What should be the communication skills for IAS interview?
In simple words, communication art is the art through which we establish contact among ourselves. This means that it is the art by which we are able to express our thoughts to others. It includes both verbal communication and non-verbal communication i.e. language and body language.
The first and most important requirement for good communication skills is to be a good listener. Often candidates are more interested in answering than listening. As a result, they are not able to hear and understand the question properly and are unable to recognize the purpose of that question. We get caught in the trap hidden in that question.
Art of verbal communication
Vocabulary
You should always keep in mind that this is not a test of your linguistic abilities or vocabulary. During personality test, language is to be tested only as your means of communication. It has no other purpose. Therefore, you do not need to impress the board by showing off your deep knowledge of terminology or flowery language. However, if you still have command over the language and your vocabulary is good and you have a wealth of phrases and expressions, then you can use it, but keep in mind that it should be within a limit.
Whatever language you use to communicate, you should have a good vocabulary of that language. Often, we consider some words as synonyms whereas it is not so. There is a very subtle and subtle difference in the sense, meaning and usage of the two words. If someone is not aware of this and uses a word which initially appears to be a synonym of the same word, but has a different meaning, a situation of misinterpretation may arise.
Secondly, many times it happens that the person gets flustered while speaking while searching for the appropriate word, for example if the person is conversing in English and in the middle he is not aware of any English word.
communication arts
In the absence of this, if he uses Hindi or any indigenous language word, he may lose trust there. During personality test, selection of words is done. Plays an important role in the analysis of the candidate. Hence, you should prepare well for it. This does not mean that you should know and use literary language but your language should be effective. Additionally, you are also expected to have a good knowledge of technical terminology and subject specific terminology.
Point to note: Never try to show the board that your vocabulary and linguistic knowledge is better than theirs.
The best way to enrich your vocabulary is to make your dictionary an integral part of your preparation. Whenever you see a new word while reading, underline it or if you hear a new word, write it down and look up its meaning in the dictionary, only then keep it in mind and use it in your answer or during conversation. Take it.
Economy in use of words
You should be very economical in your use of words. Whatever you say, try to be concise. For any person, it is a very joyful and pleasant occasion if you can make him understand your point in a short period of time and in few words.
Loudness and speed of your voice
Both of them have the same criteria: moderate level of use. By listening to your voice recording you can improve its quality.
Pronunciation
You don’t need a lot of hard work here. Remember, you are not applying for a public relations job in the US or UK. Therefore, within what I call the ‘level of acceptance’, any mistake made has no adverse impact. But your mistake should not fall in the category of ‘terrible’. During my preparation, I know at least two people who used to pronounce the word ‘Chemistry’ with ‘ch’ instead of ‘k’. Therefore, it is important that you watch as many TV discussions as possible and listen carefully to the newscasters. For this you can also watch interviews of film actors and actresses.
Fluency and accent
There should be fluency in your conversation. Do not pause frequently while speaking. your fluency
To improve, an effective solution is that you should have to speak on that topic in the interview. If the thoughts in your mind are completely clear, then you will not need to think while answering or change your mind midway.
Also, your pronunciation should be very good in the language you are using. This does not mean that you are a good speaker or have the oratory skills of a good leader. If any language is spoken with proper intonation, it becomes pleasant to the ears and for this reason you can get better marks by explaining your thoughts in a proper, correct and simple manner. You can also improve this quality by listening to discussions and interviews.
Selection of language and words
To choose the right words, listen to official spokespersons like the Secretary of a Government Ministry, Government Spokesperson, Governor of the Reserve Bank of India, etc. They are very disciplined and firm in their choice of words. His words were based on several norms such as constitutionally (central government not force