9' The last +uestion tests the candidates decision po%er as %ell as
interpersonal behaviour'
Summin4 u3
)n this last stage of the interview& the board makes a final im%ression of the candidate.
Therefore some 4uestions may get re%eated to guage whether the candidate is consistent and
firm in his attitude. The candidate>s answers must be the same all along the interview. The
chair%erson may give a hint when the interview is over. ! candidate must thank the
chair%erson and other members of the interview board and leave the hall with confidence&
without looking back. The door of the interview room must be shut 4uietly while leaving.
C1ara0teristi0s of t1e %ob Intervie6
! Bob interview is a %re+arranged and %lanned conversation characteri3ed by a defined
%ur%ose and some level of informality.
There are five aspects of job intervie%s: planning purpose conversation t%o@%ay
interaction and informality'
! Bob interview is %rearranged and %lanned. Des%ite flexibility during an interview& the basic
structure of most Bob interviews is %lanned for effective results. 'everal factors such as the
time& the venue& the number of ex%erts& the areas to be covered in the interview& the %a%ers
and materials needed& and so on are decided much before the interview. The interviewers
may also consider the best ways of o%ening and concluding interviews. 0owever& no Bob
interview is Bust a mechanical %rocess of asking and answering 4uestions. The interviewer
may %lan and generate s%ecific 4uestions for each candidate with modifications in the
%lanned interview design.
5ur3ose
! Bob interview is %ur%osefully designed to achieve certain obBectives. Crgani3ations invest
both time and money on the Bob interviews to ensure correct selection. Thus& there may be
0/ interviews to test the %ersonality traits of candidates& technical interviews to generate
information in res%onse to s%ecific 4uestions for testing subBect knowledge& situational
interviews to test %roblem+solving skills and assess how candidates will behave in certain
situations& and criterion based interviews to Budge knowledge and abilities in a tightly focused
way to evaluate how well a candidate fits a %articular %osition. =hatever may be the format
of a Bob interview& the %ur%ose is %redefined so that the %redictive ca%abilities of Bob
interviews are enhanced.
Conversation
! Bob interview is a conversation between a Bob as%irant and the member$s of a selection
committee or em%loyer$s or their re%resentatives. )t is basically a 4uestion+answer session
involving s%ecific 4uestions and a%%ro%riate answers. !s it includes both listening and
s%eaking& the candidate has to listen actively during a Bob interview and s%eak clearly and
%recisely using sim%le words& short sentences& correct articulation& and a%%ro%riate
%ronunciation. )t also re4uires certain flexibility in the usage of tenses.
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$6o7,ay Intera0tion
The Bob interview is a two+way interaction that may take %lace between the candidate and one
interviewer 1one+to+one interviews- or the candidate and more than one interviewer 1%anel
interviews-. ) order to ensure uniformity& one+to+one interviews are generally structured and
each candidate may be asked exactly the same kind of 4uestions in the same style. 'ome
one+to+one interviews may involve unstructured 4uestions too. 6anel interviews are more
common. They may include tow to twenty %eo%le but most selection committees normally
consist of three to six %ersons. Each member of the committee may focus on a %articular
as%ect of evaluation to ensure effective decision making.
Informality
!lthough a Bob interview is a %lanned conversation& it is less formal than many %ublic s%eech
situations. The success of any Bob interview de%ends on its informal and friendly atmos%here
wherein the candidates get o%%ortunities to reveal their %otentiality and feel free to %resent
their best. :ot many %eo%le enBoy facing a Bob interview. 'o& an interview will not be able
to achieve its goals if the tension is not reduced by develo%ing a friendly relation between the
candidate and the interviewer$s.
5"E7I#$E"&IE, 5"E5A"A$IO# $EC*#I;!ES
=hen a candidate has a%%lied for a Bob and is getting ready for that im%ortant moment in
his$her life& the Bob interview& he needs to %re%are for it systematically& even if it is not the
first Bob interview for the %erson. 6re%aring well is the key to success during an interview.
#acing a Bob interview L whether a face+to+face %ersonal interview& a tele%hone interview& or
an interview through videoconferencing L is easier when one %re%ares for it in a systematic
way.
! Bob interview is a formal& structured& and systematic interaction between the candidate and
a grou% of %ersons who want to hire him$her for a %articular Bob %osition. 0e$she has to
establish a relationshi%& im%ress the interviewer$interview %anel and convince them that
he$she is the best candidate for the Bob& for all of which he$she will get hardly more than thirty
minutes. )t sounds an im%ossible task but it is not if %ro%er %re%aration is done in a %lanned
and systematic way.
Self7analysis
=e cannot %roBect ourselves successfully unless we know our strengths and weaknesses
%ro%erly. )t may sound foolish but it is true that most of us really do not know ourselves.
That is why a sim%le 4uestion like QTell us something about yourselfR unnerves many
candidates during Bob interviews. 'elf+analysis is the first ste% towards effective %lanning
for a Bob interview. )t includes analy3ing our background& identifying our maBor
accom%lishments& achievements& our s%ecial interests and hobbies& and analy3ing our career
goals in terms of the contribution we can make to the Bob we as%ire for.
Analy<e Your Ba0k4roun/
=e should begin self+analysis with a critical examination of our educational and %rofessional
background. Do we have the right background for the BobD This is the first 4uestion that we
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should ask ourselves. 'ome of the 4uestions that ask you to talk about your background
include PTell us something about yourself>& Q0ow would you describe yourselfDR& Q)f you had
to live your life again& what would you changeDR& QDescribe yourself in a few sentencesR&
QTell us something about your education and backgroundR& and so on. The %ur%ose of these
4uestions is to identify the match between the candidate>s background and the re4uirements
of the Bob.
I/entify Your A00om3lis1ments
!n accom%lishment can be defined as the com%letion of a %articular task with the hel% of
one>s skills. )t may be a successfully organi3ed college tri% or cultural %rogramme& the
com%letion of an academic %roBect& or solving a difficult %roblem or situation. Each of these
can be an accom%lishment that the candidate may be %roud of. Kou should identify and
make a list of such accom%lishments. Kou may start from your school life. !nything you
did during your school life that showed a %ositive dimension of your %ersonality could be the
first entry in the list. :ext& you may ex%lore your college life to identify instances that you
did well in des%ite constraints and %roblems. )f you have %rofessional ex%erience& you
should identify %roblem situations that you could handle effectively.
I/entify You A01ievements
!n achievement is different from an accom%lishment. =hile accom%lishments reflect
s%ecial skills& achievements show our academic and %rofessional success and distinguish a
successful %erson from the non+achievers. They convince the em%loyer that the candidate is
an achiever and therefore worth hiring. Kou should make a list of scholarshi%s& fellowshi%s&
awards& %ri3es& distinctions& commendations& certificates& or anything that shows achievement
or recognition. The interviewers may ask you straight 4uestions like Q=hat are your
achievementsDR& or Q0ave you ever done anything that has given you a sense of
achievementDR& QDo you consider yourself an achieverDR& and so on.
I/entify Your S3e0ial Interests an/ *obbies
The third as%ect of self+analysis is identifying s%ecial interests and hobbies. ! list of such
activities should be made. !s your curriculum vitae may also include your hobbies&
interests& and activities& you should be ready to Bustify them during an interview. Kou should
identify and list your extra+curricular& co+curricular& and %rofessional activities as well as your
hobbies and interests. !s most organi3ations %refer dynamic and active em%loyees& s%ecial
interests and activities must show the candidate as a dynamic and energetic %erson who can
acce%t all challenges.
Analy<e Your Career )oals
Kou should analy3e your career goals L what you want to do in life& your career obBectives&
your long+term goals in life& where you see yourself in five$ten years& your short+term career
obBectives. These are some as%ects regarding which 4uestions are fre4uently asked in Bob
interviews. Kou should have a clarity about your obBectives. )f you are facing a Bob interview
for the %osition of an executive in a multinational com%any and you mention that your career
goal is to become a teacher& you will weaken your case. 'o& it is im%ortant that you analy3e
your career goals in terms of the Bob %osition you have a%%lied for.
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Analy<e Your Skills
Every Bob has a set of functions and re4uires certain skills to %erform it. The main %ur%ose
of a Bob interview is to find out whether the candidate %ossesses the skills and knowledge
re4uired to carry out the functions associated with the Bob. Thus& analy3ing skills is an
integral %art of %re%aration for an interview. Kou should assess the skills that you %ossess
and try to find out techni4ues for ada%ting these skills to fit the Bob desired. ?ost em%loyers
would like to see the match between the candidate>s skills and the re4uirements for he Bob.
"esear01 t1e Or4ani<ation
Kou must thoroughly research the organi3ation you want to Boin before the interview.
)nterviewers may ask a few 4uestions to test your knowledge about the organi3ation and your
interest in them. 'ome of these 4uestions may include Q=hy do you want to Boin usDR&
Q=hat do you know about our com%anyDR& Q=hat made you interested in our organi3ationDR&
Q0ow do you rate our com%anyDR& QTell us why you are interested in our com%anyDR& QCur
com%any was recently in the news. *an you tell =hyD&R and so on. Mnless you research the
com%any you will not be able to answer any of these 4uestions.
