ABSTRACT
There are many Do’s and Don’ts during the preparation of a resume. Proper format and standard needs to be followed while preparing a resume. The research paper explains briefly about the reasons and what makes the resume different from Curriculum Vitae (CV). Various types of resumes have been mentioned. It is essential to lay stress on 4A’s such as Attitude, Aptitude, Abilities and Awareness. There are several do’s and don’ts while preparing a resume. The importance of application letter along with resume is equally stressed upon. If necessary, the applicant can consult professional resume makers for advice and help. At the end it effectively and efficiently linked all the four steps of any selection procedure such as application letter, resume, interview and employment
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INTRODUCTION:
Resume is an honest and neat account of information and document of an individual which reflects the mind set, skills set and tools set. It works as a link from the applicant to the prospective employer and if it is prepared and presented properly, perfectly and professionally then the applicant will be short listed for the interview. Resume is the index of an individual. The employer develops an imagination of the individual and if he finds that the applicant is acceptable, suitable, and capable for the post he will be given an opportunity for the interview. At the time of interview the employer looks for the compatibility of his imaginative information with that of the physical presence of the person. If there is match between the both then it becomes a positive signal to proceed further to check for other qualities.
Every resume contains the basic information about education, experience, skills, other activities and achievements of the applicant. There is slight variation between resume and curriculum vitae (CV). Resume usually runs from one to two pages outlining basically about educational background, professional experience, the skills and abilities of the applicant. Where as the CV is a running document usually between 2 to 4 pages with the important information related to research activities, awards, medals, honors, any presentations, publications, affiliations etc., apart from the educational background, professional experience and the skills and abilities mentioned in the resume. In brief, CV is an extension of a resume with more length and with more elaborative explanation with information.
TYPES OF RESUME:
There are various types of resumes but in general there are three types. They are 1) Functional resume 2) Chronological resume and 3) Mixture of functional and chronological resume.
Functional resume is meant for freshers. As the name implies it explains about the specific skills set and tools set one possesses. A specialized resume is to focus a specific area of activity and interest. Its format and pattern immediately catches the attention of the employer as the specific skills are highlighted starting from the highest important skills to the lowest ones.
Chronological resume is meant for non-freshers which have conservative approach of providing information about education, experience with a career objective initially. While stating both education and experience, do state in the reverse chronological order i.e. starting from the present to the next immediate past to the next immediate past and so on.
The third type of resume is the mixture of the two capitalizing both the functional aspects as well as chronological order. It starts with the name of the applicant as heading with address, email and contact number followed by career objective, educational background and experience. A brief explanation about the functional skills as well as key qualifications are stated followed by special attitude of the applicant, honor, achievement and activities, hobbies, preferred place of posting, CTC and references. If the applicant wants to work in a specific place only then he has to state but it limits the job opportunities. Some lay CTC is optional and reference should be given only upon request and don’t give the details of the references. This kind of resume takes the advantages of the features of both functional and chronological resume.
4A’s BEFORE RESUME:
The applicant has to look at his attitude, aptitude, abilities and awareness before preparing a resume. The attitude towards the kind of career he is looking for is very important. If the attitude is not directed properly he will not be able to enjoy his career. He should equally look for aptitude. It is like a specific bent of mind one should possess mentally. He should analyze and diagnose himself whether he has capabilities towards a particular profession. Every job requires its own skills and abilities. The applicant should analyze his strengths and weaknesses rather than looking for opportunities and threats. After taking stock of the strongest points he should choose a career of his attitude, aptitude and abilities. The last A is the awareness that is looking at the opportunities rather than threats. It is like doing a lot of research towards the chosen career and possessing awareness of the potential job market and its prospects. This is a highly competitive world and always go by the road less traveled. The four A’s, if attempted, with practical approach then the applicant can proceed for preparation of a professional resume.
DO’S AND DON’TS DURING RESUME PREPARATION:
A few Do’s are stated below
• Keep it simple and straight and crisp and clear. Brevity is the soul of wit. Employer may take less than 120 seconds to scan your resume.
• Present the key qualifications first, followed by the lesser significance ones so as to create the first best impression.
• Use bold or italics for key words for quick attention to your resume. It helps in better and faster understanding of the contents and also it saves the time of the reader.
• Use adjectives and action verbs and at the same time avoid using excessive adjectives.
• Be specific and objective in your approach.
• List out your extra curricular activities related to any achievements either at the personal level or at the professional level.
• If you acquired high grades/marks state or else no.
• Do clearly specify the breaks in the work experience in reverse sequential manner.
• Explain in brief about your extra curricular activities.
• State if you have undergone any courses or workshop attended. And also mention if you know more languages.
• Add job skills in a brief manner like excellent in both oral and written communicant skills, successfully worked in teams, motivated the workers to contribute better, etc.,
• Your resume should rise from the rest. It should be catchy and should look different from others in both content and style.
• Give a professional touch. Add jargon depending upon the post you are applying. For instance, if you are applying for the post of corporate trainer, state the jargon like ‘organized training sessions’, ‘motivated the audience’, ‘in house seminars’, ‘full time or freelance trainer’ etc., You can also add terms like ‘counseled or mentored’ etc., Every area of activity has its own jargon. By mentioning specific jargon, you can easily draw the attention of the reader thereby making things easier for you.
• Before writing the resume list out all your achievements and shortlist the ones which are very strong.
• Surf number of search engines and you can find out sample resumes which provide you directions.
• Arrange your educational and work experience in reverse chronological order.
• Do consult professional resume makers who will prove to be an immense help. You can also consult experienced people who can help in providing right tools and techniques.
• Do keep a master copy of each resume when you send to the employer as it will help you to know before the interview. It is especially useful when you use multiple resumes. It will help you recall which resume was sent where. There is also software to track, identify and inform you the same.
• Customize and target your resume to meet specific prospective employer.
• State everything honestly and your entire interview revolves around your resume. And you have to read the resume number of times before you proceed for an interview.
