Group Discussion for Campus Recruitment

GD topics given for campus recruitments are normally simple. You will be able to speak on them comfortably with a moderate level of knowledge base. The focus here is on the logic of the points that the participant puts forward, his/her communication skills and how well he/she is able to mix with the group. We strongly advise students to read an English Newspaper daily and be aware of current happenings and issues.

Sample Group Discussion Topics for Campus Recruitment

I. IT Industry 
1. Future of Indian IT industry
2. Increasing use of IT in daily life
3. India - an IT super power
4. IT helps social integration
5. IT industry is de-humanizing society

II. Sports
1. Cricket is hampering the growth of other sports in India
2. Indian sports and Olympic medals
3. India - a sporting super power

4. Are Indian cricketers over-rated?

5. Cricket telecast is a waste of time

III. Social
1. Is pocket money enough for the youth of today
2. Love cannot be confined to Valentine's Day

3. A women's place is at home
4. Parents don't understand children
5. Are we raising a society of burnt out children?
6. Beauty pageants are a waste of time 
7. Is women empowerment a myth?
8. Film awards are a waste of time and should be stopped
9. Brain drain vs brain in the drain
10. Media should be more socially responsible

IV. College Campus

1. Should college students wear uniforms?
2. Privatisation of professional education: Is it good or bad?
3. Should mobile phones be banned in classes on campus?

4. Should politics be allowed on campus?
5. Open Book Policy for examinations 
6. Education system should be revamped

V. Ethical
1. Is honesty the best policy?
2. Profit is a bad word in business
3. Ethics and business do not co-exist
4. Advertising is all glitter and no truth

VI. Abstract
1. Sun always rises in the East
2. Colour of the cat is not a matter of concern as long as it catches mice
3. Green is better than red
4. Life is like a box of chocolates

Basics of Group Discussions

What is a Group Discussion? Where is it used?

A GD (Group Discussion) is a forum where people sit together; discuss a topic for a certain amount of time with the common objective of finding a solution for a problem or discussing an issue that is given to them.

Why are Group Discussions used as a part of the selection process? How are they useful?

Group Discussions measure certain attributes of the candidates that are otherwise difficult to identify and time consuming to assess. A number of people who can communicate their ideas well and discuss effectively with others in a one-to-one situation become tongue-tied in a group situation. They will just not be able to present their ideas or discuss their ideas with the other members of the group. A Group Discussion will identify people who have such group communication skills and people who do not possess such group communication skills.

What are the similarities / differences between Group Discussions and Public Speaking / Debating?

Debating and Public Speaking are one-to-many communication situations whereas a Group Discussion is a many-to-many situation. A debate or a public speaking contest is about solo performances whereas a Group Discussion is not. In a debate, it is your individual views that matter. In a Group Discussion, apart from your individual views, the views of the entire group matter. In Public Speaking / Debating, the speaker can take a particular position on the topic and speak accordingly. In a Group Discussion, all the members of the group will participate and one has to listen to the views of the other members of the group. It is a discussion and the speaker will be "interrupted" by the other members of the group while speaking.

How is a Group Discussion conducted?

A group of candidates are made to sit together in a circular / semi-circular fashion or in a U-shape fashion. There will be a person to co-ordinate the Group Discussion (called the moderator).       

After the topic is given, the candidates start discussing the topic amongst them. They stop the discussion when the moderator asks them to stop. Any one of the candidates might be asked to summarize the discussion.

How many candidates will there be in a Group Discussion?

The group size could range between 6 to 15 students.

How much time is given for each Group Discussion?

Normally, it could be between 10 to 20 minutes.

Are the participants expected to address each other by name?

No. You should address a specific person either by looking at him / her directly or by pointing out to him / her.

What is the role of the moderator?

The primary role of the moderator is to evaluate the performance of every participant. She / He is the person who tells the group members what they should do, announces the topic and the time for the discussion, keeps track of the time of the Group Discussion and evaluates the performance of the candidates who participated in the Group Discussion. For all practical purposes, She / he is non-existent once the Group Discussion starts.

Does the moderator write the topic on the board?

The moderator normally does not write the topic on the board. She / He just reads it out and repeats it once - you have to be attentive while the topic is being given and make sure that you have got the wording right.

Will we be given paper and pen / pencil to note down the topic?

No. You are normally expected to carry your own pen / pencil and paper to a Group Discussion.

Failure of Resume

Explore a few common reasons for failure of resumes through this article!

Too long - Most new graduates should restrict their resumes to one page. If you have trouble condensing, get help from a technical or business writer or a career center professional.

Typographical, grammatical or spelling errors - These errors suggest carelessness, poor education and/or lack of intelligence. Have at least two people proofread your resume. Don't rely on a computer's spell-checkers or grammar-checkers.

Hard to read - A poorly typed or copied resume looks unprofessional. Use a computer. Use a plain typeface, no smaller than a 12-point font. Asterisks, bullets, underlining, boldface type and italics should be used only to make the document easier to read, not fancier. Again, ask a professional's opinion.