%ob Analysis
Kou should know what the Bob is all about. Kou cannot ada%t your skills to fit the Bob desired
unless you know about the Bob. ?oreover& without sufficient knowledge about the Bob
%osition you may not able to answer 4uestions like Q=hy are you interested in this BobDR&
Q=hat makes you fit for this %ositionDR& Q=hat do you know about this %ositionDR& Q=hat
makes you think you are fit for this BobDR& Q0ow will you rate yourself for this %ositionDR.
=ith a little %re%aration& you can answer these 4uestions confidently.
Kou should have broad information about the %osition so that you can res%ond to the
4uestions testing your suitability for the Bob.
"evise Your Sub=e0t -no6le/4e
! Bob interview is to assess the candidates> level of knowledge and technical ex%ertise as it
relates to the Bob at hand. !lthough a good grade is an indicator of one>s command over the
subBect& many organi3ations focus on evaluating the subBect com%etence of candidates. They
may conduct s%ecial technical interviews where a grou% of subBect ex%erts might ask %robing
4uestions to Budge the de%th and sco%e of the candidates> subBect knowledge. )t is& therefore&
advisable to revise one>s subBect knowledge before the interview. 'ubBect basics must be
clear because the ex%erts might test your gras% of the subBect. They may ask you a few
ex%loring 4uestions to find out your level of understanding. )t is im%ortant to be thoroughly
%re%ared and if there is time& revise the last course and read u% on the latest develo%ments in
the subBect. Discussing relevant to%ics with friends& classmates& or colleagues would also be
hel%ful.
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evelo3 t1e Intervie6 (ile
6re%aring for an interview demands a %rofessional a%%roach. Therefore& you should develo%
an interview file that may contain the following %a%ers and documents A
1. )nterview letter
2. Criginal degrees& certificates& and transcri%ts
. Ex%erience certificates
". /eferences and testimonials
5. *ertificates of merit
9. *o%ies of your resume
5. Kour visiting cards
;. Cther relevant %a%ers that might be needed during the interview
!n index of all the %a%ers and documents in the file makes for easy reference and location.
Kou should also kee% %hotoco%ies of essential %a%ers like degrees and ex%erience certificates&
as you might be asked to submit these. Nee%ing everything ready in order will hel% in
%roBecting yourself as an organi3ed and systematic %erson.
I#$E"&IE, ;!ES$IO#S
!s mentioned before& the suitability of a candidate for a %articular %osition is evaluated
during a Bob interview through an oral 4uestion+answer session. Thus& the interview contains
s%ecific 4uestions and a%%ro%riate answers. The candidates should understand the nature of
different ty%es of interview 4uestions& analy3e ex%ected 4uestions in order to device
answering strategies& and %ractice these answers. 'ome ti%s on Bob interview 4uestions and
answers are discussed below.
$y3es of Intervie6 ;uestions
Kou should be familiar with the nature and ty%e of 4uestions being asked during Bob
interviews so that you are ready to answer them confidently. There are seven different ty%es
of 4uestions that are asked to elicit certain res%onses from candidates. They include o%en&
closed& %robing& reflective& loaded& hy%othetical& and leading 4uestions.
O3en ;uestions A !n o%en 4uestion asks the candidates to Qtalk aboutR something. )ts main
%ur%ose is to encourage the candidates to talk broadly about a to%ic or subBect. )t broadens
the sco%e of the res%onse by forcing the candidates to engage in dee%er thinking. #ollowing
are some of the exam%les of o%en 4uestionsA
Tell us something about yourself
Talk about your interests and activities
Describe the most difficult situation that you recently faced
=hat are the advantages of a mixed economyD
=hat do you think about the im%act of multinational com%anies on the )ndian
economyD
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Close/ ;uestions A Mnlike o%en 4uestions& closed 4uestions limit the sco%e of the res%onse
by asking the candidates to %rovide s%ecific information or facts. )t %ermits the candidate no
freedom of selection as they are re4uired to give very s%ecific answers. #ollowing are some
such exam%les A
=hen did you com%lete your graduationD
=hat was your maBor subBect in the collegeD
=here did you receive your first %rofessional trainingD
Do you know data %rocessingD
5robin4 ;uestions A The main %ur%ose of a %robing 4uestion is to %robe more dee%ly or ask
for an ex%lanation or clarification of a statement Bust made. 6robing 4uestions encourage the
candidate to talk in greater de%th about a to%ic or subBect. #or exam%le& after the res%onse& Q)
believe that students should be allowed in academic decision makingR& the interviewer might
ask the %robing 4uestion& QDo you think that this should include all academic decisionsDR.
"efle0tive ;uestions A /eflective 4uestions are asked to confirm the statements given by the
candidate. The %ur%ose is to check that the interviewer understands what the candidate has
said. #ollowing are some exam%les of reflective 4uestions A
That means you want the %ublic sector com%anies to be totally %rivati3edD
!m ) right in thinking that you are against economic liberali3ation in )ndiaD
Does that mean that you favour a total ban on any ty%e of violence in moviesD
Loa/e/ ;uestions A (oaded 4uestions assess the candidate>s res%onse to a sensitive issue&
subBect or %oint. The main %ur%ose of loaded 4uestions is to Budge the candidate>s ability to
handle difficult and sensitive situations. There may not be any right or wrong answer to a
loaded 4uestion& rather& it would be a reasonable or unreasonable res%onse. The following
are some exam%les.
Kou are too short. Don>t you think this is going to be a handica% for youD
Kour 76! in the first semester of your B.Tech.& is too low. 0ow do you Bustify thatD
Do you think that a /am Tem%le should be constructed at the sight of Babri ?asBidD
*y3ot1eti0al ;uestions A ! hy%othetical 4uestion may involve a hy%othetical situation. )t
may be asked to test the %ossible reactions of the candidate to a certain situation. The
candidate may be asked the 4uestion. =hat would you do if E.D& or the candidate may be
given a situation and asked how her$she will deal with it. 'ome exam%les are given hereA
=hat would you do if you face a grou% of angry em%loyees who want to harm
com%any vehicles because one of the workers has been hurt by a com%any lorryD
Cne of your staff has been involved in activities detrimental t your organi3ation. 0e
has been doing this for money that he needs for the treatment of his ailing mother.
=hat would you doD
Lea/in4 ;uestions A ! leading 4uestion is asked to obtain a desired res%onse. )t leads the
candidate to a %articular answer. 'uch 4uestions generally suggest a %oint of view on the
%art of the interviewer and call for agreement with a Pyes> answer. 7iven below are some
exam%les A
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Don>t you agree that our com%any is a market leader in electronics %roductsD
Don>t you think that ?:*s have boosted the )ndian economyD
Don>t you agree that our economy nees more %rivati3ationD
A#S,E"I#) S$"A$E)IES
-eys to Ans6erin4 ;uestions
0ow a 4uestion is answered is sometimes more im%ortant that the answer itself. The way a
4uestion is answered reflects a %erson>s communicative ability. The following suggestions
will hel% in im%roving the 4uality of answers A
Attentiveness A =hen a %erson attends a Bob interview& he$she cannot answer the interview>s
4uestions correctly unless he$she is listening %ro%erly. ?any candidates start answering
before they have heard the com%lete 4uestion. This is wrong. The candidate should listen
to the interviewer attentively in order to understand the 4uestion and then res%ond to it.
?oreover& the interviewer should not be interru%ted while he or she is s%eaking. This
constitutes rude behaviour and is against the norms of any formal interaction.
A00ura0y A The candidate should give %articular attention to dates& timelines& %ersons& %laces&
and other details. )f he$she cannot remember a date or time& it should not be mentioned.
7iving an incorrect or incom%lete answer will reduce the chances of success. The candidate
should not try to bluff the interviewer. it is better to acce%t that he$she does not know an
answer rather than give an incorrect answer. :o one is ex%ected to know everything and
there is nothing wrong in acce%ting one>s lack of knowledge.
Brevity A The candidate should be brief and to the %oint %articularly in o%en 4uestion& where
he$she has the sco%e to s%eak as much as he$she can. 0e$she should listen to the 4uestion
carefully and answer only what is asked& not taking more than one minute to answer any
4uestion& irres%ective of its nature and com%lexity. ! long answer does nto necessarily mean
a better answer. it is usually otherwise.
(o0us A The candidate should be focused and s%ecific. 8ery often& candidates deviate from
the 4uestion asked and do not answer s%ecifically. Trying to im%ress interviewers by giving
information that is not asked for should be avoided. The more s%ecific the answer& the more
convinced the interviewers are likely to be of a candidate>s suitability for the %osition.
*oncrete and s%ecific words and %hrases should be used& and obscure& abstract& and vague
words that may confuse the interviewers should be avoided.
Clarity A *andidates should answer directly and clearly. The candidate should not give the
interviewers a chance to ask for an answer to be re%eated or classified. *larity of ex%ression
generally reflects clarity of though and %rofessionalism.
