by Precious Alex-Toji | Mar 19, 2022 | Relationships & Weddings
If you’re in a relationship and you want to know when your partner is jealous, there are few signs of jealousy in a guy that you can use to find out.
Getting jealous in a relationship is pretty common and normal. If you love someone very much, you would naturally not want that person to have the same affection with someone else that isn’t you. Seeing your partner being too affectionate with someone will definitely make you jealous.
Jealousy comes as a result of fear or insecurity about losing someone. I was reading a post in a daily newspaper, and strangely, I found out that guys get more jealous than girls in a relationship.
Losing someone special can trigger more negative feelings, like anger and resentment. Therefore, knowing these signs of jealousy in a guy can help you identify when your man is getting envious, because, honestly, we won’t tell you.
Signs of Jealousy in a Guy
1. He Stalks Your Social Media
When a guy is jealous, he would want to know what you have been up to. Especially when you go out with friends, and he feels you have told him the details enough.
And what better place to verify, if not your social media posts?
One sign of jealousy in a guy is, he is always checking your social media pages to keep a tab on you. This might be as a result of him wanting to know who you’ve been hanging out with and what you’ve been doing.
You might be telling him about your day and he’d say “So why was his hands over your shoulders” and you’d be wondering where or how he saw it. My sister, you have been stalked online.
You can reassure him by being more open and letting him know the boundaries you have with your friends. It’s left to him to work on his insecurities.
2. He Gets Mood Swings When You Talk About Another Guy
You know how much men love their pride? If you have no idea, go to a football viewing center on a champions league night and observe the men whose team bottled the trophy. There is always an invisible competition between men.
It’s the reason why I don’t like muscular men. All those muscles won’t take them to heaven.
Another sign of jealousy in a guy is his reaction whenever you talk about another guy. For clarity, never compare your man with another, except you are about to praise your man.
Your man can feel uncomfortable when you’re talking about another guy, even if it’s telling him how you were helped to cross the highway. It’s okay if he feels jealous. I mean, if I had a girl, I would want to be her Captain America and Thanos.
What you should look out for, is your man’s reaction when you are telling him about another guy. Does he suddenly sound unbothered? Tries to downplay the conversation? Or shrugs it off?
3. He is Suddenly Overtexting
I love to text my girl a lot, and I mean a lot. (Ha! Alex, you have a girl?)
It is pretty normal to receive 5, 6 text messages from me at once. However, not every man is like me. Some find texting very inconvenient and would prefer to message in short form.
When your man, who does not fancy texting, begins to blow your phone with messages, I’m glad to tell you, my sister, you have a jealous man on your hands.
Receiving multiple texts from a guy you know doesn’t text much is a sign that he’s jealous. I mean, it’d feel weird on your part as a girl to receive a lot of text from someone you know doesn’t like texting.
He suddenly wants to know what you’re doing at that moment, if you’re at the office or at the shopping mall in need of an abaya. I have seen this happen to my friends in class, and it can be so funny.
4. He Begins to Question Your Friends and Family
You can identify the signs of jealousy in a guy by how far he’s ready to get to find out more about what you’ve been up to.
A jealous guy who wants to know what you’ve been up to and who you interact with would go as far as asking questions from your friends and family.
Sometimes, he might even want to win them over to his side. He suddenly becomes an undercover FBI agent and goes around asking about your activities from your friends.
This can happen because he’s probably not convinced about his trust in you.
5. He Begins to Act Very Possessively
A jealous guy would naturally be a possessive guy. He’d definitely not want to share what belongs to him with others.
You know how children have a special toy they wouldn’t release to anybody, not even their parents? That’s just the type of possessiveness a jealous guy would exhibit.
When your man begins to dictate who you should talk to, the kind of places he doesn’t want you to go and the companies you interact with, then you should look out for actions that show his jealousy.
I have had friends who wouldn’t want their girl to go for an outing because she was too pretty. I find it funny because if I have a beauty, why would I want to hide her?
6. He Gets Too Clingy
I am putting this out there now. I am a clingy guy, and I get very attached to my girl. I like to hold her tight. But I also want my girl to have a life of her own outside our relationship.
A jealous guy would act more needy than usual. He would want to spend more time with you than necessary and that would hinder you from having your personal space. If you can’t boast of having your own space in a relationship, check out the boundaries you’ve set.
Most times, he’s probably not spending time with you because he wants to. He’s trying to avoid you spending that time with someone else that’s not him.
