25 tips to crack Group Discussion

Group Discussion is basically an activity that helps the recruiter for comparative analysis and judge personality, body language, communication skill, confidence, persuasion skill, interpersonal skills, leadership skills, motivational skills, team BUILDING SKILLS, ANALYTICAL AND LOGICAL SKILLS, different thinking ability, assertiveness, flexibility, creativity, ability to think on one’s feet, and many more as per company’s requirement.

In this activity, a group of students is given a topic and allowed to speak for a specific duration of time. The size of group and time limit could be different for different organizations/colleges based on the type of roles and job descriptions

GROUP DISCUSSION TIPS

1. Dress well and work on your personality.
2. Your success in GD depends on your past reading and stock of knowledge relevant to GD topic.
3. Understand the subject and correlate with your knowledge.
4. If you don’t know any value-added point to initiate the discussion then wait and listen to others, correlate with your past knowledge, apply your creativity and create some valuable point, speak confidently.
5. Do not speak for more than 52 seconds in one stretch.
6. Plan before you speak and speak point-wise.
7. Do not panic to avoid confusion and nervousness.
8. Think on merits and demerits of GD topic but avoid converting it into a debate.
9. GD is sharing of information whereas a debate is proving your point of view although it may be wrong.
10. Work on your communication skills, public speaking and vocabulary. Take efforts to improve it.
11. Gather the points which are not covered and express your views on it during GD session.
12. If you disagree with someone’s point, then express your views politely and strongly without any arguments.
13. If someone attack on your expressed point then give him/her smile and justify your views as you get a chance to speak.
14. GD is all about how logically you speak not how much and how loud you speak.
15. If everyone is making noise and you are not able to project your point then wait and conclude the session by adding your points in it.
16. Do not argue, evaluator, is observing for your body language and personality as well.
17. If you notice evaluator is continuously staring at you while you are debating keep yourself silent.
18. If you notice evaluator is looking at you as you are silent and trying to speak but not getting chance, then try to raise your hand show your willingness to speak, the evaluator may
    give you a chance to speak.
19. Do not lose your patience and be calm while you speak.
20. Speak with proper voice modulation and audible voice.
21. Do not compare yourself with others, everyone is unique.
22. In the end, note down your observations, mistakes you did and learn from it. Try to rectify it for the next process.
23. Do not get depressed, read the latest topics and watch anchors who tackle many people during the live debates.
24. Analyze and listen to different successful speakers.
25. Most important, rehearse in front of a mirror or record your own videos and rectify your mistakes.

If you apply the tips discussed till now and rehearse it then this will help you to crack the GD and avoid rejection.

Author: Dr Kiran Vishvas Ajetrao

Asst. Prof. Training and Placement Coordinator, Audit Course Coordinator

K. J. Somaiya College of Engineering, Vidyavihar, Mumbai 

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