What most companies look for in students is the ability to communicate without fear and anxiety and reciprocate what has been learnt. Has it ever occurred to you why few students tend to become nervous when they are asked to talk while others are watching? It’s a natural fear of being wrong that stops us from expressing ourselves. Typical engineering students are capable of learning as much as it takes but can they express what they learnt is the real question to ask. Unfortunately many students who lack communication skills are very knowledgeable and it’s heart breaking to see all their talent go waste and unappreciated. Stage fright in our age manifests during group discussions, stage events and interviews.
Think of this article as an guide to help overcome communication issues by looking within for the root cause of their problem.

Make up your mind

We often tend to agree or disagree, and most of the times we know why we do so. But the rule in public speaking is everybody needs to know why. Even if you don’t have an opinion, start off by talking facts. Facts are those which drive the conversation forward. Always make statements based on facts. Always. In other words, never state assumptions because they are of no use in practicality. Pay attention to what others have to say. Have all your doubts cleared by carefully listening and asking questions.

Find courage

Once you’ve made up your mind on which stand you take, take courage from the conviction which drives what you want to say. Experience the energy flowing through the conviction to you.  If you aren’t a native English speaking person, take time to translate thoughts into simple and neat English sentences. Never go for big sentences because people have less attention span and more restlessness. Also  simple sentences are easy to utter under pressure. (Don’t you think?)

Body Language

Stand up and speak up. Never interrupt others while talking nor talk to others while someone speaks. Sit straight and don’t act attentive. Be attentive. Nod vigorously while  others are talking, but only if you agree with them. Do not garner unnecessary attention unless you can handle the situation.Follow the formal conversational etiquette and you’ll be safe. Be sincere in thoughts and the body will gesture the same through strength and confidence.

Easy to prepare

If you are still looking at communication skills as a problem, the real problem is you haven’t understood what communication skill really means. People make amazing conversations in their own native languages but cannot do so in English. There are few who are fluent in what they talk but lack depth of thought. The latter are the kind of people who have an advantage when compared to the former during recruitment. It’s not the idea of talking which scares us, but the fear of being wrong and judged is what causes stage fright and anxiety. So engage in conversations, put yourself in a comfortable position and analyse , without fear, the context. Make up phrases which you can readily use. The key to a successful career is in your own mouth.

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