Look out for the kind of conversations he brings up when you’re together. Is he comparing himself with someone you know? Probably someone you’ve talked about before?
7. He Gets Very Reactionary
All it takes to let out emotions that have been suppressed for a long time is a simple issue. As simple as you forgetting the remote on the chair when it should be on the table.
When a guy is jealous, he would react way out of proportion over things you might consider flimsy. Say he’s trying to call and can’t reach you; he’d get upset when he does reach you because it’d leave him wondering what you were up to.
Overreacting is another signs of jealousy in a guy. If he begins to drag issues or flare up at the slightest provocation, there might be underlying emotions waiting for expressions that you both might have to talk about.
Conclusion
It is natural to be jealous when you have a partner. It shows you actually love the person you’re with.
What is unhealthy is when you do not address reasons why you are jealous and allow it to affect the beauty of your relationship. If you notice some of these signs of jealousy in your man, a simple chat can take away his fears.
Guys are too proud to tell you how jealous they can be. We won’t admit it, but we feel it. If you’ve had scenarios with a jealous partner, let me know how you handled it in the comment section.
Maybe, just maybe, when I get jealous too, I would know how to handle it.
by Precious Alex-Toji | Mar 14, 2022 | Personal Growth
There are various tips for working from home effectively that can help you boost your productivity as an individual. With companies now embracing working from home policies, these tips can help you balance work and home.
The covid-19 pandemic forced offices to shut down physically and move to remote working options. However, remote working is gradually becoming the new norm as more institutions are giving workers options to work from home or resume physically.
If you are new to remote working, you might have noticed how you have had to change your routine at home to fit your work schedule. You would have to figure out when is convenient and where and also find a balance between work and personal life. Adapting to this new change will take time.
I have worked (and I am working) freelance which requires me to work from home. Writing from my experience and the experience of my fellow freelancers, I share 7 tips on how to work remotely effectively.
How to Work Remotely Effectively
1. Have a Work Routine
Having a work routine and consistently sticking to it can help you work remotely effectively.
Plan a working structure with timing that guides what time you would want to work and what you intend to work on. Having this clear guideline can help you maintain a balance between work and home.
My work routine at home and when I am in school is very different. Since I have lectures during the day, I plan my outline at night. In the morning at 5, I’m up writing before I go to class.
Write your planned routine on a board or a sticky note, whichever works well for you. Chose whatever time is convenient for you. Write down the time and the task you want to work on and shut out distractions.
Tip: your phone is one of the big distractions when working remotely.
2. Shut Out Distraction That Can Hinder
Working from home means you’d have to deal with distractions that are not available in the office. Family, friends, and neighbours are some of the distractions you might face when working from home.
Shutting distractions around your working environment at home is another Tip for working from home effectively. How do you reduce distractions from home?
- Set Boundaries: if you do not stay alone, you might need to let your family or roommate know what time you would need a quiet place to work effectively. For example, my roommate knows not to play music between 5:30am to 7:00am. At that time most people are yet to wake, hence less distraction.
- Keep Your Phone in Meeting Mode: A big distraction while working from home is your phone. At work, you are used to the “professional” environment and you barely used your phone. At home, there is no one to monitor you. Keep your phone on vibration and do not make of the social media on your break time.
3. Have a Time for Break
Break time is probably the best time for people/ either at work or in school. If you can have a break at work, why can’t you have one at home.
Taking a break helps you to work remotely effectively. A 10-minute for every 30-minute break would do you good when working from home
Your brain is not a machine. Working for long hours straight without taking a break would harm you. You would become tired quietly and stress would set in.
During your break, you can do other things that do not concern work. My go-to break activity is getting food. For every 30-minutes I spend typing, I used the time to grab a snack or plate of food.
4. Create a Convenient Workspace
A Convenient workspace can help you work from home effectively. It gives you that “professional” feeling like you’re at work, except without the office walls.
An ideal workspace would include a table, a comfortable chair, and your working tools. Your laptop and working materials like books and pens would automatically take up the remaining space. Create your workspace in an environment you are comfortable in.
It is also important to get the right equipment to help boost your productivity. You wouldn’t want to have your laptop switching off when you’re on a video call. Ensure you have all the necessary equipment you’d need working in the right condition.
Also, a little bit of aesthetics can help you work better at home. A family picture or a piece of art on the wall surface can create a homely feeling.
