The 7 Elements of Effective Communication – Get Heard

The 7 Elements of Effective Communication – Get Heard

In our last post, we spoke about what are the possible impediments, or barriers to effective communication. In this post, we take you ahead with exploring some of the core elements for effective communication. To dive straight in –

1. For Effective Communication – Listen

In a number of our blog posts, relating to communication (and even otherwise), we have spoken about how and why ‘listening’ is an extremely important process of communication. Even if you are the one who needs to communicate, being indifferent or not paying attention what your audience has to say can render your communication process ineffective. As the honourable Dalai Lama said —

When you talk, you are only repeating what you already know. But if you listen, you may learn something new.

Listening and speaking go hand in hand, and during the process of communication the roles of a listener and a speaker are fluid. This means that a speaker may not necessarily be the only one doing all the talking. One of the key elements for effective communication require the speaker to be, first of all, a good listener.
Have a look at what the American Management Association (1961) says about the importance of listening “…Listening is one of the most important, most difficult – and most neglected – skills in communication. It demands that we concentrate not only on the explicit meanings another person is expressing but on the implicit meanings, unspoken words and undertones that may be far more significant…”

2. For Effective Communication – Be Clear

The elements of Clarity and Simplicity are in a way interwoven. However, these two aspects cannot be used interchangeably. If one were to explain what clarity in the process of communication means, it would be simply this – that there should be absolutely no room for doubt about what the message is.

One of the worst failures of communication is when your audience acts upon your message and delivers something that is opposite of what you meant to say, or absolutely not in sync with the purpose of communication.

Your words, ideas and logic should be crystal clear. Do not beat around the bush with what you need to communicate – given that at times the content of the communication might truly be tricky. Regardless, put it across with as much clarity as you possibly can.

3. For Effective Communication – Aim for Simplicity

Always, always keep it simple. Being verbose can be the death of effective communication. What is the point of using complicated jargon or terms which your audience might not be able to process? Always keep in mind the background, and language competency of your audience before proceeding to communicate with them.

Although, it is highly recommended that irrespective of the competency of your audience, you keep the language as simple as possible – unless you need to use certain technical terms to get your point across. Keeping it simple has the magical effect of making communication instantly effective.
Have a look at certain “Principles of Simplicity” for most effective communication. You can read the whole of this wonderful article here.

Language:
“Using jargon, big words and complex structures may make something seem important but it also makes is more difficult to understand.

• Metaphor or analogy can be used to simplify ideas by showing what they are like.
• Shorter sentences requires the person to spend less time remembering what was said and decoding the structure.

Reduction
Simplification can be achieved simply by showing or doing less. Talk less. Show them fewer alternatives. Make the idea more stand-alone with fewer associations. Reduce time, space, actions and people to make plan more straightforward.

Rearrangement
Sometimes things can be made easier to understand by moving things around into configurations that make more sense. You can move things in time as well as space. You can change who does what, where people go, when things happen and so on.

Replacement
Sometimes things can be made easier by throwing away what you currently have and using something else that is easier to understand or accept.”

If one were to compress the entire bit about simplicity simply, it would be this – simple things are by nature easiest to understand, process and accept.

4. For Effective Communication – Be Confident

If you aren’t confident about what you’re communicating, it will never be effective. And there are no two ways about that. Whether or not you are able to communicate with confidence is what makes lends the information you are putting out its due authenticity. The onus lies completely on you to get your listeners/ readers to believe in what you are saying.

The only way that will happen is when you communicate with confidence. Well, how do you communicate with confidence then? Be sure of what you’re saying, i.e., ‘know your stuff’. Ask yourself enough questions about the content until you are satisfied that you know enough to be able to communicate confidently!

5. For Effective Communication – Be Charismatic

A charming personality goes a long way in aiding effective communication. In his article, “What is Charisma and Charismatic Leadership”, have a look at what author Ronald E Riggio has to say about “charismatic leaders”. “Charismatic leaders are essentially very skilled communicators – individuals who are both verbally eloquent, but also able to communicate to followers on a deep, emotional level. They are able to articulate a compelling or captivating vision, and are able to arouse strong emotions in followers.”

