Class XII

Employability Skills
Notes

Arvind Jaiswal (PGT PGSSSchool) || Information Technology (802) Notes ||

 Unit 1- Communication Skills
Communication
Communication is a two-way process through which information or message is exchanged
between individuals using language, symbols, signs or behaviour.
Parts of Communication:
Speaking, listening, reading and writing are the parts of communication, which help us to
understand others.
To learn a language, one needs to develop four key skills, namely listening, speaking,
reading, and writing.

Communication skills are needed to

Communicate effectively with people and customers. Elements of Communication:
Communication involves a sender, who encodes and sends a message through a channel,
and a receiver, who decodes the message and gives feedback.

Feedback is important in communication as it helps in knowing whether the receiver has

understood the message or not.
Active Listening
Ef f ective communication involves skills that can be utilised to send messages that are clear,
concise, and accurate.
A clear statement is one which conveys the exact message that you are trying to convey to
the other person.
A concise statement is appropriately brief or to the point.
(i) The manager replied, “Alright, you may come late.”
(ii) The manager replied, “Alright, you may come late. But it is a matter of great concern that
most employees come late and you are also developing the same habit.”
In the f i rst sentence, measurable information is mentioned, which makes the sentence
accurate.

Arvind Jaiswal (PGT PGSSSchool) || Information Technology (802) Notes ||

Advantage of Communication Skills:
Effective communication skills help us to communicate the message correctly, precisely, and
completely.
Disadvantage of Communication Skills:
Lack of communication skills can result in confusion, frustration, wasted e ort, and missed
opportunities.
Listening Skill
Every effective conversation starts with listening. Listening skill is one of the most
important communication skills.
It is important to learn to give undivided attention to a person with whom a conversation
is taking place.
Given below are some reasons why listening attentively is important.
i. We listen to obtain information. We listen to understand.
ii. We listen to enjoy. We listen to learn.
iii. We listen to build and maintain relationships.
iv. We listen to resolve conflicts.
Without the ability to listen attentively, messages can be easily misunderstood. Thus,
communication breaks down and the sender of the message can easily become frustrated
or irritated.
Active Listening
Active listening is an art, which comprises both a desire to comprehend, as well as, offer
support and empathy to the speaker. It can affect your job ef f ectiveness, the quality of
your relationship with others, and hence, your overall well-being. Active listening allows
you to understand the problems and collaborate to develop solutions.
The various factors that affect active listening are as follows.
Eye contact: It is a form of body language. Maintaining an eye contact with the person you
are talking to sends a signal to the speaker that “Yes, I am talking to you or listening to you”.
Avoiding eye contact could mean that you do not want to listen to the person speaking to
you. Gestures: These indicate to the speaker if you are listening or not. Keep your hand and
feet still while talking to someone.
Avoiding distractions: You need to identify the things that distract you. You must physically
remove the distractions in order to listen attentively. For example, reducing the ringtone
of your mobile phone or switching it o while attending a meeting or listening to someone
will avoid distraction. Another example is that you should avoid glancing at the
wristwatch frequently.
Giving feedback: Feedback can be positive or negative. But in both the cases, one needs to
be polite so that the person to whom the feedback is being given is not hurt or off ended.
Stages of Active Listening:

Arvind Jaiswal (PGT PGSSSchool) || Information Technology (802) Notes ||

The best kind of listening is ‘active listening’. It happens when you hear, understand,
respond and remember what is being said.
The five stages of active listening are as follows.
1. Receiving: It involves listening attentively.
2. Understanding: It is an informed agreement about something or someone.
3. Remembering: It refers to the retrieval or recall of some information from the past.
4. Evaluating: It is about judging the value, quantity, importance, and amount of something
or someone.
5. Responding: It is about saying or doing something as a response to something that has
been said or done.
How to ensure active listening?
You can remember the acronym ‘RESPECT’ to ensure active listening.
R – Remove distractions that may hamper listening. For example, reducing the volume of
television, radio, or mobile phone while talking to a person.
E – Eye contact refers to looking at the speaker while listening.
S – Show that you are listening attentively to the speaker through gestures.
P – Pay attention and focus on what the speaker is saying.
E – Empathise and feel the emotions of the speaker. Empathy is the ability to share
someone’s feelings or experiences by imagining what it would be like to be in that person’s
situation.
C – Clarify doubts. Ask questions to clarify doubts.
T – Tune yourself to the timing of the speaker, i.e., wait for the speaker to finish, and then,
respond.
Overcoming barriers to active listening:
Factors How a factor can become a How to overcome the
barrier? barrier?
Being pre- When pre-occupied, you may not Do not let emotions take over
occupied be listening to a person carefully. your mind. Keep away phones and
digital devices.
Noise and visual You may not be able to hear the Create a conducive environment
Distractions other person clearly in a noisy to avoid misinterpretations and
environment. distractions.

Past experiences You may have developed biases or Avoid developing biases and be
ormindset prejudices based on past objective in your approach when
experiences and interactions. interacting with others.

Arvind Jaiswal (PGT PGSSSchool) || Information Technology (802) Notes ||

 Personal factors Your personal feelings may a ect Allow the other person to finish
your listening, for example, your speaking, and then, respond.
preconceptions about the other
person.

