Vision and dreams are the blueprints of soul and achievements.
-Mohammed Ahmed F

CSS Corp Hiring 2016 in Chennai

Exclusive Walk-in for Arts & Science Graduates 2016 Batch under the following criteria 



Title: "Technical Support Engineer"
Location: Chennai
Qualification: B.Sc, BCA 

Criteria:
>Must have excellent Communication skills
>Basic knowledge in Computer Hardware and Networking
>Flexibility to work in rotational shifts 

Transport facility will be provided 

Interested students can walk-in to 
CSS Corp, Ambit IT Park, Ambattur Industrial Estate, 
Chennai-58 

Walk-in Timing: 11 am - 5 pm
Walk-in Date: 24th Oct - 28th Oct
Contact Person: Shalson / Niveatha

Regards
HR Team

9 Techniques to be a Fantastic Listener

Not long ago I was reflecting on a conversation that I had with my spouse. I thought that I had not been a very good listener in a conversation that we had about an hour earlier. Knowing that she was in the next room, I called out to her, “Stephanie, I was thinking about that conversation we just had, and I was thinking I need to apologize for not listening or giving you my full attention when you were talking. Will you forgive me?” She responded, “For which time?”


I thought I had blown it, but I had no idea of how bad of a listener I had been. That is the problem. Most of us think that we are average-to-good listeners. Unfortunately, that is the status we all occupy in our own mind.

Most of the time, what gets in the way of being an effective listener is our thoughts. We have this little voice in our head that is constantly judging, evaluating, criticizing, analyzing and editorializing everything that we hear. When I did research among a number of managers and asked them why they didn’t listen, they gave the following explanations for not listening:

“Sometimes I listen to see if I agree or not.”

“I usually am thinking about what I should say in response.”

“I listen to understand if what the person is saying will have a negative impact on me.”

“I don’t listen to some people, because I already know what they are going to say.”

“I know I don’t listen, because I am thinking more about what I am thinking than to what the person is saying.”

Notice in all of these responses, the individual is preoccupied with his or her thoughts. When this happens, they are obviously not listening nor capturing the sum total of the messages that are being sent.

Here are some easy-to-use strategies that will help you become a fantastic listener.

1. Recognize and suspend your thinking.

If your thinking is a distraction, then you must learn to manage the voice in your head. Recognize that the little voice is competing for airtime -- and set it aside. If you can’t do it, it would be better to excuse yourself from the conversation and reschedule when you can give your full attention. Listening and attending to others is not something that you can fake until you make it. People know when you are not present.

2. Don’t assume anything.

If you find yourself making negative judgments about what the other person is saying, shift to asking questions that will confirm or disconfirm your thinking. For example, you might ask, “What data led you to that assumption?" or, "Help me understand how you came to your opinion.” Asking good questions will add depth to your understanding and a richness of learning about the individual. This won’t happen if you make assumptions and never ask a question. Ask yourself, “What will I miss if I don’t ask?”

3. Eliminate distractions.

We are so preoccupied with the use of electronic gadgets today. It is a wonder that anyone can give their full attention to another individual. Close your laptop, silence your phone and put them outside your reach. Giving your attention to a person and then allowing your electronic devices to interrupt the conversation is highly disrespectful. You wouldn’t want to be interrupted by someone answering his or her email or an incoming text in the middle of a conversation that you wanted to hold. Do people the service of giving them your full attention.


4. Demonstrate good body language.

Use clusters of nonverbal behaviors to show interest in what people are saying. For example, mirror the eye contact that is being given to you by the person who is speaking. Lean slightly toward the person to show interest. Use your hands in a gesture of making an offer when sharing an idea, or gesture with your fingers that you want to hear more.

Sit on the same level as the person to whom you are speaking. Turn your body to face the person and allow for ample spacing so that they will feel comfortable. Using your body to demonstrate interest in what the other person is saying will put the other person at ease and communicate that what they have to share is important to you.

5. Clarify your understanding.

At any time during the conversation, don’t hesitate to summarize what you believe you have heard. Doing so demonstrates that you are trying to understand the individual. Don’t worry if the person tells you that you have not entirely understood what they were saying. They will correct any misinterpretations that you may have made. What is important is that you demonstrate your understanding while checking the clarity of your understanding.

