Enhancing Communication Skills for IT Professionals in Bengaluru

Background and Motivation

Sep, originally from Andhra Pradesh, has been working in the IT industry in Bengaluru for over four years. His primary focus is enhancing his communication skills to excel not only in interviews but also within his organization to pave the way for career advancement. For structured approaches to boost speaking abilities, see Master English Speaking: Proven Strategies to Boost Output Skills.

Language Challenges in a Multilingual Workplace

Despite Bengaluru's diverse workforce, Sep's office largely uses English for communication due to management requirements.
Colleagues predominantly speak their native languages (Telugu, Tamil, Hindi) during informal interactions.
This linguistic environment creates challenges for those from Telugu-medium backgrounds like Sep, impacting fluency and confidence in English.

Importance of Communication Skills for Career Growth

Sep emphasizes that effective communication is critical for promotions and professional opportunities.
Management places high value on communication proficiency; lacking this can limit career progression despite technical skills.
Both conversational fluency and professional communication are necessary to thrive in city environments like Bengaluru. Enhancing these skills aligns with insights from Unlocking Professional Communication Skills with Dr. Apurva Chan.

Practice and Improvement Strategies

Sep engages in reading, listening, and speaking exercises but struggles with consistency.
He actively consumes English content such as videos and subscribes to channels to aid learning.
Constructive self-assessment acknowledges ongoing challenges with hesitation and occasional fumbling during conversations.
For confidence-building techniques across interviews, exams, and presentations, refer to Master Interview, English Speaking, Exam, and Presentation Confidence.

Psychological Insights and Mindset

Sep shares reflections on finding excuses and the need for persistence in improving English.
The conversation highlights the universal experience of plateauing in language learning and strategies to overcome frustration.

Personal Adaptation and Lifestyle

Sep has adapted to Bangalore's weather, noting the contrast with his native hot and dry climate.
He balances work with hobbies like cricket and swimming; learned to swim independently despite initial challenges and peer skepticism.

Cultural and Social Observations

Food preferences vary; Sep dispels myths about Andhra cuisine being excessively spicy and discusses regional variations.
The dialogue touches on interpersonal dynamics, book recommendations (such as "The Alchemist"), and practical advice on dealing with people and ego in communication.

Key Takeaways

Consistency in practicing all language skills is essential for communication improvement.
Embracing a growth mindset helps overcome language-related frustration.
Effective communication is a foundational skill for professional development, especially in diverse work environments.
Balancing personal interests and cultural adaptation supports overall well-being during relocation.

This detailed account serves as a valuable resource for IT professionals and others aiming to enhance communication skills while managing cultural transitions and career aspirations in urban Indian settings.

My name is Sep and I am from Andhra Pradesh. So I'm currently in Bengaluru as I'm working in IT industry almost for

more than four years now. Apart from job I'm just trying to enhance my communication skills. Uh so the core

idea is to uh you know do well in the interviews and not just interviews just uh even within the organization right if

anybody wants to grow communications plays huge role that's why I'm just wanted to you know enhance uh my

communication skills. >> Sure bro I want to know one thing in your office uh do they usually speak in

English? Yeah, my manager she's from Kerala. So obviously we have to speak in English only. So no other option. So

apart from manager uh colleagues, our colleagues 70 80% from Andhra Pradesh. So

>> so you all speak in Telugu. >> Yeah. Name mother tongue only. >> Yeah. That happens all the time. Even in

my office also we have group of people who speaks only Telugu and we have Tamil people. We have north Indians. So they

speak Hindi, we speak Tamil and they speak Telugu. Only when it comes to we talking together that time we speak

broken English that's all and that happens very rarely. They easily find they easily find their own native

language people as friends and they will be mingle with them and they'll sit with them all the time.

>> Yeah. So one more thing bro people who you know grow in any city environment city like Bengaluru

>> Mhm. they don't have any issue because they have so much exposure so much exposure because their surroundings

surroundings are you know occupied with different different people so they get different perspective I mean in terms of

communication they don't have any problem so person like me who come from Telugu medium it's a a problem

>> even for me also if I when I go to office mostly with Tamil people I speak only in Tamil if I speak with them in

English they would think very weird of me they'll be like why are you talking to me in English?