Unit 2: Self-Management Skills

Self-management
Self-management, which is also referred to as ‘self-control’, is the ability to control one’s emotions,
thoughts and behaviour effectively in different situations. This includes motivating oneself and
working towards achieving personal and academic goals.
Motivation and Positive Attitude:
Motivation and positive thinking can help us overcome fears and take up new challenges.
Motivation
Motivation is derived from the word ‘motive’. Thus, directing behaviour towards certain motive or goal
is the essence of motivation. An individual’s motivation may come from within (intrinsic motivation)
or be inspired by others or events (extrinsic motivation).
Intrinsic motivation
It includes activities for which there is no apparent reward but one derives enjoyment and satisfaction
in doing them. It occurs when people are internally motivated to do something because
it brings them pleasure. They think it is important or feel what they are learning is significant.
Incentives related to the motive or goal can satisfy one’s needs.
Extrinsic motivation
It arises because of incentives or external rewards. Lack of motivation or incentives may lead to
frustration, for example, employees who are kept on contractual basis for a long time may get
frustrated and leave an organisation.
Positive attitude
A positive attitude makes a person happier, and helps build and maintain relationships. It even
increases one’s chances of success. In addition, it can help the person make better decisions. People, who
maintain a positive or optimistic attitude in life situations and challenges, are able to move forward
than those with a negative attitude. Positive attitude helps improve mental and physical health.
Ways to maintain a positive attitude
It can take a little time and e ort to build a positive attitude. Following are some ways that can help
one maintain a positive attitude:
1. Start the day with a morning routine.
2. Feed the mind with positivity, read motivating books, listen to music with uplifting lyrics, watch
inspiring movies, etc.
3. Be proactive. A proactive person decides how one must feel regardless of what may be going around
or what the day may bring.
Arvind Jaiswal (PGT PGSSSchool) || Information Technology (802) Notes ||
4. Focus on constructive and positive things. Do not approach life with ‘problems’. Approach it with
‘solutions’.
5. Learn from failures. Think what could have been better and work towards the goals.
6. Learn to focus on the present. Negativity mostly stems out from anxiety of the past and future events.
7. Move towards your goals and dreams. Be cheerful and work hard to achieve the dreams.
Techniques that can help you to maintain a positive outlook in the long run.
8. Physical exercise and fresh air: Following a healthy lifestyle is essential for students. Practicing yoga,
meditation and deep breathing exercises help improve blood circulation and relax the body. Taking a
walk or playing in the park helps one to get a lot of fresh air, which
helps in becoming more active.
9. Healthy diet: A healthy and balanced diet is important for a healthy body and mind. Eating a
balanced diet, such as daal, roti, green vegetables and fruits provides the strength required to
do daily work effciently.
10. Organise academic life: By keeping class notes organised, completing assignments on time
and keeping track of all deadlines, stress can be reduced to a great extent. When you are not stressed,
you can channelise your mind to achieve the goals.
11. Adequate sleep: A good night sleep for at least seven hours is important so that the mind and
body can get recharged to function better the next day.
12. Holidays with family and friends: Visiting a relative’s place, such as grandparents’ house or a
new place during summer vacation can help one break the monotonous normal routine and come back
refreshed.
What is stress and how to manage it?
Stress is a state of feeling upset, annoyed and hopeless. There are times when we feel nothing is working
right, we are not able to achieve our goals and feel hopeless. During such times, if we manage and
control our emotions, it helps us to sail through.
Some of the ways to manage stress are given below:
1. Stay positive and analyse what is going wrong in a certain situation. Resolving the situation is
easy once understood.
2. Maintain an accomplishment sheet and enter even small achievements.
3. Keep your thoughts in present. Pondering over past issues makes us feel upset and helpless.
4. Talk to friends and family for comfort.
5. Practice meditation and yoga.
6. Whenever you feel negative thoughts are taking over, take a look at your accomplishment sheet.
Result Orientation
Result orientation is a term used to describe a person’s ability to recognise what results are important
and the steps needed to be taken to achieve them. It means to focus on the result of an assigned task.
How to become result-oriented?
i. Set clear goals: Is the first step one needs to take to meet the targets.

Arvind Jaiswal (PGT PGSSSchool) || Information Technology (802) Notes ||

ii. Prepare an action plan: An action plan describes the way a person or an organisation will meet the
set objectives.
iii. What changes will occur after the actions?
a) Who will carry out the changes?
b) When will the changes take place?
c) How long will the changes stay?
d) What resources are needed to carry out the changes?
e) Who should know and what should be communicated?
iv. Use the right resources and tools:
v. Communicate with mentors and peers:
vi. Make a calendar: One must make a calendar to monitor the progress at regular intervals.
vii. Work hard: One must work hard and believe in one’s dreams.
Goal Setting
Goal setting helps us to understand what we want, how to achieve it and how do we measure our
success. Writing a goal requires that we should understand its purpose and objective.
Let us try to understand how to define a goal.
Use the acronym SMART to set goals.
Let us see what each letter in SMART implies.
S: Specific: Specific goals give us a concrete target. Hence, a goal should have a specific purpose.
M: Measurable: Goals should always be measurable.
A: Action-oriented: Goals do not just come true on their own. Effective goal setting should be real.
R: Realistic: Goals must always be realistically attainable.
T: Timely: Goals must have deadlines. But one must always set a deadline to get the job done.
Self-awareness
Self-awareness is about understanding one’s own needs, desires, habits, traits, behaviours & feelings.
Steps towards self-awareness
1. The first step for practicing self-awareness is gaining a greater awareness of one’s emotions.
2. The second step to practicing self-awareness is making a habit of tracking one’s feelings.
3. The third step for practicing self-awareness is expanding one’s practice to areas of life beyond the
person’s feelings.
Personality and personality traits
Personality is a cluster of thoughts, feelings and behaviours that make a person unique and different
from others. Personality traits are defined as relatively lasting patterns of thoughts, feelings and
behaviours that distinguish individuals from one another.
Five parameters describe an individual’s personality. These ve dimensions are also called the ‘Big Five
Factors’ and the model is referred to as the ‘Five Factor Model’, which is abbreviated as FFM.
1. Openness
2. Consciousness