5ositive Attitu/e A The candidates> answers should reflect a %ositive attitude. )nterviewers
may ask negative or sensitive 4uestions to ex%lore the negatives in the candidate>s
%ersonality. Therefore& it is im%ortant to remain %ositive and answer eve negative 4uestions
%ositively.
Lo4i0al $1inkin4 A The ability to think logically is always an asset during an interview.
!nswers should always be rational and logical because illogical answers reflect a
disorgani3ed %ersonality. (ogical arguments and illustrations should be used when
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answering 4uestions that demand careful thinking 1that is& %robing and hy%othetical
4uestions-.
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>. "ES!ME ,"I$I#)
)t is an acce%ted fact that getting a Bob is directly related to your success and your ha%%iness.
Therefore it is vital that you conduct the Bob search %ro%erly L that you %re%are wisely and
carefully and %roceed diligently. The following is a review of Bob search strategies.
5LA##I#)
Buil/in4 a #et6ork of Conta0ts
Kou can begin the Bob search long before you are ready to find em%loyment. )n fact& you can
do it now by building a network of contacts. ?ore s%ecifically& you can build relationshi%s
with %eo%le who can hel% you find work when you need it. 'uch %eo%le include classmates&
%rofessors& and business%eo%le.
I/entifyin4 A33ro3riate %obs
To find the right Bob& you need to investigate both internal and external factors. The best fit
occurs when you have carefully looked at yourself L your education& %ersonal 4ualities&
ex%erience& and any s%ecial 4ualifications. 0owever& to be realistic& these internal 4ualities
need to be analy3ed in light of the external factors. 'ome of these factors may include the
current and %roBected Bob market& economic needs& location %references and family needs.
(in/in4 Your Em3loyer
Kou can use a number of sources in your search for an em%loyer with whom you will begin
or continue your career. Kour choice of sources some of which are listed below.
6lacement *enters
:etwork of 6ersonal *ontacts
*lassified !dvertisements
Cnline Databases
Em%loyment !gencies
=eb 6ages
!fter your search has uncovered a Bob %ossibility& you %ursue it. =hether or not you a%%ly in
%erson& you are likely to use some written material. )f you a%%ly in %erson& %robably you will
take a resume with you to leave as a record of your 4ualifications. )f you do not a%%ly in
%erson& of course& the a%%lication is com%letely in writing. Ty%ically& it consists of a resume&
a letter of a%%lication& and a reference sheet. !t some %oint in your em%loyment efforts& you
are likely to use each of these documents.
6re%aring these documents involve selling. Kou are selling a %roduct or services L your
ability to do work. !nd what you are selling is you. Kou should begin by listing all the
information about you that you believe an em%loyer would want to know. The resume is a
summary of background facts in list form. Designed for 4uick reading& the resume lists facts
that have been arranged for the best %ossible a%%earance. /arely does it use sentences. The
arrangements of resumes differ widely& but the following %rocedures generally describe how
most are writtenA
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(ogically arrange information 1institutions& dates& degrees& maBor field-.
information on em%loyments 1dates& %laces& firms& duties& accom%lishments-.
%ersonal details 1membershi%s& interests& achievements& and such but not religion&
race& and sex-. and s%ecial information derived from other information
1achievements& 4ualifications& ca%abilities-. !nd a reference sheet as needed.
*onstruct a heading for the entire resume and subheadings for the %arts
)nclude other vital information such as obBectives and contact information
!rrange the data for best eye a%%eal& making the resume balanced& not crowded&
and not stung out
Sele0tin4 t1e Ba0k4roun/ (a0ts. Kour first ste% in %re%aring the resume is to review the
background facts you have assembled about yourself and then to select the facts that you
think will hel% your reader evaluate you.
Arran4in4 t1e (a0ts into )rou3s. !fter selecting the facts you want to include& you
should sort them into logical grou%s. ?any grou%ing arrangements are %ossible. The
most conventional is the three+%art grou%ing of )ducation ).perience& and "kills or
-ersonal *ualities. !nother %ossibility is a grou%ing by Bob functions or skills& such as
"elling /ommunicating and ,anaging. !nother is an arrangement by time L %erha%s
listing the information in reverse chronological order to show a %rogression of training ad
ex%erience. Kou may be able to work out other logical arrangements.
Kou can also derive additional grou%s from the four conventional grou%s mentioned
above. #or Exam%le& you can have a grou% of P0chievements. 'uch a grou% would
consist of s%ecial accom%lishments taken from your ex%erience and education
information.
In0lu/in4 a Statement of Ob=e0tive. !lthough not a category of background
information& a statement of your obBective is a%%ro%riate in the resume. 0eadings such
as *areer CbBective& Iob CbBective& or Bust CbBective usually a%%ear at the beginning.
:ot all authorities agree on the value of including the obBective& however.
/ecommending that they be omitted from today>s resumes& some authorities suggest that
the resume should concentrate instead on skills& ex%erience& and credentials. 'ome
ex%e"rts argue that the obBective includes only obvious information that is clearly
suggested by the remainder of the resume. They argue also that an obBective limits the
a%%licant to a single %osition and eliminates consideration for other Bobs that may be
available.
Those favoring the use of a statement of obBective reason that it hel%s the recruiter see
4uickly where the a%%licant might fit into the com%any. 'ince this argument a%%ears to
have greater su%%ort& at least for the moment& %robably you should include the obBective.
But make an exce%tion when your career goal is unclear and you are considering a variety
of em%loyment %ossibilities.
6rimarily& your statement of obBective should describe the work you seek. =hen you
can& you should add to its effectiveness by including words that convey a long+term
interest& as in this exam%le.
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Ob$ective A 0 position in human resource management that %ill provide an opportunity
for gro%th and advancement'
!nother techni4ue for enhancing the effectiveness of the obBective statement is to include
words that em%hasi3e your maBor 4ualifications for the work& as in this exam%le A
Ob$ective A To apply 3< years of successful high@tech sales e.perience to selling +uality
products for an agile company'
The information you %resent under each heading will de%end on your good Budgment.
Kou should list all the facts that you think are relevant. Kou will want to include enough
information to enable the reader to Budge your ability to do the work you seek.
Kour coverage of work ex%erience should identify com%letely the Bobs you have held. !
minimum coverage would include dates& %laces& firms& and res%onsibilities. )f the work
was %art+time& you should say without demeaning the skills you develo%ed on the Bob. )n
describing your duties& you should select words that highlight what you did& es%ecially the
%arts of this ex%erience that 4ualify you for the work you seek.
Iob descri%tions are strengthened by the use of action verbs. 8erbs are the strongest of
all words. )f you choose them well& they will do much to sell your ability to do work.
Because your education is likely to be your strongest selling %oint for your first Bob after
college& you will %robably cover it in some detail. 1Education gets less and less em%hasis
in your a%%lications as you gain ex%erience.- !t a minimum& your coverage of education
should include institutions& dates& degrees& and areas of study. #or some Bobs& you may
want to list s%ecific courses& es%ecially if you have little other information to %resent or if
your coursework has uni4uely %re%ared you for those Bobs.
=hat %ersonal information to list is a matter for your best Budgment.
6ersonal information that is generally a%%ro%riate includes all items that tell about your
%ersonal 4ualities. )nformation on your organi3ation membershi%s& civic involvement&
and social activities is evidence of ex%erience and interest in working with %eo%le.
0obbies and athletic %artici%ation tell of your balance of interests. 'uch information can
be 4uite useful to some em%loyers& es%ecially when %ersonal 4ualities are im%ortant to the
work involved.
!uthorities disagree on whether to list references on the resume. 'ome think that
references should not be contacted until negotiations are further along. Cthers think that
referring %rocess.
=hen you do list someone as a reference& good business eti4uette re4uires that you ask
for %ermission first.
(ormats an/ Styles
!fter you have identified the information you want to include on you resume& you will
want to organi3e or grou% items to %resent yourself in the best %ossible light. Three
strategies for organi3ing this information are reverse chronological approach the
functional or skills approach and the accomplishments A achievements or highlights
approach'
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The reverse chronological organi3ational layout %resents your education and work
ex%erience from the most recent to oldest. )t em%hasi3es the order and time frame in
which you have %artici%ated in these activities. )t is %articularly good for those who have
%rogressed in an orderly and timely fashion through school and work.
! functional or skills layout organi3es around three to five areas %articularly im%ortant to
the Bob you want. /ather than forcing an em%loyer to determine that you develo%ed one
skill on one Bbo and another skill on another Bob& this organi3ational %lan does that for the
reader. )t is %articularly good for those who have had many Bobs& for those who have
taken nontraditional career %aths& and for those who are changing fields.
!n accom%lishments $achievements layout %resents a %icture of you as a com%etent
worker. )t %uts hard numbers and %recise facts behind skills and traits you have.
Makin4 t1e (orm Attra0tive. The attractiveness of your resume will say as much about
you as the words. The a%%earance of the information that the reader sees %lays a %art in
forming his or her Budgment. ! slo%%y& %oorly designed %resentation may even ruin your
chances of getting the Bob. 'o it is im%ortant to give your resume and your a%%lication
letter an attractive %hysical arrangement.