Some people say, you either have charisma, or you don’t. But we believe everyone has charisma. You just need to bring it forth. And the only (and the best) way you can do that is when you are absolutely sure about what you are trying to communicate, and the confidence and the conviction shows in your communication. And while you’re doing that, don’t forget to smile every now and then.

6. For Effective Communication – Consider the Environment

During the research we did for this post, one common aspect across all the material we read was, the process of communication will be effective only when there is trust between the communicator and the audience. In other words, the environment for the communication needs to be conducive, and trust is the most important factor for the same. The kind of rapport you share with your audience is something that will determine it.
“Environment” as an aspect of communication also means to choose the right place, and the right time before initiating the process of communication. Ensure that your audience is placed in a way that they can be receptive to what you are saying. Else, the communication could be just one-sided, and any communication which is one-sided can safely be called ineffective.

The American Management Association (1961) explains the aspect of environment in the following manner –

“Meaning and intent are conveyed by more than words alone. Many other factors influence the overall impact of a communication and you must be sensitive to the total setting in which you communicate.

Consider, for example, your sense of timing – i.e. the circumstances under which you make an announcement or render a decision; the physical setting – whether you communicate in private, for example, or otherwise; the social climate that pervades work relationships within the company or a department and sets the tone of its communications; custom and past practice – the degree to which your communication conforms to, or departs from the expectations of your audience. Be constantly aware of the total setting in which you communicate. It is essential that communication adapts to its environment.”

Makes a great deal of sense, doesn’t it?

7. For Effective Communication – Be Open to Feedback

Always keep the feedback loop open. And always seek feedback during the process of communication. Don’t just seek feedback, do incorporate it in order to show that the feedback is indeed valued. Besides helping you improve, the feedback you receive also helps you know if the message you wanted to communicate has been received in the intended manner. You might have to devise suitable methods to be able to receive, evaluate and respond to feedback. Think about this as a preparatory step before you initiate the process of communication.
Being mindful, during your communication is also a crucial aspect in order to make it effective. How can you be mindful during the process of communication? Well, first of all by being a good listener. Secondly, by being empathetic.

Be prepared that no matter how well you put across the message to be communicated, in case it is an undesirable message for the receiver, it may not be taken kindly. In which case, you must be prepared to ‘respond’ and not ‘react’. This will be possible only when you incorporate a sense of empathy into the process of your communication.

Have more to say about the elements for effective communication? Write to us.

7 Things “NOT” to have on your otherwise Perfect Resume

7 Things “NOT” to have on your otherwise Perfect Resume

The resume is a faithful journal of your career trajectory – a record of all your successes and learnings at every stage of your working journey. A reminder of where you started, how far you have come and where you still need to go. So whether you need to apply for a job right now or not, it is always a good time to perfect your resume.
While we’ve written extensively on how to craft the perfect resume, we wanted to emphasize through this post on what to leave out of a resume to make it truly perfect. Here are seven things to leave out from your resume:

1. An unprofessional Email Address

If your email ID is still the one you had in high school, i.e., hellboy_irock@ya***.com, it is time to get another one. Make sure the email ID you share on your resume is a professional one. What is meant by a professional email ID? One that ideally has only your name and your last name in it, and in case that’s taken, a simple combination of your name and maybe a number, or special character or two.

2. Your Achievements in High School

Won third prize in an elocution competition? Aced spelling bee? Well, let’s put those achievements behind us and make space for newer achievements to show the world. Unless it is something of great significance and necessary, refrain from having your high school achievements on your resume.

3. Fancy fonts and colors, or anything fancy –

are an absolute “no”. Use a simple font, uniform font sizes and keep it unicolor. Unless you belong to an artsy profession and how you design your resume matters, keep your resume as simple and legible as possible. Even if you are a graphic designer, or a fashion designer, we’d say share links of your work on your resume, but maybe refrain from making your perfect resume a work of art itself.

4. Skills you are expected to have

Don’t add skills just for the sake of adding them and fluffing up your resume. Remember, at times, less is more.

5. Postal Address

Having your postal address on your resume is an unnecessary use of space. We have seen resumes which list their permanent address and current address as well. Your contact information should ideally just include your phone number and your professional email ID.

