How to crack a JAM session

JAM session is known as Just a minute session. JAM sessions are conducted in MBA, Engineering, and other student interviews and sometimes on job interviews while interviewing the fresh college graduates. JAM sessions are useful to test the communication skills and general knowledge of the candidates. To conduct these sessions, the interviewer gives some topics and asks the interviewee to speak on them, or it can be an extempore also.  The interviewer can assess the following skills with JAM sessions:

• Communication skills 
• Quick wittedness 
• The flow of thoughts and flow of speech
• Confidence in thoughts and speech
• Time Management
• Verbal English and Fluency

The JAM session is considered the toughest for any student. However, by following some simple tricks, the JAM session can be cracked. Here are some simple tips:

Simple vocabulary:

1. When you are given a topic, give yourself a minute and frame your sentence in mind.
2. Keep your vocabulary as simple as possible.
3. Don’t use heavy jargons and complex sentences which confuse the interviewer.

Moreover, there is a possibility that the interviewee loses focus on what he speaks. 

Pre-preparation:

There are some common topics on which the JAM sessions are conducted. It is always better to have a knowledge of those topics and prepare for one minute to speak. They will cover some topics like why is Engineering or MBA the right platform to start a bright career, the impact of greenhouse emission, global warming, the latest policies by Modi, etc. Preparedness creates confidence and reduces nervousness.

Avoid repetition:

Students generally make the mistake of repeating the points during the one-minute time. This makes the presentation boring and unimpressive. An uninterrupted well-spoken speech is always appealing.

Avoiding MTI:

Mother tongue influence and slang should be avoided while giving formal presentations. The usage of proper diction is important. Also, do not pretend that you just landed in the UK or the US by imitating the English slang. Please be yourself and present clearly.

Mock JAM sessions:

 Students should practice Mock JAM sessions before their fellow students and friends. They can get constructive feedback and improve their presentations. The faults, mistakes can be identified and can be corrected. Students will become more confident.

Usage of proverbs:

 Start your speech with a saying which connects with the topic given. It’s a nice way to start and make an impressive presentation. Avoid using irrelevant proverbs which dilute the essence of the presentation.

Avoid casual talk:

A JAM session is a formal presentation to test your presentation skills and spontaneity. Therefore, the JAM session presentation should be in a formal tone. Do not make the speech colloquial or conversational. Many students have the habit of using some broken Hindi or mother tongue words in their conversations. The one-minute is to express yourself on the topic given. Do not involve the audience in the discussion by asking questions and making the entire speech participative. JAM sessions are meant to test you in one- minute.

Thank you note:

It is always nice to end the session with a thank you note instead of ending abruptly. Keep all your suggestions and recommendations for the topic at the end. If the audience has any questions, you may politely answer them at the end of the JAM session.

Dressing sense:

The JAM is a formal session. Therefore, present yourself properly at the JAM session this will create a good impression on your interviewee. Use appropriate body language and hand gestures whenever required.

Time yourself well:

1. When a topic is given, take a deep breath and think about what you want to talk about.
2. Do not rush on your ideas.
3. Articulate them clearly and express them well.
4. Space the sentences well by giving pause at relevant places.
5. Manage your speech well, and do not get too emotional and personal in your presentation.

Deal with mental blocks smartly:

There is a possibility to go blank while   igently. If you rush in the beginning, then you may end up with blank time spaces at the end.

Some frequently asked topics in JAM:

Global Warming	Your favorite color	Your favorite movie	Impact of social media
Significance of teamwork	Corruption	Animal conservation	Hoe a course in MBA/Engineering can help your career
Significance of communication skills	My role model	Gender equality at the workplace	Diversity
Child labor	Women empowerment	Prevention of air/water/sound pollution	Technology and Management

Conclusion:

The competitive and busy work environment puts pressure on the hiring managers and the interviewers to select from mass numbers. It is not possible to conduct interviews personally. Hence, the interview selection process is taking innovative ways to select candidates and assess them on various parameters to test their suitability. JAM sessions help the interviewers assess many soft skills, general knowledge, presentation skills, and the candidates' spontaneity in just one minute. The topics are given randomly then and there, or a list of topics is provided so that the candidates can prepare. We have provided some tips and tricks to crack the JAM sessions and also come with common topics. Prepare well to face the competition with JAM sessions by cracking them successfully. You get an opportunity once to prove yourself. Grab the opportunity by cracking the JAM sessions.