=hile layout is im%ortant in showing your ability to organi3e and good s%acing increases
readability& design considerations such as font and %a%er selection a4ffect attractiveness
almost as much. *ommercial designers say that ty%e si3e for headings should be at least
1" %oints and for body text& 1, to 1" %oints.
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,"I$I#) $*E A55LICA$IO# LE$$E"
Kou should begin work on the a%%lication letter by fitting the facts from your background to
the work you seek and arranging those facts in a logical order. (ike those of sales letters& the
organi3ational %lans of a%%lication letters vary. 0owever& the following %rocedure
1discussed in details below- is used in most successful efforts.
Begin with words selected to gain attention a%%ro%riately and to set u% the review of
information.
6resent your 4ualifications& kee%ing like information together and ada%ting to the
com%any and the Bob.
Mse good sales strategy& es%ecially you+view%oint and %ositive language
Drive for the a%%ro%riate action 1re4uest for interview& reference& check& further
corres%ondence
)ainin4 Attention in t1e O3enin4. !s in sales writing& the o%ening of the a%%lication letter
has two re4uirementsA )t must gain attention& and it must set u% the review of information that
follows.
!s the a%%lication letter is a creative effort& you should use your imagination in writing the
o%ening.
Kou can gain attention in the o%ening in many ways. Cne way is to use a to%ic that shows
understanding of the reader>s o%eration or of the work to be done. Em%loyers are likely to be
im%ressed by a%%licants who have made the effort to learn something about the com%any.
!nother way is to make a statement or ask a 4uestion that focuses attention on a need of the
reader that the writer seeks to fill.
Sele0tin4 Content. #ollowing the o%ening& you should %resent the information that 4ualifies
you to do the work. Begin this task by reviewing the Bob re4u;irements. Then select the
facts about you that 4ualify you for the Bob.
)f a resume accom%anies the a%%lication letter& you may rely on it too much. /emember that
the letter does the selling and the resume summari3es the significant details. Thus& the letter
should contain the maBor %oints around which you build your case& and the resume should
include these %oints %lus su%%orting details. !s the two are %arts of a team effort&
somewhere in the letter you should refer the reader to the resume.
Or4ani<in4 for Convi0tion. Kou will want to %resent the information about yourself in the
order that is best for you. )n general& the %lan you select is likely to follow one of three
general orders. The most common order is a logical grou%ing of the information& such as
education& skills and$or %ersonal details& and ex%erience. ! second %ossibility is a time order.
#or exam%le& you could %resent the information to show a year+by+year %re%aration for the
work. ! third %ossibility is an order based on the Bob re4uirements. #or exam%le& selling&
communicating& and managing might be the re4uirements listed in an advertised Bob.
?erely %resenting facts does not ensure conviction. Kou will also need to %resent the facts in
words that make the most of your assets. Kou could& say for exam%le& that you Qheld a
%ositionR as sales manager& but it is much more convincing to say that you Qsu%ervised a sales
AECS Lab Manual
58
force of 1"R. (ikewise& you do more for yourself by writing that you Qearned a degree in
business administrationR than by writing that you Qs%ent four years in collegeR. !nd it is
more effective to say that you Qlearned cost accountingR than to say that you Qtook a course in
cost accountingR.
rivin4 for A0tion in t1e Close. The %resentation of your 4ualifications should lead
logically to the action that the close of the letter %ro%oses. Kou should drive for whatever
action is a%%ro%riate in you case. )t could be a re4uest for an interview& an invitation to
engage in further corres%ondence.
Kour action words should be clear and direct. 6referably& you should %ut them in 4uestion
form. !s in the sales letter& the re4uest for action may be made more effective if it is
followed by words recalling a benefit that the reader will get from taking the action.
AECS Lab Manual
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AS*O- A!"O"A
!+25$1& 'ector+9,& :oida L 2,1 ,1
E+mail A ashokauroraTyahoo.com
6C')T)C: 'CM70T ?anager L 6roBect
CBIE*T)8E To contribute to the growth of a leading %roBect management
com%any by working in a challenging %osition where ) will have
o%%ortunities to utili3e my ex%osure to %roBect management
methodologies and ex%erience as %roBect leader in construction
activities of large scale heavy engineering %roBects.
Ex%erience 5ro=e0t Lea/er& Badrinath )nfrastructure (td.& 'ector+9,& :oida+
2,1 ,1
December 2,,1 to %resent
*om%lete civil %roBects within or ahead of the schedule
through strict %lanning& monitoring& and control while
maintaining the best construction standards
'u%ervise erection of auxiliary facilities like water
treatment& ET6& cabling& %i%ing and other utilities
?aintain customer relations through effective %resentation
of technical ex%ertise
Assistant 5ro=e0t Mana4er (Civil)& !kash 6roBects and
?arketing (td.& %ark 'treet& Nolkata
December 1<<; to :ovember 2,,1
!ssist in the %roBect management of various civil works
being executed at site
*oordinate with 0ead Cffice& sites& various de%artments
and sub+contractors
?aintain close liason with clients
EDM*!T)C: An6er En4ineerin4 Colle4e? 0yderabad B.Tech in *ivil
Engineering& Iuly 1<<;
Institute of Information $e01nolo4y? ?umbai *ertificate in
*om%uter 6rogramming& December& 1<<;
'6E*)!( 'N)((' 6roficient in ?'+DC'& ?icrosoft =indows& Excel& and
=ord <; and 2,,,
7ood %roblem+solving skills
Excellent communication and inter%ersonal skills
*om%etent in s%eaking #rench
!*T)8)T)E' ?ember& )nstitution of Engineers& 0yderabad
?ember& :ational *adet *or%s& 1<<"+1<<9
'ecretary& 'ociety for 6romotion of 'cience& 0yderabad
):TE/E'T' Badminton& #ootball& *ycling
*lassical ?usic& ?ovies& #iction
AECS Lab Manual
5;
@. "E5O"$S
/e%orts are im%ortant because in most organi3ations executive decision making is based
almost entirely on them.
/e%orts may vary from a one+%age informal tri% re%ort summari3ing the events of a business
tri% to a 25,+%age formal annual re%ort of an organi3ation. They may be %resented orally&
electronically& or in written form. They may also vary in form& content& a%%roach& and
%ur%ose. The literal meaning of the word Pre%ort> is Pa formal or official statement& as of
results of an investigation or matter referred> or Bust P a statement of facts.
! re%ort is a formal document written for a s%ecific audience to meet a s%ecific need. )t may
contain facts of a situation& %roBect& or %rocess. an analysis and inter%retation of data& events&
and records. inferences or conclusions drawn from obBective data. or suggestions and
recommendations. !lthough re%orts may include a variety of to%ics and obBectives& they all
hel% in the %rocess of decision making by answering 4uestions and determining ways to
im%rove certain situations.
/e%orts normally move in an u%ward direction and are used to communicate to the senior
levels in an organi3ations. The im%ortance of re%orts for any %rofessional lies in the fact that
a number of business decisions and research conclusions are made on the basis of information
%resented or recommendations made in re%orts.
Thus& re%orts serve several %ur%oses& which may include A
6resenting data.
Describing %roblems and suggesting solutions.
Discussing and analy3ing data.
/ecording events and ha%%enings.
!naly3ing a situation or a condition. or
7iving feedback& suggestions& or recommendations.
$Y5ES O( "E5O"$S
/e%orts can be classified as informational and analytical& according to their functions& as
routine or s%ecial& as %er %eriodicity& as oral and written& according to their communicative
form& and as formal and non+formal& based on their nature& sco%e& and length. Each of these
are now discussed briefly.
Informational an/ Analyti0al "e3orts
!n informational re%ort %resents facts of a case& %roblem& condition& or situation without any
analysis& inter%retations& or recommendations. The function of the writer of an informational
re%ort is to collect& com%ile& and organi3e facts for the readers. 0e$'he is Bust a com%iler
who has to %resent the data as obBectively as %ossible. )n order to write an informational
re%ort& relevant information should be gathered and %resented in a systematic and organi3ed
way. Exam%les of informational re%orts include conference re%orts& seminar re%orts& tri%
re%orts& and so on.
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5<
Mnlike an informational re%ort& an analytical re%ort %resents data with inter%retation and
analysis. The re%ort writer analyses the facts of a case& %roblem& condition& or situation
obBectively and %uts forward his$her conclusions& inferences& and recommendations. !%art
from %resenting the facts obBectively& the writer must reflect a broader understanding of the
subBect in order to comment on various as%ects related to the re%ort. )n order to write an
analytical re%ort& the writer should be able to evaluate information and make a%%ro%riate
inferences. Exam%les of analytical re%orts include %roBect re%orts& feasibility re%orts& market
research re%orts& and so forth.
"outine an/ S3e0ial "e3orts
!ll organi3ations& including com%anies& institutions& government de%artments& and research
establishments& de%end on routine re%orts for various management decisions. !s routine
re%orts are usually %re%ared on a %eriodic basis& that is& daily& weekly& fortnightly& monthly&
4uarterly& or annually& they may also be called %eriodic re%orts. The contents of routine
re%orts may vary from sim%le %roduction information to com%lex marketing or research data.