>> Uh got it. >> Yeah, that happens. How long have you

been in the IT industry? >> 4 years. More than 4 years. >> Okay. Do you have any goals or dreams,

bro? Like this is the position that I want to be something like that in future.

>> Not like that. But uh in in the communication context only, I'm not able to achieve the the way I wanted. I'm not

able to achieve that for a very longer period. Bro, I'm fumbling, hesitation, you know, bits and pieces, uh these kind

of uh things happening. I mean, when I know the content, I'm very much confident, but normal conversation

sometimes I'm fumbling, bro. Still happening. So, I just I wanted to fix that. Uh maybe overnight it won't

happen, but I'm trying bro. So, yeah, first and foremost priority, I wanted to be good speaker. I wanted to survive in

any environment. I do have goals but uh I wanted to cross this first of all. >> I understand. I do feel you bro.

Sometimes I also think the same way you know I've been trying to learn English for a long time. I've been learning

English still I feel like I haven't reached there like somewhere it's stagnant. I'm not able sometimes I'm

unable to speak properly. Sometimes I make grammar mistakes. I do feel that I feel like oh my god we we've been doing

something for a very long time but still we are not able to reach there so it's like kind of frustrating.

>> Yes. Yes. >> Are you doing any practices alone? >> Practices bro uh but I'm not

consistently I would say but uh some form like reading listening you know uh and speaking right?

>> Yeah. uh in all these three category at least one exercise I would do early but it won't be you know not consistent

manner let's say I do reading >> I do reading today but tomorrow I will listen

>> I exchange that but I'm not consistent in on one activity >> for sure I for sure I would listen your

videos >> okay >> there is no there is no doubt in that I

would listen your videos and in YouTube I have some I subscribe with some few people I I would listen to them every

day. >> Yeah. You know what? Let me tell you, your English is not that bad actually.

You are able to speak English. You're able to convey your thoughts clearly. Sometimes little bit you're struggling

but you're managing it. >> Yeah. Before also bro I came from tele medium this kind of all excuses I used

to think but it can't be you know all the time excuse right. I'm more interested in finding excuses I would

say. But after that I realized no no we can >> yeah okay now let me ask you one thing

so do you think learning English is very much important especially in our career >> yes yes 100% bro 100% uh you are good at

your work that everybody knows suppose somebody is leaving like let's say our mentor only leaving just think about it

maybe he got the opportunity he or she whoever made obviously management start thinking right? Uh who will be next? So

if you are not you know ticking the communication box >> we will not get that opportunity. So if

you if you are already ticket obviously our first priority will be you within organization communication plays huge

role huge role it is it is very much needed >> if we want to get promoted English is

compulsory like the more higher the ladder goes the more communication is very important

>> yes yes it is very basic bro actually I would say it is very basic >> okay so you're basically living in

Bangalore you moved to Bangalore Okay. How do you like the Bangalore city? How is it going? How about the traffic and

everything? Is it still there? >> Yeah, bro. Yes. Yes. So, regarding traffic, uh I was uh unsure whether we

can connect, you know, on the mention time 400 p.m. >> I was trying my best to reach by 4 4

p.m. But there was some traffic, bro. Usually that signal won't be traffic, but uh unexpected things happen. So and

with with regarding weather, yeah, I like the weather, bro. So I'm coming from Madhya Pradesh. I can feel the

difference. >> And Pradesh is more like Tamil Nadu only. Both have similar weathers and the

weather is so hot. It will be extremely hot. >> Yeah. Yeah. Even sun also most of the

sun you know part. >> It's not about just the sun. It's also about the precipitation. There won't be

much rain in certain parts of Tamil Nadu and Andhra Pradesh. And because of that the dryness is still there. You can

inhale the hot air actually. >> Humidity I think maybe humidity. >> Yeah. So that is one thing that's one

thing that I really hate about my place. You know in the afternoon we cannot go out. If we go out that's all. It will be

like roasting a life. >> But end of the day hometown is for hometown only. But uh once we adapt once

we adapt weather like you know Bengaluru weather >> it's very hard to relocate inher suppose

if you want to future you know going back thinking you know going back native andal but I don't think it will happen

you know in a such a short period because we got used to this weather >> yes you know what when I was there in

