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GROUP DISCUSSION & PERSONAL INTERVIEW PREPARATION

Now, that you have crossed the first hurdle of cracking the written exam, it’s time to focus on the next stage.

NIFT conducts GD/PI for those who have qualified NIFT 1st Phase written exam and group discussion is based on a Case study. GD/PI have a weightage of 30% and it plays a very important role in deciding the NIFT All India Rank. 

Every year for the 2nd round of the Design entrance exams, Premier institutes like National Institute of Fashion Technology  (NIFT), National Institute of Design (NID), etc. may announce the “GROUP DISCUSSION & PERSONAL INTERVIEW ROUNDS” for the admission PG programs as M.Des, MFM, MFTECH. We at Pahal Design, brief you here about GD & PI.

GROUP DISCUSSIONS

Shortlisted candidates for Masters Programs from the written entrance examination are required to undergo Case Study based Group Discussions (GD) and Personal Interview (PI). GD would comprise approximately 15 to 20 minutes of discussion on a case study assigned, on which a panel of experts will assess the candidates on various parameters including:

1. Conceptual clarity
2. Knowledge of the topic assigned
3. The contribution made to the topic
4. Interpersonal skills
5. Ability to generate new ideas
6. Problem-solving approach
7. Leadership qualities
8. Effective communication

What Happens at Group Discussion

Normally groups of 8-10 candidates are formed into a leaderless group and are given a specific situation to analyze and discuss within a given time limit. The group may be given a Case Study and asked to come up with a solution for a problem. The group may be given a topic and asked to discuss the same. A panel will observe the proceedings and evaluate the members of the group.

BEFORE THE GROUP DISCUSSION

1. Stock yourself with information-No one knows what the topic of GD is going to be. Hence, it will be a good idea to keep yourself abreast with topics like:

Current Affairs

Current Affairs is something that you have to be thorough with. For this, read newspapers regularly. Understand the recent crises that the world is reeling under, the latest developmental initiatives, the ties between various countries and the like.

Historical topics

Have a fair knowledge about the country’s history and also the history of other countries. The topics may not be specifically from this area, but having historical information will help you cite examples and make references whenever needed.

Arts & Literature 

In these topics, try to have a decent idea about what is popular, who are the leaders in each area, the latest that has happened in these areas. If the topic for GD is from these areas, then you will be in control of the situation, or else you can definitely use the information to draw references.

Data crunching

Do familiarize yourself with important data. Throwing in some data if required in your GD will definitely create an impression among the assessors.

Let’s discuss a few relevant points which one should remember while appearing for a GD. 

• One needs to know what one’s objective in the group is—- 
• to be noticed by the panel and to contribute meaningfully in an attempt to help the group reach the right consensus.
• It’s a test of your problem-solving skills, critical thinking skills, and analytical ability. In other words, they want to assess how you perform and react during a crisis situation.

HOW TO DO IT?

• You must ensure that the group hears you. If the group hears you, so will the evaluator.
• You need to be assertive. It depends on you how you steer the group in the right direction, once it gets stuck to something. This gives you the chance to showcase your leadership skills.
• Most importantly, you have to make your chances. Many group discussion participants often complain that they did not get a chance to speak. The fact is that in no group discussion will you get a chance to speak. There is nothing more unacceptable in a GD than keeping one’s mouth shut or just murmuring things that are inaudible.
• Another major essential thing is that your contribution to the group should be meaningful. For that, you need to have a good knowledge base.

HOW TO DO IT?

• You should be able to think logically and hence put forth your ideas cohesively. The quality of what you said is more valuable than the quantity.
• It doesn’t help if you shout at the top of your voice and speak at great length, what matters most is what you speak and how it creates an impact on the group as well as the evaluators.

3) The last but not the least, most important thing is that you must be clearly seen to be attempting to build a consensus. This shows your ability to work in a team, your ability to adjust yourself in new surroundings and help others in your team to reach a definite conclusion amidst difference of opinions. After all, this is what all Group Discussions aim at: To be able to discuss and arrive at a consensus.