6. Listen more than you speak.

We were given two ears and one mouth. We ought to listen twice as much as we speak. As you listen, don’t steal the other person’s talking turn. Stealing a turn occurs when you grab the focus of the conversation away from the speaker, and then share your experiences or stories to compliment the message of the speaker.

People with different conversation styles may do this as a way of establishing common ground. But such behavior is unusually looked upon as disrespect. If you are not asking questions to deepen the conversation or to clarify your understanding by summarizing, then you are probably talking too much. Additionally, those who are more assertive frequently cut people off or finish their sentences. Such behavior is also not acceptable.


7. Be patient.

Learning to listen and give your full attention to another person is not easy -- even for a practiced listener. Learning to give your full attention to someone over a longer period of time if you are preoccupied with all the things that fill up your agenda requires patience and focus.

Before you listen to another, you would do well to assess the amount of time you can give to listen to an individual. If you realize that you may not have the time because of other concerns, then schedule a time when you will have the time. For example, you might say, “This is a really important conversation, and I would like to talk about it more." "Unfortunately, I have another meeting scheduled in a few minutes." "Would it be alright if we picked up the conversation when I return?”

You need to take responsibility to manage your listening more effectively.  

8. Ask for meaning.

One of strategies that will help you become a more effective listener is to realize that there is meaning behind the feelings, words and actions that people express or display. If you are in doubt about the meaning of a person’s message, then ask for the meaning. For example, if you observed that someone seems to become defensive, you might say, “I am noticing that you are beginning to become upset. Tell me why.” Or if someone said something that you didn’t understand, you might offer, “After the meeting I heard you say, ‘Oh great! Now what are we supposed to do?!’ Can you tell me what you mean by that?”

What is important is for you to observe what people are feeling, saying and doing, and then try to gain further understanding about what all of that means. Notice that this skill really requires that you give your full attention to the person and notice what messages they are displaying. The challenge is uncovering the meaning hidden behind the message.

9. Apologize when in doubt.

It is not difficult to become unconsciously conscious in a moment and quit listening and attending. If someone calls you on your behavior, admit your distraction, apologize -- and reengage. Offering a heart-felt apology will go a long way to building your relationships and establishing your sincerity.

Becoming a fantastic listener requires skill and practice. It also requires a degree of awareness on your part of where and with whom you need to improve your listening ability. We don’t intentionally go out of our way not to listen to people. We must realize that becoming an exceptional listener requires a conscious and deliberate effort to understand and connect with others.

After all, everyone wants to know that they are heard and understood.

9 Skills That Pays Dividends Forever

The further along you are in your career, the easier it is to fall back on the mistaken assumption that you’ve made it and have all the skills you need to succeed. The tendency is to focus all your energy on getting the job done, assuming that the rest will take care of itself. Big mistake.


New research from Stanford tells the story. Carol Dweck and her colleagues conducted a study with people who were struggling with their performance. One group was taught to perform better on a task that they performed poorly in. The other group received a completely different intervention: for the task that they performed badly in, they were taught that they weren’t stuck and that improving their performance was a choice. They discovered that learning produces physiological changes in the brain, just like exercise changes muscles. All they had to do was believe in themselves and make it happen.

When the groups’ performance was reassessed a few months later, the group that was taught to perform the task better did even worse. The group that was taught that they had the power to change their brains and improve their performance themselves improved dramatically.

The primary takeaway from Dweck’s research is that we should never stop learning. The moment we think that we are who we are is the moment we give away our unrealized potential.

“Live as if you were to die tomorrow. Learn as if you were to live forever.” – Mahatma Gandhi

The act of learning is every bit as important as what you learn. Believing that you can improve yourself and do things in the future that are beyond your current possibilities is exciting and fulfilling.

1. Emotional intelligence (EQ). 

EQ is the “something” in each of us that is a bit intangible. It affects how we manage behavior, navigate social complexities, and make personal decisions that achieve positive results. EQ is your ability to recognize and understand emotions in yourself and others and your ability to use this awareness to manage your behavior and relationships. Decades of research now point to EQ as the critical factor that sets star performers apart from the rest of the pack. It’s a powerful way to focus your energy in one direction, with tremendous results.

