Table Of ContentI’m Not Afraid
of GDPI!
Tuhina Anukul Varshney
varshney_v4.indb 1 3/22/2012 3:29:49 PM
The aim of this publication is to supply information taken from sources
believed to be valid and reliable. This is not an attempt to render any type
of professional advice oranalysis, nor is it to be treated as such. While
much care has been taken to ensure the veracity and accuracy of the
information presented within, neither the publisher nor its authors bear
any responsibility for any damage arising from inadvertent omissions,
negligence or inaccuracies (typographical or factual) that may have found
their way into this book.
Copyright © 2012 Dorling Kindersley (India) Pvt. Ltd.
Licensees of Pearson Education in South Asia
No part of this eBook may be used or reproduced in any manner whatsoever
without the publisher’s prior written consent.
This eBook may or may not include all assets that were part of the print
version. The publisher reserves the right to remove any material in this eBook
at any time.
ISBN 9788131774182
eISBN9788131798843
Head Office: A-8(A), Sector 62, Knowledge Boulevard, 7th Floor,
NOIDA 201 309, India
Registered Office: 11 Local Shopping Centre, Panchsheel Park,
New Delhi 110 017, India
varshney_v4.in 3/22/2012
db 2 3:29:50 PM
“Going from a place called Ordinary to a state
called Extraordinary means you’ll have to drive
through a village called Doubt and a town called
Fear ... The
journey can get confusing at times but
if you just follow it courageously, I’m
sure you’ll get there”
“The difference between Try and Triumph
is a little “umph”
varshney_v4.indb 3 3/22/2012 3:29:50 PM
To
All my students and trainees from the last 16 years
Thank you for teaching me so much!!
varshney_v4.indb 4 3/22/2012 3:29:50 PM
CONTENTs
Preface ix
Acknowledgements x
Part 1 – Acing the Selection Procedures 1
1. Let’s Begin 3
• But, What is Personality? 5
• The Other Challenges 8
• Understanding Life Skills 11
• How to Create Magic in your Life 12
• Faith in Self 14
• How to get The Maximum From This Book 14
2. Pre-preparation 16
• Changing your Mindset 17
• Enhancing English and Improving general
Knowledge as a Bonus! 20
• A Note on ‘Indianisms’ in English Language 24
• Improving your Speech 25
• Comprehension Skills 28
• Improving your Trade Knowledge 29
• Typing Skills 29
• Understanding your Own Priorities 30
• Selecting and Applying to Companies 31
• Reading up on The Companies Applied to 31
• Preparing the Portfolio 32
varshney_v4.indb 5 3/22/2012 3:29:50 PM
vi “i’m not AfrAid of GdPi!”
3. Writing a Powerful Biodata 34
• Understanding The Document 35
• Structure of a Biodata 36
• Personal Details 38
• Photograph 40
• Career Objective 40
• Work Experience 41
• Educational Qualifications 43
• Achievements 44
• Extra Curricular Activities 45
• Hobbies and Interests 45
• Languages Known 48
• Formatting 48
• Common Mistakes Made 50
• A Note on Applications and Covering Letters 51
• For young Professionals Who Are Changing Jobs 54
• Sending Biodata Via Email 54
• Examples of Bad and good Biodata 55
• Examples of Bad and good Covering Letters 67
4. Grooming for the Big Day 74
• Personal Hygiene 76
• Clothing and Attire 77
• The Briefcase and the Portfolio 80
5. Group Discussions 83
• Types of group Discussions 84
• Various Roles in a gD and How to
Perform Them 86
• Understanding the gD Topic 91
• Types of gD Topics and How to Handle Them 93
• A note on Jargon and Details 99
• How Selectors Evaluate you 101
• Practical Application of all This Knowledge 101
• Some Additional do’s and don’ts of group
Discussions 103
varshney_v4.indb 6 3/22/2012 3:29:50 PM
Contents vii
• When you don’t Know Anything About the Topic 106
• After the Discussion 107
• Practice group Discussion Topics 108
6. Interviews 111
• Types of Interviews 112
• Practice Interviews 117
• Entering the Interview Room and Settling 118
• During the Interview 120
• At the End of the Interview 122
• The Questions 123
• Some More Questions 156
7. Feedback and Follow-ups 157
• getting the Feedback 159
• Exit Interviews 162
Part 2 – Personality Development 165
8. Understanding and cultivating a
polished personality for success 167
• Clarity of Vision and goals 169
• Establishing Priorities 171
• Time Management 173
• Stress Management and Work-life Balance 178
• Constantly Upgrading yourself 182
• Emotional Stability 183
• Health 184
• A Myth Buster 187
9. Manners, Etiquettes and OLQ’s
(Officer Like Qualities) 188
• Pointers for Candidates going Through
a Job Selection Procedure 190
• Pointers of general Office Behavior
for young Professionals 192
varshney_v4.indb 7 3/22/2012 3:29:50 PM
viii “i’m not AfrAid of GdPi!”