Tips and Tricks to practice during GD

1. Be positive,
2. Maintain an erect posture and keep calm,
3. Be confident, it is the key to success, but never be dominant,
4. Try to initiate GD at right points and only if you have adequate knowledge on the subject,
5. Ensure participation with appropriate content and build arguments with facts and figures,
6. Be sensible and always deliver a relevant speech,
7. Try to use simple words and speak politely,
8. While speaking always maintain eye contact,
9. Listen patiently when others are speaking and never interrupt others speech,
10. Never stare at Judges during your speech,
11. Never lose your temper, and
12. Keep a logical approach during GD
13. Be Yourself. Be as natural as possible and don’t try to be someone you are not.
14. Take time to organize your thoughts. Don’t suddenly jump to any conclusion. Think before you speak so that you don’t speak anything irrelevant to the topic being discussed.
15. Don’t make the mistake of looking at the panel while you are speaking. You are in a Group Discussion and you are expected to discuss among group members, so always look at your group members while you are speaking.
16. Seek clarifications if you have any doubts regarding the subject, before the discussion commences.
17. Your body language says a lot about you – your gestures and mannerisms are more likely to reflect your attitude than what you say.
18. Never try to show your dominance. Be assertive, speak yourself and let others speak as well.
19. Don’t lose your cool if anyone says anything you object to. The key is to stay objective: Don’t take the discussion personally.
20. Show your leadership skills. Motivate the other members of the team to speak. Be receptive to others’ opinions and do not be abrasive or aggressive.
21. Remember, opening the discussion is not the only way of gaining attention and recognition. If you do not give valuable insights during the discussion, all your efforts of initiating the discussion will be in vain.

Sample GD Topics for 2020:

• How fast fashion brands are contributing to sustainability. Is Sustainability a new trend. 
• Is Vegan leather a substitute for leather.
• Comment on the statement “…the fashion world pays lip service to the notion of change because in truth, it hates change. It likes what it sold yesterday, and to make fashion saleable for tomorrow, it will add a few bells and whistles and surround the whole thing with hubba-hubba seduction…”. How retailers and designers will respond to this challenge.
• How is Budget 2020 impacting Indian Imports and Exports?
• Role of Artificial intelligence in design. 
• Zero Technology in fashion Industry
• “As Consumers are getting older, the fashion searches for the fountain of youth. Not so long ago, young people aspired to look older…. But these days, rather than dressing up…women are dressing young…”. How retailers and designers will respond to this challenge?
• “Powered by technological innovations, internet, and globalization of fashion, the life span of a fashion trend is reducing drastically.” How retailers will respond to this trend.

Previous year GD Topic:

1. Can artificial intelligence be creative
2. Is Entrepreneurship necessity or obligation for the Indian Economy?
3. Communication is the lifeline of the fashion Industry. Do you agree or disagree?
4. Have Social networking sites influenced the buying behavior of customers?
5. What does a hand textile company should do to keep their sal up with the latest technology?
6. Should E-commerce and retail outlets have the concept of “exclusive rights”?
7. Is E-commerce is feasible to sell handicrafts or not?
8. Are Indian consumers are not ready for experimental marketing?
9. Manager Policies could restrict employee
10. Can design play an active role in recycling
11. Women Entrepreneurship in India in the next ten years
12. Sustainable fashion vs fast fashion
13. The financial sector is the backbone of India
14. Counterfeit is good for fashion. Do you agree
15. Overloaded information can lead the customer to confusion
16. Football is an incorrect tool to assess customer conversion and customer loyalty
17. Should luxury brand opt for franchise models for their stores or full ownership model
18. Design specialization is confusing and overlapping?
19. Is it possible to eliminate child labor completely from the garment Industry
20. Perfect self or selfie
21. Holyman (Baba Ramdev) outshines its competitors even after not knowing about brand strategies.