6. Hobbies

“My hobbies are cooking, reading and gardening” – this is something your resume would probably look better without. We’ve traditionally been taught to include it in our resumes, but there is actually no need for it. Your interview is when you get to speak about yourself and weave all this in. Unless there is something really specific about yourself which is also relevant to the job, refrain from having this section. Even if you do end up sharing what is akin to hobbies, put it under a section called “other Interests” or something of the like and not “Hobbies”.

7. Incorrect or false information

The first and foremost prerogative of writing a resume is ensuring the information you provide about yourself isn’t false or misleading. Regardless of whether or not a background check will be done, in the interest of professional integrity be completely honest in the information you furnish through your resume.

At OBOlinx, we believe that a great resume is one which is always a work in progress. There is always something you can do to make it better, regardless of whether you are writing one for the first time or if you have been a professional for years now. Here is an omnibus we have put together to help guide you to craft the perfect resume. But don’t forget the things you should “not” have on your resume!

What do Recruiters Want from a Job-Hunting Candidate ?

What do Recruiters Want from a Job-Hunting Candidate ?

What do recruiters want ? A recruiter starts work every morning with one objective – find the best candidate for his/her client and fill the open position ASAP. A candidate hunting for a job wakes up with this thought – may today be the day when I land my dream job. Notice the similarity between the two objectives – so why not work together with mutual respect  to achieve this common goal?

This post is from the view-point of a recruiter for the job-hunting candidate (let’s for the sake of convenience, assume the sex of the recruiter to be female). She wants you to succeed because your success would eventually ensure her’s. And she has a few expectations from you, the potential hire, so that the common goal of a win-win job hunt for both can be reached. So here is how you can help her help you:

What do Recruiters Want – Craft a complete resume

Your profile should be tailored for you – please skip the long sentences with all the nice-looking buzz words. A recruiter will spend a maximum of 30 seconds to determine if your profile is suitable. Be direct and prepare your resume in such a way that your qualifications, skills and achievements are searchable and stand out. Link to your work portfolios or online profiles (Social media links, LinkedIn is a must, About.me, etc.) or blogs so that there is an additional outside reference for your skills.

What do Recruiters Want – Be Visible

Update your profile (and also your LinkedIn profile) regularly. A resume should always be a work-in-progress document and have your latest details – your latest contact details (make sure your email id is a professional one.- crazylover777@xxx.com is a sure reject in the first 5 seconds of a resume review), your years of experience, your preferred job location/s, new skills all help the recruiter shortlist your candidature quickly.  Regular updates also help keep your profile on the top of search results in job boards. Create a separate folder in your mail box for achievements to store those appreciation mails and promotion letters. Refer to this folder every three months for additional updates to your resume.

What do Recruiters Want – Be Responsive and Responsible

The common courtesy rule: treat people the way you would want to be treated – applies with recruiters as well. Do respond to emails and calls – even if it is a “no, thank you”. If you are busy, a short email or text stating your availability (even when it is “please don’t contact me ever”) will save the recruiter time and not keep her hanging. If you do give a time slot, plan ahead and be available – being late for an interview is just not professional. If you can’t make it, make sure you inform in advance.

What do Recruiters Want – Be Honest

Know what you want. Think it through before committing yourself. If you are not clear about which career path to take, be upfront and discuss this with the recruiter. She will respect this and may be able to provide you with options or opportunities that work for you. Nothing is more frustrating to her than last-minute surprises – if you are not interested, just say so. If you are not ready for the interview – let her know, her information and insights can help you prepare for it. If you have another offer (a promotion, another job) – let her know, it may help you get a better offer. If you don’t want to join after accepting the offer, let her know – don’t wait for the day of joining and then not turn up. Nothing could be more unprofessional.

What do Recruiters Want – Engage

Network with recruiters. If you have had bad experiences with one recruiter, don’t lump the rest in the same bucket. Find the recruiters who work in your industry and who understand your career goals and reach out. Keep in touch. Build a relationship – this is one person you need in your corner when you are looking out for a career change. Keep track of the recruiter and through her, her clients, just like she is keeping track of you. Refer your friends. Find out about hiring trends and upcoming opportunities from her. Give value and get value back – this can definitely be a mutually beneficial relationship. Maybe you don’t need a job now, but she could open up a few doors for you when you do need one.

