We all are aware of the adverse effect on COVID-19 on the economy of India. According to the International Labour Organization, about 25 million jobs were at risk even before the warning of Coronavirus spread across countries. It is predicted that the effect of COVID-19 on the working sectors of the world will be worse than the impact of the financial crisis that occurred in 2008-2009. Another prediction of ILO explains that with 90% of people being in the working sector in India, about 400 million people will face an employment crisis due to COVID-19. The current reality is harsher than the prediction, it is 50 million people have already lost their jobs in just 2 weeks of lockdown.
To deal with this crisis, many companies have decided to cut down the costs. As companies fail to take the burden that is beyond their means, they tend to cut down on the salaries or even fire their employees. If you are one among those employees and if you are looking for new jobs, here’s what you should know and what you need to do.
As much as the rise of unemployment, there will be many new small job opportunities created. Healthcare, digital, technological sectors will get tremendous boosts. But with the increasing number of unemployed people, getting hired won’t be a cakewalk. You may experience that many interviews are being rescheduled or canceled. Even the joining dates are being postponed due to this pandemic. One way to overcome your unemployment is to keep looking for industries that are hiring. This is because some companies have not been hit harder than others. Be active on social media, go through newspapers for job ads, be connected with your near and dear ones, so that you can get the job-related updates quickly.
Think about your potential as an employee. Think about your strengths and weaknesses. When you face an upcoming interview, what and how are you going to express yourself, your experience. If you fail to do so, you might not crack any interview, because, in situations like these, employers look for candidates who can communicate their potential and skills well. Understand the importance of soft skills in the corporate world. Well, take this lockdown as an opportunity to develop your communication skills.
Why are communication and interpersonal skills important?
You must know that sometimes your communication can speak louder than your resume. The importance of soft skills in the corporate world is well known by everyone because soft skills have impeccable benefits. These skills will help you at your workplace by making your communication with clients, colleagues, and supervisors better. With better communication skills you can make tough decisions, handle difficult discussions with ease, strike an empathetic tone when interacting with unhappy clients in phone or in-person, or enhance the value of the company brand when writing about it online. Effective communication is important for the growth of an organization and your own survival. Coordination between supervisors and employees is very important to understand the requirements of clients to serve them better. Effective interpersonal skills are a need of the hour in today’s corporate world which involves partners and clients from around the globe.
Wondering what are the benefits of interpersonal communication skills?
Well, you will be amazed at how these simple, easy to acquire skills can do wonders in your career life. Here are some amazing benefits of interpersonal communication skills:
- Helps in building team dynamics
- Makes it easy to handle problems and make decisions
- Strengthens your communication skills
- Increases employment opportunities for you
- Paves way for personal development and successful life
- Fosters personal relationships
- Demonstrates your social awareness trait
- Enhances client satisfaction
- Builds a sense of trust among colleagues and employer
- Invokes leadership skills in you and many more.
How to boost your communication skills?
After understanding the importance of communication skills you must be thinking about what are the important communication skills and how to boost your communication skills. Some of the important skills include Active listening, Collaboration, Problem-solving, Conflict Resolution, Diplomacy, Adaptability, Leadership, Body language, clarity, friendliness, respect, confidence, and Patience
Here are 5 important ways to boost your interpersonal and communication skills:
1.Practice active listening
Whenever someone is talking to you, make them feel that you are interested in listening to them. You can do this by either nodding your head or restating what they have spoken. This will show that you have understood what he/she was talking about. Active listening is an important skill required in any employment or interview.
2. Inculcate positive body language
Everyone loves to communicate or interact with a happy or positive person. If you smile often or showcase an upbeat attitude, people around you will be inclined towards you. Always try to be cheerful about your life and work. This will create a positive aura around you and keep your colleagues optimistic.
3. Find solutions instead of complaining
Less complaining attitude is appreciated because it shows your ability to deal with problems and also to resolve them. Understanding other persons’ perspectives and empathizing with them is very important. If you can easily do so, without complaining or focusing only on your opinion then you score an extra point.
4. Enhance team spirit
Always try to create a healthy and friendly atmosphere in your workplace. Treat everyone equally regardless of their designation. Avoid gossiping about others. Try to understand and accept the opinion of your team members. Make your team members feel that they can easily approach you for any opinions and corrections. This means you should be open to feedback. When your teammates know you are friendly and open-minded towards any difficulty, that will build the team spirit and unity.
5. Participate in every conversation that is with respect to the company
Any discussions that take place in the company, should have your complete involvement. Do not sit idle. Make sure you put forth your opinion and bring some ideas to the table. You will be appreciated if you can bring out your concerns and express your thoughts clearly whenever required.
Good communication and interpersonal skills will always help you in your personal and professional life. These are not just soft skills but life skills. Interpersonal skills will simplify and ease your interactions with others. These are the skills that will make you stand out!
Penned By: Yashaswini Kudachi
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