• You need to sell out yourself in such a way that you are short listed for interview.
• Your resume is a link between what you have and what the employer looks for. And if the gap is minimized the probability of selection is brighter.
• Specific skills can be arranged in a bulleted format.
• Do create and generate interest and enthusiasm to the employer to read.
• If you go for a career shift, do lay stress on transferable skills.
• After completion of the resume, do host the same for higher traffic and enquiries.
Don’ts:
• Don’t decorate with too many fonts.
• Don’t keep any heading like resume or CV.
• Don’t mention about references unless asked.
• Don’t state the expected salary. Rather write it negotiable. If you mention you may lose the opportunity to attend for interview. During interview if the employer finds that you are more capable then he can consider you for higher post with higher salary in the same organization.
• Don’t state the reason if you are fired. State clearly that the dismissal matter will be disclosed during the interview. It helps you to explain the reasons for your dismissal in person.
• Don’t use excessive personal pronouns.
• Don’t mention any political or religious affiliations.
• Don’t mention outdated buzzword.
• Don’t give irrelevant information. Avoid stating age, sex, marital status, number of kids and other personal or family information.
• Don’t send photograph unless asked for.
• Don’t mention the reasons if you are unemployed presently.
• Don’t convert your resume into an autobiography.
• Don’t state unrelated qualifications, courses and experience as that leads to confusion.
APPLICATION LETTER FOR RESUME:
After having prepared the resume efficiently and effectively it is the time to prepare a letter of application or a covering letter for the resume. It is like an abstract for any research paper. If the abstract is interesting with important information and if it arouses the interest and enthusiasm in the editor then the real script will go for scanning or else it would go to trash. Similarly the application letter is equally important as it provides link between applicant and the real resume. Therefore, in this context, it is essential to provide a few tools and techniques for an effective application letter.
1. In case of a solicited resume it is easier to write as the employer has called for your resume. Where as in the case of unsolicited resume you have to put more efforts to present and prove yourself as the resume was not called for.
2. Personalize the letter by maintaining name followed by the designation or title. It makes the person feel more important than his professional designation.
3. Start with statistical information or interesting news about the company or the institution you apply. For instance, the author has applied for the permanent faculty in Indian School of Business (ISB) by referring the Business Line newspaper report as ‘ISB Ranks 20th in the world’ in the subject matter and has sent his resume by personalizing the mail to the Dean with a wonderful fact which is a record for any business school from India. That too in a short time. In the first paragraph, he has congratulated. In the second paragraph he has highlighted newspaper report that they are hiking the faculty strength. And he has offered himself for that post. In the third paragraph, he has highlighted his extraordinary skills and abilities with his academic background with his professional achievements. In the fourth paragraph, he has mentioned how he is of a great asset for ISB thereby selling himself. Fifth paragraph, he has requested for an appointment for interview at a mutually convenient date and concluded with optimism and regards.
4. Follow grammar, syntax, punctuations, and use adjectives and action verbs. If you make silly mistakes that indicates your negligence and carelessness.
5. The letter should not be more than a page and preferably just half of the page. The reader may scan for 10 to 20 seconds and stresses on the key words and qualifications by using fonts like bold, italics or underline as it draws the attention of the reader and gets at the contents faster.
6. Use simple and straight sentences preferably with a jargon of the specific post you applied that makes the reader to get into the shoes smartly and sharply.
7. Make it different and catchy it should stand out from the pack of the cards. For instance, worked in defence, pursuing PhD in Soft Skills in Management, Professional Trainer and Writer etc.,
8. In case of a solicited resume start with ‘please refer your advertisement in the ……… dated ……… for the post of ……. And attached or enclosed please find the resume for the same.
9. If it happens to be an unsolicited resume you need to put extra effort, energy and enthusiasm by mentioning like ‘my work experience outlined on the attached resume has equipped with various skills and abilities such as excellent oral and written communication skills, ability to work in teams, or the ability to organize and lead from the front etc.,
ROLE OF PROFESSIONAL RESUME MAKERS:
For freshers it is recommended to consult professional resume makers. They know the tricks of the trade. They not only bring cosmetic changes in the script but also provide links to the job market. They know the pulse of the job market as they are the link between applicants and prospective employers. Every career has its own specific skills set and tools set. They align your skills and abilities with that of the specific employment by adding technical jargon. They bring so many changes in the script and would give a professional touch and color. The amount you spend to these professionals is negligible when you compare with the returns you get when you are employed.
CONCLUSION:
Preparation of a resume can be compared with that of a research paper. And preparation of application letter for a resume is like preparation of an abstract for a research paper. Application letter must provide the brief summary of the resume. If the application letter is presented by arousing interest and by motivating and navigating the reader then it will be short listed for further reading of a resume. Once the resume is focused neatly and with key contents and qualifications then it will be short listed for interview. And ultimately when the employer is convinced that the applicant is suitable material for the post he would select him for the post.
T H E E N D
Thursday, February 14, 2008
Wednesday, February 6, 2008
STRESS MANAGEMENT SKILLS
ABSTRACT
Many professionals and students are facing higher stress levels due to the rising aspirations and expectations. The cut throat competition at the corporate world is also forcing the people to perform more resulting into stress. The research paper explains about various types of stress, causes and signs, symptoms and signals arising out of stress. It has come out with creative and novel methods of tackling stress. At the end it called for striking a fine balance amongst personal, professional and social life thereby making the life pleasant, peaceful, pleasurable and memorable.
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INTRODUCTION
“The word stress is defined by the Oxford Dictionary as a state of affair involving demand on physical or mental energy”.
Stress arises as a result of the gap between the expectations and realities. It also arises due to the unforeseen or unfavorable events arising out of external forces and factors. It also occurs because of the inability of an individual to cope up with the sudden shock, failures and frustrations. Overall stress can be defined as the physical, physiological and psychologically related events and aspects that cause inconvenience to an individual.
