Category: Comfort

Etiquette classified dining etiquette, corporate etiquette, telephone etiquette

Comfort

Etiquette

Etiquette classified dining etiquette, corporate etiquette, telephone etiquette

Conventional requirements as to social behavior proprieties of conduct as established in any class or community or for any occasion or a prescribed or accepted code of usage in matters of ceremony, as data court or in official or other formal observances.

Etiquette classified dining etiquette, corporate etiquette, telephone etiquette

Dining Etiquette:

Fine dining etiquette is typically designed for a formal setting and the rules do not apply during casual meetings or social gatherings. A specific seat is allocated to every individual and food is served very precisely by waiters or servers. Fine dining etiquette can also be referred to as table manners.

Dining Etiquette
Dining Etiquette

Etiquette classified dining etiquette, corporate etiquette, telephone etiquette

Corporate etiquette:

  • Corporate etiquette can be termed as a way of exhibiting socially acceptable behavior in business relationships.
  • It can be defined as the way of behaving in a business environment.
  • The importance of corporate etiquette is growing day by day.
  • People are coming closer together due to the impact of advanced technology, which in turn increases the need for people relationship skills or good social manners.
  • According to research conducted by the American Society of Quality Control, 68% of business is lost by corporates due to the indifferent attitude of employees while dealing with prospective clients.
  • So, one can be assured of the significance of people skills in capturing the market share rather than the goods and services delivered.
Corporate Etiquette
Corporate Etiquette

 

  • This proves the great need for employees to Invest or be train in etiquette to refine and sharpen the blunt edges of their people skills.
  • Here are some essential tips that employees must follow to improve their corporate etiquette skills and make the corporate environment pleasant, more positive and productive:

Follow Common Courtesy:

Check your attitude for simple and common courtesies. Be sure you avoid annoying people around you by gossiping, raising your pitch, intruding on two people’s conversation, exhibiting fancy mobile ring tones loudly, etc, during a client meet or at your workstation.

Give and take Respect:

  •  Treat others the way you wish to be treated. Be courteous and respectful towards your clients, boss, seniors, co-workers and subordinates.
  •  Never forget to thank or appreciate the person who helped you out. Make sure, while being respectful and cordial towards your co-workers and clients, to draw a distinctive line between your professional and personal life to avoid unnecessary complications.

Dress Code:

  •  Your attire plays a significant role in enhancing your positive image. It adds spice to the talent, qualification and experience you possess and helps to gain self-confidence and success.
  •  So try to reflect your professionalism in your dress.

Exhibit Rational Personality:

At times in the work environment, you may come across some adverse situations. Be mature in dealing with unexpected situations as, sometimes, the way you react to a given problem will be more stressful than the problem itself.

Research:

  •  In today’s global business, one has to deal with multi-cultural people. So, before dealing with a prospective client or interacting with a co-worker, do a little bit of homework by researching the location they belong to or their preferences. This can help you respect their sensitive areas.
  • Thus, in this fast paced world and highly competitive business environment, enhancing your corporate etiquette skills helps build long-term relationships with your clients as well as co-workers and thereby ensures business as well as personal success

Etiquette classified dining etiquette, corporate etiquette, telephone etiquette

Telephone Etiquette:

  • Proper telephone etiquette is very important in that you are representing your department and the University.
  •  Remembering to use proper telephone etiquette, whether answering the phone or making phone calls, leaves callers with a favorable impression of you, your department, and Lehigh in general Use basic good manners. Be courteous. Be helpful. Treat callers with respect. Recognize the caller. Be an active listener.
    Etiquette classified dining etiquette, corporate etiquette, telephone etiquette
    Telephone Etiquette

    Step 1:

  • Speak clearly

A picture paints a thousand words but the caller on the other end of the phone can only hear you. They cannot see your face or body language. Therefore, taking the time to speak clearly, slowly and in a cheerful, professional voice is very important.

