Don't jump without any idea and make illogical statements...

Prithviraj Choudhary is the currently managing the content for indya.com- STAR TV's digital media initiative and one of India's leading entertainment portals.

He topped the IIMC Entrance test for Radio and Television course in 2005 and also won the STAR TV MEDIA SCHOLARSHIP for the year 2005-2006.

He has been associated with theatre (directing, acting and set design) also and recently he made his feature film debut in Jayabrato Chatterjee's 'Love Songs'.

Very often the Group Discussion- ominously abbreviated as GD- turns out to be a real pain to get past. One doesn't know how much to say, how long to say it for, how to say it or simply what to say. When one speaks of GD, one conjures up images of a bunch of eight-ten over-zealous and extremely hyper candidates -all fighting to get their precious words of wisdom in, with the aggression not unlike a heavyweight boxer on drugs in the ring, arguments which struggle to rise above anything but noise, over-gesticulating and firm in the belief that what each one is saying is nothing but the absolute truth, and no other view points exist! Aggression, they believe is the way to go about it.Whatever topic is given, if you are not raising your voice to a cacophonic level, thumping your chest and spewing wisdom at a feverish pace,then you are not having a good GD at all.

Well- is that true? Leaving aside the wider discussion on what generally GDs are like, let me for the sake of relevance- limit myself to the GDs which happen in IIMC and give some general guidelines- culled from my personal experience of the IIMC GD I had underwent and from other GDs I have given- on how best to tackle it.

For the RTV department, the GD in my year (2005) was a quiet and very systematic affair. The interviewers presented us a topic and then to my surprise and to my relief, asked us to give them our views by turns. So immediately the whole drama of aggressive shouting and fist pounding and hurling accusations went right out of the window. Now there is no guarantee that this will be followed this year as well. So it well might turn out to be a free-for-all discussion where one has to make sure that he/she is heard above the general shouts of the other candidates, and your point is made effectively and is taken seriously. I have listed below some pointers to keep in mind to tackle any kind of GD which comes in the RTV admissions this year.

Preparation for GD :
Since you are enrolling into a Journalism course, you are expected to be up-to-date with all burning current affairs issues from every sphere. This bit is true for admission in the course, not just for GD. Generally a group discussion would be on the most recent topical issues- so it would do you good if you were to scan the newspapers/magazines/news channels on a regular basis for issues that are currently making news (hopefully you are doing that anyway).

Pay particular attention to any bit of news that might have happened a day or two before the GD date , or even the morning of the GD. In my case, we were told to comment on a particular political development which came into news the night before my GD date. So the lesson to be learnt- just be aware of what is making the latest news.

Topics of GD :
This could broadly be divided into three types- political (which would be current affairs from India and abroad),social ones ( this would include entertainment and cultural issues) and lastly on media and its general nature (ethics, the state of TV news channels, the mushrooming of so many news channels) . Since its a RTV interview - and not, let' s say a AD PR one- political topics would be emphasized on( I know of my AD PR friends who got to debate on the issue of the fairness fad, and celebrity endorsements along with a few political issues).

Sometimes the interviewer asks a group to choose a topic from a few options. Its generally chosen by a majority vote- so at best you can do is to hope the topic you are comfortable with is chosen by everyone else.

Your Arguments:
Clearly what you say in a GD regarding a particular topic is dependent on how well you know the same. Given the variety of topics you might encounter, it is of course not possible to know about everything in depth and with all details. You are not expected to do so either.

You need to have a firm opinion on the issue given and back it up solidly by cogent logical arguments, which are, in turn, borne out of facts of the case. If you are lucky and the topic is up your alley,then it should not be a problem. If its something which you are not too familiar with, then here is the good part of being in a GD. You wait and listen to the first few comments by the others, and then give your opinion on it . This way, you have some idea on what the issue is all about, why it is in contention etc.

Of course, its not the best thing to do- but its better you wait for some time and hear people out and then present an opinion , rather than jumping into it without any idea and making illogical statements. Don't wait for too long though- that will give away the fact that you are reluctant to speak on it.

In a GD, never fence sit- take a side and speak for or against it with your arguments.Keep your arguments brief ,primarily because you don't have much time and there are other people who will have to speak as well. You are not expected to get into a whole treatise. Figure out the relevant and the most strong points backing your point of view and present that. If probed further- you can go in depth with the facts you know.