5. Create Time for Outdoor Activities
I am so guilty of this. When I started freelancing, I’d be indoors most of the time just working. My life became a routine and eventually It affected my output. Thank God for my friends that drag me out forcefully.
When working remotely, it is very easy to get used to staying indoors. You do not have to wake up early in the morning to prepare for work. You can get too comfortable with staying indoors, your only touch of reality could be social media.
To work from home effectively, you need to set time aside for outdoor fun activities. Some of these include going to a park, grabbing lunch with friends or family, or like my favorite activity, attending a musical concert.
Having time to go outside and have fun will energize you, physically and mentally. It will also give your body a good stretch.
6. Keep in Touch with Your Colleagues
Various apps can help you connect with your fellow colleagues at work. Keeping in touch with your colleagues can help you work remotely effectively.
Apps like slack, google meet, discord is great way of connecting with your colleagues virtually. Staying indoors can make you “forget” who you work with. Because you’re not constantly in touch physically, you may lose touch with them.
Organizing a group video call can boost your productivity from home. It allows you to brainstorm ideas and smile.
7. Take Online Training Courses
To work from home effectively, you would need to be constant with new changes and advances in your field of occupation.
You can utilize YouTube, Coursera, or any free training programs that offer the choice knowledge you are looking for. This helps you become better in your output and adds to your development personally.
Conclusion
With many job positions seeking remote workers, these 6 tips on how to work remotely effectively would help you manage the balance between work and personal life while working from home.
A comfortable workspace is necessary for working from home. Make sure your work setup is convenient for you with access to a power supply and good aeration. Set a timetable that would guide how you work on tasks.
What does your dream workspace look like? Share your ideas with me in the comment section and I’d share mine!
by Precious Alex-Toji | Mar 12, 2022 | Relationships & Weddings
The early stages of relationships are beautiful to behold. With time, there are common relationship mistakes that partners make that affects their chemistry.
Relationships are not as rosy as Netflix makes them seem. Truth be told, it takes more work than people realize. It requires a combination of understanding and patience to keep the fire burning.
Do you know what makes relationships harder?
It’s the fact that there are no relationship manuals in the market to guide you on how to have a ‘perfect’ relationship. Every relationship has its ups and downs. It takes the effort of both partners to make it work.
Alright! Enough of this talking stage. Here are common relationship mistakes people make.
Common Relationship Mistakes
1. Over-Dependence on Your Partner
Being too dependent on your partner without having a life for yourself is a pretty big mistake people in relationships make.
People tend to get lost over heels in love and then lose who they truly are because they halted life outside their relationship. Yes, it is good to find partners who can mutually depend on each other but being in a relationship should not stop you from having a life of your own.
It is healthy for you and your partner to do things on your own once in a while. Go out with your friends and family, spend quality time alone, attend an art exhibition, visit the Emir’s palace.
You do not have to spend all your time with your partner. If you do, you would eventually get used to each other, familiarity sets in, and the relationship becomes “boring”.
2. Expecting Your Partner to Be Perfect
Lovers in the building, hear me out!
Nobody is perfect!
Naturally, as humans, we are built with flaws. This imperfection is what makes us unique as individuals. The beauty of having flaws is having to work through each other’s flaws as partners.
We tend to have these high expectations of what being in a relationship feels like that we overlook the beauty of having flaws.
I remember having an idea of what a perfect relationship should be like at 16. Now I revisit those ideas and I cringe at how naïve I was.
A relationship works well when both partners are willing to work on each other’s imperfections. Some of these flaws can be corrected within days, while some would require time and patience. The goal is to help each other grow as individuals and partners.
Besides, perfection is boring. If you don’t agree, let me know in the comment section.
3. Lack of Boundaries in a Relationship
This should definitely top the list of common mistakes people in relationships make.
Setting boundaries in a relationship is very important because boundaries help your partner know how you want to be treated, your likes and dislikes, and what you can and cannot condone. If you do not set boundaries in your relationship, you are bound to step on each other’s toes.
It is good to note that boundaries define how your relationship goes. If you’re constantly letting down your boundaries for your partner, you’d eventually lose who you are and you’d be building a toxic relationship.
Think of a house without a fence. It is open to trespassers and intruders. Build a fence and that house becomes private and secured. This is exactly what boundaries do.
Boundaries protect your relationships from being toxic. Your partner is not a magician. They do not automatically know what you like and don’t. It is in your best interest to speak out during the early stages of your relationship or while at the talking stage.