Arvind Jaiswal (PGT PGSSSchool) || Information Technology (802) Notes ||

 3. Extraversion
4. Agreeableness
5. Neuroticism
Common personality disorders
Personality disorders involve long-term patterns of thoughts and behaviour that are unhealthy and
rigid. A personality disorder is a way of thinking, feeling and behaving that deviates from worldly
expectations and causes distress, which lasts over time.
Cluster A: Suspicious
People falling under this cluster always mistrust others and are suspicious, even when there is no need
to do so.
1. Paranoid personality disorder: People with such a disorder mostly hold grudges against others,
distrust for others.
2. Schizoid personality disorder: The term ‘schizoid’ refers to the natural tendency to direct attention
toward one’s inner life away from the external world.
3. Schizotypal personality disorder: People with this type of personality disorder believe that they can
inf l uence other people or events with their thoughts.
Cluster B: Emotional and impulsive
This personality disorder is characterised by unstable moods and behaviours, which lead to unhealthy
and unstable relationships, emotional instability and feelings of worthlessness.
1. Antisocial personality disorder
2. Borderline personality disorder
3. Histrionic personality disorder
4. Narcissistic personality disorder
Cluster C: Anxious
This personality disorder is characterised by feelings of worry, anxiety or fear, which have the potential
to affect one’s daily routine.
1. Avoidant personality disorder
2. Dependent personality disorder
3. Obsessive-compulsive personality disorder
Steps to overcome personality disorders:
Talk to someone. Most often, it helps to share your feelings. Look after your physical health. A healthy
body can help you maintain a healthy mind. Build confidence in your ability to handle difficult
situations. Engage in hobbies, such as music, dance and painting. These have a therapeutic effect. Stay
positive by choosing words like ‘challenges’ instead of ‘problems’.
Unit 3: ICT Skills
Getting Started with Spreadsheet
Introduction
A spreadsheet is an electronic document, which has rows and columns. It is used to store

Arvind Jaiswal (PGT PGSSSchool) || Information Technology (802) Notes ||

data systematically and do calculations.
Types of spreadsheet
There are many types of spreadsheets available that have been created by different
companies. Some of the most popular ones are Microsoft Excel, LibreOffice Calc, Goole
sheets, OpenOffice Calc.
Components of a spreadsheet
Row: A row is an arrangement of cells in a horizontal (sleeping) manner.
Column: A column is an arrangement of cells in a vertical (standing) manner.
Cell: A cell is a rectangle shaped box, where the row and column meet. You can enter text,
numbers, date, formula, etc. in a cell. The cell that is selected appears highlighted.
Name Box: The name box shows the location of the selected cell. The location of the cell is
a combination of column and row. For example, A1, where A is the column name and 1 is
the row number.
Worksheet: A worksheet is a collection of cells in the form of a grid (a network of lines that
intersect each other, making rectangles). When you open a spreadsheet for the f i rst time,
you see a blank worksheet with the name ‘Sheet1’.
Workbook: A workbook is a spreadsheet that has one or more worksheets.
Performing Basic Operations in a Spreadsheet
Steps to Enter Data
Click on the cell where you want to enter data
Type text or number. As you type, you can see the data in the Formula Bar as well. Press
Enter when you complete typing.
The cursor is set on the next cell. You can continue entering other data.
Type of data
There are three main type of data — text, numbers and formula.
Editing Data in a Cell
Double click on the cell you want to edit. OR Click on the cell you want to edit. OR Click on the
Cell and press F2.
Selecting multiple cells
When a single cell is selected it is called an active cell. When several cells is selected, it is called
cell range.
There are several ways in which multiple cells can be selected.
To select an entire row, click the row heading.
To select a full column, click the column heading.
To select an entire worksheet, click the grey rectangle on the upper left corner of the worksheet.
To select a range of cells, click on the starting cell, then hold down the mouse button and drag
it till you have selected all the cells you want. Release the mouse button.
Saving the spreadsheet in various formats

Arvind Jaiswal (PGT PGSSSchool) || Information Technology (802) Notes ||

After entering data, you can save the spreadsheet in the same way as a Notepad or any other word
file.
Click File, and then, Save. This will open a Save As dialog box. Type the le name and click Save.
The default Save as type is ODF Spreadsheet (.ods)
Closing the spreadsheet
Once you have saved the data, you can close the spreadsheet by clicking File, and then, Close.
Data stored in a spreadsheet can be used in calculations, graphical representation and display of
information.
Working with Data and Formatting Text
Using a spreadsheet for addition
To find out the total marks for each student, he/she needs to add the marks in each subject.
The symbol (operator) used for addition in a spreadsheet is ‘+’ (plus). To do any calculation in a
spreadsheet, you need to use ‘=’ (equal-to) symbol, which tells the spreadsheet that a formula has
been entered. Only then the spreadsheet will perform the calculation and display the result.
There are various ways to do addition in a spreadsheet.
Adding Values directly
Type the formula by using =, + and values. For example; =50+36+68 Using Cell Address:
Type the the formula by using =, + and cell address. For example, =A2+B2+C2 Using Sum()
function
To add numbers, we have the Sum() function. This helps in adding the numbers in separate cells
or in a cell range.
For example:
=Sum(25,36)
=Sum(A1, B1)
=Sum(A1:C5)

Copying and moving formula

Spreadsheets provide a way to copy the formula from one cell to another. The values are
automatically adjusted in the new cells.
Click on the cell with the formula.
For copying: Right-click and select Copy or press Ctrl+ C. For moving: Right-click and select Cut
or press Ctrl+ X.
Right-click and select Paste or press Ctrl+V
Format cells and content:
To change the font style and font size, choose the font-style and font-size from Font. Highlight text
(shortcut keys):
To make text bold: Ctrl+B
To underline text: Ctrl+U

Arvind Jaiswal (PGT PGSSSchool) || Information Technology (802) Notes ||

To make text italic or slanting: Ctrl+I
Align Text in a Cell:
The alignment of text can be done by the alignment feature of spreadsheet.
In a spreadsheet, you align, you can position the text in a cell to the left, right or center, called
Horizontal alignment.
You can also align the text to top, middle and bottom. This is called Vertical alignment.
Advanced Features in Spreadsheet
Sorting data:
Arrangement of words in order can help one find a particular word or name easily. The steps to
sort data are as follows:
1. Select all rows and columns that have to be sorted.
2. Click on Data, and then, select Sort.
3. By default the order is Ascending, which means from the lowest to the highest. We will change
it to Descending.
Filtering data
Filters features of spreadsheet allows to filter the data as per specific value.
1. Click on the AutoFilter icon on the Tool Bar. This will put filters at the top of each Column.
2. Click on the filter for column.
3. The drop-down will show a list of all the values in that column.
4. By default, all values are checked or selected. Select any specific values or data. click on OK.
Protecting spreadsheet with password
The steps to protect a spreadsheet are as follows.
1. Click on Tools and select Protect Spreadsheet.
2. A Protect Document dialog box appears.
3. Type in a password.
4. Type the same password in the Confirm textbox.
5. Click on OK.
6. Now, when you close the le and open it again, it will ask for the password. Remember this
password so that you can open the le.
Another way of protecting a spreadsheet is as follows.
1. Click on File, and then, Save As.
2. A Save As dialog box will appear
3. Type the le name and click Save with password.
4. A Set Password dialog box appears.
5. Type a password in the first textbox, and then, type the same password in the Confirm
textbox.
6. Click on OK.
7. Now, when you try to open the le, it will ask for a password.