The Style/Manner:
If its a GD where you are asked to speak in turns- then its simple. You just present your point of view. After everybody has spoken once, you are then free to interject or counterpoint somebody's argument. But do so without being unnecessarily mean or aggressive. You can start off by saying : "I would want to bring up the point which my fellow colleague here has made and say..." or " I would disagree with what my colleague has said on the point of ..." There is no need to be rude or overtly aggressive, just make your point and have a healthy debate.

If its a GD which is free-for-all- then its always best to be the first to speak. This way you lead the discussion to the direction you want, and additionally the authorities take notice of you instantly. Of course, it can all go to waste if you come upon with an argument which is not cogent or irrelevant! If not the first, be the second to speak, giving either the opposite viewpoint or support the point of view taken by the first speaker with additional facts and arguments. Don't repeat what has been said before.

These kind of free for all discussions-as mentioned earlier- tend to get out of control. More often than not, there will be some candidates who will deliberately raise their voice and show aggression in getting their point across. There will be someone who will not let anyone else put their point across. In such cases, the moderator of the GD intervenes. You- as a participant of such a GD- will need to be firm , loud and confident of your point of view. Resist being rude or shout or launch into an argument of who speaks first.

You can throw off an opponent who is resisting hearing others' views by saying firmly: "Clearly my friend here believes that shouting mindlessly and repeating the same point endlessly will convince us all of his view-point. It wont work..."(you can even address this directly to the opponent, and a loud voice will help!) At the end of it all- even the moderators would want to test and hear everybody out. So if a discussion is going out of hand, the moderator will interfere to stop it from becoming a mindless shouting match. Don't worry- GDs in RTV in IIMC have not been known to go such degrees. However having said that- be prepared for any situation.

Now onto the Personal Interview:
Now in my year- we were told to talk in front of a camera for two minutes on a topic , which each one of us chose from a choice of two topics given. That was our personal interview. We were given two minutes to get our thoughts together and then start. This was not carried through the next year- so I shall just generally give some pointers to crack an interview ( well- they have worked for me !). These tips- you might find- is not specifically for an interview in IIMC RTV course, but for any such interviews you might go for in the future.

Always wish your board of interviewers- since you cant wish every person sitting individually- a general greeting on everyone's direction would do.

They always start off with a customary- Tell us something about yourself. Don't say the obvious about your schooling and marks- they all know that. Talk about your interests, why you want to do the course, issues in media you feel strongly about. Again be succinct and brief.

If you don't know something, then say so. Try not to talk without any knowledge- it seldom helps- specially since this a journalism interview.

One often thinks that spewing out all information you possibly know on an issue is the best way to impress . Not true. Speak to what has been asked. Unlike a GD where you could not delve deep into an issue- you can actually afford to go a little deep into the topic, when asked to elaborate.

Very often,specially in political issues, your interviewer might have opposite views. Don't get over -zealous and try to make your point too forcefully. Disagree with the opposite viewpoint politely but firmly-giving reasons for doing so.

In case they decide to have the Video test in the RTV admissions this year- make sure you look straight into the camera and speak confidently. You will be given two minutes to collect your thoughts. You might get camera-conscious facing it for the first time- that's understandable. Even the board knows that. You can fumble. One only wants to see how quick you can think on your feet, and how confident you are in front of the camera.

Just don't rush your speech and don't get too aggressive in putting across your speech. Remember you are doing this for TV- so its a good idea to get used to the camera right on the outset. If you wish- you can practice small speeches ( called as 'PTC'- Piece-to-camera) at home in front of a mirror.

Always make eye contact when answering the question.Shifty eyes is a sign of nervousness as is shifty hands, Sit straight and never slouch- that will give an impression of you being too lazy or casual.

At the end of the day, it all depends on how you handle the pressure and the questions on that particular day. No amount of guidelines comes in handy at that very moment when you are asked an uncomfortable question or rebut a controversial point. The pointers above are just something which I have figured out of my own experience in my GD and interview in the RTV course in IIMC. They are not to be taken as the byword in anything. Noone knows your strength better than you yourself- so play according to that and you will be fine.

All the best...
Prithviraj Choudhury