Mrinal Pathak addresses students during the event in Ranchi on Thursday. Picture by Hardeep Singh

Seat and sheet. Incorrect pronunciation of the two words caused Monika Mohanty, a third-year Ranchi University MBA student, to be struck off the recruiter’s list at a campus placement interview.

It was a blow to the topper. “I had topped in both my first and second year exams with over 70 per cent grades. Recruiters were pleased with my reasoning and mental abilities. I wasn’t hired because they had problems with my diction,” she recalled.

Her friend Sheela Kumari also couldn’t make the cut. Reason? She was too diffident about her abilities. “At the interview, recruiters asked me to evaluate myself. I said ‘okay’. They asked me my salary expectations and I left the matter to them. Later, I was told I was disqualified as I didn’t sound confident,” she added.

Not wanting to repeat their mistakes, the two are a part of the 100 students of Ranchi University who enrolled themselves in a month-long personality development class, organised by the university for the first time at its Morabadi campus.

Between 1.30pm to 3pm, it will teach students soft skills such as body language, speech modulation, interview ethics, table etiquette, among others.

Co-ordinator Ravi Prakash Tiwari said the course, which started on Thursday and will go on till November 20, was free for students. “Around 100 students, including from the MBA department, are taking part in the session. Students have been selected on first-come-first-serve basis to restrict crowding. We want to give individual attention to each youngster,” Tiwari said, adding visiting speakers from the fields of literature, theatre, journalism, event management, among others, were expected to address students.

Day One was a warm-up on the ambit of the course. Mrinal Pathak, head of the department of creative arts, BIT-Mesra, addressed students on the importance of body language, listening skills, fashion design and event management during his two-hour session on the first day.

“Today, the overall personality of a candidate matters as much as academic qualification when it comes to bagging jobs,” said Pathak. “Body language, voice modulation and dressing sense are vital. They project your temperament, choice and interest,” he said.