/outine re%orts may be informational or analytical de%ending on the %ur%ose. Exam%les of
routine re%orts include daily %roduction re%orts& monthly sales re%orts& annual re%orts& and so
on.
Mnlike a routine re%ort& a s%ecial re%ort is %re%ared and %resented to convey s%ecial
information related to a single condition& situation& %roblem& or occasion. '%ecial re%orts do
not contain routine or re%etitive information as they are the result of s%ecific circumstances.
'ome of the most im%ortant decisions in an organi3ation may be taken on the basis of the
information contained in s%ecial re%orts. #or exam%le& a com%any might launch a new
%roduct based on a re%ort analy3ing the market demand and %resence of com%eting %roducts
in the market. '%ecial re%orts could be either informational or analytical. Exam%les of
s%ecial re%orts include in4uiry re%orts& research& re%orts& thesis& dissertation& and so forth.
Types of (eports
%riteria Types )escription *+amples
#unction )nformational CbBective %resentation of data without
analysis or inter%retation
!nalytical 6resentation of data with analysis and
inter%retation
6eriodicity /outine 6resentation of routine information
'%ecial 6resentation of s%ecific information
related to a single condition& situation&
%roblem or occasion
*ommunicative
#orm
Cral #ace+to+face %resentation of information
=ritten 6resentation of information in written
form
:ature& sco%e and
length
#ormal (ong re%orts with elaborate descri%tion
and discussion
:on+formal 'hort re%orts
AECS Lab Manual
5=
Oral an/ ,ritten "e3orts
Cral re%orts are informal and face+to+face %resentations of information. Exam%les may
include oral re%orting of accidents& sales& %roduction& Boining& and so on. Cral re%orts are
useful for %resentation brief information related to routine activities& %roBects& develo%ments&
and so on. !s oral re%orts %rovide 4uick feedback& they may ex%edite a work and lead to fast
action and decisions. ?ost organi3ations nowadays %refer oral re%orts followed by written
versions. This ensures the advantages of oral re%orting and avoids the maBor disadvantages
by adding to the %ermanent records of the organi3ation.
=ritten re%orts are more conventional than oral re%orts. ?ost business and technical re%orts
use the written mode of %resentation because the organi3ations using these re%orts need to
maintain %ro%er record for future use and reference. ?ost re%orts have a %ermanent value.
(ormal an/ #on7formal "e3orts
/e%orts can be formal or informal de%ending on their nature& sco%e and length. ! formal
re%ort is usually the result of a thorough investigation of a %roblem& condition& or situation.
#ormal re%orts are com%aratively longer and need elaborate descri%tion and discussion.
They usually follow a fixed format with %redetermined elements& according to the
information %resented. The length of a formal re%ort may vary from a few %ages to hundreds
of %ages. #ormal re%orts could be informational& analytical& routine& or s%ecial. Exam%les
of formal re%orts include annual re%orts of com%anies and organi3ations& technical re%orts&
%roBect re%orts& thesis& and so on.
! non+formal re%ort& on the other hand& could be a brief account of a s%ecific business or
%rofessional activity. )t is usually written to %rovide introductory information about a routine
affair. :on+formal re%orts are usually short and do not need elaborate descri%tions and
discussions. !s the content is generally insufficient for a formal re%ort& an informal re%ort
may involve the use of %rinted forms& letter formats& or memo formats. !lthough non+formal
re%orts are usually routine& they may be either informational or analytical and may use the
oral or written form. Exam%les of non+formal re%orts include laboratory re%orts& daily
%roduction re%orts& tri% re%orts& and so forth.
(O"MA$S O( "E5O"$S
There are four common formats of re%orts& that is& %rinted forms& letter format& memo format&
and manuscri%t format.
5rinte/ (orms
6rinted forms are generally used to collect routine information. #or exam%le& a com%any
may kee% %rinted forms for recording daily %roduction or monthly sales. 'imilarly& an
organi3ation may use %rinted forms for tri% re%orts& conference re%orts& laboratory re%orts&
ins%ection re%orts& confidential %erformance re%orts& and so on. Msing a %rinted form is 4uite
sim%le because the %erson filling it is Bust re4uired to fill in the blanks& or tick against the
listed items. Detailed descri%tions or discussions need not be %rovided.
There are three main advantages of using %rinted forms for re%orting. #irstly& they are
systematic and make for easy reading. 'econdly& they are more obBective and factual with
AECS Lab Manual
5>
little sco%e for the writer to be subBective about the content. There is no subBective
inter%retation of the material used in the re%ort. #acts are recorded 4uite obBectively.
#inally& they save time.
Letter (ormat
The letter format may be used for short re%orts that have to be communicated to someone
outside an organi3ation. ! letter format contains all the elements of a letter along with some
additional sections such as illustrations& references& and so on. 0eadings may be used in a
letter re%ort. The letter format may be used for informational& analytical& routine& s%ecial& or
non+formal re%orts. #or exam%le& there is an accident on the sho% floor in a com%any and
re%ort has to be sent to the insurance com%any. Cther exam%les of the letter format include
evaluation re%orts& feasibility re%orts& survey re%orts& legal re%orts& and so on.
Memo (ormat
The memo format can be used for short re%orts that have to be communicated within an
organi3ation. ! memo format should contain all the elements of a standard memo. )n
addition& it may contain a few extra sections. (ike a re%ort in the letter form& a memo re%ort
should contain headings for easy reading and reference. The memo format may be used for
all ty%es of re%orts& that is& informational& analytical& routine& s%ecial& or non+formal.
Manus0ri3t (ormat
The manuscri%t format can be used for long and formal re%orts. These re%orts are divided
into sections and sub+sections& each with a clear heading. These headings and sub+headings
are organi3ed in a logical se4uence. =hile %re%aring a re%ort in manuscri%t form& the writer
needs to be careful about its structure and elements. ! structured re%ort will hel% in thinking
clearly and deciding where to %ut each fact or idea. )t also makes reading easy and hel%s the
readers find the information they need. The manuscri%t format is discussed in detail below.
S$"!C$!"E O( (O"MAL "E5O"$S
=hen writing a formal re%ort& the choice of format as well the %arts of the re%ort must be
carefully %lanned.
5arts of a "e3ort
! formal re%ort may include the following %arts or elements.
Each of these %arts of a formal re%ort will now be discussed in detail.
1. Title %age
2. 6reface
. (etter of Transmittal
". !cknowledgements
5. Table of *ontents
9. (ist of illustrations
5. !bstract$Executive summary
;. )ntroduction
AECS Lab Manual
8?
<. ?ethodology
1,. Discussion $ #inding $ !nalysis
11. *onclusion
12. /ecommendation
1. !%%endices
1". /eferences and bibliogra%hy
! formal re%ort usually begins with a title %age. )t contains the title of the re%ort& the name
of the %erson or organi3ation to whom the re%ort is being submitted& the name of the re%ort
writers& and the date.
5refa0e
The %reface is an o%tional element in a formal re%ort. )t introduces the re%ort by mentioning
its salient features and sco%e.
Letter of $ransmittal
The transmittal letter is a brief covering letter from the re%ort writer ex%laining the causes for
writing the re%ort. )t may contain the obBectives& sco%e& and other highlights of the re%ort.
)t may also contain acknowledgements if the re%ort does not include an acknowledgement.
A0kno6le/4ement
The acknowledgement section contains the names of %ersons who contributed to the
%roduction of the re%ort and made the re%ort %ossible. )t is Bust a Pthank you note>.
$able of Contents
The Ptable of contents> %rovides the reader an overall view of the re%ort and shows its
organi3ation.
This section lists the main headings and the subheadings and the subheadings in the re%ort
with %age numbers.
List of Illustrations
The Plist of illustrations> gives systematic information about tables& gra%hs& figures and charts
used in the re%ort. )t is usually included if the number of these illustrations are more than
ten.
Abstra0t or Exe0utive Summary
!n abstract or an executive summary summarises the essential information in the re%ort&
focusing on key facts& findings& observations& results& conclusions& and recommendations.
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83
Intro/u0tion
This section introduces the readers to the re%ort and %re%ares them for the discussion that
follows by %roviding background information& defining its aims and obBectives& and
discussing the sco%e and limitations of the re%ort.
Met1o/olo4y
=hile writing a re%ort& information may have to be gathered from library and archival
sources or through internet surfing& interviews& surveys& and formal$informal discussions.
The section on methodology summarises the methods of data collection& the %rocedures for
investigating the situation$%roblem& and the criteria of survey.
is0ussionAes0ri3tionAAnalysis
This is the main %art of the re%ort as it %resents the data that has been collected in an
organi3ed form. )t focuses on facts and findings of the re%ort and may include an obBective
descri%tion and discussion of the %roblem& an analysis of the situation& and findings of the
investigation. )t is usually divided into sections and sub+sections with well+structured and
clear headings and sub+headings.