         Step 2:

        Use your normal tone

Use normal tone of voice when answering a call. If you have a tendency to speak loud or shout, avoid doing so on the telephone.

          Step 3:

          Do not eat or drink

Do not eat or drink while you are on telephone duty. Only eat or drink during your coffee break or lunch break.

          Step 4:

         Do not use slang words or Poor Language

Respond clearly with “yes” or “no” when speaking. Never use swear words.

          Step 5:

          Address the Caller Properly

Address the Caller Properly by his or her title. (i.e. Good morning Mr. Brown, Good afternoon Ms. Sanders). Never address an unfamiliar caller by his or her first name.

        Step 6:

        Listen to the Caller

Listen to the Caller and what they have to say. The ability to listen is a problem in general but it is very important to listen to what the caller has to say. It is always a good habit to repeat the information back to the client when you are taking a message. Verify that you have heard and transcribed the message accurately.

       Step 7:

       Be patient and helpful

Be patient and helpful. If a caller is irate or upset, listen to what they have to say and then refer them to the appropriate resource. Never snap back or act rude to the caller

     Step 8:

    Speak Politely

Always ask if you can put the caller on hold. If you are responsible for answering multiple calls at once, always ask the caller politely if you may put them on hold. Remember that the caller could have already waited several minutes before getting connected to you and may not take lightly to being put on hold. Never leave the person on hold for more than a few seconds or they may become upset and hang up.

     Step 9:

     Focus on call

Always focus on the call. Try not to get distracted by people around you. If someone tries to interrupt you while you are on a call, politely remind them that you are on a customer call and that you will be with them as soon as you are finished.

Hope, Etiquette classified dining etiquette, corporate etiquette, telephone etiquette will be helpful

Resume Preparation

Comfort

Resume Preparation

Resume preparation is a self-advertisement that, when done properly, shows how your skills, experience, and achievements match the requirements of the job you want. This guide provides three free samples on which you can base your resume. It will also walk you through setting up and laying out the content to highlight your skills and grab the reader’s attention.

Tips on Creating a Professional Resume

Resume Preparation

Select the best resume type:

  • There are several basic types of resumes used to apply for job openings.
  • Depending on your personal circumstances, choose a chronological, functional, combination, or targeted Taking the time to choose the best type of resume for your situation is well worth the effort.

Make it legible:

  • Your resume should be easy to read. You want the hiring manager to easily read and absorb your work history and accomplishments.
  • Therefore, use a legible font(such as Times New Roman, Arial, or Calibri). Make sure the font is not too big or too small (choose a size between 10 and 12).
  • Also be sure that there is enough white space on the page to make it easy to scan. Avoid dense blocks of text, and use standard margins. Use white- or cream-colored paper if you are sending a physical resume – colored paper can be very distracting.

 Be consistent:

  • Professional resumes need to have consistent formatting.
  • For instance, if you use bullet points to describe your responsibilities and achievements at one position, be sure to use bullet points on all other positions as well.
  • Also, make certain that the bullet points are formatted the same way throughout. For example, don’t use circle bullet points in one section, and diamond bullet points in another section.
  • Be consistent with font, font size, and style (such as use of bold and italics).

Keep it focused:                                 

 It’s important not to include extraneous information. Your resume should focus on the skills and attributes that qualify you for the job. Here are the top 15 things not to include on your resume.

Use resume examples and templates:

  • Use a resume example or template to help you write your resume.
  • An example can help you decide what information to include. Templates can help you format your resume.
  •  However, whenever you use a resume example or template, be sure to customize your resume, so it reflects your skills and abilities, and the jobs you are applying for.

Get creative: 

  • If you are in a creative field, you might use a free resume website to build a creative resume that includes all the facets of a traditional resume, with add-ons like video, infographics, and links to your accomplishments.
  •  However, only do this if you are in a creative industry. Otherwise, stick to a traditional resume.

Carefully edit your resume:

Spelling and grammar errors can make an applicant seem inattentive to details. Review these proofing guidelines to ensure that your resume is consistent and error free.