TYPES:
Although there are many types of stress, basically there are three kinds of stress that can be classified as physical stress, emotional stress and psychological stress. In the case of physical stress the people get back aches, body pains, muscle aches, high blood pressure, excessive sweating etc., The stress is felt and seen physically. In the case of emotional stress one gets angry and anxiety. There is an element of depression seen in this scenario. It happens usually where one hears the death of loved ones and they are faced with sudden failures or met with illness. Thirdly in the case of psychological stress, there is a possibility for developing phobias, developing eating disorders, going away from the main stream of the society etc.,
There is another school of thought that talks about distress and eustress. If there is negative effect arising out of a stress then it is said to be distress and if there is positive outcome arising out of a stress then it is called eustress. Now days there is a technical term known as E-stress or techno stress which arises out of growing technological changes and pressures. People are comfortable in usage of mobile phones, laptops, game stations, play stations etc., and excessive usage is leading to higher stress levels which is known as techno stress. Stress is the initial stage and when it goes unchecked it turns out to be a burn out. While the stress can be easily averted and overcome the ultimate stage of burn out is very difficult to overcome. It requires lot of care, attention and medication to bring back from the brink of burn out.
CAUSES OF STRESS:
Improper time management leads to accumulation of the tasks resulting into backlogs. When work gets piled up it becomes very difficult to manage the same resulting into stress levels. Due to the cut throat competition there is a strong need to deliver the best. The clients and customers expect the best from the companies. If the companies fail to satisfy their clients they stand to lose their business to their competitors. As a result, the corporate world is getting highly competitive and thereby passing on the pressure to the employees. Employees too find it very difficult to cope up with the growing demands of their employers.
When the employees are underpaid they get dejected and frustrated. The work is more and the salary is less. They do not get the mood to perform as they are not satisfied monetarily. At times people set unrealistic and unachievable targets and goals.
Procrastination is the thief of the time. People tend to postpone their routine tasks for the other day and over a period of time the work gets piled up resulting into high stress levels. Due to organizational politics when there is no recognition towards their contribution, people do not get motivated to work thus resulting into stress. Lack of clarity of mind or approach on the part of the individual makes the things confused and complicated. Often people get confronted with too may commitments and appointments thereby not knowing what to do.
SIGNS, SIGNALS AND SYMPTOMS OF STRESS:
Stress has both positive and negative effects and the signs, signals and symptoms can be found in various ways. First let us look at the negative symptoms of stress.
Three things are essential for a healthy body and mind. They are sound sleep, free motion and good appetite. Sound sleep is an ideal indication of effective internal nervous system. Free motion and good appetite is the indication of healthy internal body system. If these three elements function efficiently and effectively then we can say that the overall health of an individual is excellent. Unfortunately the stress is visible by way of cardiac problems, ulcers, head aches, fatigue etc., Increased stress may often lead to nervous break down. The affected and inflicted people are prone to anger and anxiety. There will be abnormal behavioral patterns. They keep worried continuously about the problems and they lose focus and concentration. They tend to make more mistakes due to lack of concentration.
It is a case of flight or fight scenario. People who have mental stamina will fight the stress tooth and nail and become excellent performers and those who can not fight but develop the attitude to flight will succumb to depression which is worse than the fight position.
The distressed people develop irritation, and absentmindedness. They develop indigestion, irritable bowel syndrome, asthma, cancer, diabetes etc., Such people lose interest in sex as they are mentally preoccupied with worries and tensions. In extreme cases people develop suicidal tendencies and commit suicide.
At the corporate world there is growing attrition rate and stress is the major cause for the same. If all these are the grey areas of stress there is a silver lining too to stress that is positive result of stress which is known as eustress.
Life would be dull without some stress. Stress streamlines our thinking activity and it removes the clutter and cobwebs from our mind. It energizes the people to perform better. It forces, enforces and encourages us to touch our upper limits. It unlocks our hidden potential. It triggers passion and uncorks the hidden dormant talents. Jack Welch, former CEO of GE laid stress on stretch goals where people perform much better when they are forced to stretch beyond their capabilities. Setting stretch goals sparks the hidden potential. Analysts and experts have commented that moderate stress is essential for survival, growth and success.
TIPS TO TACKLE STRESS:
“Nothing gives one person so much advantage over another as to remain always cool and unruffled under all circumstances”, Thomas Jefferson.
• The first and foremost thing to note that the inflicted individual should realize that he has stress. After realizing the same then he should identify the reasons behind it.
• Don’t take too many tasks at a time. Multitasking is the buzzword in the business world but it should not result into tensions and health hazards.
• When tasks are assigned you should know what is priority and posteriority. The tasks that are urgent and important are to be classified under priority and the tasks that are insignificant and not of urgency can be categorized as posteriority. Prioritization depends on the importance and significance of the given task. If there is an effective time management of tasks, the tensions can be lowered to a great extent.
• Going for regular exercises energizes the entire body and relieves the stress. Exercises equip you with fresh energy and enthusiasm. Mind also gets refreshed with positive thoughts and there will be a strong feeling of staying on the top of the world.
• You can also go for regular walking, jogging or cycling. Swimming is the best exercise as the entire body gets worked out as the body floats in the water. All parts of the body are subject to physical activity and there is all-round exercise for the body.
• You can employ laughter therapy as laughing decreases the tensions. Now days in many urban areas people gather in a place and keep laughing to beat the stress.
• Doing meditation and yoga brings fresh energies and powers to your mind and body. During meditation you stop your entire thinking and stay calm mentally from other thoughts. When you give rest to your mind for sometime by meditation and yoga, you tend to draw more powers coupled with fresh energies.
• Don’t try to execute entire tasks by yourself. Try to delegate the routine and less important tasks to your subordinates for execution.
• Never do any activity at a stretch. Break the activity into small activities so as to sustain enthusiasm towards it as well as minimizing the stress levels.
• If you have worked continuously for long hours, give a break and relax yourself. Whenever you achieved something reward yourself so as to motivate yourself. Sleep well as you provide rest to your mind and body. When you wake up, you can start the day with fresh energy.