Con0lusions
This section conveys the significance and meaning of the re%ort to readers by %resenting a
summary of discussion and findings& results and conclusions& im%lications of the conclusions
%resented& and inferences.
"e0ommen/ations
This section contains recommendations that are based on results and conclusions. !s they
%ro%ose a course of action to im%rove a situation or a condition& they may %resent several
ways to solve a %roblem or im%rove a situation. )t may also indicate the need and nature for
further work in the concerned area.
A33en/i0es
!n a%%endix contains su%%orting material or data& which is ke%t se%arate from the main body
of the re%ort to avoid interru%ting the line f develo%ment of the re%ort.
"eferen0es Biblio4ra31y
This section may contain references to books& Bournals& re%orts& dissertations& or$and
%ublished government documents& and other sources used in the re%ort. )t may also consist
of a list of materials for further reference.
,"I$I#) S$"A$E)IES
=hether one has to write a short informal re%ort or a long formal re%ort& one needs to ado%t
effective writing strategies. !s re%orts are systematic attem%ts to discuss %roblems&
AECS Lab Manual
84
situations& or conditions and stimulate thinking or action in individuals and grou%s& a
systematic %lan of writing should be followed.
The following ste%s will hel% in organi3ing and %resenting the re%ort systematically.
1. !naly3e the %roblem and %ur%ose
2. Determine the sco%e of the re%ort
. Determine the needs of the audience
". 7ather all the information
5. !nalyse and organi3e the information
9. =rite the first draft
5. /evise& review& and edit
;. =rite the final draft
Analy<e t1e 5roblem an/ 5ur3ose
The %rocess of writing an effective re%ort begins with an obBective analysis of the %roblem
that is to be discussed and the obBectives of writing the re%ort. )n other words& the following
two 4uestions need to be answered before beginning to write a re%ort A
1. =hat do you want to %resent or discuss in the re%ortD
2. =hy do you want to %resent itD
!nswers to these 4uestions will hel% in identifying the %roblem that led to the writing of the
re%ort and determining the %ur%ose of the re%ort. The %roblem may be written down in the
form of a statement.
Defining the %ur%ose of the re%ort will give it direction and make it focused. The writer>s
%ur%ose should match the audience>s needs& knowledge& ex%ectations& and interests.
etermine t1e S0o3e of t1e "e3ort
)n order to kee% the re%ort %recise and to the %oint& the amount of information gathered
should be limited to the most essential and im%ortant facts. )t is im%ortant to define a
reasonable sco%e of the re%ort. The sco%e of the re%ort should be narrowed down and made
s%ecific so that a reasonable length is maintained.
etermine t1e #ee/s of t1e Au/ien0e
=hen a re%ort is being %lanned& the writer should know who will eventually read it. =hen
%lanning a re%ort& the writer should think from his$her readers> %ers%ective. 0e$she should
avoid making false assum%tions about his$her readers and should strive to be %ractical and
rational.
)at1er all t1e Information
Cnce the %roblem and %ur%ose has been analysed& the sco%e is defined and the audience has
been analysed& the writer is ready to gather information. 0e$she may gather information
through %rimary sources 1discussions& interviews& observation& surveys& 4uestionnaires&
ex%eriments& and so on- or secondary sources 1internet& re%orts& books& Bournals& dissertations&
AECS Lab Manual
85
maga3ines& %am%hlets& news%a%ers& and so on- 0owever& it is im%ortant to ensure that the
information is accurate& bias free& current& and relevant.
Analyse an/ or4ani<e t1e Information
Cnce the information has been gathered& the re%ort writer needs to analyse and organi3e it.
!nalysis of information involves evaluating the information obBectively& making com%arative
analyses of different sets of information for obtaining new ideas& and inter%reting facts and
figures for their relative im%ortance. Crgani3ing the information involves using an
a%%ro%riate logical %attern to arrange the information in the re%ort. Before actually
organi3ing the information& an outline may be %re%ared by choosing the central idea& main
ideas& the maBor su%%orting ideas& and develo%ing the details.
,ritin4 t1e (irst raft
Cnce the outline has been %re%ared and the organi3ational %attern of the re%ort has been
decided& the first working draft can be written. =hile writing the first draft focus on the
sco%e and %ur%ose of the re%ort. 'im%le and direct language should be used.
"evie6in4 an/ "evisin4
Cnce the rough draft of the re%ort has been written& it should be reviewed& edited& and revised
in order to im%rove the 4uality of its content and %resentation.
,ritin4 t1e (inal raft
Cnce the rough draft of the re%ort reviewed and revised& the final draft can be com%osed.
=hen writing the final draft& the following %oints should be taken care ofA
The re%ort should be sim%le& clear& concise& direct and readable.
!%%ro%riate words& short sentences and meaningful %aragra%hs should be used
!%%ro%riate linking devices should be used.
7ra%hic highlighting techni4ues to im%rove readability and com%rehension should be
a%%lied.
)m%ortant %oints should be em%hasi3ed.
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B. 5OSI$I&E $*I#-I#)
Cne might feel the subBect P6ositive !ttitude> has been talked ad nauseam. But for most
interviewers a %ositive mental attitude is almost an obsession and so it has become the most
mentioned subBect in modern management studies. )t is not so modern an invention after all.
)t is as ancient as the thinking man.
Ket& in this context of highly com%etitive and critical times& the need for a %ositive attitude is
more than ever. Koung mind is too %er%lexed by %roblems a %lenty at every front& to sense
tonnes of his unta%%ed %otential. 'wamy 8ivekananda says that every soul is %otentially
divine& which means that every one can make a 7od of himself. )f that is so every %erson is
a %otential winner. ! %ositive attitude is to believe that everyone is endowed with the ability
to succeed. ,e are all basi0ally ma/e 6inners. Losers? if any? are self7ma/e. (osers
are those who think that winners are a class a%art.
! %ositive attitude is not thoughts& ideas or a %hiloso%hy. )t is a matter of dealing with actual
situations. :or is it reflected in em%ty ex%ectations& confused confidence or %lain boast.
6ositive Thinking is a realistic attitude that envelo%es the %ositives and the negatives. )t does
not close the eyes to the negatives. Cn the other hand it is all about being all the more alert.
! %ositive thinking is revealed in relation to a real situation and a set task. Cne should
clarify to oneself one>s %riorities L what one wants from life. !nd one should always aim
high. !ims are never mere selfish& infact the higher the aim& the more unselfish it is. )t is a
nobler aim.
=ith %ositive attitude comes confidence& with confidence comes enthusiasm and with
enthusiasm comes unbounded energy. But confidence stands in need of constant
reinforcement. *onfidence alone cannot fetch everything& hard work is essential. There are
no short cuts to success.
! %ositive attitude is to be aware of the necessity of Nai3en& constant im%rovement. That is
to assess your assets accurately and obBectively and fill the ga% between what you are and
what you can actually be& between the actual and the %otential. !nd remember& %otentialities
are not exhausted& they are infinite.
! %ositive attitude is about im%roving one>s skills& im%roving in such a way that even a losing
situation can be turned into a %ositive one. Things in life do not %resent themselves to us in a
convenient way& the way we would like them to be. ?ost of the time we have to make the
best use of the bad cards served to us in a game of cards.
(ife is real and life is earnestR& warned %oet 0enry =adsworth (ongfellowA yet there are
many of us who would like to flit through the days with no res%onsibilities& no cares& like a
s%ring butterfly. The ability to face reality honestly& bravely& to weigh it carefully and see it
in its %ro%er %ers%ective& is an outstanding mark of well+adBusted mature %ersonality. The
%eo%le at the other extreme& who withdraw entirely from the world as it is& need& of course&
%sychological hel%.
!nd lastly& a %ositive attitude is not all a matter of winning. )t is %laying the game with the
right s%irit& with all the enthusiasm& energy& im%roved skills& and unconventional lateral
a%%roaches and with all the hard %erseverance. =inning is an im%ortant factor. But it is Bust
one of the several factors of the task involved. (i41t as 1ar/ an/ as intelli4ently as you
AECS Lab Manual
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0an. You 6ill 6in. But even if you lose& you are still a winner for& it is the attitude that
counts& not winning or losing. The right attitude always leaves you in a win+win situation.
,n the class room -
'tudents are made to self assess themselves with the hel% of a 4uestionnaire. The teacher
could inter%ret here the assessment and hel% the student reali3e where he$she is standing and
how to im%rove him$her self to be more efficient. ! case study can also be done in the class
as to see how working on a s%ecific %roblematic area could im%rove the situation and
enhance one>s %erformance.
'tudents should be ex%osed to some simulated situations where they have to deal with some
realistic %roblems. !nd they will see how different %eo%le see them differently and deal
differently and what a big difference it makes. Teacher guides the students to see& analy3e&
deal and solve successfully and win the situation.