4. Not Showing Enough Appreciation to Your Partner’s Love Gestures
At the early stage of the relationship, partners are observant of the actions of their partners, even to the smallest detail. It is so easy to notice the love note they sent through texts or the flowers by the door.
As time goes on, you start getting used to these love gestures and they begin to seem pretty normal to you. At this point, overfamiliarity begins to set in. The moment you get used to saying “I love you” without feeling it, your relationship is approaching its endgame.
Getting too familiar with your partner’s show of affection is a common relationship mistake. It is the little things that matter.
Learn to be appreciative and say “thank you” when you notice these gestures. Being appreciated is a powerful tool in getting people to do more.
Yes! I know you deserve these affections. But show appreciation when you receive these affections.
5. Avoiding Confrontations with Your partner
I am pretty sure that there are people like me that dislike arguments or confrontations. I’d rather avoid whatever the issue is or push addressing it to another day.
This, however, is not healthy for relationships.
Remember earlier, I said we all have differences. These differences shape our actions, thoughts, and behavior. It can also shape your behaviour toward your partner.
When conflicts arise as a result of these differences, do not avoid talking it out with your partner. Confrontations are needed in relationships to help partners resolve their differences.
When you avoid sorting out differences with your partner, you are building little bricks of tension that would one day backfire. Think of it like laying bricks gently on each other. The more you avoid resolving differences, the more bricks pile up. All it takes is a nudge and it all comes crashing down.
The best way to resolve conflict is not by avoiding them but by confronting them. Talk things out with your partner. Find ways to resolve whatever it is that is causing a rift between you and your partner.
6. Improper Communication of Feelings
Being in a relationship is a two-way thing that requires appropriate expression of feelings such that your partner can know exactly how you are feeling.
Not communicating your feelings well is a common relationship mistake people make. That “hard guy” persona would do more harm than good to your relationship.
If you feel hurt by your partner’s actions, say it.
If your partner makes you happy, say it.
Also, if your partner has done something that makes you sad, say it.
Your partner does not have a mind reader to detect how you are feeling. It all depends on how well you can express your feelings appropriately so they know how to react or respond.
Conclusion
There is no step-by-step guide to having a perfect relationship. These points are carefully observed common relationship mistakes people make.
It all lies in the willingness of both partners to put in the work to make it work.
Communication is key to resolving most of these mistakes. Setting boundaries also allows partners to know what is right and what isn’t allowed. This way the proneness to conflicts can be reduced.
FAQs
Is it oK to make mistakes in relationships?
It is okay to make mistakes in a relationship. Nobody can be perfect. We all get better by making mistakes and learning from them.
What is the biggest mistake in a relationship?
The biggest mistake people make in a relationship is refusing to learn from their flaws. When you do something that your partner does not like, it is expected that you learn from this and work on making things right.
It goes beyond apologizing. If your woman doesn’t put the pot cover left opened after dishing your food, learn to be conscious about closing the pot after you’ve taken your food. Learn to work on your flaws and it goes for both genders.
Working on your flaws means you both get to make each other better. This builds bonds between couples and strengthens that chemistry you covet from Netflix dramas.
Things to avoid in a relationship
- Avoid telling everyone you know about the issues in your relationship. If you’re having issues with your partner, work it out together or get a reliable friend to step in.
- Lack of affection between partners can cause the relationship to fail. Avoid getting too familiar with your partner that you lose touch on how affectionate they can be.
- Avoid keeping secrets. Secrets have a way of breaking the bond between partners when they come to light.
by Precious Alex-Toji | Mar 7, 2022 | Personal Growth
It is natural to know the signs of being intelligent, especially if you doubt your capabilities.
Sometimes, we exhibit subtle traits that show how intelligent we are as a person, but because we do not relate these traits with intelligence, we tend to overlook them. In my childhood, I remember thinking passing examinations was the only criteria for being intelligent.
You are probably familiar with the Intelligence quotient (IQ) – a test of your aptitude and ability. However, there are various types of intelligence ranging from emotional intelligence to social intelligence.
In this piece, I’d be showing you signs of being highly intelligent using traits you possibly might have overlooked.
6 Signs of Being Highly Intelligent
1. You Have a High Level of Curiosity
A good sign of being highly intelligent is your desire to know more about everything and anything.
