Class X: Employability Skills

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UNIT I Communication Skills

 Communication has three important parts:

1. Transmitting—The sender transmits the message through one medium or another.
2. Listening— The receiver listens or understands the message.
3. Feedback—The receiver conveys their understanding of the message to the sender in the form of feedback to
complete the communication cycle.

 Elements of Communication Process Cycle

1) Sender: the person beginning the communication.
2) Message: the information that the sender wants to convey.
3) Channel: the means by which the information is sent.
4) Receiver: the person to whom the message is sent.
5) Feedback: the receiver’s acknowledgement and response to the message.

 Choosing the right method of communication depends on

• target audience
• costs
• kind/type of information
• urgency/priority

 Types of Communication -
1) Verbal Communication
It includes sounds, words, language, and speech.
Type of Verbal Communication
 Interpersonal Communication
This form of communication takes place between two individuals and is thus a one-on-one
conversation. It can be formal or informal.
Examples
1. A manager discussing the performance with an employee.
2. Two friends discussing homework.
3. Two people talking to each other over phone or video call.
 Written Communication
This form of communication involves writing words.
It can be letters, circulars, reports, manuals, SMS, social media chats, etc.
It can be between two or more people.
Examples
1. A manager writing an appreciation e-mail to an employee.
2. Writing a letter to grandmother enquiring about health.
 Small Group Communication
This type of communication takes place when there are more than two people involved.
Each participant can interact and converse with the rest.
Examples
1. Press conferences 2. Board meetings 3. Team meetings
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  Public Communication
This type of communication takes place when one individual addresses a large gathering.
Examples
1. Election campaigns
2. Public speeches by dignitaries

 Advantages of Verbal Communication

1. It is an easy mode of communication in which you can exchange ideas by saying what you want and
get a quick response.
2. also enables you to keep changing your interaction as per the other person’s response.

 Disadvantages of Verbal Communication

1. sometimes the meanings can be confusing and difficult to understand if the right words are not used.

 Do’s of Verbal Communication

1. Think Before You Speak
2. Think about your topic.
3. Think about the most effective ways to make your listeners understand the topic.
4. Write or note down whatever you plan to say.
5. Speak clearly, loudly and at moderate speed.
6. Be sure the information you want to share is to the point.
7. Do not repeat the same sentences.
8. Be confident.
9. Maintain eye contact, stand straight and be attentive.
10. Be friendly.

2) Non-verbal Communication
Non-verbal communication is the expression or exchange of information or messages without using any
spoken or written word i.e by using signals, through expressions, gestures, postures, touch, space, eye
contact etc
Type of Non -Verbal Communication
 Facial Expressions
Our expressions can show different feelings, such as Happiness, Sadness, Anger, Surprise, Fear,
Effective expressions that can be used –
 Smile when you meet someone.
 Keep your face relaxed.
 Match your expressions with your words.
 Nod while listening.
 Posture - Postures show our confidence and feelings.
For example, a straight body posture shows confidence while a slumped posture is a sign of
weakness. Effective postures that can be used –
 Keep your shoulders straight and body relaxed.
 Sit straight while resting your hands and feet in relaxed position.
 While standing, keep your hands by your sides.
 Gestures or Body Language
Gestures include body movements that express an idea or meaning.
For example, raising a hand in class to ask a question and biting nails when nervous.
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 Effective gestures that can be used –
 Keep your hands open.
 Avoid pointing your finger at people.
 Tilt your head a bit to show that you are attentive.
 Touch We communicate a great deal through touch.
For example, a firm handshake to display confidence and pat on the back to encourage someone.
Effective ways that can be used –
 Shake hands firmly while meeting someone.
 Avoid other touch gestures during formal communication.
 Space - Space is the physical distance between two people. The space between two persons
while communicating, generally depends on the intimacy or closeness between them.
 Maintain proper space depending on the relationship, which could be formal or
informal or the closeness with the person with whom you are talking.
 Eye Contact The way we look at someone can communicate a lot.
Eye contact shows that we are paying attention to the person as opposed to looking away, which
can make the other person feel ignored.
Effective ways that can be used –
 Look directly at the person who is speaking.
 Avoid staring; keep a relaxed look.
 Maintain eye contact with intermittent breaks.

3) Visual Communication
 It involves interchanging messages only through images or pictures.
 you do not need to know any particular language for understanding it.
 It is simple and remains consistent across different places.