(eference .ooks -
1. 'even 0abits of 0ighly Effective %eo%le L 'te%hen *ovey
2. Kou can =in + 'hiv Nhera
. 'elf L )m%rovement by 8iBaya Numar L 'terling %a%er Back
).ercises in -aradigmatic -roblems' 6ifferent perspectives'
-icture studying +uestionnaires case@studies group discussions practical problem solving
B'' are some of the techni+ues' 0 sample +uestionnaire
1- Do you usually face life with a smileD
Kes UUUUUUUUU :o UUUUUUUUU
2- )n general& would you say your thoughts are %ositiveD
Kes UUUUUUUUU :o UUUUUUUUU
- ) often worry.
Kes UUUUUUUUU :o UUUUUUUUU
"- !ll in all& ) feel that ) am a fortunate %erson.
Kes UUUUUUUUU :o UUUUUUUUU
5- ) enBoy learning about things.
Kes UUUUUUUUU :o UUUUUUUUU
9- ) constantly see more things that are wrong than things that are right.
Kes UUUUUUUUU :o UUUUUUUUU
5- !re you willing to work hard at anything you attem%tD
Kes UUUUUUUUU :o UUUUUUUUU
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;- Do you take good care of your %hysical and mental healthD
Kes UUUUUUUUU :o UUUUUUUUU
<- !re you a%%reciative of small gestures of kindness by othersD
Kes UUUUUUUUU :o UUUUUUUUU
1,- =hen some days do not Qgo rightR& do you go to bed thinking of something that was
good or humorousD
Kes UUUUUUUUU :o UUUUUUUUU
11- Do you believe a certain %eriod of life is ha%%ier than the ohersD
Kes UUUUUUUUU :o UUUUUUUUU
12- Do you enBoy the feeling of having res%onsibilityD
Kes UUUUUUUUU :o UUUUUUUUU
1- Kou>re trying to look dignified at an im%ortant dance or function when you sli% and
finish u% in an embarrassing %osition on the floor. Kour %artner Bust can>t sto%
laughing. Do you
a- #eel Bust a little angry with your %artner for laughingD
b- Try to laugh with your %artnerD
c- 6retend to be really hurt in order to save a little embarrassmentD
1"- )f it was a%%arent that somebody at work did not like you and showed it by making
nasty remarks all the time& would you
a- 'how 4uite clearly that the feeling was mutualD
b- *ounter the remarks with a Boke as of as often as %ossibleD
c- make it a%%arent that you couldn>t care less about him or his o%inionsD
15- =hen you get beaten in a game or s%ort& do you
a- #orget about it and com%liment the winner cheerfullyD
b- #eel Bust a little angry with yourself for having been beatenD
c- #eel utterly down+hearted and deBectedD
19- =hen you>re slightly off+colour or under the weather& do you find
a- That %eo%le around it seem to reali3e it at onceD
b- They rarely seem to noticeD
c- Kou always tell them anywayD
15- !fter seeing a glamorous Q%enthouseR movie& does your own environment de%ress
youD
Kes UUUUUUUUU :o UUUUUUUUU
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1;- 7enerally s%eaking& when things go wrong& is it the fault of othersD
Kes UUUUUUUUU :o UUUUUUUUU
1<- Kou are often thrown into contact with a %erson who obviously does not like you
because of his$her caustic comments. Kou would
a- counter with a few nasty comments of your own
b- let the remarks slide off your back
c- search for ways to win his$her friendshi%
2,- Kou are feeling not terribly ill but Bust sort of under+the+weather. Kou would
a- go to bed
b- carry on your work as usual
c- work at half+s%eed
21- =ould you agree with the statement accredited to English %hiloso%her #rancis BaconR
Q! wise man will make more o%%ortunities than he findsRD
Kes UUUUUUUUU :o UUUUUUUUU
22- Do you enBoy learning new things even if they do not a%%ly directly to your %resent
way of lifeD
Kes UUUUUUUUU :o UUUUUUUUU
2- )f you were turned down three times for Bobs or by colleges& would you doubt your
own abilityD
Kes UUUUUUUUU :o UUUUUUUUU
2"- )f you won or were given a free ticket to a country unknown to you& would you be
afraid to go aloneD
Kes UUUUUUUUU :o UUUUUUUUU
25- =hen a %roblem arises& can you usually solve it on your ownD
Kes UUUUUUUUU :o UUUUUUUUU
29- Do you believe you should learn something new every dayD
Kes UUUUUUUUU :o UUUUUUUUU
25- Do you feel that you often fail in your endeavoursD
Kes UUUUUUUUU :o UUUUUUUUU
2;- Do you find that your work suffers or that your efficiency dro%s when the weather is
badD
Kes UUUUUUUUU :o UUUUUUUUU
2<- =ould you have the courage to give u% your %resent way of life and start a newD
Kes UUUUUUUUU :o UUUUUUUUU
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,- Do you get very u%set when you have mislaid your keys or your ticketsD
Kes UUUUUUUUU :o UUUUUUUUU
1- Kou have %lanned a %icnic out in the o%en with friends. 'uddenly storm clouds
gather. Kou would
a- leave for the %icnic %lace as %lanned
b- call you friends and cancel because of the foreboding weather
c- switch the %icnic %lace to a locale which has shelter
2- Kou are %lanning a %arty for some im%ortant %eo%le& but a cou%le of them are known
to be difficult. Kou would
a- antici%ate that everyone will have a wonderful time
b- %lan s%ecial ways to %lease the difficult grou% members
c- dread the whole affair
- Kou feel in to%+notch %hysical condition& but it is time for your regular medical check+
u%. Kou would
a- bounce into the doctor>s office with a feeling of assurance
b- make a list of things to discuss with him for your future well+being
c- fear that he will find something wrong
"- =hen a%%lying for a Bob& you find there are several do3en a%%licants waiting to be
interviewed for the same %osition. =hen your turn comes& you would
a- be very doubtful about your chances
b- answer the interviewer>s 4uestions with honesty
c- have your mind set that the Bob was made for you and you for the Bob
5- ) would enBoy being the chairman& leader or active working member of a social&
educational or religious grou%.
a- :ever UUUUUUUUUU b- 'ometimes UUUUUUUUUUU c- Cften UUUUUUUUUUU
9- Do you usually %ut good intentions into %ositive action without needless dealyD
Kes UUUUUUUUU :o UUUUUUUUU
A0tion Ste3s
1. (earn to see with your mind and notice what>s around you 1by being alert and aware
all the time-.
2. Don>t be a%%rehensive about and de%recatory of the world you live in.
. Ex%and your s%here of knowledge by constant learning.
". !ssess your %lusses and minuses
5. Build %ositive self+esteem.
9. Try to know what you haven>t known that you don>t know.
5. 'ei3e the o%%ortunities with 3eal
;. !cce%t& imbibe and live your wisdom
<. Do the right thing at the right time
1,. 0ave faith in your abilities and constantly reinforce your confidence
11. 6ractice honesty and integrity
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C. $IME MA#A)EME#$
Self Assessment
#or a thinker like Iiddu Nrishna ?urthy time could be a straight line. ?inutes& hours& days&
months and years are but the imagination of the human mind. #or %oets time is an ever
elusive elf sli%%ing off the hands. But for a student time seems like Bust a fast dissolving
dewdro%. ?uch time has been s%ent thinking how to mean and manage time.
QThe day is of infinite length for him who knows how to a%%reciate and use itR& 2oethe'
=hile some %eo%le have time for every thing in life some struggle to find time to breathe.
Does the length of the day vary for each %erson.
)t is a vain attem%t to try to define an abstract term as time. But to know how to co%e u%
with time1sD- and its related %roblems we need to seriously understand why has it always
been difficult to manage time.
Time ?anagement is a maBor subBect for management thinkers. They think it is very
im%ortant to manage time in order to achieve our targets or succeed in our tasks. The
im%ortant thing to reali3e is that we don>t manage time. )t is time that is managing us all the
time. Time management is thus a matter of not allowing time to manage us. ?anaging time
is very difficult because time is the most %owerful 7od. ?anaging such a %owerful 7od is
never going to be easy.
Time is not a creation of clocks and calendars. )t is a creation of the mind. Time is not the
numbers on the clock or dates on the calendar. )t is what lies between the numbers and
between the dates& what the mind does between the numbers and dates.
*locks and calendars do hel%. :otes and check lists are valuable aids in meeting our
schedules and accom%lishing our set tasks. But we should have a clear mind about what
re4uires to be done immediately and what can wait. 6rioriti3ation de%ends on the value ad
im%ortance of the tasks. ! thing may be im%ortant& but can wait. !nother thing may be less
im%ortant but calls for urgent attention and action.
)t is a common com%laint that there is not time to do this or that. The 4uestion is& time to do
what. The tasks de%end on the %ur%oses and values of life you set for yourself.
)t is im%ortant to know what the mission of your life is and how much you are %re%ared to %ut
in to materiali3e the mission.
The clarity and intensity about the life>s mission su%%lies everything for achieving it.
The life>s mission also contains not only the 61at but the 1o6. 0ow you achieve is as
im%ortant& if not more im%ortant& as what you achieve in a set task or in life in general. The
1o6 is a matter of conscience.
