Ace the group discussion to land your first job
Companies who are into Entry
Level Recruitment love including Group Discussions in their hiring process.
According to them, a Group Discussion is a good way for an in-depth talent assessment of the candidate.
From communication skills to the confidence level of a candidate, a Group
Discussion helps to scan a candidate's fit for the job before the personal
interview. As a fresher, you may be stressed about your maiden job’s group
discussion round, but with the right strategy, it will become a lot easier.
Let us see what you can do to ace the Group Discussion
Round:
Be attentive:
It's extremely important to be attentive throughout the
group discussion process. Pay full attention to what others are saying, listen
attentively and reply accordingly. Note that throughout the interview process,
all your activities are monitored closely by the interviewer.
Also, there can be a possibility that you may not know much
about the topic. In such a case, pretending that you know a lot might hurt your
chances of making it through. Interviewers are experts in reading between the
lines, a fact which most of the freshers either don't know about or ignore. A
good alternative in such a situation can be listening attentively and
comprehensively summarizing the points of others.
Choose your words wisely:
During a group discussion round, things may get out of
control due to contrasting opinions, overpowering speakers, lack of
understanding, and other such reasons. During such times, how you or other
candidates react is what your interviewer is waiting to find out. Maintain
composure and be respectful when you speak. Most importantly, don’t scream. Use
polite words and control your pitch.
There can be a number of reasons in a group discussion round
where you are likely to lose your temper. It could be because of contrasting
opinions, overpowering speakers, lack of understanding; the key is not to lose
your cool. Interviewers sideline those candidates first who can't tame their
reactions to certain situations. Increasing your pitch or shouting at other
candidates is a big no-no. You can be assertive but in a polite way.
Establish eye contact:
Not establishing proper eye contact during a group
discussion round is a clear indication to the interviewer that you lack
confidence and purpose. Most freshers make this mistake of not establishing eye
contact while speaking. One thing to note here is that you should make eye
contact with your fellow GD member and not the GD conductor or the panel.
Always remember that the sole purpose of a group discussion is to leave a
positive impression in the mind of the recruiter.
Another effective way to better prepare for group
discussions is to participate in mock GDs. Colleges understand this and often
conduct such sessions to increase the confidence level of the students. If your
college isn't conducting mock GDs for you, then you can take the initiative
yourself and setup Mock GDs with your friends and begin practicing extensively.
Taking the initiative to start or end a group discussion
will definitely fetch you brownie points. Although most of the freshers are
aware of this fact, expect multiple people speaking at once, after the
interviewer signals to start the discussion.
Similarly, ending a group discussion will also leave a good
impression in the mind of the recruiter. However, it's not mandatory.
Candidates often focus on this point and ignore the other points discussed
above which leads to their rejection. Even if you didn't start or finish the
discussion, participating actively during the discussion will be equally
effective.
An effective way to get more job
Offers: HireMee
HireMee is an online
assessment platform that uses its pre-employment
test to provide job opportunities to job-seeking candidates. It provides
candidates with inputs on various jobs available, educates them as to what
skills their dream job requires and trains them to grab the job.
Conclusion:
By using the above mentioned tips, you’ll see great results
in the group discussion round. Make sure to follow them religiously.