Bank Clerical Exam Coaching Updates

Introducing yourself effectively is a skill that can be learnt.

Some tips to prepare - 

1. Write down all that you want to say on a piece of paper.

2. Do not hesitate or question your thoughts.

3. Shortlist all the lines or qualities which you think is essential.

4. Finalise your script and practise.

5. Practise, practise. Preferably in front of a mirror

If you found this tip useful, please get in touch with me or leave a review.

All the Best!

Guidelines for an effective Body Language

The most important thing in communication is hearing what isn’t said. – Peter F. Drucker

The above-given quote by Peter F. Drucker depicts the importance of non-verbal communication in the life of each and every human being. Our action always speaks better than words. In other words, verbal communication should always complement non-verbal communication. Also, if the way you deliver your perspective about a particular incident contradicts your gesture while speaking, your audience or the person with whom you are having a conversation will find an unhealthy mismatch in your delivered context and may underrate your performance.

Importance of Body Language 

We, humans, follow two major kinds of languages for expressing our notion towards different situations: verbal and non-verbal languages. Both ways of conveying your opinions are highly valued in the corporate sector. The communication through words to a great extent can be controlled by our mind and we can make it more well-defined through our acquired knowledge and skills about the topic we are speaking. But what will be the final outcome of giving pages of effective and distinct explanations in verbal form with a poor body language backing it? Without a sliver of doubt, the negative impact you precipitate through your body language will pour cold water on all your efforts. 

Let us consider one such scenario, where effective body language plays a prominent role:

Does being a subject matter expert in your desired domain and having the knowledge to answer the questions asked during an interview the sole reason for getting your preferred job?

If your body language is not positive, the above-mentioned qualities would not aid you to lead a better career in any company, instead, it will leave a bad impression on them. Every organization regardless of their size are in search of professionals who are good at the domain knowledge and also possess an effective and adaptive attitude.

These key factors contribute to an effective body language: 

Postures and gestures

Gestures and postures are the two major factors that portray an individual’s inner emotions and attitude towards each situation. Your body gestures and postures signify your poise and interest while engaging in a conversation. It is critical since it shows your personality, confidence, and superiority. Despite having profound knowledge and a clear vision about the subject, a poor body language (in an interview or any social events) will never help you to get attracted in the crowd. It also shows your self-control and respect that you give others and yourself. Many studies have found that proper gesturing will help to recollect your ideas and points effectively.

In simple words, it is the way you carry your body language. So, try to make it perfect. 

Gesture while speaking 

Having a conversation with open arms is the best gesture one must follow while speaking. It evidently indicates your morality and commitment. You might have noticed many political leaders and other public figures mainly follow this gesture considering the fact that they can express their emotions clearly through their words. 

Do’s 

• Open posture shows your keenness in interacting with your opposite person.
• Open arm gesture directs your openness to new innovative ideas.
• Unfold your arms while having a conversation with others. 
• Be in an upright position whether you are in moving or still position, with your head held straight.
• Your arms must be hanging in a relaxed manner.
• Effective hand-gestures make people pay attention to your points.
• Maintain palm in palm gestures, since it is a display of authority.

Don’ts 

• Closed posture with your legs crossed must strictly be checked.
• Avoid folding your arms which shows your disrespect towards your recipients.
• Don’t adopt a slumped posture.
• Try not to fidget around, while engaging in a conversation.
• Avoid covering mouth with hands and thumb pressed in your cheek. This gesture is the symptom that conveys the disloyalty of a person.
• Don’t fold your arms together that conveys your offensive nature towards everything.
• Avoid hand and arm clenched gesture since it may serve you with a negative impression.
• Never bite your finger, since it displays your anxiety.

Facial Expressions

Do facial expressions play a prominent role in expressing our true emotion towards a situation?  

The answer is ‘yes’, it will. It is really a powerful tool that is capable enough to convey our interest as well as disinterest towards any opinion or situations. So, maintaining proper facial expressions is really important during an interview and other important social events. 

Our expression of emotions such as anger, fear, happy, sad etc, may be natural and are conveyed in the same manner by all people belonging to different cultures. This contradicts with the fact that all facial expressions are the result of the culture and social aspects of different people. According to Darwin, some facial expressions originate right from the evolution of the human species. But these expressions are prone to changes due to the influence of different cultures. Dealing with the controversies, technological developments in the future would enable to expand the research on facial expressions and thereby address many of the critical issues that remain unanswered by Darwin’s proposal.

Do’s 

• Try to be pleasant with an elegant smile.
• Maintain expressions that reflect your positive attitude.
• Keep your eye-brows raised to express your attention.