=hen you sincerely and seriously want to sit down to work on your time management& first
try to look into your current day schedule. =hether your time is s%ent fruitfully and
effectively or wasted on trivial things. To be aware of this a self assessing 4uestionnaire
hel%s you.
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a- =hat one thing could you do 1you are not doing now- that if you did on a regular basis&
would make a tremendous %ositive difference in your lifeD
b- !re you always on time for college& exams and meetingsD
c- Do you com%lete work on timeD
d- *an you find everything you need 4uicklyD
e- Do you meet the deadlines effortlesslyD
f- 0ave you enough time for everything you careD
g- Do you feel in control of your lifeD
1- )s your daily& weekly and yearly %lanning categori3ed such as those items which ?ust
Be Done :ow& *an =ait #or Tomorrow or =hen ) 0ave TimeD
Kes UUUUUUUUU :o UUUUUUUUU
2- )n everyday routine& are you a creature of functional habits such as Qa %lace for
everything and everything in its %laceDR
Kes UUUUUUUUU :o UUUUUUUUU
- =hen you have many things that should be done& do you often find yourself
disregarding them in order to finish an exciting book& radio or television %rogrammeD
Kes UUUUUUUUU :o UUUUUUUUU
"- Do you budget your day with time allotted for work& exercise& %lay and restD
Kes UUUUUUUUU :o UUUUUUUUU
5- !re you usually on time for a%%ointmentsD
Kes UUUUUUUUU :o UUUUUUUUU
9- Do you have one or more hobby %roBects which have been unfinished for a long
%eriod of timeD
Kes UUUUUUUUU :o UUUUUUUUU
5- Do you adhere to a time schedule of slee% and activity which is most a%%ro%riate for
your working needsD
Kes UUUUUUUUU :o UUUUUUUUU
;- ) find myself bored with life.
a- :ever UUUUUUUUUU
b- 'ometimes UUUUUUUUUUU
c- Cften UUUUUUUUUUU
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<- ) %lan ahead in my daily life and for my leisure time.
a- :ever UUUUUUUUUU
b- 'ometimes UUUUUUUUUUU
c- Cften UUUUUUUUUUU
).ercises in -aradigmatic -roblems' 6ifferent perspectives'
-icture studying +uestionnaires case@studies group discussions practical problem solving
B'' are some of the techni+ues that can help you realize %hat are the things that are holding
you back from being punctual'
Some $i3s
1. !ssess your current working %ractice
2. Be aware of why and where you are stumbling
. Try to see how to rectify
". To rectify these can be tried
a. 'et a goal kee%ing your obBective in your mind
b. 6lan the work to reach the goal
c. )m%lement the %lan
d. ?onitor and control your work on a regular basis 1im%ersonally-
e. 0ave sensible and Psmart> obBectives& s%ecific& measurable& achievable& realistic&
timed 1definite time boundary- A setting oneself an im%ossible aim brings des%air
f. Think ahead of un%recedented im%ediments
g. Don>t %anic and com%licate things by %icking u% too many works
h. '%end time to save time by %lanning how to allocate your time to different things
i. Take time to think both %ros and cons
B. =alk your talk A say what you intend to do& do what you said
k. Be %re%ared to say a firm Pno> to %etty attractive distractions
l. 0ave self esteem
m. =ork smarter not longer L don>t dwell on things
n. Take refreshing breaks and reward yourself
o. 'tay organi3ed by being adhered to your time table. Be honest about the
deadlines
%. ?ost im%ortant+stay focused on and committed to your obBective. Because the
secret of success is consistency of %ur%ose.
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/easons for your general feeling of insufficient time
a. 'uffering from urgency syndrome
b. #iling u% things %utting off the im%ortant things
c. *onstantly struggling to finish the urgent works 1com%licating-
d. (ack of %rioriti3ation
e. Dissi%ating time& the most im%ortant natural resource
f. *allous and careless style of living
g. )nsensibility and insensitivity towards values and ethics
h. :ot having set a goal
i. :ot clear about your obBective
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'D. ECISIO# MA-I#)
#or many& com%laining& nagging& blaming everyone for every wrong and right things and
de%recating for what others say or rather don>t say is much easier and safer than taking the
situation in their hands and act on it.
:ot sur%risingly they s%end their whole life Bust as %assively as the %eo%le in the %avilion&
screaming& shouting& cursing the %layers but never %laying the game. They let everyone else
%lay with their lives.
)nvolving actively and living the life to the fullest is like %laying the game with fire like
%assion. 6usillanimous %eo%le stay away from the game for the fear of losing& la3iness& most
of all lack of the very s%irit. !s long as you are wary of getting into the waters you end u%
standing dry on the banks.
Decision making is delayed by %eo%le who let the %roblems die& those who dwell on a
%roblem for too long. 6eo%le who are %rone to Bum%ing to conclusions without much
contem%lation also ofcourse land in trouble. Effective decision making style owes to your
11- knowledge 12- attitude 1- habit and 1"- skill.
6rimarily don>t forget that your first birth gift is the freedom to choose. :o man has become
successful by chance but by choice& his choice. 'o& feel the need to decide for yourself. :ot
wasting time always in dilly dallying without any decision. Behind every successful status
there is a courageous decision.
'tructured& logical& style of decision making.
! decision is not really finali3ed until the actions that flow from it have well and truly started.
$1e 5ro0ess E
1. !dmit to yourself what you have got to make a decision about.
2. )dentify the issue& %roblem and o%%ortunities around the to%ic
. Take care to understand the %roblem as accurately as %ossible
". (ist down all the %ossible solutions
5. *onsider and study in detail& what advantages and disadvantages of each solution
would be and number them
9. Kour eye then cannot esca%e the solution which has more number of advantages and
less number of disadvantages
5. *hoose that one
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*onducive conditions for a good decision to take %lace A
a. cool balanced mind set
b. analy3ation of the situation which is a demanding to take decision
c. ability to think ahead
d. %re%aredness and maturity to face whatever the outcome of the decision may be
e. having the %erseverance to stick to it after having decided
f. no %lace for regrets because it leaves no sco%e for throwing blame on others
! tremendous sense of accountability and integrity automatically come to one who makes his
or her own decisions.
6a%er work is essential while making a serious decision because the mind can easily be
mislead.
'ome case studies& simulated situations for the students to act u%on could be given.
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''. $EAM B!ILI#)
T C Together
) C )veryone
0 C 0chieves
, C ,ore
The strongest foundation for any building or organi3ation is a good team. Everything on this
%lanet is meant to live in co+existence. :o life is an isolated life. !ll forms of life have to
com%liment and com%lete this magnificently big universe.
)t>s a %lain fact that work when shared by more %eo%le gets done 4uicker. :ot Bust as a 4uick
fix but learning to live and work in a grou% is im%erative for real growth to take %lace. The
increasing intolerance to anything other than Pyou> is the most disgusting and dangerous
disease.
'elf made success story is a myth. =e all de%end on each other. ?utual de%endence is the
order of the day. #or more effective and %roductive develo%ment man has to break away
from de%endence to inde%endence and then to interde%endence.
! tremendous %ositive energy gets generated in a healthy teamwork. Teamwork doesn>t
mean one big head controlling and bossing over a grou% being inconsiderate to individual
merits. ! team infact is a combination of all the brightest brains. !nd it should encourage
everyone in the grou% to contribute his ideas& suggestions& time and efficiency.
!ny seemingly insignificant member also has a vital role to %lay in the team. Kour team is
never a cluster of your own clones. 2uite different and fresh intelligence& imagination and
work efficiency should be the 4ualities of a good team. But again there are a few challenges
that should be dealt with& like highly gifted& com%lex and idiosyncratic team members can
create an imbalance inside the team. 'o every care should be taken for a harmonious
grou%work to take %lace.
The 4ualities that a good team member should %ossess are A
1. sense of a common %ur%ose
2. trust in other team members
. ability to su%%ort
". resilience
5. integrity
9. honesty
5. caring attitude
;. a noble desire to grow as an individual and as a whole
'te%s in Building a TeamA
1. forming
2. storming
. norm 1ing-
". %erforming
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Effe0tive $eam ,ork:s (eaturesE
1. (isten to your team members. Don>t over hear
2. )ns%ire and drive them
. Be flexible
". )nstill
5. *onviction and will to carry on in your team members
9. :ot Bust s%eak but demonstrate values
5. Be a navigator
;. Be o%en to each team member to get a better contribution from him
<. Nee% every member informed about the team>s common obBective and the strategy to
achieve it
1,. ?ake your team a friendly and %leasant %lace
11. Team should hel% any %oor %erformer to im%rove
12. 7ive comfortable s%ace and freedom to each of your team members
1. Don>t use P%ush> management style but %ractice P%ull> style
6ush L do what you are told
6ull L constructive democratic way of leading %eo%le
1". :ow and then ginger your team %artners
15. 'tir ins%ire each other
19. #acilitate a team %lanning session
Team work activities that could be given in the class to %ractice A
a. 6a%er 6resentation
b. 6roBects
c. Bringing out a *ollege :ewsletter or a ?aga3ine
d. !ssignment
e. Crgani3e an event in the *ollege
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