• Never try to change the things which are beyond your control. Learn to live with your limitations. Attempting to change over what can not be changed invites lot of stress and fatigue. Dr.Rosch aptly suggested, “Change what you can and stop fretting over what you can’t”.
• Go for regular sex as it decreases the tensions and recharges your body with refilled energy and enthusiasm.
• Pursue your forgotten or neglected hobby as it diverts your attention from your routine tasks and engages in your beloved creative pursuits.
• Never look back with regret as past can’t be altered and don’t be overly worried about the future as future can’t be predicted. What you have now is only the present and learn to lead the present life pleasantly.
• Don’t have negative approach towards the people who troubled you in the past. Cultivate the attitude to forgive and forget the unpleasant events in life. Create a positive and healthy friend circle that in turn helps you to keep you on the right track whenever you go awry. Ventilate your grievances, emotions and feelings to your trusted friends as it decreases the hidden tensions.
• Don’t accept too much of work load and learn to say ‘No’ to excessive work.
• Take meals regularly at a specified time and break the meal to more number of times for better digestion. Drink lot of water whenever you get tense.
• Go for deep breathing. Inhale and exhale by holding the breath for a few seconds more as it sends fresh oxygen to your mind.
• Maintain proper work life balance. Let your professional life not encroach your personal life and vice versa.
• Avoid smoking, drinking and overeating. Excessive stress leads to overeating and it leads to obesity.
• Don’t commit too much. Commit less but perform more but not vice versa.
• Go for regular body massages as it soothes the body. Maria Hernandez – Reif recommends simply massaging the palm of one hand by making a circular motion with the thumb of the other.
• Put it on a piece of paper what actually stresses you. If you diagnose properly then the appropriate solution can be found out.
• Don’t be oversensitive to stress. Cancel your flight and call for a fight against stress.
• Daily sit quietly for 10 to 15 minutes in a peaceful place.
• Take hot water bath if you feel stressed out.
• Say no to junk foods and say yes to fruits and vegetables.
• Spend sometime with small children and play with kids for sometime.
• Go for a weekend holiday as it breaks the routine chain of activities.
• Listen to soft and soothing music.
• Make a silent prayer for a few minutes every day.
• Execute the tasks timely.
• Allow pleasant and peaceful thoughts into your mind.
• Some companies are conducting meditation and yoga classes during the working hours as stress is taking its toll. Such activities have paid rich dividends to the companies.
• Recall your past achievement as it will trigger positive vibrations.
CONCLUSION:
“If you can’t stand the heat, get out of the kitchen”, goes the old saying.
Realize that stress is a menace. Try to avoid the same by taking various measures. If found inevitable due to the demand from the work place tackle the same by taking the remedial action immediately before the stress becomes a burn out.
Life is very short and live the life in a pleasant and pleasurable way. Do not get into the competitive rat race and damage your health. Try to balance clearly amongst your personal, professional and social life. Allocate your precious time, money and energy in such a way that you can attain optimum results in all areas of your life.
T H E E N D
Many professionals and students are facing higher stress levels due to the rising aspirations and expectations. The cut throat competition at the corporate world is also forcing the people to perform more resulting into stress. The research paper explains about various types of stress, causes and signs, symptoms and signals arising out of stress. It has come out with creative and novel methods of tackling stress. At the end it called for striking a fine balance amongst personal, professional and social life thereby making the life pleasant, peaceful, pleasurable and memorable.
- - - - - - -
INTRODUCTION
“The word stress is defined by the Oxford Dictionary as a state of affair involving demand on physical or mental energy”.
Stress arises as a result of the gap between the expectations and realities. It also arises due to the unforeseen or unfavorable events arising out of external forces and factors. It also occurs because of the inability of an individual to cope up with the sudden shock, failures and frustrations. Overall stress can be defined as the physical, physiological and psychologically related events and aspects that cause inconvenience to an individual.
TYPES:
Although there are many types of stress, basically there are three kinds of stress that can be classified as physical stress, emotional stress and psychological stress. In the case of physical stress the people get back aches, body pains, muscle aches, high blood pressure, excessive sweating etc., The stress is felt and seen physically. In the case of emotional stress one gets angry and anxiety. There is an element of depression seen in this scenario. It happens usually where one hears the death of loved ones and they are faced with sudden failures or met with illness. Thirdly in the case of psychological stress, there is a possibility for developing phobias, developing eating disorders, going away from the main stream of the society etc.,
There is another school of thought that talks about distress and eustress. If there is negative effect arising out of a stress then it is said to be distress and if there is positive outcome arising out of a stress then it is called eustress. Now days there is a technical term known as E-stress or techno stress which arises out of growing technological changes and pressures. People are comfortable in usage of mobile phones, laptops, game stations, play stations etc., and excessive usage is leading to higher stress levels which is known as techno stress. Stress is the initial stage and when it goes unchecked it turns out to be a burn out. While the stress can be easily averted and overcome the ultimate stage of burn out is very difficult to overcome. It requires lot of care, attention and medication to bring back from the brink of burn out.
CAUSES OF STRESS:
Improper time management leads to accumulation of the tasks resulting into backlogs. When work gets piled up it becomes very difficult to manage the same resulting into stress levels. Due to the cut throat competition there is a strong need to deliver the best. The clients and customers expect the best from the companies. If the companies fail to satisfy their clients they stand to lose their business to their competitors. As a result, the corporate world is getting highly competitive and thereby passing on the pressure to the employees. Employees too find it very difficult to cope up with the growing demands of their employers.
When the employees are underpaid they get dejected and frustrated. The work is more and the salary is less. They do not get the mood to perform as they are not satisfied monetarily. At times people set unrealistic and unachievable targets and goals.
Procrastination is the thief of the time. People tend to postpone their routine tasks for the other day and over a period of time the work gets piled up resulting into high stress levels. Due to organizational politics when there is no recognition towards their contribution, people do not get motivated to work thus resulting into stress. Lack of clarity of mind or approach on the part of the individual makes the things confused and complicated. Often people get confronted with too may commitments and appointments thereby not knowing what to do.