Bangalore I lived there for 5 years when I came back here I was so white I mean everybody told me that Ram you become so

fair. How did you become fair? How did you become white? >> Within just matter of 6 months, I became

normal. My original color that is brown skin that came I became tanned. >> Okay. You already experienced.

>> Yeah. Yeah. >> Right. Right. >> If Yeah. If we if I stay in Bangalore

for 3 months, I would become little fair. If I come back to my hometown within just 2 3 weeks, that's more than

enough. I'll get damned. >> Okay. Okay. Yeah. >> Yeah. So, how often do you travel to

Andhra Pradesh? on average once in two months bro mostly once in two months. So nowadays uh not getting permission. So

>> Okay. >> Yeah. >> But but festivals uh definitely I go to

my hometown like I think for you people Tamil Pangal right >> important festival like same same for us

also. Pongal it's a three-day festival. So for Pongal and Ganeshi definitely I would go.

>> Uh apart from that once in a two months that's how I manage. That's how Okay, that's cool. Okay. Do you have any other

hobbies? Uh do you have any other interest? What do you do in your free time?

>> Free time? Uh I play cricket and swimming also. But uh since I'm in Bengaluru, not not possible. In my

native place, we do have you know natural man-made canals and all. Right. So every now and then when I try to, you

know, swim. >> Okay. That's really cool. Actually I am really scared of swimming. I mean any

water body. >> Yeah. I will tell. Yes. Yes. I will tell you what.

>> Yeah. >> So in front of my home only there is a man-made canal bro which connects from

Guada which connect from Guadawari to you know ocean in Narapur until 10th class 10th class school right where

school ends. So many people you know used to scold me. Hey, in front of home only canal is there. You don't know

swimming. Oh many people scolded me. Oh my god. Okay. Okay. Then one day during summer uh water height be won't that

much bro. Maybe I would say like this this much height >> maybe four or five ft on average. So

that time I started practicing on myself. Slowly slowly slowly I can you know I'm able to sail in the water by

you know using waving hands with legs and I'm able to you know manage >> yeah did you learn everything all by

yourself? >> Yes yes yes initial initial yes my myself only. Oh wow. Super

>> initial face. But one of my friends he helped me to cross from this end to that end. It is not at all easy bro. In full

it is so much flow. >> How far it is? What would be the distance between the both ends?

>> Uh I would say uh 20 30 m. Not that >> sorry. Yeah 10 to 15 m bro. Yeah 10 to 15 m.

>> M okay. >> Yeah if we can cross. Yes. Our fear completely will go away once we cross

the from this end to that end. >> Okay. Actually, you know what? I know a little bit of swimming. I know how to

float in the water. I don't know. Even if I try to move, I don't move. I move very slowly.

>> That's what the swimming that I learned. And that too, I learned it by myself by just swimming in the river.

>> Yeah, we have to hang in there, bro. Anything even English or swimming, we have to hang in there. We shouldn't I

mean I usually give up uh but in regarding swimming I didn't give up >> but I think nowadays it's very difficult

for me to go and learn swimming because I think I've crossed that age if I go tell people that I don't know swimming

they will laugh at me you're this age you know you're like uh you're like a buffalo's age still you haven't learned

swimming they would ask make fun of me >> yeah we need to find safe safe pools right bro so we can't go to ocean or

river and we we cannot start and we cannot you know learn. We need to find in some safest way not recommended

>> maybe I can go and find a professional swimming training place where I can get swimming.

