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Going for a group discussion – Tips that will help you outstand

Group Discussion usually involves few candidates who are given a topic to speak on. Here are a few tips that would help you a
Group Discussion usually involves few candidates who are given a topic to speak on. Here are a few tips that would help you ace the group discussion.

Whether you are preparing for a new job or you are preparing for your entrance to a master’s college, you have to clear several rounds before you reach the ultimate goal. One such hurdle between you and your dream college or job is the group discussion round, and it is as tough as your exam and interview round. This technique is used by corporates and educational institutes to judge the overall personality and communication skills of a person who is participating in it.

Communication skills are the most crucial factor in any corporate environment. Over the years, group discussion has become one of the main criteria for screening of candidates before a face-to-face interview is carried out. Group Discussion usually involves few candidates, and they are given a topic on the spot, and about 3-5 minutes are given to them to think about what they want to say.

The mentors judge specific skills during a group discussion round, and these skills are as follows:

  • Your communication skills
  • Behavior and interaction level in a group
  • Open-mindedness
  • Listening skills
  • Ways you put forward your point-of-view
  • Leadership and decision making skills
  • Level of confidence and the attitude during the GD
  • Problem-solving skills and thinking skills
  • Subject knowledge and analysis skills
  • How well you work within a time limit and under pressure

Here are a few tips that would help you ace the group discussion round:

1. Initiate

No matter how scary it sounds, you should have enough knowledge about every topic to initiate the conversation. Leading a conversation or group discussion will display your level of confidence and leadership quality. This will be your ‘alpha energy’ moment for the rest of the GD round, and it can be beneficial for you as well. Initiating the discussion will get you the attention of the crowd as well as the judges.

2. Try to understand the participants

Spending time around people, every person learns enough to understand a person by the way they are talking or the way they are sitting in the room. It is crucial to understand the participants, and one should always carry a notepad and pen during a GD to note down the points that they want to discuss.

Noting down participant’s names is essential so that during the discussion, calling out a person by their name will get their attention and all you to continue the flow of your argument.

3. Be careful with your posture

Finding the right balance for your body posture is a tough task because if you lean back or lean forward way too much, it will either look like that you are relaxed or it will make you look like you are worried and impatient. Keep it steady and polite as it shows your respect and empathy for others when they speak and works as an asset for you, giving you additional points.

4. Maintain a balance and control your anger

Group Discussions can get heated up sometimes as every individual is willing to put their point in the discussion to grab the attention of the judges and take charge of the whole situation. However, you should be patient and give logical inputs and counterpoints during the argument without losing your patience.

Even a slight display of aggression will ruin the whole situation for you. Please stick to the point and intervene when a person is taking too much time to think about it. They snooze, they lose.

5. Keep in mind the ultimate goal

Stay focused on the ultimate goal, say if you appear for a marketing job, then you’ll have to be creative and practical with your thinking and assessment of the situations. On the other hand, if you are applying for a sales job, then you’ll have to be slightly aggressive with your approach to display the ‘i can do it’ spirit.

Group Discussion is the platform that judges you as a whole, and this helps the educational institution or the corporate organization understand whether you’ll be an asset to them or a liability. Follow the steps and keep yourself updated with everything, and you will ace the group discussion.

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