SIGNS, SIGNALS AND SYMPTOMS OF STRESS:
Stress has both positive and negative effects and the signs, signals and symptoms can be found in various ways. First let us look at the negative symptoms of stress.
Three things are essential for a healthy body and mind. They are sound sleep, free motion and good appetite. Sound sleep is an ideal indication of effective internal nervous system. Free motion and good appetite is the indication of healthy internal body system. If these three elements function efficiently and effectively then we can say that the overall health of an individual is excellent. Unfortunately the stress is visible by way of cardiac problems, ulcers, head aches, fatigue etc., Increased stress may often lead to nervous break down. The affected and inflicted people are prone to anger and anxiety. There will be abnormal behavioral patterns. They keep worried continuously about the problems and they lose focus and concentration. They tend to make more mistakes due to lack of concentration.
It is a case of flight or fight scenario. People who have mental stamina will fight the stress tooth and nail and become excellent performers and those who can not fight but develop the attitude to flight will succumb to depression which is worse than the fight position.
The distressed people develop irritation, and absentmindedness. They develop indigestion, irritable bowel syndrome, asthma, cancer, diabetes etc., Such people lose interest in sex as they are mentally preoccupied with worries and tensions. In extreme cases people develop suicidal tendencies and commit suicide.
At the corporate world there is growing attrition rate and stress is the major cause for the same. If all these are the grey areas of stress there is a silver lining too to stress that is positive result of stress which is known as eustress.
Life would be dull without some stress. Stress streamlines our thinking activity and it removes the clutter and cobwebs from our mind. It energizes the people to perform better. It forces, enforces and encourages us to touch our upper limits. It unlocks our hidden potential. It triggers passion and uncorks the hidden dormant talents. Jack Welch, former CEO of GE laid stress on stretch goals where people perform much better when they are forced to stretch beyond their capabilities. Setting stretch goals sparks the hidden potential. Analysts and experts have commented that moderate stress is essential for survival, growth and success.
TIPS TO TACKLE STRESS:
“Nothing gives one person so much advantage over another as to remain always cool and unruffled under all circumstances”, Thomas Jefferson.
• The first and foremost thing to note that the inflicted individual should realize that he has stress. After realizing the same then he should identify the reasons behind it.
• Don’t take too many tasks at a time. Multitasking is the buzzword in the business world but it should not result into tensions and health hazards.
• When tasks are assigned you should know what is priority and posteriority. The tasks that are urgent and important are to be classified under priority and the tasks that are insignificant and not of urgency can be categorized as posteriority. Prioritization depends on the importance and significance of the given task. If there is an effective time management of tasks, the tensions can be lowered to a great extent.
• Going for regular exercises energizes the entire body and relieves the stress. Exercises equip you with fresh energy and enthusiasm. Mind also gets refreshed with positive thoughts and there will be a strong feeling of staying on the top of the world.
• You can also go for regular walking, jogging or cycling. Swimming is the best exercise as the entire body gets worked out as the body floats in the water. All parts of the body are subject to physical activity and there is all-round exercise for the body.
• You can employ laughter therapy as laughing decreases the tensions. Now days in many urban areas people gather in a place and keep laughing to beat the stress.
• Doing meditation and yoga brings fresh energies and powers to your mind and body. During meditation you stop your entire thinking and stay calm mentally from other thoughts. When you give rest to your mind for sometime by meditation and yoga, you tend to draw more powers coupled with fresh energies.
• Don’t try to execute entire tasks by yourself. Try to delegate the routine and less important tasks to your subordinates for execution.
• Never do any activity at a stretch. Break the activity into small activities so as to sustain enthusiasm towards it as well as minimizing the stress levels.
• If you have worked continuously for long hours, give a break and relax yourself. Whenever you achieved something reward yourself so as to motivate yourself. Sleep well as you provide rest to your mind and body. When you wake up, you can start the day with fresh energy.
• Never try to change the things which are beyond your control. Learn to live with your limitations. Attempting to change over what can not be changed invites lot of stress and fatigue. Dr.Rosch aptly suggested, “Change what you can and stop fretting over what you can’t”.
• Go for regular sex as it decreases the tensions and recharges your body with refilled energy and enthusiasm.
• Pursue your forgotten or neglected hobby as it diverts your attention from your routine tasks and engages in your beloved creative pursuits.
• Never look back with regret as past can’t be altered and don’t be overly worried about the future as future can’t be predicted. What you have now is only the present and learn to lead the present life pleasantly.
• Don’t have negative approach towards the people who troubled you in the past. Cultivate the attitude to forgive and forget the unpleasant events in life. Create a positive and healthy friend circle that in turn helps you to keep you on the right track whenever you go awry. Ventilate your grievances, emotions and feelings to your trusted friends as it decreases the hidden tensions.
• Don’t accept too much of work load and learn to say ‘No’ to excessive work.
• Take meals regularly at a specified time and break the meal to more number of times for better digestion. Drink lot of water whenever you get tense.
• Go for deep breathing. Inhale and exhale by holding the breath for a few seconds more as it sends fresh oxygen to your mind.
• Maintain proper work life balance. Let your professional life not encroach your personal life and vice versa.
• Avoid smoking, drinking and overeating. Excessive stress leads to overeating and it leads to obesity.
• Don’t commit too much. Commit less but perform more but not vice versa.
• Go for regular body massages as it soothes the body. Maria Hernandez – Reif recommends simply massaging the palm of one hand by making a circular motion with the thumb of the other.
• Put it on a piece of paper what actually stresses you. If you diagnose properly then the appropriate solution can be found out.
• Don’t be oversensitive to stress. Cancel your flight and call for a fight against stress.
• Daily sit quietly for 10 to 15 minutes in a peaceful place.
• Take hot water bath if you feel stressed out.
• Say no to junk foods and say yes to fruits and vegetables.