TalentSmart tested EQ alongside 33 other important workplace skills and found that EQ is the strongest predictor of performance, explaining a full 58 percent of success in all types of jobs. Of all the people we’ve studied at work, we've found that 90 percent of top performers are also high in EQ. On the flip side, just 20 percent of bottom performers are high in EQ. You can be a top performer without EQ, but the chances are slim. Naturally, people with a high degree of EQ make more money, an average of $29,000 more per year than people with a low degree of emotional intelligence. The link between EQ and earnings is so direct that every point increase in EQ adds $1,300 to an annual salary. Increasing your EQ won’t just pad your bank account, it’ll make you happier and less stressed as well.

2. Time management. 

One of the biggest things that gets in the way of effective time management is the “tyranny of the urgent.” This refers to the tendency of little things that have to be done right now to get in the way of what really matters. When you succumb to it, you spend so much time putting out fires that you never get any real work done. How many times have you left work at the end of the day, only to realize that you didn’t move the important things along even one inch? Learning to manage your time effectively frees you up to perform at your absolute highest level, and it does so every single day of your life.

3. Listening. 

This one should be easy. If we’re not talking, we’re listening, right? Well, not exactly. A lot of times, we think we’re listening, but we’re actually planning what we’re going to say next. True listening means focusing solely on what the other person is saying. It’s about understanding, not rebuttal or input. Learning how to suspend judgment and focus on understanding the other person’s input is one of the most important skills you can develop.

Listening is a bit like intelligence -- most everyone thinks they’re above average (even though that’s impossible). A study at Wright State University surveyed more than 8,000 people from different verticals, and almost all rated themselves as listening as well as or better than their co-workers. We know intuitively that many of them were wrong.

There’s so much talking happening at work that opportunities to listen abound. We talk to provide feedback, explain instructions, and communicate deadlines. Beyond the spoken words, there’s invaluable information to be deciphered through tone of voice, body language, and what isn’t said. In other words, failing to keep your ears (and eyes) open could leave you out of the game.


4. Saying "No." 

Research conducted at the University of California, San Francisco, showed that the more difficulty that you have saying no, the more likely you are to experience stress, burnout, and even depression. Saying no is indeed a major challenge for many people. No is a powerful word that you should not be afraid to wield. When it’s time to say no, avoid phrases such as I don’t think I can or I’m not certain. Saying no to a new commitment honors your existing commitments and gives you the opportunity to successfully fulfill them. When you learn to say no, you free yourself from unnecessary constraints and free up your time and energy for the important things in life.

5. Asking for help. 

It might seem counterintuitive to suggest that asking for help is a skill, but it is. It takes a tremendous amount of confidence and humility to admit that you need assistance. This skill is critical because the last thing a leader wants are employees who keep on trucking down the wrong path because they are too embarrassed or proud to admit that they don’t know what they’re doing. The ability to recognize when you need help, summon up the courage to ask for it, and follow through on that help is an extremely valuable skill.

6. Getting high-quality sleep. 

We've always known that quality sleep is good for your brain, but recent research from the University of Rochester demonstrated exactly how so. The study found that when you sleep, your brain removes toxic proteins, which are by-products of neural activity when you're awake, from its neurons. The catch here is that your brain can only adequately remove these toxic proteins when you have sufficient quality sleep. When you don’t get high-quality deep sleep, the toxic proteins remain in your brain cells, wreaking havoc and ultimately impairing your ability to think -- something no amount of caffeine can fix. This slows your ability to process information and solve problems, kills your creativity, and increases your emotional reactivity. Learning to get high-quality sleep on a regular basis is a difficult skill to master, but it pays massive dividends the next day.

7. Knowing when to shut up. 

Sure, it can feel so good to unload on somebody and let them know what you really think, but that good feeling is temporary. What happens the next day, the next week, or the next year? It’s human nature to want to prove that you’re right, but it’s rarely effective. In conflict, unchecked emotion makes you dig your heels in and fight the kind of battle that can leave you and the relationship severely damaged. When you read and respond to your emotions, you’re able to choose your battles wisely and only stand your ground when the time is right. The vast majority of the time, that means biting your tongue.