As children, we were born with a desire to try out anything without fear of the outcome. We are born with an innate desire to want to know things. As we grow, our experience begins to interfere with this innate desire and we suppress the desire for knowledge.
If you get fascinated with new things (like how I was with the concept of the metaverse) and find yourself looking things up constantly, that’s a pretty good sign of being intelligent.
According to a study, highly intelligent people are very curious people. They want to know more about a thing than the average individual. This also shapes how they think and refines their depth of knowledge.
Remember how Ben Carson sounded smart in class because he knew an answer no one in the class had an answer to? Look up “Gifted Hands” to know more about Ben. Did I just steer up your curiosity now?
2. You Adapt Quickly and You Are Flexible
Being intelligent and flexible is one of the signs of being highly intelligent. Intelligent people can thrive in any circumstance. Irrespective of the complications or restrictions placed on them, intelligent people always have a way of getting things done.
Being flexible and adaptable also means finding new ways of doing things. It means being creative in whatever you do. Life throws different circumstances at us and being able to navigate through these situations is a good sign of intelligence.
My mum used to ring my head with these words, “There is no one way of doing things.”
As humans, we love routines because they make us comfortable. Sometimes we stifle the genius in us when our routine changes and don’t adapt by finding solutions to it.
3. You are an Empathetic Person
One key sign of being intelligent is empathy. It is how well you relate with someone because you experience things from their perspective.
According to a study, one component of emotional intelligence is your ability to feel the needs and emotions of others and act sensitively towards those needs.
If you are an empathic person, it is most likely people would find you interesting to talk to and always want to take your advice. It means you can sense what a person is going through emotionally, usually through body language or behavior.
You can develop empathy as a skill. It requires you to be observant of people’s behavior and listen more. When people find you comfortable to relate with, you build a tower of intelligence in their eyes.
4. You Cherish Your Time Alone
Yes, I am about to drop a bombshell! Intelligent people love to have time in solitude for themselves, something I call an “alone” time.
If you are an introvert, I probably have you smiling sheepishly right now. Not to spoil your moment, but it isn’t shying away from people and the public that shows signs of being intelligent, it is what you do with your alone time that matters.
A lot of people hate to be alone. I love being alone, a lot. Not because I dislike the public, it is more of a productive time for me. You know that moment when you are alone and you fix up your chores, meet up with tasks you’ve postponed, find the infinity stones and then you can conquer Thanos.
The truth is the more time you spend socializing, the less time you have to think about your own interests and development. Intelligent people strike a balance between events and personal time. As long as you create time for yourself for personal development to recharge, it is okay to spend time with people.
5. Having a Good Sense of Humour
Highly intelligent people tend to have a good sense of humour. I mean, that is exactly what makes them approachable and friendly.
Once, I saw a tweet where someone said “Sarcasm with Nigerians is an extreme sport. I am tired of having to say ‘I’m sorry’ and explaining memes” and I could relate.
I love witty, cheesy, sarcastic, humorous (I might have run out of adjectives) people. Nobody likes to relate to boring people. It is the reason we all love to attend classes where the lecturer is prone to chipping little jokes to his teachings.
People with a good sense of humor have good social skill that draws people to them. Humor and friendliness is an essential skill for socializing. Then, when people find you as a safe space, you get to have an insight into what they are feeling and can offer help to them.
I had a dream last night! I was swimming in an ocean of orange soda. Turns out it was just a Fanta sea. (You should see my face right now). What’s your favorite cheesy pun? Drop some in the comment section!
6. Intelligent People worry a Lot about Things
Worrying about a lot of things is one of the signs of being highly intelligent. I might have finally found a trait that accommodates everyone except me.
I dislike worrying and having to overthink things. It just gives me unnecessary headaches. I have learned, the hard way, that worrying changes nothing. It is how I learned to be flexible and adapt to changing situations.
However, if you are an overthinker, studies have shown that you are more intelligent than you think. This is true because people who worry are always thinking about the outcome of things to come and trying to fix things before they happen.
However, this is not to encourage you to keep worrying about everything. A good way to channel your worries is by making plans with alternatives. It makes you prepared for any changes.
Don’t worry about things yet to happen- like how we all worry about what our future would be. Again, make plans with alternatives.
How to Increase Your Intelligence
How intelligent you are is determined by different factors. Intelligence can be inherited through genes from your parents. It can also be developed personally through the actions you take. Some of the ways to improve your intelligence include:
1. Sleeping Regularly
When you sleep, it gives your brain and body time to rest and allows enough time to process the information you have gathered while awake. It also gives your brain a fresh start to process new information when you wake up.