All of the above will help you in building relationships with the Best Recruiters and make you the favourite go-to candidate for recruiters. Recruiters can be the wind beneath your wings when you need to change jobs or need to hire for your team. (And don’t forget all the great side benefits of having a friend for life :))

Your Job Search Websites Checklist – Top Job Portals – Part II

Your Job Search Websites Checklist – Top Job Portals – Part II

Carrying on from where we left off [Part I], here is the second part to the top job hunt platforms in India. Here are some of the best job portals/platforms you should definitely check out when actively looking for a job. Not all jobs are posted on all sites. Companies and agencies have their own favourites. So, it definitely makes sense for you to have four or five platforms on your checklist for searching for the best jobs for you and for having your resume up there. Read on!

SimplyHired

This awesome job portal makes the excruciating process of hunting for and landing the dream job a breeze. It searches thousands of job sites and companies as per your listed preferences to give you relevant results. Additionally, it also connects your online social networks with your job search with its “Who do I Know” feature which helps you find friends and personal connections at each company apart from your job search results.

The interface does a broad search across the Web, including job boards, company career sites, newspapers, non-profit organizations, and even government sites to give you the a thorough results. Creating an account allows you to name, save, and manage searches; manage email alerts; revisit jobs you’ve already viewed; rate and save notes about jobs you’ve viewed; and block specific companies or sites from showing up in your searches. Also, Simply Hired has a blog which offers excellent advice for job seekers. Have a look here – http://www.simplyhired.com/blog/

Indeed.com

Indeed works as an aggregator of job listings. In this it tries to emulate Google, at least in look and feel. It allows you to put location and keywords related to the kind of job you are looking for. It then shows a list of results like a Google search result page, and clicking on a link takes you to the actual job listing, where you can apply for the job. Based on your searches, it also starts recommending jobs for you. You can also post your CV on this website so that recruiters can find you. This site is definitely worth a try to get an idea of relevant job listings without having to scour various job-hunt websites manually. A definite must-have on your list of job platforms to get an overview of what the market has to offer.

Quora

We are pretty sure many of you are already familiar with this platform and are wondering why is it listed here, in a post for job search platforms. While it may not be your conventional job hunt portal, Quora is an excellent informal environment to seek answers to anything regarding the company you are applying to, ask how referrals work, about your to-be boss, colleagues, even the lunch hours… Just about anything!

The best part is, you don’t have to worry about disclosing your identity since you can ask the questions anonymously. Oh wait, that is not the best part, the best part actually is all these answers are given by actual professionals who are in the game. Multiple answers often find their way into interesting (sometimes unpleasant) conversations.  Go by the number of up-votes vs downvotes for the answer you are referring to and you shall have a fair idea.

Hirist.com

Hirist has a neat, no-frills, minimalist website with no advertisements on their homepage, which goes a long way in gaining the user’s trust because it gives the professional feel. The categorization of jobs is well thought out. In agreement with the overall minimalist theme, the job listings offer the most essential information like location, designation, etc., and one can view details by clicking on the links. One interesting feature is that you can tick multiple job listings that you are interested in and apply to all of them at once. Although not as big as some of its competitors, Hirist is neat and easy to use, and hence is worth a try.

Shine.com

In addition to job-listings, Shine provides the Shine CareerPlus service that aggregates various online and offline courses and certifications available to enhance your skills. These are meticulously categorized and hence it is easy to find what you are looking for. You can also find useful compilations of LinkedIn articles and blogs related to career advice, interview preparation tips, resume formats, resume review services, etc. to boost your chances of getting the job you are looking for.

Glassdoor

A free jobs and careers community, Glassdoor gives you a sneak peak into jobs and companies. The information on the site is employee generated which makes it genuine and dependable, well mostly. You get access to anonymous salaries, interview questions, work culture and ethics, reviews and more. This search engine might be comparatively new, but is surely worth giving a try – especially when all this useful information is available completely free!