Too verbose (using too many words to say too little) - Do not use complete sentences or paragraphs. Say as much as possible with as few words as possible. A, an and the can almost always be left out. Be careful in your use of jargon and avoid slang.

Too sparse - Give more than the bare essentials, especially when describing related work experience, skills, accomplishments, activities, interests and club memberships that will give employers desired information. Including membership in the Society of Women Engineers, for example, would be helpful to employers who wish to hire more women, yet cannot ask for that information.

Irrelevant information - Customize each resume to each position you seek (when possible). Of course, include all education and work experience, but emphasize only relevant experience, skills, accomplishments, activities and hobbies. 

Obviously generic - Too many resumes scream, "I need a job—any job!" The employer needs to feel that you are interested in that position with that company.

Too snazzy - Of course, use good quality bond paper, but avoid exotic types, colored paper, photographs, binders and graphics. More and more companies are scanning resumes into a database, so use white paper, black ink, plain type, and avoid symbols, underlining or italics.

Boring - Make your resume as dynamic as possible. Begin every statement with an action verb. Use active verbs, describing what you accomplished on the job. Don't write what someone else told you to do; write what you did. Take advantage of your rich vocabulary and avoid repeating words, especially the first word in a section.

Too modest - The resume showcases your qualifications in competition with the other applicants. Put your best foot forward without misrepresentation, falsification or arrogance.

Resume Preparation Tips

Many applicants believe that the purpose of a resume is to help them get a job. This is not true. The purpose of a resume is to help you get an interview. You will not be hired solely on the basis of your resume.

Resume Preparation

When you are searching for employment you are selling yourself. So you've  to think of your resume as a product brochure - of you! So here's a problem: a static document (e.g., a brochure) rarely helps anyone understand what your product or service can do for them. You don't want to send a resume unless you understand the position and tailor the resume to highlight your background relative to the job requirements. And ideally, you want to deliver the resume personally. But reality says you can't always be there in person. So you've to be sure you present yourself in the most relevant light to the employer's needs. Resumes have to convey facts about you to the employer in a precise and concise manner. Include only those details that are relevant to the post that you are applying for.

All of us like to speak volumes about ourselves but most often we are not so patient while listening to others speaking about themselves. That definitely means that others are not interested in our autobiography either. However there are instances when we have to speak about ourselves. How do we do it in a pleasing way? The best way to do it is to keep the description short, precise and clear. The listener should get a clear idea about us and he/she should not feel bored at all. This is a point to be kept in mind while you prepare your resume. A resume is a brief account of you. Person who goes through your resume does that since he/she has a job opening or offer to make and he/she just wants to know whether you would fit the bill. He/She wants only the facts that can help him/her find out whether you are eligible or not.

Here are a few points to be kept in mind while preparing a resume.

Have a proper focus

Some people have the tendency to make a resume and give copies of it to whichever place they go hunting for a job. As far as possible avoid doing this. Try to make changes to your resume to address the need of the employer whom you are approaching. Give only the facts relevant to him/her. For example if you are applying for the post of a software professional, you have to give details of your educational background and experience related to the software field. If you do not want to take up software and are trying to pursue a career in teaching with your post graduate degree in English language and literature, you need not describe in detail about the software related qualifications while submitting a resume for that post.

Don’t say too much

Be short and precise. You need not include your family details and all your educational qualifications beginning from school days. You need not even describe your physical attributes like height and weight if it is not asked for. Just include the details that are relevant to the post that you are applying for.

SMART method helps

Resume writing professionals say that the SMART method can help in quantifying your achievements. You have to describe the positive results of your past job experiences in your resume. It should be Specific, Measurable, Action-Oriented, Realistic and Time based.

Imagine that you were into marketing and had made some commendable achievements. You should project those achievements. Do not just say, "made remarkable achievements while working for so and so company". It will look good if you describe the percentage growth that you could achieve for the organization in a particular time span.

Do not try to impress

The employer likes to know about your accomplishments to see whether you can do the job. However do not think that you can even cook up stories to prove that you are a great person. Always keep in mind that you will be tested for your worth, before you are appointed.

Use action verbs

Resumes should be lively. So it is always good to use action verbs. Try words like organized, analysed, achieved, implemented etc., and see how strong your sentences now turn out to be.

Use a cover letter

The cover letter should introduce you and your resume, point out the things that make you ideally qualified for the job opening and give information about how you can best be contacted. As with the resume, be honest, concise, accurate and neat. Keep the length to two paragraphs.

Looks matter too

It is always better to decide upon a format for your resume after you finish putting down the details. Once all the facts are in place you will have a clear idea as to which format your resume should have. Remember, the resume has to catch the eye of the employer who goes through thousands of resumes. There should be proper spacing, margins and white space. Borders, Italics, boldface etc., can be used to emphasize text. However do not employ too much of these emphasizing tools. It will give your resume a cluttered look.