Arvind Jaiswal (PGT PGSSSchool) || Information Technology (802) Notes ||

Presentation Software
Introduction
Presentation software is being widely used to make digital presentations. It has many advantages,
which are as follows.
1. They are interesting as they have features like images, videos, animation and music.
2. Making changes in digital presentations is easy.
3. A digital presentation can be shown to a much larger audience by projecting on a screen.
4. The presentation can be printed and distributed to the audience.
Presentation software available
There are a number of presentation software available, such as
1. LibreOffice Impress
2. Microsoft Office – PowerPoint
3. OpenOffice Impress
4. Google Slides
5. Apple Keynote
We will be discussing and using LibreOffice Impress to create presentations in this Session as it
is a free and open software.
Adding text to a presentation
By default, there are two textboxes in the rst slide. The top one is for the title and the lower (bigger)
one for other details. We can click on the title box and type in a title. Similarly, we can click on
the lower box and type in some details.
Opening, Closing, Saving and Printing a Presentation
A digital presentation can be saved as a le on the computer. This can be opened later, viewed,
edited, shared with friends and colleagues, and printed.
Steps to save a presentation
The steps to save a presentation for the rst time are as follows.
1. Click on File.
2. Select Save As or Save from the drop-down. This displays a Save As dialog box.
3. You can select a folder where you want to save the le, for example Desktop.
By default, the File name is ‘Untitled#’ (# is a number). You can change it to the name of your
choice.
4. The default Save As type is .ods. You can select other le types from the Save As type drop-
down.
5. Click on Save.

you can simply click File>Save or press Ctrl+S on the keyboard to save the presentation.
Steps to close a presentation
The steps to close a presentation are as follows.

Arvind Jaiswal (PGT PGSSSchool) || Information Technology (802) Notes ||

1. Click on File.
2. Select Close from the drop-down.
Steps to open a presentation
The steps to open a presentation are as follows.
1. Open LibreOffice Impress. Click on File.
2. Then, select Open from the drop-down.
3. This will display the Open dialog box.
4. Browse and select the folder where your le is saved. Then, select the file.
5. Click on Open.
Steps to print a presentation
Before you try to print a le, please make sure that a printer is connected to the computer. The
steps to print a presentation are as follows.
1. Click on File.
2. Select Print from the drop-down or you can press Ctrl+P on the keyboard.
3. A Print dialog box is displayed.
4. A printer attached to the computer is displayed in the dialog box.
5. Select the number of copies you want to print.
6. Select All, if you want to print all slides.
7. Select Slides, if you want to print few of them and provide the slide numbers.
8. Click on OK.
Working with Slides and Text in a Presentation
Highlighting the important points in the presentation, helps in depicting important
information easily in a short span. Let us look at how we can make our presentation more effective.
Adding slide to a presentation
Slides are like new pages, which are added to separate different topics in a presentation. To add
a new slide, do the following.
1. Click on Slide.
2. Select New Slide from the drop-down or You can also press Ctrl+M on the keyboard.
3. This will add a blank New Slide to the presentation.
4. The layout or arrangement of textboxes, etc., will be similar to the previous one.
Deleting slides
The steps to delete a slide are as follows.
1. Select the slide that you want to delete.
2. Click on Slide.
3. Select Delete Slide from the drop-down.
4. . The selected slide will be deleted.
You can press ‘Del’ key on the keyboard to delete the selected slide.
Adding and formatting text

Arvind Jaiswal (PGT PGSSSchool) || Information Technology (802) Notes ||

The default layout of a LibreOffice Impress slide has two textboxes — one for the title and other
for text. If you have a blank slide with no textbox, you can insert a textbox using the option
Insert>Textbox.
You can format the text in a presentation to make it look better or attractive.
Click on the Font Style drop-down to select a di erent style. This will change the way the text is
written. You can also change the size of the text by clicking on the Font Size drop-down and select
the size (for example, 8, 12, 14, 22, etc.). The font size of the title is increased to make it stand
out
To highlight a text in LibreOffice, you can make it bold, underlined or italic, depending on the
requirement.
First, select the text that has to be highlighted. Then, hover over the given icons in the Properties
tab. Select the icon required to perform the desired function, i.e., making it bold, italic, underlined
or strikethrough.
The text can be aligned either left, right, center or justified. Using the Paragraph option in the
Properties tab.
The Font Color drop-down gives various colours from which you can choose and change the colour
of the text.
Besides the Font Color drop-down, there is a Highlight Color drop-down. If you
select a colour from the Highlight Color drop-down, it will change the background colour of the
text.
Advanced Features used in Presentation
The use of graphics, charts and images can make the presentation more meaningful. Inserting
shapes in presentation LibreOffice provides numerous shapes, such as lines, square, circle,
arrows, symbols, etc., that can be inserted into slides.
To insert an arrow,
Click on Insert, and then, select Shape.
This has several options. Choose Arrow to see different types of arrow. Select the one required for
the presentation, for example, ‘Circular Arrow’.

In this way, you can select any shape you want.

Once a shape is inserted in a slide, you can use the Properties tab to make changes to the
properties of the shape, such as colour, size, position, direction, etc.
Inserting clipart and images in presentation
A picture speaks a thousand words. We use a lot of images in a presentation to make it simple
and interesting.
The steps to insert a clipart or an image are as follows.
1. Click on Insert from the menu.
2. Select Image.