Get resume help:

  • Writing a resume is hard work and it’s important to get help, or at least have your resume reviewed, before you send it to employers.
  • Consider using a career counselor or other professional resume service to help you make sure your resume is professional and polished.

Check your resume:

This resume checklist includes the information you need to include in your resume. Use the checklist to make sure you have included all relevant information in your resume.

Resume Preparation
Resume Preparation

 

Communicate Information

Comfort

Communicate Information

Communicate Information in effective way is about more than just exchanging information. It’s about understanding the emotion and intentions behind the information. As well as being able to clearly convey a message, you need to also listen in a way that gains the full meaning of what’s being said and makes the other person feel heard and understood.

Communicate Information more than just the words you use, effective communication combines a set of 4 skills:

  1. Engaged listening
  2. Nonverbal communication
  3. Managing stress in the moment
  4. Asserting yourself in a respectful way
Communicate Information
Communicate Information

Skills of Communication:

Step 1:

While these are learned skills, communication is more effective when it becomes spontaneous rather than formulaic. A speech that is read,

Example

rarely has the same impact as a speech that’s delivered (or appears to be delivered) spontaneously. Of course, it takes time and effort to develop these skills. The more effort and practice you put in, the more instinctive and effective your communication skills will become.

Step 2:

When communicating with others, we often focus on what we should say. However, effective communication is less about talking and more about listening. Listening well means not just understanding the words or the information being communicated, but also understanding the emotions the speaker is trying to communicate.

There’s a big difference between engaged listening and simply hearing.

  • When you really listen—when you’re engaged with what’s being said—you’ll hear the subtle intonations in someone’s voice that tell you how that person is feeling and the emotions they’re trying to communicate.
  • When you’re an engaged listener, not only will you better understand the other person, you’ll also make that person feel heard and understood, which can help build a stronger, deeper connection between you.
  • By communicating in this way, you’ll also experience a process that lowers stressand supports physical and emotional well-being.
  • If the person you’re talking to is calm, for example, listening in an engaged way will help to calm you, too. Similarly, if the person is agitated, you can help calm them by listening in an attentive way and making the person feel understood.
  • If your goal is to fully understand and connect with the other person, listening in an engaged way will often come naturally. If it doesn’t, try the following tips. The more you practice them, the more satisfying and rewarding your interactions with others will become.

Step 3:

The way you look, listen, move, and react to another person tells them more about how you’re feeling than words alone ever can. Nonverbal communication, or body language, includes facial expressions, body movement and gestures, eye contact, posture, the tone of your voice, and even your muscle tension and breathing.

Developing the ability to understand and use nonverbal communication can help you connect with others, express what you really mean, navigate challenging situations, and build better relationships at home and work.

  • You can enhance effective communication by using open body language—arms uncrossed, standing with an open stance or sitting on the edge of your seat, and maintaining eye contact with the person you’re talking to.
  • You can also use body language to emphasize or enhance your verbal message—patting a friend on the back while complimenting him on his success, for example, or pounding your fists to underline your message

Step 4:

How many times have you felt stressed during a disagreement with your spouse, kids, boss, friends, or coworkers and then said or done something you later regretted?

  • If you can quickly relieve stress and return to a calm state, you’ll not only avoid such regrets, but in many cases you’ll also help to calm the other person as well. It’s only when you’re in a calm, relaxed state that you’ll be able to know whether the situation requires a response, or whether the other person’s signals indicate it would be better to remain silent.

In situations such as a job interview, business presentation, high-pressure meeting, or introduction to a loved one’s family, for example, it’s important to manage your emotions, think on your feet, and effectively communicate under pressure

Step 5:

Direct, assertive expression makes for clear communication and can help boost your self-esteem and decision-making.

Step 6:

Being assertive means expressing your thoughts, feelings, and needs in an open and honest way, while standing up for yourself and respecting others.

