Remember that the audience wants you to succeed.

 Important Tips for Effective Public Speaking

Do you fear public speaking? Here are some practical tips for you to follow to make your mark in your next presentation,

- Look at your audience.

_ Pause after important points.

- Speak with conviction and enthusiasm.

- Be natural and sincere.

- Smile.

- Use props, stories, questions, clips, examples etc.

- Practice ...To overcome nervousness.

- Use occasional “spice” or “pace breakers” like Humor, Pictures, Sound, Animation, Questions (Not just Yes/No).

- Be passionate about the topic.

- Relax and use nerves to your advantage.

- Breathe deeply, and pause as needed.

- Face audience more than slides.

- Get honest feedback from someone you trust.

- Remember that the audience wants you to succeed.

******

Dear Mohit, I'm Proud of You!

On the occasion of his parents' 25th wedding anniversary, he gifted them a house.

Dear Mohit, I'm Proud of You!

On the occasion of his parents' 25th wedding anniversary, he gifted them a house. 

Dear teachers, trainers, and mentors!

This story is of a middle class young man who had dreams and a passion for making his dreams come true.

He was hard working, sincere and dedicated, but was suffering with self doubt and low confidence.

He knew he was not industry-ready and job-fit at that point of time. All he required was a little push and the right skill set to establish himself as a professional, and achieve wonderful things in life.

Recently, when I received this message from him, I just got reminded of the fact that how much important role teachers, trainers and mentors play in one's life.

I still remember how he always used to give his best during the training sessions, and was always the first one to approach me with one common question every time, "How can I become better?"

As teachers, trainers and mentors, we also have another very important role to play: To Prepare Our Students for LIFE.

This young man's journey is a testimony of the fact that building relevant skills is more important than a fancy resume.

Wishing you all a very happy World Youth Skills Day!

May you keep inspiring and igniting the spark in youth today and forever.

Dear Mohit, I 'm so so proud of you. May you always keep moving forward :)

Dear Mohit, I 'm so so proud of you. May you always keep moving forward.

 ******

Vocational Education in India

There should be a balance of both hard skills and soft skills in any curriculum.

Vocational Education in India

A lot is being said about the gap between #education and #employability — how can India bridge the gap and make graduates more employable?

"We need to acknowledge that one of the biggest barriers to access in India is that learners themselves may not view skilltraining as a route to a better livelihood, so we need to invest in changing #attitudes.

There should be a balance of both #hardskills and #softskills in any curriculum. Some people may ask how does one measure soft skills?

It can be measured through different ways such as #formative, #summative and diagnostic tests, which are competency based. Other ways of testing include role-play, scenario and response to different environments, among others.

I see no difference between #vocationaleducation and skills training. It is all about acquiring #knowledge and application of the skill repetitively and at the same level, at all times.

There is a misconception that people have around parity of vocational education and skills, but people must know that vocational education/skill-based education is more likely to provide them with a #career that they can grow and develop in.

A lot is being said about the gap between #education and #employability — how can India bridge the gap and make graduates more employable?

A robust participation of the employers in the education system can make a difference. Also, the #curriculum has to be oriented to the needs of the #industry.

We need to promote #rolemodels of vocational/skills education so that more students get into skilling themselves. Also, helping students understand what work is like while they are still studying is important."

- Chris Jones, former CEO and director-general, City & Guilds, UK

A to Z HR FAQs (for Customer Service Job Interview)

A to Z HR FAQs
(for Customer Service Job Interview)

Here is a compiled list of HR FAQs (Frequently Asked Questions) generally asked during the HR round (for jobs related to Customer Service profiles):

(a) Tell me about yourself. 

(b) Why are you interested in this role? 

(c) What are the qualities that a Good System Support Specialist must possess?

(d) How would past coworkers describe you? 

(e) Have you undertaken other duties beyond the scope of your work? 

(f) Can you tell me about a time when you worked well under pressure?

(g) Besides the ability to deal with technology, what is the most important attribute for a technical support specialist? 

(h) How do you troubleshoot an issue? 

(i) What does good customer service mean to you? 

(j) Describe a time you collaborated with a peer to solve a problem? 

(k) Can you describe a time when you resolved a challenging IT-issue? 

(l) What would you do if you were faced with a technical problem you could not fix? 

(n) Do you think people skills or technical skills are more important for this role?

(o) Describe a mistake you made handling a customer service problem and how you would handle it now? 

(p) Why do you think you'd be a good fit for this role?  

(q) Tell me about your previous customer service experience if any. 

(r) What makes you qualified for this job?  

(s) This position requires customer service skills. What does good customer service mean to you?  

(t) Tell me about your experience with an irritating customer. How did you handle it? / Tell me about a time you had to deal with a difficult customer, and how you handled it. 

(u) Describe a time when you went above and beyond to help a customer. 

(v) What would you do if you did not know how to help a customer? 

(w) How do you communicate with customers who aren't tech-savvy? 

(x) Why should we select you? 

(y) How do you keep yourself updated with the current/ latest technology trends?

(z) Any questions for us?