• Spend sometime with small children and play with kids for sometime.
• Go for a weekend holiday as it breaks the routine chain of activities.
• Listen to soft and soothing music.
• Make a silent prayer for a few minutes every day.
• Execute the tasks timely.
• Allow pleasant and peaceful thoughts into your mind.
• Some companies are conducting meditation and yoga classes during the working hours as stress is taking its toll. Such activities have paid rich dividends to the companies.
• Recall your past achievement as it will trigger positive vibrations.
CONCLUSION:
“If you can’t stand the heat, get out of the kitchen”, goes the old saying.
Realize that stress is a menace. Try to avoid the same by taking various measures. If found inevitable due to the demand from the work place tackle the same by taking the remedial action immediately before the stress becomes a burn out.
Life is very short and live the life in a pleasant and pleasurable way. Do not get into the competitive rat race and damage your health. Try to balance clearly amongst your personal, professional and social life. Allocate your precious time, money and energy in such a way that you can attain optimum results in all areas of your life.
T H E E N D
ELEVEN ESSENTIAL E’s FOR ACHIEVING SUCCESS
ABSTRACT
Everyone thinks of changing the world but a very few people think of changing themselves. The author planned to write about personality development creatively and constructively by focusing various essential elements. The article talks of Eleven Essential Es which can bring out the best amongst the people. The tool of SWOT analysis is utilized so as to overcome the weaknesses, to enhance the strengths, to manage threats and to explore the opportunities vis-à-vis personality development. The author dwelt at length about making best of the both for better personality development. The destiny solely depends on the decision. Man should come out of his comfort zone to effective zone in order to prove himself. There is a strong need to cultivate positive attitude to be successful in any sphere. At the end, the author gave a clarion call to possess two basic requisites such as good character and right education for achieving success.
“Everyone thinks of changing the world. But no one thinks of changing himself”, Tolstoy.
Personality development is a cluster of various traits such as attitude, aptitude, ability, awareness, character, courage, confidence, creativity, logical thinking and analysis, reasoning abilities, sense of humor, self analysis, self-motivation, self-discipline and self-confidence. There is a no clear cut definition related to the concept of personality development. To put it precisely, it is a combination and confluence of various virtues and traits that enable a person, to survive, sustain and succeed in his personal, professional and social life.
Communication skill is one of the major traits that influence the success of any individual. These days, lot of stress is laid on this skill as it is a sure shot to success in the corporate world. Communication skill consists of both verbal and non verbal language. The verbal language consists of speaking, listening, writing and reading and the non verbal language constitutes body language and modulation. One can communicate effectively and efficiently by carefully articulating both verbal and non verbal language.
ELEVEN ESSENTIAL Es:
There are 11 essential Es everyone needs to be equipped with such as Energy, Enthusiasm, Expertise, Emotional Intelligence, Endurance, Edge, Excellence, Example, Empathy, Efficacy and Enterprise. Everyone needs to posses higher levels of energy both mentally as well as physically. There should be a strong enthusiasm towards his chosen area of interest. Effective interest in his field will make him as the master of his own trade or field thereby crowning him with third E – Expertise. It will make him rise from the rest. Fourthly, it is the Emotional Intelligence which is nothing but getting oneself mentally and emotionally balanced. It also includes the ability to get along well with others effectively and efficiently. It is also known as people skills. The fifth E is the Endurance. It is the ability to sustain the setbacks and shocks in one’s life. It also includes anticipating and expecting problems and being unmoved and undeterred by any kind of the threats arising out of external forces and factors. The sixth is the Edge. It is nothing but the ability to take extreme unfavorable and unpleasant decisions even though it causes displeasure and discomfort for himself and for others. It is rightly said, “If going gets tough the tough gets going”.
The seventh E is Excellence. It is the ability to put efforts to give his best without looking for perfection. It is very clear that perfection is not the yardstick one should strive for. And it is very difficult to measure the perfection perfectly.
The eight E is Example. There is a need to set personal example and motivate and inspire others. For instance, Mahatma Gandhi practiced what he preached thereby setting as a personal example for his followers to emulate. He mixed and moved with common people and understood their problems and acted according to the pulse of the people.
The ninth E is the Empathy. It is always essential to empathize with people. It is necessary to listen properly and patiently to the problems of the people by stepping into their shoes. Without empathy it is very difficult to understand and arrive at the clear cut solutions.
The tenth E is the Efficacy. It is nothing but effectiveness. It is quite opposite to efficiency. An effective person does right things and an efficient person does things rightly. An effective person believes in putting qualitative rather quantitative efforts. He is smart at optimum utilization of resources and has uncanny ability to deliver his best despite having several constraints.
And last but not the least is the ultimate eleventh E – Enterprise. He is the dynamic, fast and risk taker. He comes forward to experiment new things and is unmindful of failures and learns a lot from failures. He is adventuristic with daring and dashing attitude.
All the above eleven elements are essential for the development of a successful personality.
The human mind has vast hidden potential and man uses only 10 per cent of the potential and the rest 90 per cent remaining untapped. The one who recognizes this fact can unlock and uncork his hidden potential and transform himself from an ordinary person into an extraordinary person.
SWOT ANALYSIS:
SWOT is the acronym for Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities and Threats. SWOT analysis as a tool is deployed by many institutions and individuals. It is an excellent tool to capitalize on one’s strengths, overcome from weaknesses, manage the threats effectively and efficiently and exploring the opportunities.
The organizations conduct this exercise regularly so as to improve its productivity and performance. Usually the corporate planner who is also known as a strategist conducts this analysis. The companies hire an individual or a group of individuals so as to assess its strength. If internal individuals are hired to conduct this exercise they might present a rosy picture and it defeats the very purpose of this tool. The political parties also conduct it regularly and they predict and forecast the results based on this tool. The countries also resort to this exercise so as to assess its own strengths and also the weaknesses of its competing countries periodically.