Real-time Networking

All said and done, you should never fall out of touch with this one! Believe me, this is the foundation of all the wonderful platforms that have come up. If people did actually meet and talk and brainstorm and network, we really wouldn’t have to go through the trouble of building complex virtual systems of networking to make it easy for people to meet and interact. Make sure to make an effort to meet interesting people you connect with, once in a while. Who knows they might bring along someone really interesting you wouldn’t have otherwise met. Do not underestimate the power of virtual connectivity, and surely do not overestimate it, some very interesting and powerful people are still yet to be bitten by the virtual bug!

New job portals are coming almost every month. We and our readers need Your help to keep this post relevant and current. What have we missed? What other job portals or sites have you used that you think should be included in this checklist ? We would love to hear back from you.

Your Job Search Websites Checklist – Top Job Portals – Part I

The title of the post says it all, so let’s dive right into learning about some of the best job portals you should definitely check out when actively looking for a job.

Monster 

Monster is how it all began. This site is the one of the oldest  job portals in the world and has very successfully managed to sustain itself still as one of the most efficient search engines. The site not only lists full time jobs, it also lists part time and hourly jobs in every career field that there is. Monster (monster.com/monster.co.in) goes beyond simply listing jobs, it also publishes tons of relevant career related articles and advice.

The privacy feature on Monster works as a boon if you do not want a company to come across your resume, and especially if that company is currently where you are working at! Speaking of sustainability (and scalability) of a business model for over 2 decades in the most fiercely competitive market – the internet, Monster has probably been able to thrive and grow by constantly innovating. It is the father of the BeKnown application for Facebook, which allows you to take your job search to the biggest social network in the world.

Naukri.com

is another job-hunting behemoth of India that has been around since 1997. Naukri has a well organized website, advertising jobs by sector, location, designation, skills and company. It also provides career services by the name of Naukri FastForward, which include resume writing help, resume reviews as well as getting connected with recruiters in your domain. Having survived tough competition for decades, the quality of these services can be trusted.

LinkedIn

It shall come as a surprise to none that LinkedIn is the world’s largest network of professionals, approximately 225 million! LinkedIn has surely become the go-to site for job hunters and for employers alike. The user interface is fairly simple, your profile on LinkedIn is your resume which lists all your work experience and skills and connects you with other professionals. The site also directly lists jobs by employers.

A unique feature of LinkedIn is its inbuilt referral system, if one of your LinkedIn connections is LinkedIn with a professional at a company you are applying or wish to apply to, you can ask them to connect you. A lot of companies require you to just apply through your LinkedIn profile, which is increasingly becoming a trend. It is surely worthwhile to spend some time every once in a while updating your profile and connecting through LinkedIn just for the sake of networking, even if you may not be actively looking for a job at the moment.

Sheroes.com

Sheroes is a Careers community for women in India. Sheroes has a group of mentors to coach women and help them find the perfect job. Much more than a job-listing search engine, Sheroes organizes events in major cities across India frequently and has succeeded in forming a community of over 5000 ‘Sheroes’ – women who have benefited from this website. Along with job listings including flex-work opportunities relevant to women, this website also provides the opportunity to connect with a lot of people who have been through the job-hunting process.

Craigslist

Craigslist is what you might call your old school classifieds gone tech savvy. Starting from jobs, to housing, goods and services and even romance and advice, it has it all! The good thing about Craigslist is employers directly post their requirements and it is not moderated, also, it specializes in finding jobs in your vicinity. On the flipside however, the listings are way too broad and you may have to spend some time trying to narrow down on your searches, also, it does not have a feature where you could post your resume or sign up for emails.

Facebook

Though one wouldn’t say Facebook is competition for all the other platforms listed here, one wouldn’t be wrong in saying that it is more than just social networking, it is more than just check-ins, pictures and posts. Employers and job seekers alike are increasingly taking to Facebook to look for jobs and also for reviewing their prospective employees or employers. The free Facebook page facility has been a blessing for especially the startup scene, in trying to draw attention to the work they are doing and also post their requirements for employees/entrepreneurs. The highly successful Delhi and Bangalore Startups pages are only two examples of the same. Also, while you are on Facebook looking for a job, do spend some time cleaning up and organizing your profile, it really means more than you can fathom!

Read on in our next post for all the other top job portals /channels/platforms that you need to check out when searching for a job.

Happy Hunting!