2. Exercising Frequently
Exercising helps stimulate brain functioning. The good thing is, you do not have to exercise vigorously to enjoy the benefits of exercising. A light walk daily can work wonders on your body.
3. Read Every Day
Reading stimulates your brain to keep information regularly. The more you read, the more you get to know about things. We learn every day. Reading gives you knowledge on things you do not know and expands your knowledge of things you know.
Fun Facts- According to Forbes, the top 4 countries with the most intelligent people are from Asia with Singapore topping the list.
Even after his death, Sir Isaac Newton still remains the most intelligent person in the world. Currently, Terence Tao is the smartest person alive with an IQ of 230. For context, I took an IQ test and I scored 141.
Conclusion
There are ways to detect intelligence in a person, and it goes beyond being book smart.
There are varying types of intelligence, and each has its own traits that can be identified in a person. An emotionally intelligent person would show signs of being intelligent through emotional self-control and empathy towards others, while a socially-intelligent person can light up a room with a smile and build networks.
Whatever trait you identify with, remember that as humans, we are naturally intelligent beings. It is the actions we take that build up the genius in us. (This my words of wisdom is not for free o).
FAQs
How to Increase Your Intelligence
How intelligent you are is determined by different factors. Intelligence can be inherited through genes from your parents. It can also be developed personally through the actions you take. Some of the ways to improve your intelligence include:
- Sleeping Regularly: When you sleep, it gives your brain and body time to rest and allows enough time to process information you have gathered while awake. It also gives your brain a fresh start to process new information when you wake up.
- Exercising Frequently: Exercising helps stimulate brain functioning. The good thing is, you do not have to exercise vigorously to enjoy the benefits of exercising. A light walk daily can work wonders on your body.
- Read Every Day: Reading stimulates your brain to keep information regularly. The more you read, the more you get to know about things. We learn every day. Reading gives you knowledge on things you do not know and expands your knowledge on things you know.
What country has the most geniuses?
According to Forbes, the top 4 countries with the most intelligent people are from Asia with Singapore topping the list.
Who is the most intelligent person in the world?
Even after his death, Sir Isaac Newton still remains the most intelligent person in the world. Currently, Terence Tao is the smartest person alive with an IQ of 230. For context, I took an IQ test and I scored 141.
What Are the Signs of High Intelligence?
A highly intelligent person would naturally show these 7 signs:
- Good problem-solving skills
- Good decision-making ability
- Creativity
- Good memory
- Good command of language
- Knowledge of general happenings
- Poor romantic ability
by Precious Alex-Toji | Jan 31, 2022 | Personal Growth
Landing your dream job depends not only on your college degree and your working experience. There are top skills employers are looking for when selecting the right candidate for the job.
Irrespective of the position you are applying for, employers are always on the lookout for these skills to make sure you are fit for the position. These skills are commonly referred to as soft skills.
Soft skills are those skills and attributes that are interpersonal in nature and influence how individuals relate to one another. On the flip side, hard skills are those technical skills required to function in the workplace such as computer literacy.
When applying for a job, you must show in your resume that you have these top skills employers are looking for. A combination of these skills with your technical ability makes you irresistible to employers.
The Top Skills Employers Are Looking For
1. Communication Skills
Communication takes place in the workplace every day and it is one of the top skills employers are looking for. In a world of technological advancement, employers are looking for individuals who can communicate effectively and pass messages across, verbally and written.
Effective communication is a very rare but essential skill needed in the workplace. Having strong communication skills makes you a valuable asset to your employers.
The key to communicating effectively is keeping your message simple and clear. You have to ensure your message can be understood immediately while passing information across. Compare these two scenarios:
Text A– “Good day, Agnes, can we go out later when you are done with work?”
Text B– “Good day, Agnes, I’m going to grab dinner at the Chicken Republic when we close from work. Would you like to join me? Bill’s on me.”
If you are the receiver, both sentences tell you that you would be going out in the evening after work. However, Text A does not give you much detail. Text B on the other hand tells you where you would be going, when you would be going, and what you would be doing. This way, you have more information and can either decline or accept the offer.
Improving your communication skills helps you become more efficient and effective in the workplace.