8. Taking initiative. 

Initiative is a skill that will take you far in life. In theory, initiative is easy -- the desire to take action is always there -- but in the real world, other things get in the way. There’s a big difference between knowing what to do and being too scared or lazy to actually do it. That requires initiative. You have to take risks and push yourself out of your comfort zone, until taking initiative is second nature.

9. Staying positive. 

We've all received the well-meaning advice to "stay positive." The greater the challenge, the more this glass-half-full wisdom can come across as Pollyannaish and unrealistic. It's hard to find the motivation to focus on the positive when positivity seems like nothing more than wishful thinking. The real obstacle to positivity is that our brains are hard-wired to look for and focus on threats. This survival mechanism served humankind well, back when we were hunters and gatherers and living each day with the very real threat of being killed by someone or something in our immediate surroundings.

That was eons ago. Today, this mechanism breeds pessimism and negativity through the mind's tendency to wander until it finds a threat. These "threats" magnify the perceived likelihood that things are going -- and/or are going to go -- poorly. When the threat is real and lurking in the bushes down the path, this mechanism serves you well. When the threat is imagined and you spend two months convinced that the project you're working on is going to flop, this mechanism leaves you with a soured view of reality that wreaks havoc in your life. Maintaining positivity is a daily challenge that requires focus and attention. You must be intentional about staying positive if you're going to overcome the brain's tendency to focus on threats.


Bringing It All Together

Research shows that lifelong learning pays dividends beyond the skills you acquire. Never stop learning.

Post Courtesy.

10 things to shape yourself

Every day, and in every way, we consciously and unconsciously analyze everything about everyone. This is part of being social; it is part survival; and it is how we size people up to establish some level of predictability about who and how people are. This is a natural and nonstop process we experience with everyone we come in contact with. As business leaders, managers and colleagues, we pay attention to everything about a person, to gauge who is successful and driven, whom we want on our teams and whom we would prefer to avoid. Here is a list of 10 subtle things we get judged on:


1. Appearance

The very first thing to notice about anyone is his or her overall appearance -- in a bigger picture sense, before we pay attention to detail. The first things others notice is gender, race, height, weight, hair and clothing, all of which create deep psychological assessments about us in others. Meeting someone for the first time is like going through a TSA checkpoint: We are immediately sized up from the second we come in contact. To make a good first impression, make sure you’re well-kept, nicely dressed and clean, and that you smell good and smile.

2. Handshake

Many believe handshakes reveal everything about a person. Through a handshake, people can sense if we are confident or insecure. Those with a natural confidence shake hands with a balanced and kind sense of authority. Too strong a handshake, however, reveals the need to dominate, while a weak or limp handshake reveals insecurity and/or frailness of personality.

When making a first impression in an interview, or meeting a new customer or salesperson, we need to recognize that our handshake is often a litmus test right from the start. No one wants to start a new relationship with a weak future. Find a balance among the factors of intelligence, elegance and confidence when shaking someone else's hand.

3. Teeth

Our teeth function like our business card. Teeth reveal everything, from social status, income level and hygiene, to our overall state of health. Attractive, successful people are associated with pearly white Hollywood smiles. Teeth expose things such as our age and gender and the type of personality we have, all of which have a huge impact on the first impression we give.

Bright, white teeth make people look more successful, more employable and appealing. Pretty, white, straight teeth also make people appear five years younger, so head off to get that whitening treatment to improve the first impression you give.

4. Nail-biting

As a psychologist, one of the first things I look for is the condition of a patient’s fingernails. Nail-biters, or those who pick and chew the skin around their nails tend to have anxiety issues and issues with perfectionism. Perfectionistic, nervous people are viewed as having difficulty relaxing and performing tasks at a normal pace.

Nail-biters tend to have lower levels of frustration tolerance when they do not meet their goals. They also experience higher levels of boredom when not deeply involved in a task. To avoid showing your nerves, work on staying busy to avoid chewing on those nails. Nail-biting is essentially a form of self-soothing. Taking a little natural GABA supplement (GABA being gamma-aminobutyric acid, a neuro-transmitter in the brain) can help calm that nervous energy.