Step 7:

It does NOT mean being hostile, aggressive, or demanding. Effective communication is always about understanding the other person, not about winning an argument or forcing your opinions on others.

These are all the Communicate Information steps to provide effective communication.

Preparing Effective Presentation

Comfort

Preparing Effective Presentation

Preparing Effective Presentation plays an important role…

If the presentation has a problem like an unintended font, a broken link, or unreadable text then I’ve probably failed the test. Even if my spoken presentation is well rehearsed, a bad visual experience can ruin it for the audience. Expertise means nothing without a good presentation to back it up.

No matter your topic, successful PowerPoints depend on three main factors:

your command of PowerPoint’s design tools, your attention to presentation processes, and your devotion to consistent style. Here are some simple tips to help you start mastering each of those factors, and don’t forget to check out the additional resources at the bottom of this post.

Preparing Effective Presentation
Preparing Effective Presentation

Preparing Effective Presentation Step 1:

           Don’t let PowerPoint decide how you use PowerPoint.

Microsoft wanted to provide PowerPoint users with a lot of tools. But this does not mean you should use them all. Here are some key things to look out for:

  • Make sure that preset PPT themes complement your needs before you adopt them.
  • Try to get away from using Microsoft Office’s default fonts, Calibri and Cambria. Using these two typefaces can make the presentation seem underwhelming.
  • Professionals should never use PPT’s action sounds. (Please consider your audience above personal preference).
  • PowerPoint makes bulleting automatic, but ask yourself: Are bullets actually appropriate for what you need to do? Sometimes they are, but not always.
  • Recent PPT defaults include a small shadow on all shapes. Remove this shadow if it’s not actually needed. Also, don’t leave shapes in their default blue.

Preparing Effective Presentation Step 2:

               Create custom slide sizes.

While you usually can get away with the default slide size for most presentations, you may need to adjust it for larger presentations on weirdly sized displays. If you need to do that, here’s how.

  • In the top-left corner, choose “File.”
  • Select “Page Setup.”
  • Type the height and width of the background you’d like, and click “OK.”
  • A dialogue box will appear. Click “OK” again.
  • Your background is resized!

Preparing Effective Presentation Step 3:

              Edit your slide template design.

Often, it’s much easier to edit your PowerPoint template before you start — this way, you don’t have design each slide by hand. Here’s how you do that.

  • Select “Themes” in the top navigation. In the far right, click “Edit Master,” then “Slide Master.” Make any changes you like, then click “Close Master.” All current and future slides in that presentation will use that template.

Preparing Effective Presentation Step 4:

        Make sure all of your objects are properly aligned.

  •  Having properly aligned objects on your slide is the key to making it look polished and professional.
  •  You can manually try to line up your images … but we all know how that typically works out.
  • You’re trying to make sure all of your objects hang out in the middle of your slide, but when you drag them there, it still doesn’t look quite right.
  •  Get rid of your guessing game and let PowerPoint work its magic with this trick
  • Many users don’t realize how flexible PowerPoint’s shape tools have become.
  •  In combination with the expanded format options released by Microsoft in 2010, the potential for good design with shapes is readily available.
  •  PowerPoint provides the user with a bunch of great shape options beyond the traditional rectangle, oval, and rounded rectangle patterns, unlike even professional design programs like Adobe Creative Suite or Quark.
  • Today’s shapes include a highly functional Smart Shapes function, which enables you to create diagrams and flow charts in no time.
  • These tools are especially valuable when you consider that PowerPoint is a visual medium.
  •  Paragraphing and bullet lists are boring — you can use shapes to help express your message more clearly.

IMPROMPTU SPEECHES

Comfort

 

                            Impromptu speaking is a speech and debate individual event that involves a five- to eight-minute speech with a characteristically short preparation time of one to seven minutes.

