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My first GD experience


It was a placement drive to be conducted by a leading media company in my college. They needed energetic people for a front facing job. The selection criterion was - merely a vibrant personality and good communication skills. They wouldn't look at our marks, we were told, and they didn't. The selection process went like this - There was a group discussion, which was to be followed by 2 Personal interviews.

The group discussion was an elimination round. The best few were to be selected and the ones not selected (we were told not to use the word "rejected") could try again some other time, preferably after 6 months.

It was the first ever group discussion of my life. Was I nervous? Not so much, considering the profile that they offered was not something I was really interested in. I attended it because it was the first ever placement drive for our batch, and for the sake of experience, to get some insight into how I (an introvert) would perform in a GD.

Personally, I prefer not to speak while present in a group. When a topic is being discussed in full swing, I prefer to stay quiet and listen. I talk only when I feel that whatever I'm sharing is a fact that no one else knows about, or listening to it would enrich their knowledge. Else, I'm zipped. So obviously a GD was something I never thought I would fare well at. However, all this was not on my mind at that time. I was more focused on talking (and of course, making sense!)

The procedure began at 11 in the morning. There were total six groups, of 10 people each. Mine was group number 5, with 2 additional candidates, making it a group of 12 ladies. The topic was an easy one: Is social media a good or bad influence on the youth of India? The discussion was to be held for a time of 10 minutes - We were given a minute to think, and nine to discuss.

I wanted to be the one to commence the discussion. But unfortunately, someone else did. I decided to be the second one to speak, but again, someone else did. I was the third one to speak. They discussed all sorts of social media websites - from Facebook to YouTube - and some even deviated off topic, talking about online shopping websites like Flipkart and Myntra.

At one point of time, I felt the need to stay quiet and listen to others' opinions. And I did stay quiet for about a minute or two (which was probably why I didn't get selected). Let's attribute this to me being an introvert. I did bring the discussion to an end, giving it a satisfying conclusion, and was congratulated by my peers for the same.

What I can take away from the experience is - first, try to start the discussion. Concluding the discussion works well, too, but there are obvious points in your favor if you're the one to start. Second, talk. Talk like your life depends on it. Be an active part of the discussion, don't let others control it. And finally, make sense of what you say!


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