POINTS TO REMEMBER ON THE BIG DAY

•  dress in comfortable clothes
• Be confident but avoid being overconfident
• Talk sense. Avoid superficial talk
• Listen carefully and speak only at the appropriate time
• Be very sure of what you are speaking
• Use easy-to-understand English
• Speak loudly and clearly
• Do not be deterred by other members aggressive or submissive behavior
• Accommodate diverse viewpoints
• Put forth your points without being aggressive
• Give due importance to other person views. However, stick to the point you have made. Try to support it with more viewpoints.
• Do not allow yourself to be diverted by other peoples points
• Do not be distracted. Your concentration should be solely on the discussion
• If you do not know something, do not speak
• Do not get excited or aggressive during the discussion. Try to maintain a balanced tone throughout
• Try to contribute throughout the discussion
• Try to be the first and the last to speak
• Read as much as possible. Have good and sound knowledge on numerous topics. Watching documentaries on various topics will help here
• Improve your vocabulary. This does not mean that you use heavy and big words, but it means that you will be able to understand the topic better and contribute effectively

PERSONAL INTERVIEW

Once you have cleared the NIFT or NID entrance exam, you will be called to these design schools for the next stage of the selection process. This is the final hurdle to your dream of joining the premier design school. The Interview is the deciding and most crucial factor in the admission test.

Candidates shall be evaluated on the various parameters as listed below by a panel, in the Personal Interview:

1. Career orientation
2. Aptness for the course
3. Overall personal achievements in academics and co-curricular activities
4. Communication
5. General awareness and aptitude, creative and lateral thinking

Personal Interview Questions

1. Tell me something about yourself?
2. Why do you want to join NIFT?
3. Do you know about MFM/M.Des curriculum?
4. I you get NIFT Shillong will you join?
5. Why are you not interested in pursuing master’s in the same stream (graduation)?
6. What brand of clothes you are wearing right now? Tell something about it?
7. Name Five Shirt brands?
8. Where do you see yourself five years down the line?
9. Tell me something about your family?
10. About Home Town?
11. Who is Ram Vilas Paswan? Shatrughan Sinha is a member of which political party?
12. Do you think the smartphone’s camera is responsible for diminishing the usage of DSLRs
13. Compare twitter and Instagram as social mediums
14. Why are you interested in M.Des?
15. Why MFM why not M.Des?
16. Name five ethnic brands of India
17. Introduce yourself?
18. How your field related to design?
19. Questions related to graduation subjects
20. Why should we select you?

THE 10 TIPS:

• Go in Ready
• Take Charge
• Command Attention – As you speak, demonstrate your desire to reach out and involve the audience. Lean towards the participants, facing first one section of the room or table and then another so no one is neglected. Use hand gestures to enhance your points. Maximize your arguments, eyeballing each participant until his/her body language confirms you are being listened to, not just heard.
• Adopt Varying Vocal Tones – Use different but appropriate attitudes and vocal tones for each agenda item. Vary their sense of urgency to separate the points more definitively and make the meeting more interesting.
• Watch Your Time – Place a watch/clock next to your notes so you can measure issues yet to be discussed vs. time remaining. Keep revising your “if possible” agenda items, based on priorities and the amount of time left. Otherwise, you may be forced to rush through key discussions.
• Keep on Track – Make sure participants address only the agenda item currently under discussion. Deflect extraneous conversations including other topics, dissention, grandstanding, or chatter with phrases such as “If you will e-mail me about that, I’ll look into it further” or “Because we have a short window, let’s table that discussion until another time.”
• Curtail Dominators – If someone dominates the current discussion, redirect to others who should be heard. Use phrases like “Let’s hear what (name) has to say,” or “(Name), do you want to comment?” to involve others and change the tone in the room.
• Maintain Time Limits – Keep discussions to reasonable time limits. When running behind, announce the number of agenda items still to be covered and the reduced amount of time remaining. Ask the speaker to finalize his/her position, e.g., “We need to bring this issue to a close. Would you sum up your point in a couple of sentences?” or “We still have six items left to discuss so we are going to have to table this for now.”
• Use Humor – Interject humor where appropriate to release tension in the room. This also eases the introduction and discussion of more difficult agenda items.
• Position and Reposition – Take notes during the meeting, including points made by specific participants. Pay attention not only to what participants are saying but also to their possible sub-texts and implications. Address each dissenting point at the end of the meeting, repositioning your message appropriately. If necessary, table the final decision until you can further address the concerns/questions expressed.