 

 Practice impromptu speech

 

  1. On your own:

 

  • Choose a different random topic every day and speak out loud about it. What you say does not have to be perfect, or eloquent, or enlightening.
  • The important thing is to speak out loud. I do this when I am stuck in traffic.
  • I pick a random topic and then I just speak on it for a minute or so. Don’t over do it. Just once a day

 

  1. Speak in a group:

 

  • Practicing in front of a group and getting professional feedback is the best way to learn impromptu speaking.
  • I know that this option is harder than practicing on your own for many reasons.
  • Not finding the right group, not finding the time are just a few. However, it is not impossible.
  • You can try out different speaking classes or join a Toastmasters group in your area until you find one that resonates with you. It will be worth it.

 

 

 

Debates

Comfort

 

 

  •  In debate a common topic is assigned to a group where the members of the group are divided into two teams and the topic is to be discussed into supporting and opposing it.

 

  •  At first the judge or mentor begins the debate with an open note to introduce the topic to the other members and audience.

 

  • After he ends his open note and then the members of the group begin to share their points by either supporting or opposing the topic.

 

  • The individual point and their representing way are also noted by the judge. After the speech has been over the judge asks someone to make the end note or at times he makes the end note.

 

  • Thus the below picture shows the debate with a common topic and two individual speakers in affirmative(supporting) and negative(against) the topic.

 

  • Thus debate is carried on.

 

 

Interview Skills

Comfort

An interview is a conversation where questions are asked and answers are given. In common parlance, the word “interview” refers to a one-on-one conversation with one person acting in the role of the interviewer and the other in the role of the interviewee.

Employment

Interviews in an employment context are typically called job interviews which describe a formal consultation for the purpose of evaluating the qualifications of the interviewee for a specific position. Interviews are seen as a useful tool in assessing qualifications.

 

Job Interview

A specific type of job interview is a case interview in which the applicant is presented with a question or task or challenge, and asked to resolve the situation.

 

Mock Interview

Sometimes to prepare for job interviews, candidates are treated to a mock interview as a training exercise to prepare the respondent to handle questions in the subsequent ‘real’ interview.

 

Screening Interview

  • Sometimes the interviews happen in several waves, with the first interview sometimes being called a screening interview which is a shorter length interview, followed by more in-depth interviews later on, usually by company personnel who can ultimately hire the applicant.
  • Technology has enabled new possibilities for interviewing; for example, video phoning technology has enabled applicants to interview for jobs despite being in different cities or countries than the interviewer.

 

Psychology

Psychologists use a variety of interviewing methods and techniques to try to understand and help their patients. In a psychiatric interview, a psychiatrist or psychologist or nurse asks a battery of questions to complete what is called a psychiatric assessment.

Couple Interviews

Sometimes two people are interviewed by an interviewer, with one format being called couple interviews.

 

Criminologists

Criminologists and detectives sometimes use cognitive interviews on eyewitnesses and victims to try to ascertain what can be recalled specifically from a crime scene, hopefully before the specific memories begin to fade in the mind.

 

Research

  •  In marketing research and academic research, interviews are used in a wide variety of ways.
  •  Interviews are often used in qualitative research in which firms try to understand how consumers think. Consumer research firms sometimes use computer-assisted telephone interviewing to randomly dial phone numbers to conduct highly structured telephone interviews, with scripted questions and responses entered directly into the computer.

 

 

Journalism

Journalism and other media:

  •  Typically, reporters covering a story in journalism conduct interviews over the phone and in person to gain information for subsequent publication. Reporters can interview political candidates on television shows.
  • In a talk show, a radio or television “host” interviews one or more people, with the choice of topic usually being chosen by the host, sometimes for the purposes of entertainment, sometimes for informational purposes. Such interviews are often recorded and some of them can be released on an interview disc.