The students can also adopt this tool as it can help utilize their hidden talents and channelize the same in a right direction. They can ask their trusted colleagues who are fair and dispassionate to offer their comments individually separately without consulting among their colleagues. The common characteristics which are mentioned individually without consulting can be listed separately with strengths one side and weaknesses the other side just like balance sheet. There must be a second round of requesting their trusted teachers to offer their comments and again taking the common features. There can be third round by asking their unbiased relatives to offer their comments. At the end the common characteristics has to be taken from friends, teachers and relatives and the common thread running across these three sections can be taken as the authenticated qualities. It required a lot of effort to realize their hidden potential. Accordingly the threats and opportunities can be evaluated which fall in external environment. Both the strengths and weaknesses fall in the internal environment. Whenever anybody is faced with any problems, the SWOT can be conducted with fresh mind. Usually the morning mind is fresh and if one sits for some time with cool mind any problem can be diagnosed and number of solutions can be generated.
TALENTS & SKILLS:
Every individual is blessed with talents and talents are inborn whereas the skills are made and the same can be cultivated by reading, learning, practice, training and experience. Talents are god gifted and the skills are man made. Usually a successful personality is a combination of 20 per cent nature and 80 per cent nurture. If 20 per cent is innate, then the rest 80 per cent can be developed by triggering the inborn talents. Unless there is an earnest effort to realize and tap the talents then it is very difficult to develop the same. Many great leaders have become successful as they realized their talents and channelized their energies constructively, creatively, productively and fruitfully.
Reading number of books will throw light on various things and provides new ideas and information that will pave the way for creation of new concepts and models. Reading the biographies and autobiographies of successful leaders across the globe broaden the mental faculties and enhances one’s imagination levels. Right attitude, adequate skills and proper knowledge will lead to higher confidence levels.
DECISION VS DESTINY:
The decision determines the destiny. It is, in fact, the positive thoughts that will result into noble actions. The actions over a period of time become habits. The healthy habits in turn will lead to positive attitude. It is like looking at the things positively. This again gives rise to aptitude which is nothing but having a specific bent of mind and inclination towards an area of activity. The character is strongly built on the aptitude of the individual. And the ultimate destiny depends on the credentials of a strong character. It has been rightly said, “You sow an action, you reap a habit. You show a habit, you reap a character. You sow a character, you reap a destiny”.
COMFORT ZONE VS EFFECTIVE ZONE:
Motivational guru Zig Zigler Zig said, “97 per cent of the people live in comfort zone and 3 per cent of the people live in effective zone”. It is very difficult for any individual to come out of his comfort zone as there is no element of risk is involved in this zone. It is only a few successful persons who live continuously in effective zone and grow and evolve themselves as excellent leaders. And they continuously shift from one orbit to another orbit once they strongly feel that their effective zone becomes a comfort zone over a period of time.
POSITIVE ATTITUDE:
The globe has become smaller due to the rapid growing technology. People should cultivate the positive attitude towards other people without parochialism. Love your mother but do not hate others’ mother. Love your religion, region, language, culture, community but do not develop hatred towards others’. Everyone has a place to live in this world. Let us learn to respect others’ cultures and values then only you can expect reciprocal response from others.
EDUCATION AND CHARACTER:
One must acquire wisdom to attain knowledge and one should acquire knowledge to attain a good personality. Ideas and ideals are powerful determining factors in the progress of a personality. Confidence and optimism are the two tools and techniques that would promote personality development. At the same time, good character and right education are the two sides of the same coin and one without the other has no meaning to a purposeful and productive life. So the secret to success lies in proper personality development. A little push in the right direction can make a big difference.
T H E E N D
Everyone thinks of changing the world but a very few people think of changing themselves. The author planned to write about personality development creatively and constructively by focusing various essential elements. The article talks of Eleven Essential Es which can bring out the best amongst the people. The tool of SWOT analysis is utilized so as to overcome the weaknesses, to enhance the strengths, to manage threats and to explore the opportunities vis-à-vis personality development. The author dwelt at length about making best of the both for better personality development. The destiny solely depends on the decision. Man should come out of his comfort zone to effective zone in order to prove himself. There is a strong need to cultivate positive attitude to be successful in any sphere. At the end, the author gave a clarion call to possess two basic requisites such as good character and right education for achieving success.
“Everyone thinks of changing the world. But no one thinks of changing himself”, Tolstoy.
Personality development is a cluster of various traits such as attitude, aptitude, ability, awareness, character, courage, confidence, creativity, logical thinking and analysis, reasoning abilities, sense of humor, self analysis, self-motivation, self-discipline and self-confidence. There is a no clear cut definition related to the concept of personality development. To put it precisely, it is a combination and confluence of various virtues and traits that enable a person, to survive, sustain and succeed in his personal, professional and social life.
Communication skill is one of the major traits that influence the success of any individual. These days, lot of stress is laid on this skill as it is a sure shot to success in the corporate world. Communication skill consists of both verbal and non verbal language. The verbal language consists of speaking, listening, writing and reading and the non verbal language constitutes body language and modulation. One can communicate effectively and efficiently by carefully articulating both verbal and non verbal language.
ELEVEN ESSENTIAL Es:
There are 11 essential Es everyone needs to be equipped with such as Energy, Enthusiasm, Expertise, Emotional Intelligence, Endurance, Edge, Excellence, Example, Empathy, Efficacy and Enterprise. Everyone needs to posses higher levels of energy both mentally as well as physically. There should be a strong enthusiasm towards his chosen area of interest. Effective interest in his field will make him as the master of his own trade or field thereby crowning him with third E – Expertise. It will make him rise from the rest. Fourthly, it is the Emotional Intelligence which is nothing but getting oneself mentally and emotionally balanced. It also includes the ability to get along well with others effectively and efficiently. It is also known as people skills. The fifth E is the Endurance. It is the ability to sustain the setbacks and shocks in one’s life. It also includes anticipating and expecting problems and being unmoved and undeterred by any kind of the threats arising out of external forces and factors. The sixth is the Edge. It is nothing but the ability to take extreme unfavorable and unpleasant decisions even though it causes displeasure and discomfort for himself and for others. It is rightly said, “If going gets tough the tough gets going”.