2. Teamwork
The ability to work well with a team is a top skill employers are looking for. Every organization is made up of individuals who need to work together to achieve maximum productivity. Irrespective of the position, it is always in the best interest of the organization when its employees can collaborate on tasks. Hence, employers are always looking for individuals who can work well in teams.
Some of the characteristics of a good team player include trust, honesty, accountability, and open communication. A good team player can be trusted with a task and can deliver at due time. He/she must be accountable and honest in the workplace as this goes a long way in strengthening team bonding.
3. Critical Thinking and Problem Solving
In the workplace, situations arise that require in-depth analysis, evaluation, and the need to provide a solution to the problem at hand. Hence, employers are very particular about selecting candidates with the ability to think critically and solve problems.
Critical thinking goes hand in hand with problem-solving. It involves the ability to question assumptions, observe, analyze, and derive a conclusion from data. It also involves the step-by-step analysis of a problem to provide solutions.
Problems are bound to arise in the workplace, particularly work and people related. As an employee, it is expected that you should be able to deal with problems as they arise.
The good news is, like every other skill, you can develop your ability to think critically and solve problems. Actively paying attention to how experts, your colleagues, or experienced persons handle problems in the workplace can give you a blueprint to solving work-related problems.
Engage in internships, research, or field experience to collaborate with colleagues so you can develop these skills. If you shy away from tasks, you avoid the opportunity to put your skill into practice.
4. Interpersonal Skill
Interpersonal skills are skills that influence how you interact and work well with others. Because we interact with people every day, interpersonal skill is a top skill employers are looking for.
Also referred to as “people’s skill”, interpersonal skill refers to how well you can interact and engage with people. Even when you are not in a position that requires you to come in contact with customers, you would still need to interact with colleagues and managers at work.
Interpersonal skill is necessary for building relationships and networks. It involves how effective you are in communicating, your ability to maintain decorum and courtesy as well as having good emotional intelligence.
Employers are also looking for individuals who are flexible and can adapt to any given task to meet a particular objective.
5. Leadership Skill
Have you ever met a person with the ability to administrate and manage people while also bringing out the best in them? Northpad has one of the best editorial managers I have seen.
Employers are looking for individuals who can administer the affairs of the organization effectively. Whatever position you are applying for, having leadership skills gives you an edge over candidates.
Leadership is not limited to those applying for managerial positions. Nowadays, most organizations prefer to promote individuals from within who have exhibited strong leadership qualities.
A good leader listens and pays attention to complaints in the workplace, understands the strengths and weaknesses of each employee, and provides the opportunity for optimal productivity from each employee.
6. Digital Literacy
The world today is run by technology and having a basic understanding of the usage of computers and the internet is a requirement by most employers.
Most organizations make use of computers in their daily operations. Thus, having basic knowledge of how to use a computer is top skill employers are looking for.
Some positions require that you have in-depth knowledge of advanced computer skills. Furthermore, it’s only wise to ensure that you are learned in such a field. For example, a data scientist would need to have an understanding of the use of Excel.
However, some basic computer literacy skill includes knowing how to use word processors like Ms Word or Google docs, spreadsheets such as Excel or Google sheets, the use of the internet, and social media.
7. Flexibility and Adaptability
The ability to be flexible and adapt to changes in the workplace is an essential skill needed in an employee.
Innovations are constantly introduced in the working environment and employers expect you to be able to learn and adapt to these changes.
For example, you can be a social media manager and your employer may ask you to head the communications department. Your ability to adapt quickly to these changes is a skill you can develop.
Being flexible and able to adapt quickly is a quality that sets you apart from other candidates. It shows you’re eager to learn and change when needed.
8. Professional Work Ethics
When building yourself for job applications, you should consider learning the ethics required in a professional environment as it is a top skill employers are looking for.
Work ethics refers to the manner in which you conduct yourself in the workplace. It includes traits such as honesty, decency, respect, promptness to mention a few.
Having a strong work ethic enables you to manage your time and get things done promptly and properly. It also means you conduct yourself professionally in the workplace by respecting the privacy and boundaries of your colleagues.
Conclusion
Whatever position you are applying for, these top skills employers are looking for would give you an edge during the application process. You must begin developing these skills as they are the distinguishing factor when selecting candidates for a position.
In addition, make sure you highlight these skills and how you have applied them in the workplace on your resume and cover letter. You would also want to make sure you are being honest because that’s what interviews are meant for; verifying the contents of your resume.
Is there any skill you would want to develop or put more effort into developing? Let me know in the comment section and I would show you how!