 Feedback
can be referred as acknowledgement received by the sender from the receiver about getting the message
across.
Type of Feedback
Positive Feedback
• I noticed you finished the work perfectly. Great job!
• I really appreciate you taking that call.
Negative Feedback
• You keep forgetting to smile at the hotel guests when you talk to them.
• You take really long to reply to e-mails! Are you always so busy?
No Feedback - It is also a feedback in itself which indicates disagreement of ideas.

Feedback, if shared properly, can help reinforce existing strengths and can increase the recipient’s
abilities to rectify errors.

Good feedback is one that is:

• Specific:
 Avoid general comments.
 Try to include examples to clarify your statement.
 Offering alternatives rather than just giving advice allows the receiver to decide what to do with
your feedback.
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• Timely:
 Being prompt is the key, since feedback loses its impact if delayed for too long.
• Polite:
 While it is important to share feedback, the recipient should not feel offended by the language of
the feedback.
• Offering continuing support:
 Feedback sharing should be a continuous process. After offering feedback, let recipients know
you are available for support.

Importance of Feedback
• It validates effective listening:
The person providing the feedback knows they have been understood (or received) and that their
feedback provides some value.
• It motivates:
Feedback can motivate people to build better work relationships and continue the good work that
is being appreciated.
• It is always there:
Every time you speak to a person, we communicate feedback so it is impossible not to provide
one.
• It boosts learning:
Feedback is important to remain focussed on goals, plan better and develop improved products
and services.
• It improves performance:
Feedback can help to form better decisions to improve and increase performance.

Barriers to Effective Communication

1. Physical Barriers
 Physical barrier is the environmental and natural condition that act as a barrier in
communication in sending message from sender to receiver.
 Not being able to see gestures, posture and general body language can make communication
less effective.
 For example, text messages are often less effective than face-to-face communication.
2. Linguistic Barriers
 The inability to communicate using a language is known as language barrier to
communication.
 Language barriers are the most common communication barriers, which cause
misunderstandings and misinterpretations between people.
 For example, slang, professional jargon and regional colloquialisms can make communication
difficult.
3. Interpersonal Barriers
 Barriers to interpersonal communication occur when the sender’s message is received
differently from how it was intended.
 It is also very difficult to communicate with someone who is not willing to talk or express
their feelings and views.
 Stage fear, lack of will to communicate, personal differences can create interpersonal barriers
to communication.

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 4. Organisational Barriers
 Superior-subordinate relationships in a formal organisational structure can be a barrier to free
flow of communication.
 Sometimes due to the stringent rules, the employees find it difficult to communicate with their
peers too.
5. Cultural Barriers
 Cultural barriers is when people of different cultures are unable to understand each other’s
customs, resulting in inconveniences and difficulties.
 People sometimes make stereotypical assumptions about others based on their cultural
background, this leads to difference in opinions

 Basic principles of professional communication skills are abbreviated as 7 Cs

i.e., Clear, Concise, Concrete, Correct, Coherent, Complete and Courteous.

 Ways to Overcome Barriers to Effective Communication

• Use simple language
• Do not form assumptions on culture, religion or geography
• Try to communicate in person as much as possible
• Use visuals
• Take help of a translator to overcome differences in language
• Be respectful of other’s opinions

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UNIT II Self-Management Skills

1. Few things that are required to succeed in life are:

i.Self awareness- know ourselves, our strengths, our weaknesses
ii.Responsibility- Be responsible for our own actions
iii.Time management- Prioritise the things
iv.Adaptability- prepare ourselves for changes

2. Stress management
i. Stress is defined as our emotional, mental, physical and socil reaction to any perceived demands or
threats.
ii. Factors that cause stress are called stressor
iii. Stress management can help us having a joyful life, complete tasks on time, be a happy person, be
more energetic etc
iv. Three steps to manage stress:
 Accept that you are stressed by identifying symptoms lie headaches, nervousness etc
 Try to identify cause of stress
 Try using some stress management methods like:
o Do what you like the most like play, sing etc
o exercise,
o eat healthy diet,
o look at good side of everything and stay positive
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 o proper time management
o Take good sleep during night for atleast 7-8 hours
o Spend time with family. Go for vacations
o Practice meditation, yoga etc
v. If we are calm and relaxed, we can work independently and efficiently
vi. We can learn how to identify and manage our emotions

3. Self -Awareness
 Your likes and dislikes, your beliefs etc
 Know your strengths ,ie, what you are good at and your weaknesses , ie, things that you find
very difficult to do
 Differentiate between your interests and abilities. Interests are the things that we like to do in
our free tiem and which make us happy. Abilities are our capability of doing anything with
proficiency.