Don’ts

• Don’t stress your face muscles.
• Avoid pouting and making faces.
• Don’t crinkle your eyebrows

Eye-Contact

Making a direct eye-contact with the person you are engaged with, is the most important factor to be considered in body language. Since eyes are commonly stated as the windows to our soul, having a strong eye-contact illustrates your confidence and self-assurance in persuading someone to our point of view.

Do’s

• Maintain proper eye-contact throughout your conversation.
• Keep it natural and friendly.
• Your eyes must be optimally open that indicates your intentions.

Don’ts

• Avoid prolonged eye-contact, it might look threatening.
• Don’t break eye-contact frequently.
• Rapidly blinking your eyes must be avoided. 
• Avoid sleepy eyes while having an official meeting or an interview.

Shaking Hands

Handshakes play a prominent role in making our first impression.  A proper handshake should demonstrate your confidence, respect, and concern towards your fellow beings. It doesn’t have any gender issues, both men and women can initiate a handshake. 

 Do’s 

• Shake someone’s hand firmly.
• Try to be on your feet while offering a handshake.
• Express your gratitude by smiling.
• Keep your other hand relaxed at the other side of your body.
• Move your hand up and down gently.

Don’ts

• Avoid offering handshake with your sweaty or greasy hand.
• Don’t give a ‘dead fish’ handshake. It indicates you are nervous and uncertain.
• Avoid crushing of people’s hand; giving a ‘bone crush’ handshake.
• Don’t make your handshakes last for a prolonged period, i.e. a maximum of 3 seconds.
• Avoid distracting yourself while greeting someone.

An effective body language can also act as a saviour in situations where one cannot express their content through spoken messages or written language. In such circumstances, using appropriate body gestures through certain facial expressions and movements, you can convey your messages accurately to your prospective listener.

Tips for an Effective Interview

The ultimate aim of young aspiring individuals is to become successful in their future; be it getting hired into a well-established organisation or acquiring admission in a reputed university. The first and the foremost step to your success is to attend your interview with poise and presentable manner. Various research suggests that proficiency in your academics is not just the factor that drives your dream to reality, instead, the way you present yourself in an interview speaks loud about the degree of respect you give for yourself and to those you are intending to meet. The presentable approach in your interview illustrates that you are respectful of the interviewer’s time, serious about the job and is genuinely interested in the position. With a sharp appearance, you can portray yourself as poised, polished and very well prepared to take up your job responsibilities. Being confident about your appearance will enhance your interview experience which will drive your wheels to success. 

For any professional job, where well-tailored professional suits are the norm, showing up in anything less will indicate your apathetic attitude towards the company culture by flouting the standards set by them. Therefore, your outward appearance in an interview conveys the first glimpse of your attitude to the employers. Now, let’s have a look at different perspectives in appearance for both men and women for an interview:

Interview attire for men  

• A solid-dark colour suit, either black or grey, with a gentle light coloured shirt which is clean and pressed, is a norm for an interview. 
• Wear formal leather shoes with mid-calf trouser socks that cover your skin. Make sure it looks clean, polished, and in sync with your attire.
• A conventional approach is preferred while attending an interview, therefore it will be better if you remove any visible piercing, and cover the tattoos, depending upon your position at the organisation. 
• Neatly trim your hair and be sure that your facial hair is well-groomed. 
• Avoid strong-smelling perfumes and cologne, instead, choose deodorants that precipitate fresh fragrance the moment you enter the room.  
• Keep your fingernails neat and trimmed. 
• Carry a portfolio or briefcase with your important documents and be sure that you have arranged your relevant documents in a well-organised manner.

Interview attire for women

• A suit in a dark or neutral colour with suitable skirts and pants make you presentable for an interview. 
• Tailored blouse in a coordinating and synchronised colour under the jacket will be the perfect norm most of the employers may expect from you.
• Avoid low cut tops and unfit pants with bright or flashy colours. 
• Wear formal shoes which are in good condition, and avoid open-toe pumps, sandals, high heeled or platform shoes. 
• Be sure you smell fresh but avoid using strong smelling perfumes that may be allergic to your interviewer. 
• You must aim for a natural look, and must avoid unnecessary accessories like large earrings, and clanking bracelets because all these can be distracting. 
• Carry a neat and compact file with your important documents and be sure that you have arranged your documents in a well-organised manner.

In short, you are what you wear, make it to its fullest!

Now since you have decided your professional attire, be aware of certain other general guidelines that you must follow while attending an interview; 

Reach the venue before the stipulated time

Every organisation regardless of its size and fame will be in search of employees who are punctual and regular to their workforce. 

