OPPORTUNITY- II

 

                         OPPORTUNITY – II

                         Other facets of value

                         Expression                                                                                                                                                      

                          Expression is the real vehicle that carries the interaction and the interacting person to a logical end from the evaluators’ point of view. It is getting increasingly clear that quality of expressions are judged from relevance; relevance is a composite entity pertaining to aptness for meaning, legitimacy in response and the brevity with which the reply comes forth in convincing the opponent. Well, these are items that come by practice of usage. Therefore, everyone has to keep honing his/her skills as a daily exercise of tuning the skills of communication. It is not necessary to employ uncommon words; rather one has to train self to employ alternative terms to avoid looking repetitive.

                         Composure and Confidence

                         Composure and Confidence are related manifestations. Each supports the other as if the two represent an object and its shadow –of course with positions interchanging between the two. In simpler terms, composure is from confidence and it portrays confidence. Composure helps to draw attention and confidence promotes ‘acceptability’ of the person. Nervous-looking candidates fail to evoke a respect for the candidature. But, putting on airs would not win appreciation /acceptance. To emphasize composure, the candidate’s ability to articulate ideas / action /expressions must be on a sound footing. So, one has to acquire these qualities by augmenting knowledge and by organizing the strategies of expression. Appealing styles of presentation accrue to those who handle the language with utmost care. Styles of presentation pertain to apt pronunciation, subtle nuances of phonetics and a comfortable delivery free of ‘hesitant pauses or hasty pushes’.

                         Interview

                         Interviews are occasions of value to the employer and to the prospective employees. It is not a session to show up ‘what one considers of self’. The panel doing a selection is a group of mature minds, keen in observation and incisive in analysis. Caution shall be the watchword of a jobseeker. Please recognize that your presentation must drive the panel to draw inferences, instead of your making claims of supremacy. Speaking the minimum and ‘to the point’ are the two important approaches forming a part of one’s personality. Often the panelists on an interview are seniors. Candidates should not assume for a moment that the ‘old seniors’ are not abreast of current trends in Industry or Science. Indeed, these senior members are as much alert and their panoramic view is big and wholesome. On the contrary, the young jobseeker may be sound in theory with little or no specific training in operative applications. So, every jobseeker should respond to questions in a manner that is sincere and open. It is not wrong to submit that ‘I do not know much’; please avoid telling ‘I will learn it in no time’. Such utterances reflect poor attitude and calculated gamble to win over the selectors. The bottom line is the jobseeker should reflect ability, politeness of disposition, willingness to learn. These will evoke higher level of admiration from the panelists and would help the candidate in a suitable way. In exercising the caution of modesty, candidates should not sound submissive / slavish or sycophantic which no one likes. Too submissive attitudes throw up wrong signals.        

                         Language

                          Being the vehicle of communication, grammatically correct expressions and neatly framed statements in a language enhance the profile of the candidate. Slangs must be avoided. Answering a question before it is completed is a sign of ‘nervousness’ shielded by eagerness to show off alacrity. All pauses, intonation and pronunciation must be modelled                                                                                                                                                                         

                          onthe lines of ‘native speakers’. Never use words that you do not fully understand. Seemingly ‘like’ words do not mean the same. [Judicial/ Judicious, abject /object,

                           Continuous /continual, pocket /packet, August /august are some instances]. Refining the language skill is an endless pursuit; we have to stay receptive and alert to modalities of expressing ideas.      

                         Why language needs attention?

                         Whatever be a candidate’s credential academically, [s]he gets judged by the way [s]he tries to exhibit skills. Work skills come to the fore only on the floor of work. Much before that, it is the communicative ability that carries the candidate to higher levels of selection or review. So, ‘not getting eliminated’ in the preliminary level is of utmost value to stay in the reckoning. The best strategy is to develop skills of communication to draw and sustain attention on all occasions. Needless to say that knowledge too requires being displayed through legitimate exposition of language[s]. There does not seem to be better alternatives, as the process of communication is the most natural approach of getting across.

                          Our reference to language skill does not confine itself to English alone; it pertains to every language. As a matter of fact, it is preferable to learn as many languages –both Indian and European, if we wish to look for global avenues. Honestly, there is a dearth of personnel who can handle different languages. Study of language and literature is one of the most productive efforts, since these knowledge domains have far wider applications than what we generally presume. A major advantage to personnel from these streams is, they can readily accept positions without the mental reservation that ‘I am qualified for something else’. Also, they would never feel underemployed as they would find their assignments engaging and rewarding. In making the best of such situations, knowledge of History, Geography and Literature would be a formidable combination in the International arena and Tourism. What matters is proficiency and not the mere glories of degrees or titles.

 

                          It should be within our reach to learn some languages of our region, so that we do not suffer even for travel to outside our zone. Among the western languages, French, Spanish, Japanese and German need being learnt if one were to make it to Europe. Of late, efforts to learn Chinese is on the rise, for, it offers scope in USA especially for diplomatic transactions besides trade and commerce.

                           Summing up, it is vital to remember that knowledge needs to express itself; nothing great can be realized, if knowledge fails to evoke comfort or confidence. Unless the person reveals confidence, the onlooker is not obliged to scrutinize talent and recognize it. Recognition is won by exposition of repertoire. It is never too late to prune language skills. Earnest efforts can open greater chances, provided the candidate makes a candid impact in conversations –formal or informal. Kindly get trained in the nuances of expressing ideas by shaking off the misplaced inhibition.

                          We do not know when opportunity would come our way; if and when it does, our exhibiition  of ideas must win recognition for the quick-witted communication of zeal and comfort. Therefore, let us acquire all the essential strategies of seizing the opportunity.

                           As a part of one’s education, looking beyond the horizon of Syllabus is an essential strategy for survival with dignity. Therefore, learning must be strengthened by augmenting functional skills. These pertain to handling situations by logical approach, convincing the persons who matter and conveying any idea with felicity.

                        To continue                                                          Prof. K. Raman