*based on previous HR interview rounds

Success occurs when opportunity meets preparation.

******

Be the Best Intern: Why & How

Working as an intern helps you significantly improve your skills and career prospects.

Be the Best Intern: Why & How

An internship opens new doors for students to learn crucial skills that differentiate them from their counterparts in the job market. Here are 15 important quick pointers to be the best intern and contribute as per your maximum potential.

Graduates who complete two to three internships are
more likely to secure a full-time job.

According to dictionary.com, an internship is defined as “any official or formal program to provide practical experience for beginners in a professional setting.”

In today's super-competitive world, just having a good degree is not sufficient to secure that all-important graduate job offer. There is plenty of research supporting the crucial role that interning at an organisation plays in a student’s life,

• According to the State of Millennial Hiring Report, "Graduates who complete two to three internships are more likely to secure a full-time job."
  
  
• As per NACE’s Student Survey, "81.1% of graduates say that working as an intern has helped them significantly improve their skills and career prospects."
  

Long story short, an internship opens new doors for students to learn crucial skills that differentiate them from their counterparts in the job market.

Here are 15 important quick pointers to be the best intern and contribute as per your maximum potential,

1. Do some additional research on the organization's history and culture. By being prepared, you will feel more confident going into the internship.
   
   
2. Focus on your communication skills, both written and verbal. Proofread your written work carefully. When communicating with your coworkers choose respectful and decent language. 
   
   
3. Use professional communication when sending emails or even through online chat. Another form of professionalism is responding to messages promptly.Don’t wait for a superior to follow up on a task. 
   
   
4. Be presentable even in your virtual internships where you may have limited interactions with your supervisor and the rest of the team, there can be extra attention paid to your timeliness, personal appearance and participation in online meetings. 
   
   
5. For video meetings, show up on time and with your camera on to indicate that you’re ready to work and be seen. Keep your eyes directed at the camera so that you can show your attentiveness to the speaker. 
   
   
6. Remember, your work has an impact on the organization and you're learning in an active, real-world environment. There is no harm in treating the internship like a real job. 
   
   
7. Sometimes, you might have a lot on your plate, so it's important to be well-organized and practice good time management. 
   
   
8. Use the 'Pomodoro Technique'​ for enhanced productivity. To practice this, set a timer for 20-25 minutes and work on a given task without distractions for that entire time. You’ll be amazed at how quickly the time goes by when using this technique. 
   
   

   

   When you leave, be sure to ask your supervisor for
   a letter of recommendation.

9. At times, you may be asked to take on several tasks that are new to you or even take on additional work. As long as it is within reason, take on the responsibility with a positive attitude. 
   
   
10. Take advantage of your student status and don't be afraid to ask questions about everything you don't understand. It shows that you're willing to learn and have a genuine interest in your work. 
    
    
11. You can even create an e-Portfolio of your entire internship experience, accomplishments and learning takeaways. 
    
    
12. Do networking and make valuable connections. Take the opportunity to build as many quality relationships in your internship as possible. 
    
    
13. As an intern, you may not have a formal review until the end of your internship program - so it's important to ask for feedback on a regular basis.
    
    
14. When you leave, be sure to ask your supervisor for a letter of recommendation and keep in touch so that you can call upon him/her later when you are in need of a reference. 
    
    
15. And last but not the least, don't forget to enjoy your exposure and your real-time learning experience. Have fun and make the most of this opportunity.
    
    note: Cover Picture (from left to right) has following Star Performers (selected on the basis of their overall classroom performance in 'Leadership and Teamwork'​ course),
    
    Mansi Gupta, Vagisha Khandelwal, Sayan Das, Ashutosh Kumar Rai, Anuesh Pattnaik, Anusha Guha, Harshita Saxena, Ira Yadav, Kasturee Hajra.
    
    Pratha V S S Sri Varshini, Khyati Verma, Silpa Suman Pati, Ashwin Samant, Aditya Acharya, Anshika Awasthi, Deepasha Baral, Piyush Kumar, Gursheet Singh Sethi.
    
    *School for Life, UPES offers a unique learning opportunity to students through Social Internship Program 'Srijan'​. Under this, all first year students are required to go through 6-8 weeks long work internships with social sector organizations.
    
    

    

    An internship opens new doors for students to learn crucial skills
    that differentiate them from their counterparts in the job market

******

15 Sure-fire Ways to Improve Your English Grammar

English is the 44th most widely spoken first language although it’s the second-most widely spoken second language.

15 Sure-fire Ways to Improve
Your English Grammar

No matter how long you've been learning, you can always brush up your grammar skills. Here are 15 sure-fire ways to help you improve your English grammar skills.

According to the report, English is the 44th most widely spoken first language although it’s the second-most widely spoken second language.

Grammar is essentially the backbone of a language. It’s important to know that proper grammar is necessary for flawless communication. 

No matter how long you've been learning, you can always brush up your grammar skills. Here are some quick tips to help you improve your English grammar skills.

1. Make a commitment. Learning English grammar needs self-motivation. Once you start studying, stick by it until the end.
   