• Etiquettes for Formal Situations 193
• Dining Etiquettes 196
• Telephone Etiquettes 200
• Officer like Qualities 205
• Political Correctness 209
• A Note on People Skills 212
10. Body Language 214
• Understanding Body Language 214
• How Body Language Helps 215
• Head Movement 217
• Our Windows – The Eyes 219
• Using your Hands 221
• The Restless Legs 224
• The Magic of a Smile 226
• The Hows of Handshakes 227
• Body Language Simplified for The Interview 232
11. Good Communication Made Easy 233
• Types of Communication 234
• Difference Between Written and Spoken
Language 234
• Written Communication 235
• Spoken Communication 236
• Understanding good Speech 238
• The Elements of Communication 242
• Putting the ‘Knowing’ to Work 245
• Effective Listening 246
• Effective Listening Made Easy 247
• Aides to Effective Listening 249
varshney_v4.indb 8 3/22/2012 3:29:50 PM
PrefAce
Observation 1 Take a walk around in any city or town in India and
you will find ever growing numbers of institutes and academies, big and
small, for teaching English, training in gDPI and for personality devel-
opment in general. go inside any of them and you will see that they are
full of students.
Why?
Observation 2 There are so many jobs out there and there are so many
job seeking candidates out there. Seems like an ideal situation. yet, so
many posts remain vacant and so many candidates remain unemployed.
Why?
Because, there are certain essential facets of a well rounded character
that schools and colleges fail to develop in young people as they lay too
much emphasis on theory, rote and scoring and thus despite being aca-
demically qualified, the employers find most candidates unemployable.
Because of this, there is a real and a felt need amongst the young
workforce for the improvement of these skills. They recognize the fact
that an enhanced personality, better English skills and gDPI skills
helps them in landing better jobs. They recognize the fact that now just
their qualifications alone are not enough to land the dream job as there
is too much of competition specially for the masses who are not from
the premier institutes. Improvement of these skills greatly improves
their employability and the employers seem to agree by selecting the
smarter candidates.
The one question that I have faced repeatedly by my students during
my 16 years of training them is—“If these skills are so important and
crucial for young professionals, why is there no book written in easy Eng-
lish which is understandable by even those whose language level is not
very good and which covers all the major aspects in ONE volume thus
eliminating the need to read many books for overall development?”
This book is an attempt to answer that question. It is written in easy
English and covers all the basics required to jumpstart your career. It is
divided in two parts. The first part holds your hand through the entire
selection procedure, right from pre-preparation to the final interview
and the second part deals with laying a solid foundation for an attrac-
tive personality which will be yours for life. These are life lessons. If the
lessons are understood, digested and adopted in daily practice through
self-study, they will truly bring about magical results.
Tuhina Anukul Varshney
varshney_v4.indb 9 3/22/2012 3:29:50 PM