• Try to be there 15 minutes in advance so that you will get some time to calm down and get prepared for your interview rounds.
• Always keep in mind that right greetings make a good impression. 
• Never fail to greet all the members of staff of the company and express a positive attitude that may serve you with many positive results. 

Body Language for an effective interview

• You have to proceed confidently when they call out your name.
• Don’t forget to knock the door before entering and always ask permission to enter with a pleasant smile.
• Make eye contact with your interviewers since it is a sign of openness and interest. 
• Have your seat with the permission of the panel, adopt an open posture and sit upright. 
• Cover the entire surface of your seat when you sit, otherwise, you will come across as tensed or not sure about yourself. 
• Try not to fidget around as it may reflect your anxiety and give out a negative impression. 
• Answer all the questions to the point and never try to deviate from the topic. In case if you cannot recollect the right answer, be honest and tell them that you don’t know the answer or you are unsure about it. 

Sign off with a gentle gesture 

• When you leave after the interview, make sure that you have arranged your chair properly
• Wish the interview panel a good day with a blend of positive attitude and gentle gestures since it would be your last chance to win over them. 

Therefore, proficiency in technical knowledge is not just the factor that determines your eligibility, rather if you follow these practical tips in addition to your knowledge, you will definitely create a great impact on interviewers that will enable you to fulfil your dreams and lead a brighter future.

There is no doubt in saying that computers have become a very important part of daily life! If you are frequent computer user then you must know about the keyboard shortcut keys. Basically, a computer shortcut is a set of one or more keys that invoke a command in software or an operating system. So, you can increase your productivity by invoking commands with a few keystrokes, otherwise, it will be accessible only through a menu, a mouse, or through any other aspect.

Here is a list of commonly used short-cut keys that can provide an easier and quicker method of using computer programs:

List of basic computer shortcut keys:

• Alt + F--File menu options in the current program.
• Alt + E--Edits options in the current program.
• F1--Universal help (for any sort of program).
• Ctrl + A--Selects all text.
• Ctrl + X--Cuts the selected item.
• Ctrl + Del--Cut selected item.
• Ctrl + C--Copy the selected item.
• Ctrl + Ins-- Copy the selected item.
• Ctrl + V--Paste the selected item.
• Shift + Ins -- Paste the selected item.
• Home -- Takes the user to the beginning of the current line.
• Ctrl + Home--Go to the beginning of the document.
• End -- Go to the end of the current line.
• Ctrl + End -- Go to the end of a document.
• Shift + Home -- Highlight from current position to beginning of the line.
• Shift + End -- Highlight from current position to end of the line.
• Ctrl + (Left arrow) -- Move one word to the left at a time.
• Ctrl + (Right arrow) -- Move one word to the right at a time

The best way to learn a new concept is to understand the contents first.Then writing the important keywords many times, makes the student aware of the concept and helps not to forget the things. Also studying is a continuous process. So reading it several times gives a clear understanding of the subject. 

Computer-- It is an electronic machine because it works with the help of electricity.
Full form of Computer is:
Common Operating Machine Particularly Used for Trade and Education Research.
Functions of a Computer involves four steps:-
Input, process, output, storage.
Input:- The instructions that we give to the computer is known as Input.
 Process:- It is the processing stage.
 Output:- After the processing of instructions, there will be the output.
 Storage:- After getting the output, we have to store it in memory.

Before the interview
Grooming- Top 10 Tips for women:
1. Get a haircut a week before or at least 3 to 4 days before the meeting.
2. Trim nails and apply nail paint in neutral colours one day before the interview.
3. Clothes should fit you well and should be neat, and ironed.check buttons are secure, and zips are okay. Use skin colour undergarments if wearing a light colour top.
4.Polish/clean shoes a day before and choose one that doesn't make noise. Wearing heels is okay.
5. Get rid of all unnecessary jewellery. Wear light and matching jewellery.
6. Do not carry more than one thing in hand. Carry either a file or a purse, not both. It looks clumsy.
7. Do not use very bright lipstick. Wear makeup if you want but don't overdo it.
8. Smell good, use mild perfume. Your perfume should not announce your arrival.
9. Moisturise your hands and feet. Pay attention to details.
10. Carry extra hair ties, a comb and lipstick/lip balm for touchup.

Papers and Documents -Homework before the interview
1. Carry an extra copy of CV, photograph, ID proof, a small stapler, glue and a pen. Don't ask for it at reception or any company staff.
2. Prepare questions to ask the interviewer for ex: what do you expect from me in the first two months of my job?
3. Set Google alerts a week before the interview to get recent news of the company.

These are few tips useful before you enter the interview location.