   
2. Carry a basic grammar book. Having an English grammar book allows us to revise what we have forgotten, as well as force us to learn grammar as often as we can.
   
   
3. Know the parts of speech. These are the types of words that make up the language, and they are nouns, adjectives, pronouns, verbs, adverbs, prepositions, conjunctions, interjections, and sometimes articles. You must know what the parts of speech are and how they are used.
   
   
4. Read regularly. It's true that leaders are readers. Reading in English is a great way to get an idea of the different styles of sentence structures and see how to use words appropriately. 
   
   
5. Read children’s books. Children’s books are the best resource to learn the basics of language, including fundamental words and spelling, regular and irregular nouns and verbs, and sentence structure.
   
   
6. Try reading aloud so that you also get an idea of how the language sounds in conversation. Read newspapers, listen to podcasts, and watch televised news programs daily as well.
   
   
7. Choose books or articles with topics that interest you the most. Learning shouldn’t be boring. Read each text several times to make sure you understand how to use new words and expressions in the text.
   
   
8. Keep a notebook for registering new words. Every day, everywhere, you will see new words. When you write them down, you have a record of them that you can use again. Set a target for yourself to learn and use 10 or 15 new words every day.
   
   

   

   Grammar is essentially the backbone of a language. Proper grammar is necessary for flawless communication.

   
   
9. Learn a new word along with its all the forms (Ist form, IInd form, IIIrd form), meaning and the prepositions that are usually used with it. (For example, rather than just the word ‘depend’, make a note of: to depend on, to be dependent on, a dependant.)
   
   
10. Listen in English. Remember, we can learn English all day, every day by looking at and listening to what is happening around us. Keep your mind, ears and eyes open and you will be amazed how much English, you will pick up.
    
    
11. Try and communicate in English with the people around, whenever you have an opportunity. The more time you spend practicing conversational English with your colleagues and friends, the better you would start understanding grammar rules.
    
    
12. Pay close attention to how other speakers talk. Listen to how other people construct sentences, where they place words in sentences, how they say common phrases, and the vocabulary they use. 
    
    
13. Don’t be afraid to ask questions if you have any. Try parroting what other people say by repeating it in order to understand how sentences are formed and to expand your vocabulary. 
    
    
14. Write at least one to two paragraphs (on any topic of your choice) in English. One simple way to practice writing is posting your Instagram, Facebook, LinkedIn or Twitter status in English, leaving English comments, replies instead of in your mother tongue.
    
    
15. Seek every opportunity in your daily activities to practice these skills. Remember,
    

    "The more you practice the better you’ll be,

    the harder you train the great in you they’ll see."

    
    
    

Practical Tips for Your Next Promotion Interview

It's also important to give examples of successful accomplishments and projects, the goals you've met,
and your achievements in your current position.

Practical Tips for 
Your Next Promotion Interview 

A promotion interview is conducted for internal employees who are applying for a new job role or position that has more responsibilities within their department or outside of their current department.

A promotion interview is conducted for internal employees who are applying for a new job role or position that has more responsibilities within their department or outside of their current department. Here, I'm sharing some practical tips for your next promotion interview. Hope you find them useful.

• Please prepare your introduction well in advance. You are not only supposed to share professional details about your current role, but also the human side of yours (by sharing things like your strengths, your achievements etc.) 
  
  
• It might sound like a lot of content, that's why you need to rehearse a little bit and keep it balanced. 
  
  
• Keep a few points (related to your deserving-ness and suitability for the offered role) ready to add to your conversation. 
  
  
• Also keep a few points ready to share (with appropriate numbers) in terms of your contributions to your present organization and current role so far. 
  
  
• Don't forget to have a pleasing personality (with the help of a positive body language, smile, and a confident outlook). 
  
  
• Remember, most of the jobs now-a-days involve public dealing, behave and speak accordingly.
  
  
• Remember, you already work for the company. Differentiate yourself from the competition by mentioning your company-specific experience, knowledge, and skills when you answer the interview questions. 
  
  
• It's also important to give examples of successful accomplishments and projects, the goals you've met, and your achievements in your current position. 
  
  
• You do not necessarily have to wear your typical interview outfit, but do make sure to dress professionally. Here's a good rule of thumb: Dress to match what the people interviewing you typically wear to the office.
  
  
• Here are a few Promotion Interview questions, for your reference:

1. What do you like best about your current position at the company? 
2. What was your biggest success story in the ABC department? 
3. What makes you interested in the offered role? 
4. Can you tell me what you know about the position you are being considered for? 
5. How about your teamwork? 
6. Why should we consider you for this promotion? 
7. If we were to ask the folks in your department to describe you, how would they do it? 
8. Are you the right candidate for promotion? Why? 
9. How will you handle it if you don't get the promotion? 
10. If you were promoted, what would you seek to accomplish in your first three months in this role? 
    
    Remember, "Fortune favours the brave and the one who is well-prepared."
    
    

    

    "Fortune favours the brave and the one who is well-prepared."

    
    
    
    
    ******