5. Posture

Posture communicates a physical and emotional response to positive and negative stress. When we feel confident, the chemicals in our brains prompt us to stand up straight and arch our back. The more confident we are in ourselves, the taller we stand the major portion of the time. However, when we feel timid, nervous or fearful, or don’t want to be the center of attention, our brains react with the impulse to withdrawal into a fetal-like position.

To make a better impression, keep in mind that we can use our posture to get us out of negative stress by holding ourselves as if we have all the confidence in the world.

6. Laughter

Laughter is judged and experienced as relaxing, natural and lighthearted, or as annoying, overcompensating and nervous. When laughter is natural and appropriate to the situation, it eliminates tension and boosts morale. However, when it comes from a disingenuous place, it creates annoyance and division between people. 

Annoying, needy or attention-seeking laughter may be judged by others as off-putting. So, be sure to laugh naturally, and with a sense of composure, so people enjoy your company.

7. Tone of voice

When it comes to communication, it is not just our words which have an impact, but also our tone of voice. Whether one's voice is booming, screechy, mousy, raspy or demure, it speaks volumes about our personality. Our voices subtly communicate our true emotional state, even when we’d rather it not. The subtle wavers in our voice communicate that we’re sad or nervous.

When our voices get louder, our words more blunted or pointed, that communicates that we’re angry. This deeply impacts how other people perceive us, maybe even more so than our physical appearance. That is why it is often said that, it is not what you say but how you say it that makes all the difference in communication.  For this reason, think about how you're speaking before you actually do.

8. Eye contact

When there is too much eye contact it can make others feel they are being stared or glared at, making things awkward or threatening. Too little eye contact is interpreted as insecurity or a lack of honesty. Natural, healthy, well-received eye contact lasts no more than six seconds.

It is important to break contact occasionally and look away -- to pause as we express something. It's also important, when listening, to look at the person speaking with consistency, as that shows that we’re engaged and listening. The most important thing to do when we converse is smile. Smiling changes our eyes in a positive way.

9. Punctuality

Being on time communicates responsibility. We spend a considerable amount of time keeping track of other people’s time, judging them to be early, on time or late. We use units of time to describe ourselves and others. For example, describing someone as “always late” may imply a judgment, that we see that person as disorganized, flaky, disrespectful or immature.

To be punctual is a positive attribute and a reflection of many admirable personality qualities, such as responsibility. For this reason, be on time and/or actively communicate your ETA. Others will appreciate the gesture.

10. Handwriting

If we have to write something by hand at work, or we ask that of a prospective employee, the handwriting that results will give us some great insight into who we or they are. It is believed that the size of our letters reveal whether we are shy or outgoing. Small letters which do not reach the top line are indicative of a timid or introverted personality.

When we write with large letters which go over the top line, we are seen as more outgoing and confident. Those who put a lot of space between words are seen as preferring to have more freedom and independence, while those who put very little space between letters are seen as preferring to be around others and disliking being alone. When we dot our I’s and cross our T’s, we are seen as detail oriented, and if we apply a lot of pressure to our pen, we are seen as confident, whereas if we write lightly, we are viewed as more sensitive and empathic.

IT Job in Product or Service based Company

I would pick a product based company any day. Why? Because,


Package - ₹3L in service companies or ₹10L - ₹40L in product companies? Is this some joke?

Work - Product companies pride in their pure development work. What can service companies offer me? Maintenance work? Boring!

Hierarchy - I don’t want a 10+ level hierarchy above me. Product companies have a flat hierarchy and moreover, managers treats you like an equal.

Exposure - Service companies hire tens of thousands of candidates every year. And a majority of them can’t even code well (no offense). Not a thriving environment is it? Product companies hire only the best and I prefer working with the best.

Career - Product companies offer shortcuts into my future. Working in a product company literally brings recruiters to me. What can service companies offer me? A 1 - 2 year service bond? No thanks!

Amenities - Product companies pamper us with free food, parties, gym, cabs, bonuses, vacations. No dress code either! And service companies? Refer us to sim card companies!