4. Self -Motivation
 Self motivation is the force within us that hels us in doing things.
 Types of self motivation-
o Internal motivation- doing things that make us happy eg performing in a function
o External motivation- when you get the appreciation, respect, recognition from others
 Qualities of self motivated person are:
o Are focussed
o Know what is important
o Keep working to fulfil their dreams
o Know what they want from life
 To build self motivation:
o Identify your strengths
o Set and focus on your goals
o Make proper plan to achieve your goal
o Work delicately to achieve your goal

5. Self- Regulation- setting Goal

 Use SMART method to set goal
o Specific- Set a specific and clear goal by understanding few things like when to start,
when to finish, what is the need of dong this etc
o Measurable- Set a goal which is finite, has a specific value like earn 5 times more money
than now.
o Achievable- Beak a goal into smaller parts so that it is achievable
o Realistic- The goal should be something which is achievable. Like completing syllabus
in one month rather than thinking of finishing syllabus in one day.
o Time bound- A smart goal should always have a time by wen it can be achieved.

6. Time management
 It includes:
o Complete task on time
o Make a daily time table
o Don’t waste time during the day
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 o Complete the work on time
o Try to have an idea about the time in which a thing will be completed.
o Try to prioritise things
o Make a to-do list
o Don’t waste time on doing things that are not required

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Unit III - ICT SKILLS

1. Operating System
 is an interface between computer and user.
 Starts as soon as we start computer
 Commonly used operating systems are Microsoft windows., Mac OS, Ubuntuetc for laptops and
Google Android, Apple iOS for mobiles.
 Complete working of the computer is controlled by OS.

2. The power button on the CPU is pressed to start the system

3. When the system is switched on , it automatically runs a basic program called BIOS (Basic Input/Output
System). The BIOS first checks the system and then uploads the operating system

4. Login is the process of giving rights to a person to use the computer.

5. Logout is the process of signing out so that nobody can see and change the work saved in the computer.

6. To lock our computer we can have logion-ids , passwords, facelock etc.

7. When we click on shut down, the operating sytem closes all the applications abd turns off the computer.

8. Keyboard is an input device that is used to type text, numbers, special characters etc.
 F1 to F12 are function keys that have specific function like F1 is for help
 CTRl, shift, spacebar, alt, capslock, tab are special control keys
 Enter key is used to insert a new line or execute any command
 Punctuation keys are used to enter punctuation marks like ?, “”, ‘’, ;, ; etc
 Navigation keys – arrow keys are used to move cursor up, down, right and left. HOME, PAGEUP,
PAGEDOWN,END are used to scroll pages and move cursor
 Insert, delete and backspace keys are command keys. If insert key is switched on, it overwrites on
the pretyped content, backspace key is used to delete content on the left side of the cursor and delete
key is used to delete the content on the right side of the cursor.
 WINDOW key is used open the start menu

9. Mouse is a pointing device. We can drag and drop using mouse. We can click on an icon using mouse.
We can double click on the icon of an application to open it. We can simply drag mouse over an icon to
know the details of that icon.

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10. Information in computer can be saved in different files. Different files have different extensions.
Extention of common file formats:
Notepad files - .txt word file -.doc Image file- .jpg music file- .mp3
Excel file- .xls Powerpoint - .ppt

11. Folder is a location where different group of fi8les can be stored.

12. Taking care of device:

i. Do not spill anything on the keyboard, like food, water etc
ii. Wipe screen with a soft cloth. Never clean it with water.
iii. Handle the devices carefully. Avoid dropping it and banging it against hard surface
iv. Never let the device overheat. Overheating may damage the internal parts of the device.
v. Do not overcharge the battery
vi. Gently plug in the devices like pen drives etc, in the computer. Never try to plugin by force.
vii. Do not run too many programs at a time.

13. Prepare a maintenance schedule for computers, that may include:

i. Checking and removing unwanted emails.
ii. Clean the hardware component on regular basis
iii. Uninstall unused programs and apps.
iv. Scan the system on regular basis using antivirus
v. Backup the data
vi. Update the different software including operating system

14. Backup means creating a copy of original data. Generally the backup is done using:
i. Online methods like cloud, email etc
ii. Offline methods like secondary storage devices like hard disk, pen drive etc
15. Antivirus is a software that is used to detect and remove malware. Eg McAfee, Norton etc. antivirus
should be regularly updated so that it can detect all the latest virus.

16. Disk cleaning software should be used to clean the unnecessary files like temporary files, duplicate
images etc. These files take lot of disk space and reduce the performance of computer.