Arvind Jaiswal (PGT PGSSSchool) || Information Technology (802) Notes ||

3. An Insert Image dialog box appears.
4. Browse through folders and select the image you want to use.
5. Click on Open.
In this way, you can insert images in your presentation slides and make it more interesting.
Changing slide layout. Layout helps to arrange the slide content in an organised way. The default
layout of a LibreOffice Impress slide contains one textbox for the title and one for content. You
can change the slide layout as per the requirement. You can do this by simply selecting the slide,
and then, selecting the desired layout from the Layouts tab. Having a layout helps to align the
content in the desired way.

Unit 4 Entrepreneurship Skills

Introduction
Entrepreneurs identify an innovation to seize an opportunity, mobilise funds, raise capital, and take
calculated risks to open markets or new businesses for products, processes, and services.
Entrepreneurship development refers to the process of enhancing entrepreneurial skills and knowledge
through structured training and institution-building programmes. It focuses on an
individual, who wishes to start or expand a business.
Training in entrepreneurship development needs to include support for —
1. Entrepreneurship orientation and awareness,
2. Development of competencies (knowledge, skills and attitudes) necessary to recognise a market
opportunity and organise resources to meet it, and
3. mprovement of business performance for growth and competitiveness.
The National Institute for Entrepreneurship and Small Business Development is a premier
organisation of the Ministry of Skill Development and Entrepreneurship, Government of India,
engaged in training, consultancy and research to promote entrepreneurship and skill development.
Entrepreneurship and Entrepreneur
The word ‘entrepreneur’ is derived from the French word entreprendre, which means ‘to undertake’.
Cole defines entrepreneurship as, “A purposeful activity to initiate, maintain and aggrandise pro t-
oriented business.”
Characteristics of entrepreneurship
1. It is an economic activity done to create, develop and maintain a pro t-oriented organisation.
2. It begins with identifying an opportunity as a potential to sell and make pro t in the market.
3. It deals with optimisation in utilisation of resources.
4. It is the ability of an enterprise and an entrepreneur to take risks.
Entrepreneurship — Art and Science
Entrepreneurship is the perfect combination of art and science as it requires specific progression and
procedures to be followed and also the skill to digress when required, and yet make the entire activity
pro table and growth oriented. An example of art is music. A musician can play music notes in any

Arvind Jaiswal (PGT PGSSSchool) || Information Technology (802) Notes ||

combination to create soothing and soulful music.
Qualities of a successful entrepreneur
1. Initiative: In the world of business, opportunities come and go. An entrepreneur must be able to
initiate action and take advantage of an opportunity.
2. Willingness to take risks: In any business, there is an element of risk involved. It implies that it is
not necessary that every business shall earn a profit. This deters individuals to take up risks and start
a business.
3. Ability to learn from experience: An entrepreneur may make mistakes. However, once an error is
committed, it must be tried that it is not repeated as it may lead to heavy losses. Therefore, the
person must have the ability to learn from experience.
4. Motivation: It is necessary for success in every walk of life. Once you get motivated to do something,
you will not rest until you complete it. It is an essential quality to become a successful
entrepreneur.
5. Self-confidence: For achieving success in life, a person needs to have confidence in oneself. Someone,
who lacks confidence, may not be able to achieve much in life or inspire others to work.
Self-confidence is reflected in courage, enthusiasm, and ability to lead.
6. Hard work: There is no substitute for hard work in life. While running a business, one problem or
the other may arise every day. The entrepreneur has to be vigilant so as to identify the problems and
solve them as early as possible. This requires hard work on the part of the entrepreneur. The person
cannot afford to say: “The office hours are over now and I will not work any longer.”
7. Decision making ability: In running an enterprise, an entrepreneur has to take a number of
decisions. If an entrepreneur does not have the ability to make suitable and timely decisions, the
person may miss out on an opportunity and incur losses.
Type of entrepreneurs
There are many types of entrepreneurs, which include the following. Service entrepreneurs
These entrepreneurs either create a new market for their services or provide a service in an existing
market. They spot an idea and convert it into a service, which is unprecedented or not available in the
market.
Business entrepreneurs
These are entrepreneurs, who undertake business and trading activities and are not concerned with the
manufacturing work. A business entrepreneur identifies the potential of a product in a market.
Industrial entrepreneurs
An industrial entrepreneur is, essentially, a manufacturer, who identifies the needs of customers and
creates products or services to serve them.
Agricultural entrepreneurs
Agriculture has always been considered as a low-yielding entrepreneurship. Agriculturists have now
introduced new and innovative technology to maximise the yield, giving birth to agriculture
entrepreneurship.

Arvind Jaiswal (PGT PGSSSchool) || Information Technology (802) Notes ||

Technical entrepreneurs
The Industrial Revolution gave birth to technical entrepreneurs, who uses their technical expertise to
create and offer machines, tools, and methods. Technical entrepreneurs use their technical knowledge
and skills to innovate.
Non-technical entrepreneurs
These entrepreneurs use their expertise in providing services to create a market for technical
entrepreneurs. Their expertise is in non-technical aspects of a product or service.
Professional entrepreneurs
Such an entrepreneur starts a business, nurtures it, and makes it reach a point of self-sustenance.
Once the project reaches that point, the entrepreneur sells the business and starts a new one, and then,
follows the same cycle.
IT entrepreneurs
People who take up entrepreneurship in the field of Information Technology (IT) are called IT
entrepreneurs. The difference between IT entrepreneurs and technical entrepreneurs is that the latter
work in the f i eld of electronics, mechanical devices or even civil works, while IT entrepreneurs are
confined to innovation in the field of Information Technology.
Women entrepreneurs
As the name suggests, when women take up entrepreneurship, they are called women entrepreneurs.
Several women entrepreneurs are taking the initiative to start entrepreneurial activities and many of
them have even made it to the top.
Social entrepreneurs
Individuals, who focus on developing solutions that bene t society, are called social entrepreneurs. They
develop, fund, and implement solutions that are directed toward society, culture, and the
environment. The term ‘social innovator’ is used interchangeably with social entrepreneurs.
Family business entrepreneurs
When a family or an individual runs a business successfully and passes it on to the next generation,
then such an entrepreneur is, generally, termed a family business entrepreneur. The person, who is
handed over the business or the functioning of an enterprise, is not the first generation
entrepreneur. The person carries out all entrepreneurial activities as inherited in the same manner or
introduces certain technological advancements to the existing way and method of the family
business.
First generation entrepreneurs
First-generation entrepreneurs are those who do not have any entrepreneurship background. They can
be of different age groups and backgrounds. An individual, who starts at the age of 50 years without
any entrepreneurship background, is also a first-generation entrepreneur, and someone else, who
starts at the age of 17 years, is also a first-generation entrepreneur.
Roles and functions of an entrepreneur
1. Identifying entrepreneurial opportunity:

Arvind Jaiswal (PGT PGSSSchool) || Information Technology (802) Notes ||

There are many opportunities in the world of business. These are based on human needs like food,
fashion, education, etc., which are constantly changing. These opportunities are not realised by the
general public. However, an entrepreneur senses the opportunities faster than others.
2. Turning ideas into action:
Entrepreneurs must be capable of turning ideas into reality. They should be able to collect information
regarding ideas, products, and practices to meet the market demand.
3. Feasibility study:
Entrepreneurs conduct studies to assess the market feasibility of a proposed product or service. They
anticipate problems and assess the quantity, quality, cost, and sources of inputs required to run the
enterprise. Such a blueprint of all activities is termed as a ‘business plan’ or ‘project report’.
4. Resourcing:
An entrepreneur needs various resources in terms of money, machine, raw material, and work force to
run an enterprise successfully. An essential function of an entrepreneur is to ensure the timely
availability of all these resources.
5. Setting up an enterprise:
For setting up an enterprise, the entrepreneur may need to fulfill some legal formalities. The person
must also try to find a suitable location, design the premises, install machinery, and do many other
works.
6. Managing the enterprise:
One of the important functions of an entrepreneur is to run the enterprise. The person has to manage
the workforce, materials, finance, and organise the production of goods and services. The person has
to market each product and service, after ensuring appropriate returns (profits) of the investment. Only
a well-managed organisation yields the desired results.
7. Growth and development:
Once the enterprise achieves the desired results, the entrepreneur has to explore another higher goal
for its growth and development. The person is not satisfied only
With achieving a set goal but constantly striving to achieve excellence.
What motivates an entrepreneur?
An entrepreneur has the potential and willingness to overcome every hurdle that comes in the way of
the person’s entrepreneurial endeavors. The person f i nds out ways and means to pursue one’s
dreams and fulfill the goals.
Following are some of the qualities that motivate an entrepreneur.
Standard of excellence
An entrepreneur constantly sets high standards and strives to attain the standard of excellence by
working hard and showing innovativeness.
Uniqueness
For an entrepreneur, one of the most important qualities is to remain unique in everything the person
does and the way it is done.

Arvind Jaiswal (PGT PGSSSchool) || Information Technology (802) Notes ||

Focus on long-term goals
Long-term goals are those that are distant in terms of period. An entrepreneur focuses more on what
is to be achieved in the distant future rather than shortly.

Identifying opportunities and risk-taking

Aspiring entrepreneurs can identify new business opportunities and evaluate their potential and risks
as follows.
Community concerns: Look for issues that concern your community.
Personal experiences: If you aspire to become an entrepreneur, you must listen to the personal stories
of successful entrepreneurs and draw inspiration.
Research with others: Speak to like-minded people, get involved through social groups and join local
startup groups.
Community concerns: Look for issues that concern your community. Sometimes, starting locally can
reap huge benef i ts.
Personal experiences: Many powerful world-changing ideas come from the experiences and
challenges an entrepreneur faces in life. If you aspire to become an entrepreneur, you must listen to
the personal stories of successful entrepreneurs and draw inspiration.
Research with others: Speak to like-minded people, get involved through social groups and join local
startup groups. Many a time, discussion with others opens various doors of opportunities.

Startups
A startup is a company that is in the first stage of its operations. A startup and a traditional business
venture are different, most notably for the way they think about growth.
A startup is often f i nanced by the founders until the business gets off the ground, and it gets outside
f i nance or investments.
Let us understand more about startups.
1. Startups can be started with minimum investment. Most startups thrive on an idea that involve
technology or offer technology-driven solutions.
2. Startups seek f i nancial investment dif f erently than most small businesses. They rely on capital
that comes via angel investors or venture capital f i rms, while small business operations rely on
loans and grants.
3. Startups come up with an innovative idea. At the same time, they like to get guidance and mentoring
from an expert.
Barriers to Entrepreneurship
A business venture is a lot like a hurdle race. It, usually, involves risks. A risk is any situation, which
involves danger. So, while running the race as an entrepreneur, many hurdles, such as f i nancial
constraints may come in the way. These things can stop a person from achieving success. These are called
‘barriers’.

Arvind Jaiswal (PGT PGSSSchool) || Information Technology (802) Notes ||

Environmental barriers
One of the biggest barriers that entrepreneurs face is environmental factors. Environmental factors can
be many. But the most common ones include the following.
1. Lack of adequate resources or raw material.
2. Non-availability of skilled labour.
3. Lack of requisite machinery and other infrastructure.
4. Unavailability of monetary resources on time.
The Indian Government has come up with various schemes to help small-scale entrepreneurs gain
capital. Some of these are:
Government Mudra Yojana — https://mudralsans.in/
Credit Guarantee Scheme — https://www.cgtmse.in/
Stand‑Up India Scheme — https://www.standupmitra.in/