The seventh E is Excellence. It is the ability to put efforts to give his best without looking for perfection. It is very clear that perfection is not the yardstick one should strive for. And it is very difficult to measure the perfection perfectly.
The eight E is Example. There is a need to set personal example and motivate and inspire others. For instance, Mahatma Gandhi practiced what he preached thereby setting as a personal example for his followers to emulate. He mixed and moved with common people and understood their problems and acted according to the pulse of the people.
The ninth E is the Empathy. It is always essential to empathize with people. It is necessary to listen properly and patiently to the problems of the people by stepping into their shoes. Without empathy it is very difficult to understand and arrive at the clear cut solutions.
The tenth E is the Efficacy. It is nothing but effectiveness. It is quite opposite to efficiency. An effective person does right things and an efficient person does things rightly. An effective person believes in putting qualitative rather quantitative efforts. He is smart at optimum utilization of resources and has uncanny ability to deliver his best despite having several constraints.
And last but not the least is the ultimate eleventh E – Enterprise. He is the dynamic, fast and risk taker. He comes forward to experiment new things and is unmindful of failures and learns a lot from failures. He is adventuristic with daring and dashing attitude.
All the above eleven elements are essential for the development of a successful personality.
The human mind has vast hidden potential and man uses only 10 per cent of the potential and the rest 90 per cent remaining untapped. The one who recognizes this fact can unlock and uncork his hidden potential and transform himself from an ordinary person into an extraordinary person.
SWOT ANALYSIS:
SWOT is the acronym for Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities and Threats. SWOT analysis as a tool is deployed by many institutions and individuals. It is an excellent tool to capitalize on one’s strengths, overcome from weaknesses, manage the threats effectively and efficiently and exploring the opportunities.
The organizations conduct this exercise regularly so as to improve its productivity and performance. Usually the corporate planner who is also known as a strategist conducts this analysis. The companies hire an individual or a group of individuals so as to assess its strength. If internal individuals are hired to conduct this exercise they might present a rosy picture and it defeats the very purpose of this tool. The political parties also conduct it regularly and they predict and forecast the results based on this tool. The countries also resort to this exercise so as to assess its own strengths and also the weaknesses of its competing countries periodically.
The students can also adopt this tool as it can help utilize their hidden talents and channelize the same in a right direction. They can ask their trusted colleagues who are fair and dispassionate to offer their comments individually separately without consulting among their colleagues. The common characteristics which are mentioned individually without consulting can be listed separately with strengths one side and weaknesses the other side just like balance sheet. There must be a second round of requesting their trusted teachers to offer their comments and again taking the common features. There can be third round by asking their unbiased relatives to offer their comments. At the end the common characteristics has to be taken from friends, teachers and relatives and the common thread running across these three sections can be taken as the authenticated qualities. It required a lot of effort to realize their hidden potential. Accordingly the threats and opportunities can be evaluated which fall in external environment. Both the strengths and weaknesses fall in the internal environment. Whenever anybody is faced with any problems, the SWOT can be conducted with fresh mind. Usually the morning mind is fresh and if one sits for some time with cool mind any problem can be diagnosed and number of solutions can be generated.
TALENTS & SKILLS:
Every individual is blessed with talents and talents are inborn whereas the skills are made and the same can be cultivated by reading, learning, practice, training and experience. Talents are god gifted and the skills are man made. Usually a successful personality is a combination of 20 per cent nature and 80 per cent nurture. If 20 per cent is innate, then the rest 80 per cent can be developed by triggering the inborn talents. Unless there is an earnest effort to realize and tap the talents then it is very difficult to develop the same. Many great leaders have become successful as they realized their talents and channelized their energies constructively, creatively, productively and fruitfully.
Reading number of books will throw light on various things and provides new ideas and information that will pave the way for creation of new concepts and models. Reading the biographies and autobiographies of successful leaders across the globe broaden the mental faculties and enhances one’s imagination levels. Right attitude, adequate skills and proper knowledge will lead to higher confidence levels.
DECISION VS DESTINY:
The decision determines the destiny. It is, in fact, the positive thoughts that will result into noble actions. The actions over a period of time become habits. The healthy habits in turn will lead to positive attitude. It is like looking at the things positively. This again gives rise to aptitude which is nothing but having a specific bent of mind and inclination towards an area of activity. The character is strongly built on the aptitude of the individual. And the ultimate destiny depends on the credentials of a strong character. It has been rightly said, “You sow an action, you reap a habit. You show a habit, you reap a character. You sow a character, you reap a destiny”.
COMFORT ZONE VS EFFECTIVE ZONE:
Motivational guru Zig Zigler Zig said, “97 per cent of the people live in comfort zone and 3 per cent of the people live in effective zone”. It is very difficult for any individual to come out of his comfort zone as there is no element of risk is involved in this zone. It is only a few successful persons who live continuously in effective zone and grow and evolve themselves as excellent leaders. And they continuously shift from one orbit to another orbit once they strongly feel that their effective zone becomes a comfort zone over a period of time.
POSITIVE ATTITUDE:
The globe has become smaller due to the rapid growing technology. People should cultivate the positive attitude towards other people without parochialism. Love your mother but do not hate others’ mother. Love your religion, region, language, culture, community but do not develop hatred towards others’. Everyone has a place to live in this world. Let us learn to respect others’ cultures and values then only you can expect reciprocal response from others.
EDUCATION AND CHARACTER:
One must acquire wisdom to attain knowledge and one should acquire knowledge to attain a good personality. Ideas and ideals are powerful determining factors in the progress of a personality. Confidence and optimism are the two tools and techniques that would promote personality development. At the same time, good character and right education are the two sides of the same coin and one without the other has no meaning to a purposeful and productive life. So the secret to success lies in proper personality development. A little push in the right direction can make a big difference.
T H E E N D
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