17. Spam mails should be deleted on regular basis.

18. To secure the data present in the devices, we should:

I Never share important personal information with anyone, like passwords, OTPs, bank details etc.
II Always logout after using any device or app that has passwords like emails.
III We should never click on .links which are present in mails that we receive from unknown sources
IV Keep strong passwords which are a combination of letters, numbers and special characters.
V Never keep the same password for all apps.
VI Install antivirus and firewalls
VII Encrypt important data .
VIII Use websites that have secured protocol – https(hypertext transfer protocol secured)

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 19. Threats to computer;
i. Hacking – stealing someone’s personal information and misusing it.
ii. Piracy- stealing of software and creating unauthorised copies of it.
iii. Virus- These are computer programs that damage data and software programs or steal
information stored in devices.
iv. Worms are the viruses that replicate themselves and damage files.
v. Trojan horses seem to be useful programs. But once these enter a system, these start destroying
data.
vi. Online predators- These are the people who trap other people by posing as somebody different
and force to do something bad or illiegal.
vii. Internet scam- Sometimes people loose lot of money by clicking on messages that of have
attractive offers. Generally these messages ask for bank or card details or ask for transferring
money in some account etc.

20. Shortcut keys:

1. Ctrl+N- Create new file 2. Ctrl +S- Save a file
3. Ctrl+c- copy content 4. Ctrl+v- paste content
5. Ctrl+ A- Select all 6. Ctrl+z- Undo
7. Ctrl+y – redo 8. Ctrl+x- Cut

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Unit IV Entrepreneurial Skills

 Entrepreneurship is the type of self-employment where one is running a business to satisfy the needs of
self and of people and also looking for ways to make the business better to earn profits.

 Qualities of a successful entrepreneurs -

• They are confident. They believe in themselves and their abilities.
• They keep trying new ideas in their business.
• They are patient.
• They are creative and think differently about business ideas.
• They take responsibility for their actions.
• They take decisions after thinking about them.
• They work hard.
• They do not give up when they face a difficulty.

 Ways in which one can earn a living are through wage employment and self-employment.
 Wage employed people are people who work for a person or an organization and get paid
for that work.
 Self-employed people are those who start businesses to satisfy the needs of people.
Example - a doctor who works for a hospital is a wage employed person. If the same doctor has their own
clinic, he or she is a self-employed person.

A self - employed person who is always trying to make his/her business better by taking risks and trying
new ideas is an entrepreneur.

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Example: Ramya and Ramu both own plant shops.
Ramu sits at his shop every day. When customers come, he sells to them.
Ramya walks around and gets customers to her shop. She also sells seeds and flowers with her plants.
Ramya is working to do more and grow her business. She has also added a different idea to her business. So,
Ramya is an entrepreneur and Ramu is a businessman.

Roles of an entrepreneurs in a society.

 Where do these entrepreneurs do their business?
Entrepreneurs run their businesses in a market.
The market has people who buy products and services and people who sell them also. When people are buying
and selling from each other, it is helpful for everyone because everyone involved makes money. This is how
entrepreneurs help in growing the area and society they live in.
 What do entrepreneurs do when they run their business?
 Fulfil Customer Needs
Entrepreneurs find out what people want.
Then, they use their creativity to come up with a business idea that will meet that demand.
 Use Local Materials
Entrepreneurs use the material and people available around them, to make products.
 Help Society
They make profits through activities that benefit society.
Some entrepreneurs work towards saving the environment, some give money to build
schools and hospitals.
 How does an entrepreneur affect the society they live in?
 Create Jobs: With the growth of a business, entrepreneurs look for more people to help them.
They buy more material, and from more people. The also hire more people to work for them.
 Sharing of Wealth: As entrepreneurs grow their business, the people working for them and in
related businesses also grow. They have more money to live a better quality life.
 Functions of an Entrepreneur
 MAKING DECISIONS An entrepreneur makes decisions every day which includes what to
produce or sell, how much and where to sell.
 MANAGING THE BUSINESS An entrepreneur plans the future of his or her business.
He/she arranges for raw material, hires people for work and tells everyone what to do.
They also check if the plan is being followed.
 DIVIDE INCOME The entrepreneur divides the business money to many groups.
He/she spends money to buy material, pays rent of the building and salaries to people.
 TAKING RISK An entrepreneur takes risks against fires, lost items and theft etc
 CREATE A NEW METHOD, IDEA OR PRODUCT An entrepreneur is always trying new
things. He/she does this to increase the popularity and growth of business.

