Page 78 - Failure to Triumph - Journey of A Student

My Target Service Selection Board (SSB)

Flow and command over language
You can attain a good flow only if you practice. Well command over language is the same thing the
more you speak the more fluent you get. Fluency is utmost important while communicating. If you
are fluent then your audience will have a certain level of interest. Especially in Lecturette, interview
and GD. Thus you need to practice a lot of speaking, stand in front of the mirror and practice or
catch a family member. Also you must be good and fluent in English if you have studied from an
English medium school. Many of you say that Officers communicate in Hindi with men and all these
things but let’s admit that, by being fluent in English you are at a certain level of advantage & you
can’t deny that. So instead of applying your brain and arguing so as to why English is considered
more important and not Hindi, it’s better to practice English and be fluent in it. You are not going
there to debate and protect Hindi, Hindi is our mother tongue and we all respect it but it is said
“When in Rome do what Romans do”. Your aim is to get recommended isn’t it?

Gestures and Eye Contact
These are two most important parts of effective communication. When you are speaking something
its power is enhanced if you are doing some hand gestures with it. Maintaining an eye contact with
the listeners makes them interested.

Body Language
You must maintain a respectful body language while speaking. Getting alarmed and rising up from
your chair while GD is not a sign of a good body language.

Be a good listener
You must be good listener in order to be good speaker. This is last but one of the most important
points of effective communication. Letting others speak makes you appear more adaptable and
respectful towards others. It gives an impression that you care enough to listen to them and are ready
to accept their views which makes you more adaptable.

How to be a Worthy Group Member at SSB

Interview

An armed forces officer has to work along with his seniors and juniors. It an officer lacks the quality
of association with group members, and then he can never effectively lead his men. He may prove to

be an unfit commander. This same quality is assessed by the GTO in various Group tasks. A
candidate who is a man of great talents when worked individually may cease to be so when he is
working with a group. An armed forces officer essentially requires a spirit of co-operation, team spirit
and self-assertiveness. This traits are tested by the GTO in group tasks.

Anyone who lacks the above qualities will have no say in the activities of the group and ceases to be
an active member. Here I have enumerated certain qualities which every candidate should

essentially cultivate before appearing SSB.