 

Other situations

  •  Sometimes college representatives or alumni conduct college interviews with prospective students as a way of assessing a student’s suitability while offering the student a chance to learn more about a college.
  •  Some services specialize in coaching people for interviews. Government officials may conduct interviews with prospective foreign students before allowing them to study in the nation.
  • Impromptu speaking is a speech and debate individual event that involves a five- to eight-minute speech with a characteristically short preparation time of one to seven minutes.
  • Impromptu speaking is a speech and debate individual event that involves a five- to eight-minute speech with a characteristically short preparation time of one to seven minutes

 

Group discussions

Comfort

 

Group discussion is a new trend that has come up in order to evaluate student personality. A group of participants are made to discuss on a topic or subject for a limited time and then assessed accordingly. In this methodology, the group of candidates is given a topic or a situation, given a few minutes to think about the same, and then asked to discuss the topic among themselves for 15-20 minutes.

 

Group discussions are done to assess the following:-

  •  Communication skills
  •  Interpersonal Skills
  •  Leadership Skills
  •  Motivational Skills
  •  Team Building Skills
  •  Analytical /Logical Skills
  •  Reasoning ability
  •  Different Thinking
  •  Initiative
  •  Assertiveness
  •  Flexibility
  •  Creativity
  •  Ability to think on ones feet
  •  GDs are implemented commonly

BODY LANGUAGE AND NON-VERBAL COMMUNICATIONS

Comfort

 

  • Body language in communication skills

Such behavior includes facial expressions, body posture, gestures, eye movement, touch and the use of space. Body language, a subset of nonverbal communication, complements verbal communication in social interaction.

 

  •   Positive sign of body language

Body language is the process of communicating non -verbally through body movements and gestures. Positive body language can be defined as these nonverbal movements and gestures that are communicating interest, enthusiasm, and positive reactions to what some else is saying

 

  •   Negative body languages

Averted eye contact can be an indicator that a person is uncomfortable, self-conscious, or even lying. Crossed arms can signal defensiveness or disagreement.

A forced smile can mean insincerity.. Negative body language is either a conscious or an unconscious expression of negative feelings through movements of the body.

 

  •      Nonverbal communication 

A person that is aware of another’s nonverbal cues will understand that person better. .

Examples of non-verbal communication of this type include shaking hands, patting the back, hugging, pushing, or other kinds of touch. Other forms of non-verbal communication are facial expressions, gestures, and eye contact.

ROLEPLAYS AND CONVERSATIONAL ACTIVITIES

Comfort

 

 

                                              Role-play is any speaking activity when you either put yourself into somebody else’s shoes, or when you stay in your own shoes but put yourself into an imaginary situation! Imaginary people – The joy of role-play is that students can ‘become’ anyone they like for a short time.

For example

                                    If you are the Prime Minister Of India, What Will Be Your Short And Long Time Goals?

 

The answer for that would be,

                    If I were the PM of India, my short term goals are,

 

                   (a) giving first priority to agriculture as it stands the backbone for our nation and in recent times this field is not been properly prioritized.

                   (b) reducing the cost of living by managing the imports and export trade.

                   (c) A balance must be kept so that the prices of basic amenities should not increase.

                   (d) Cut down unwanted taxations to benefit trade. Etc

Like this the role-play concept works.

 

Conversational activities

Conversation happens between two members in minimum. It has some classifications like simple and complex conversations. Beginning with the first one it deals with the usual informal talks with family, friends and so on.

 

Below examples show the simple conversations between two friends

 

          Example

A: “Where are you going now?”

B: “I’m going to the bank.”
A: “Aren’t you supposed to be at work?”

B: “I’m working now. I’m making a deposit for our company.”
A: “Where do you work?”

B: “I work for a restaurant as a controller.”
A: “Wow. That’s great.”

B: “Great seeing you. I have to go now. I’ll talk to you later.”

 

 

A: “What are you doing now?”

B: “I’m watching TV.”
A: “What are you watching?”

B: “I’m watching Friends. What are you doing?”
A: “I’m doing my homework, but I really need to     take a break.”

B: “You want to do something?”
A: “Yes. But I shouldn’t. I got to finish my assignment now.”

B: “Alright. Call me later then.”

 

A: “OK. Bye.”