 Myths about Entrepreneurship

 Misconception 1 - Every business idea needs to be unique or special.
Entrepreneur finds customer demand and brings a new idea into their business or a person can take an idea that
is already there in the market and do something different with it.
Example: a chai wala selling fruit flavoured tea , a gold seller selling gold teeth
 Misconception 2 - A person needs a lot of money to start a business.
 Misconception 3 - Only a person having a big business is an entrepreneur.

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Eg. A Taxi driver having day’s newspaper in taxi, for customers to read or having a board with the numbers of
the nearby hospitals and hotels etc.
 Misconception 4 - Entrepreneurs are born, not made.
A self-employed person running a business to satisfy a need by trying new ideas is an entrepreneur.

 A person who becomes an entrepreneur goes through a career process.

 ENTER - When an entrepreneur is starting, they are just entering the market to do business.
 SURVIVE - There are many entrepreneurs in the market. The entrepreneur has to remain in a
competitive market.
 GROW - Once the business is stable, an entrepreneur thinks about expanding his or her business.

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Unit V Green Skills

 Sustainable development is the development that satisfies the needs of the present without
compromising the capacity of future generations, guaranteeing the balance between economic growth,
care for the environment and social well-being.

 Importance of Sustainable Development

With increasing population and income, the consumption of goods is increasing day by day which has
led to increase in production and utilisation of natural resources, so quickly that our future generations,
would face serious environmental problems, if sustainable development is not followed.

 Sustainable development includes

• reducing excessive use of resources and enhancing resource conservation;
• recycling and reuse of waste materials;
• scientific management of renewable resources, especially bio-resources;
• planting more trees;
• green grassy patches and trees to be interspersed between concrete buildings;
• using more environment friendly material or biodegradable material
• use of technologies, which are environmental friendly and based on efficient use of resources.

 Problems Related to Sustainable Development

Three major problems related to sustainable development are:
(a) Food:
 The amount of rich, fertile land needed to grow crops, such as wheat, rice, etc., is becoming less
as we are using up more and more land for other purposes.
 Soil nutrients are also getting depleted and lots of chemicals are spoiling the soil due to use of
chemical fertilisers.
(b)Water: The rivers and ponds are getting polluted because people dump garbage into them.
(c) Fuel:
 As more and more trees are being cut for construction of homes and furniture, it is affecting the
climate of the place. Extreme weather conditions, such as floods, extreme cold or heat etc

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 Sustainable Development Initiatives
 An innovator and entrepreneur Mr Avasth Hedge found an eco-friendly alternative to plastic
polyethene by making 100 per cent bio-degradable bag which can dissolve in hot water and
decompose in natural environment.
 Innovator Narayana Peesapaty made edible cutlery made out of a grain — these spoons can be eaten
and even if they are not eaten they will easily decompose in the soil enriching it.
 Initiative taken by Ministry of Railways in Varanasi and Raibareilly where they introduced clay pots
‘Kulhads’ to replace plastic and paper cups and to bring back taste of tradition and also helped to
reduce cutting of tree for making paper cups , job creation for potters, which contributes to economy
, reduce plastic waste.

 Sustainable Processes- Various Practices, such as

 organic farming, vermi-composting
 rainwater harvesting
 taking measurable steps by promoting awareness to keep water sources clean
 Increasing Using of solar power so that our electricity needs are met and at the same time we do not
pollute the environment or use up natural resources.
 Use of biogas is also an eco-friendly alternative to natural gas.
 learn and develop skills so that we get add value in our community.
 Save energy by switching off lights and fans when not in use.
 Use natural light as much as possible.
 Use energy efficient lights (LED bulbs) and appliances.
 taking cloth bags to market carrying fruits and vegetables.
 donate things we do not use such as clothes, books, furniture, food, etc.
 Buy and eat seasonal fruits and vegetables from local growers.

 Our Role in Sustainable Development

Different ways in which we are adversely affecting nature -
 Increasing population and development has led to the increase in consumption of the natural resources.
 When we grow more crops, the soil’s nutrients are consumed and slowly the soil becomes unusable.
 If we continue to use fossil fuels, such as coal, oil and natural gas, very soon we will run out of these
natural resources.
 Factories give out smoke that pollutes the air.
 Garbage collected from homes is dumped into landfills. Untreated garbage can lead to disease and
unhealthy environment.
 Sewage from the cities is dumped into the seas and lakes making it unsafe for marine life.

 Sustainable Development Goals

 The Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) were launched at the United Nations Sustainable
Development Summit in New York in September 2015.
 It has set targets that the countries have to work towards these goals and achieve by 2030.
 The 17 SDGs have been made with the aim to take care of important issues facing businesses,
governments and society.
 Some of these issues are poverty, gender equality, water use, energy, climate change and
biodiversity.
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