No or faulty business plan

“A goal without a plan is just a wish.”
Every entrepreneur wants a successful business. But if a person does not make an action plan, it may
lead to a chaotic situation.
Personal barriers
How long will the business last? How much pro t will it make? Will my customers like my product? Will
I have enough money to support my family? These are the questions that might go through an
entrepreneur’s mind before the person starts a business venture.
Self-doubt
It is easy to get discouraged when something goes wrong in a business. Self-doubt comes when we do not
have confidence in ourselves and our abilities.
Forming a team and teamwork
Finding suitable people and training them to put in their best for the business is a tedious and
difficult exercise. As an entrepreneur, one must f i nd people, who think and feel like the rest of the
team.
When new people t into the culture of the team, work can happen better and faster.
Entrepreneurial Attitudes
An attitude is a way of thinking or feeling about something. It can be positive or negative, good or bad.
Entrepreneurs think and act differently from people who are wage-employed. Entrepreneur Attitude vs
Wage-employed Attitude

Entrepreneur Attitude Wage-employed Attitude

The entrepreneur thinks and acts di erently. A wage-employed person has to do

The person not only thinks about one’s work but also the one’s job and not worry about the
work of one’s employees and the work required for the company.
Arvind Jaiswal (PGT PGSSSchool) || Information Technology (802) Notes ||
growth of the company.
Attitude of an Entrepreneur

Entrepreneurial Competencies
Competency is the ability to do something well. The attitudes and competencies required to become a
successful entrepreneur.

Arvind Jaiswal (PGT PGSSSchool) || Information Technology (802) Notes ||

Entrepreneurial attitudes through different exercises.
Decisiveness
Decisiveness is the ability to make pro table and quick decisions. How does a person become decisive
as an entrepreneur?
Decisiveness becomes the most important attribute while setting up a business venture. It is about
identifying an opportunity and acting on it. An opportunity is a chance to do something, generally,
the right time or moment to do something.
Decisiveness can be developed through the following process:
i. Knowing yourself
ii. Identify opportunities
iii. Analyse the opportunity
iv. Problem-Solving
Initiative
Initiative is the ability to take charge and act in a situation before others. Once you have decided what
you want to do, the next step is taking action.
Interpersonal skills
Interpersonal means dealing with relationships. It is between two or more persons. Interpersonal
skills, thus, mean the competencies required to work with other people.
Therefore, if the entrepreneur wants one’s business venture to grow and do better, the person has to
work with a number of people. Thus, it becomes important that we learn how to interact with
people. Some ways to do that are as follows.
Listening
It is important to listen when someone talks. When someone shares something, it is, generally,
because the person might have thought about it or it is how one feels. Listening with interest to what
someone is saying helps build trust with the person.
Body language
How would you feel if someone had a frown on the face, hands crossed, and leaning back in the chair
while talking? Our facial expressions, gestures, and postures are important while working with
people.
Positive attitude
Having a positive attitude, generally, implies being optimistic about situations, interactions, and
oneself. People with a positive attitude are hopeful and see the best even in di cult situations.
Stress management
That state of mental pressure or tension is called ‘stress’. Sometimes, one experiences stress while
working with other people. There are many ways people deal with stress. Some of them are as
follows.
1. Taking a walk in nature
2. Doing a physical activity like running swimming, etc.

Arvind Jaiswal (PGT PGSSSchool) || Information Technology (802) Notes ||

3. Practicing deep breathing exercises
4. Practicing meditation or yoga.
Perseverance
Perseverance is the ability to continue to do something, even when it is di cult. Perseverance can be
built in the following ways.

Organisational skills
Organisational skills refer to the ability to make optimal use of one’s time, energy, and resources to
achieve one’s goals. Becoming better at these organisational skills would help an entrepreneur
become successful.
Organisational skills include the following:
Time management
Time management is the process of planning and following a conscious control of time spent on
specific activities. It is the ability to use one’s time well. Time management includes the following.
i. Planning well
ii. Setting goals
iii. Setting deadlines
iv. Giving important work responsibilities to other people in a team
v. Conducting the most important tasks first
Goal setting
A goal is somewhere we want to reach. It is the aim or result that we want from an activity. Goal
makes us work harder, motivates us to complete what we start and achieve the target. Efficiency
Efficiency is the ability to do things well, successfully, without wasting time.
Managing quality
Managing quality in a business means setting and maintaining a standard of excellence for products
or services being provided to customers. When the business venture starts growing, maintaining
quality becomes the most important part because of the number of products being produced every
day.
Arvind Jaiswal (PGT PGSSSchool) || Information Technology (802) Notes ||
 Unit 5 Green Skills
Introduction
Today, we are experiencing unpredictable weather conditions due to climatic changes and
environmental deterioration. Deterioration of the environment through the depletion of
resources, such as air, water, and soil is taking place globally. We must adopt practices that are
environment-friendly and avoid using processes that will harm our surroundings.
We can take care of our environment in many ways. For example, we must not leave the tap
running while brushing our teeth, use the leftover water in our bottles for watering plants, use
cloth bags instead of plastic bags, buy eco-friendly products and reduce the
usage of paper.
1. Using non-toxic and natural products for cleaning and washing.
2. Using plants inside the home and other places for air puri cation. – Plants, such as Areca
palm and rubber absorb harmful pollutants from the air.
Green Jobs
A way we can contribute to the environment is by encouraging green jobs. Green jobs help protect
and restore the environment.
Green job is defined as one that helps bring about and maintain a transition to environmentally
sustainable forms of production and consumption. It cuts across all sectors — energy, material,
water conservation, waste management, and pollution control.
Benefits of green jobs
The greening of the economy presents a major opportunity to start new businesses, develop new
markets, and lower energy costs. Green jobs that contribute to protecting the environment and
reducing carbon footprint are becoming a key economic driver of the twenty- first century.
Green jobs help
1. Increase the efficiency of energy and raw materials.
2. Reduce greenhouse gas emissions.
3. Control waste and pollution.
4. Protect and restore ecosystems.
5. Support adaptation to the effects of climate change.
Green jobs in agriculture
Organic gardening and farming is the process by which we can grow plants and crops in an
environment-friendly way. It prevents toxic run of as no synthetic pesticides are used. It
prevents water pollution and soil contamination as no chemical is added to the soil. By using
organic methods of gardening, one can prevent death of insects, birds, critters and other
beneficial soil organisms.
Organic fruits and vegetables are free from chemical residues of synthetic fertilisers, and hence,
are good for our health.