>> Yeah, it's good exercise bro. >> Yeah good exercise. >> How about the Bangalore food? How do you

like the Bangalore food? Do you like them >> food? Yeah, Bangalore is famous for

dosa. So I like dosas mostly. Uh apart from that my style food uh I always try to eat uh like

>> okay mostly andra people they eat spicy food right >> uh I would say it's uh not every part of

Andra some parts of Andra like Gontour and Royal Simma some parts of Andhra Pradesh they would eat but I mean again

it depends on uh it's quite subjective I would say >> okay

>> uh if you ask me personally I don't eat that much spicy. I eat mit miti baji sandal but uh uh not that much spicy bro

very medium I would say sweets I like but uh not everybody from Andra you know you will eat I would say

>> okay I understand >> I would say it's a myth >> it's a myth yeah in Tamil they always

say oh Andra people they always eat so spicy it's very difficult you know what actually I like spicy food I always eat

spicy food for a very long time from childhood onwards I've been eating spicy food I don't like sweets and that too in

Bangalore they have they have the style of sambar oh my god I forgot there is this place in Bangalore that is

famous they make one they make sambar in a different style uh they actually add sugar in it it's

little little bit of sweet so the sambar has a little bit of sweet in it and I really style exactly

>> so that sambar is actually little sweeter >> I really hate there somewhere. I never

liked it. I I always like spiced food. Spicy food actually. >> Yes. Yes. So what happened to know

people who eat spicy food? If you give normal food, they are like uh >> no salt, no salt, nothing. What? What is

this kind of reaction you get? >> No salt. You call this biryani. >> Yes, exactly bro.

>> Yeah. Great, bro. Great. >> I wanted to ask you like recently I

started reading one book, bro. How to deal with people? How do you talk with people? How do you manage their how do

uh how you reply to them? >> What is the name of the book? >> How to deal with the people?

>> How to deal with people? Oh, I've heard a book similar to that. How to win friends and influence friends or

something like that. >> Uh not that it it's different actually. >> It's different. Okay.

>> Interesting thing is uh in terms of learning new vocabulary or to take the English to the next level, it didn't

help me >> at all. >> Really?

>> Yeah. I don't know >> okay >> that uh that's why I wanted to ask you

whether I should try one more book or I should wait but uh what I learned I will tell you so that book says so somebody

came came to you and said I bought 1 kg gold then you our reaction shouldn't be like I have 2 kg gold not that oh 1 kg

gold you bought oh really nice something like that we need to respond respond rather than react.

>> That's what I learned, bro. Listen to listen, not listen to react. >> That's what we always do, right? I mean,

do we normally do that? I mean, we do that, right? If somebody bought a new car, we always say, "Yeah, that's a nice

car. We congratulate them." That's a normal thing we do, right? >> Uh yeah, but yeah, maybe that book says

the way how we deal with the people. I mean >> some people will say right if I have 10

acres land I have 20 acres land instantly to get uh I mean I don't know I can say it or not ego

>> yeah yeah >> ego kind of >> to get attention something like that

they always say yeah yeah yeah I understand >> they want they wanted to win bro yeah

yeah they wanted to win against them yeah >> they want to show that they are bigger

than them like if somebody says I bought a car and the next person would say I bought a BMW something like that

>> thumb. Yes. Yes. >> You got it right. >> Yeah. I think I know. Have you seen this

video? Jordan Indians they have made a content with this. Actually in friend circle there would always be a friend.

Whatever you say he was he would say that something greater than that you know if if I

>> Exactly. Exactly. Yeah. This book is all about that only bro. Yeah. I will watch that later that video. I'll try to find

it in YouTube and watch it. >> Sure. Sure. Sure bro. That's good. >> What would you suggest me bro? like I

wanted to try another book. Uh >> okay. Uh I would say have you tried this alchemist? There is

a book called Alchemist. >> No, never. >> That's a very famous book actually. Uh

even Bill Clinton the late American president. He also bought it and he read it and it became so popular after that.

So that's a very good book. You can try that. They uses I mean they used simple English in that book and it's easy to

understand. >> Okay. Okay. Good to know. I will see that. Yeah.

>> Yeah. You can try that. I have read many books but most of the books are useless actually. It didn't give me any value or

knowledge. did just a time passing.

Heads up!

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