Arvind Jaiswal (PGT PGSSSchool) || Information Technology (802) Notes ||

Green jobs in transportation
Use of energy-e cient vehicles and alternate fuels like Compressed Natural Gas (CNG) can help
minimise greenhouse gas emissions. The new biofuel Policy announced by the Government of
India on 10 August 2018 focusses on initiatives for enhanced use of biomass so as to improve
the availability of ethanol through starch and sugar-based feedstock, develop ethanol
technologies and increase the production of biodiesel for blending. Biofuels produced directly
or indirectly from organic material, including BioCNG, Bio-methanol, etc., can generate green
jobs.
The Energy Efficiency Services Limited (EESL), under the Ministry of Power, has launched an
‘electric vehicle programme’, which aims towards o ering a comprehensive solution to facilitate
the adoption of disruptive technology in India. The EESL seeks to create market for electric
vehicle, a technology poised to boost e-mobility in the country.
Green jobs in water conservation
There are green jobs in water harvesting and conservation. Rooftop rainwater harvesting refers
to the process where rainwater is collected in tanks to be used later. It can be installed in all
houses and buildings. It can also help increase the water table. Cycle-run water pumps are
being used instead of electricity-run pumps. These do not consume electricity and provide a way
for people to exercise.
Green jobs in solar and wind energy
Solar and wind power plants provide clean energy. A Solar Photovoltaic Installer installs and
maintains solar panels in homes, businesses or land. A solar lighting technician assembles, tests,
and repairs different types of solar photovoltaic home lighting systems and streetlights. Some
common jobs in this sector are roofer, solar panel installation technician and f i eld technician.
Green jobs in eco-tourism
Eco-tourism is intended to provide an experience for visitors to understand the importance of
conserving resources, reducing waste, enhancing the natural environment and reducing
pollution. This helps improve public image as the visitors feel good about being in an environment
friendly place. Green jobs in eco-tourism include eco-tour guides and eco-tourism operators.
Green jobs in building and construction
Houses and buildings are becoming environment-friendly. They use sustainable building materials
and follow eco-friendly construction processes and green operations. Green building the design
provides an integrated approach to utilisation of renewable and non-renewable resources.
Green jobs in solid waste management
Solid waste is deffined as any discarded solid fraction, generated from domestic units, trade
centres, commercial establishments, industries, agriculture, institutions, public services and
mining activities. The Ministry of Urban Development, Government of India, has classified solid
waste in 14 categories based on the source of origin and type of waste, i.e., domestic, municipal,
commercial, industrial, institutional, garbage, ash, street sweepings, dead animals, construction

Arvind Jaiswal (PGT PGSSSchool) || Information Technology (802) Notes ||

and demolition waste, bulky, hazardous and sewage waste.
Green jobs in appropriate technology
Appropriate technology is small-scale technology that is environment-friendly and suited to local
needs. Examples of appropriate technology are bike-powered or hand-powered water pumps,
solar lamps in streetlights, solar buildings, etc. It is the simplest technology that can get a job done
in an environment-friendly manner with locally available resources. Limiting greenhouse gas
emissions
Some of the greenhouse gases are Carbon dioxide, methane, Nitrous oxide, ozone and
chloro uorocarbons (CFCs). These are emitted due to burning of fossil fuels, using vehicles and
refrigerants, and carrying out agricultural activities, etc. These gases can trap heat from the earth
and prevent it from escaping into outer space. This causes the earth to heat, leading to ‘global
warming’. To reduce the emission of greenhouse gases, people are working towards reducing the
use of fossil fuels by f i nding less polluting energy sources, such as Compressed Natural Gas
(CNG).
Minimising waste and pollution
Instead of only thinking about how to recycle or reuse waste, we must work towards finding
solutions on how to reduce the amount of waste produced. This will help in waste management.
In manufacturing plants and factories, managers try to end various ways to reduce the amount
of waste produced at every step of the process. Here are some of the ways.
Reusing scrap material
For example, in paper mills, damaged rolls are sent back to the beginning of the production line,
i.e., they are added as raw material. In the manufacture of plastic items, off-cuts, and scrap are
re-incorporated into new products.
Ensuring quality control
If the quality of products is maintained, there will be a decrease in rejected products, thus,
reducing waste. Automated monitoring equipment is now being used, which can help identify
production problems at an early stage.
Waste Exchange
This is where the waste product of one process becomes the raw material for another. It
represents the way of reducing waste disposal through re-use.
Managing e-waste
With advanced technology, we have also encountered problems in managing e-waste like old
mobile phones, laptops and television sets. It is important to have sustainable development and
plan judiciously for recycling e-waste.
Use of eco-friendly material
Scientists have discovered various eco-friendly materials for example, banana leaves and paper
plates that are easily disposable, etc. These must be made easily available and their use needs to
be encouraged.

Arvind Jaiswal (PGT PGSSSchool) || Information Technology (802) Notes ||

Protecting and restoring ecosystems
Human activities, such as excess felling of trees can lead to the destruction of the ecosystem,
causing climate change and natural disasters, making it di cult for living beings to survive.
People are working now to help conserve the existing ecosystems and restore the degraded ones,
using natural solutions. Forests and vegetation help stabilise slopes, and therefore, reduce the risk
of landslides.
Wetlands can help control f oods. Avoiding cutting of forests, planting more trees, investing in soil
health and restoration can control the emission of greenhouse gases.
Adapting to the effects of climate change
The climate will change based on the damage already done. Even though people are trying to
control the emission of greenhouse gases, global warming will be there due to the damage already
done in terms of felling of trees and using land for agriculture, etc. So, we have to adapt to those
changes.
The Government of India launched the National Action Plan on Climate Change (NAPCC) in June
2008 to deal with climate change and related issues. The NAPCC comprises eight missions in
specific areas of solar energy, enhanced energy efficiency, habitat, water, sustaining Himalayan
ecosystems, forestry, agriculture, and strategic knowledge for climate change.

Arvind Jaiswal (PGT PGSSSchool) || Information Technology (802) Notes ||