Does the ability to articulate words and communicate impact income?

[NaijaProdigy Redux]

Of course it does.

The very first thing that comes up when we do round tables for candidates is how a prospect articulated their answers / story.

The fundamental question being “Is this someone we can put in front of our LPs, advisers, and portcos?”

You’re effectively a salesman when you’re interviewing.

 

[Standing on business]

The gift of gab is one of the greatest resources you can have in life

 

[Dr. Acula]

Yes ...

Also, at the end of the day, whether it's a job, talking to some authority figure, etc. You're dealing with humans and the weaknesses and biases present in all humans show up in those systems.

Basically, someone with a gift of gab can always manipulate and convince people. This includes people in position of power including employers.

My ability to articulate my thoughts has always impressed people during job interviews even more than my skills. In fact, in my industry where basic forms of human communication are missing from a lot of people, it has given me a large leg up to just be ...normal. Not that I don't have the skills but I've literally seen the excitement in the eyes of interviewers based on my ability to answer their questions. I'm in software development and there are some people I've met whose social skills are bottom of the barrel. I have stories... So it's almost a cheat code to be able to talk like a normal human being sometimes AND have the technical knowledge required.

 

[Dr. Acula]

Last year, I had a job interview over the phone, the interviewer was a cac named Devon...I accidentally said de-vaughn instead of deh-vun, do you think I got the job?

If he was a cool ass CAC he would have been cool about it and laughed. If that is really why you didn't get the job, count it as a blessing you don't have to work with an uptight a$$hole.

Also, folks talking about big words, it's more than that. They are looking for you to explain your thought process and to do it in a coherent way they can follow. Also, it shows your flexibility and creativity in your thought process.

For example if I asked you to describe how you would solve a problem, I need you to give me a step by step process and give me a lot of detail about each step and the reasoning behind why you would take that step. That is what it means to be articulate to me. If you do that well with simple words, that means more than what words you use.

 

[WTFisWallace?]

It’s not even articulation, a great mouthpiece can get people super far in several aspects of life.

 

[BaldingSoHard]

The real question is, how do you build your grammar for the corporate world!

Also, it's hard to switch code between the corporate and real world. Sometimes my heavy Brooklyn accent comes out along with my articulation.

Listen to the great orators and take notes. When you encounter a word you're not familiar with, google it.

Listen to Paul Robeson or Marcus Garvey or Malcolm X or hell Captain Picard. Those dudes had that gravitas that can only come with a command of the language.

It also helps to have a voice with that deep baritone lustre. But not everyone can have that.

 

[010101]

..........*

 

[MasterThought]

Jesus Christ is the greatest articulator that's ever walked the earth.

Mouthpiece literally on GOD mode.

That's why he's so loved AND hated till this day.

 

[Robbie3000]

Yes. Way more than intelligence unfortunately.

It’s a cheat code.

 

[⠀X ⠀]

Yes. Communication and soft skills are essential to doing well in certain fields.

 

[africngiant]

Yes; more than actual qualifications, a lot of times.

I used to get mad at the comments like “you’re so smart” or “I’ve never met anyone like you” because I took them as saying “I didn’t think black men were articulate and carried themselves well”. But I don’t even get upset anymore because too many of us don’t know how to present ourselves in a professional manner, so I kinda get it…

Edit: Let me just tell you; having an Asian woman blurt out “you’re the smartest person in this room”, in a meeting full of nothing but “other” people, is embarrassing, flattering, weird, enlightening, and a bunch of other shyt all rolled into one emotion

i take this shyt as an insult because i don’t even think im really that bright at all. like it’s sarcasm

 

[GoAggieGo.]

Yep.

I’ve got a pretty strong southern accent. I’m country as hell. Had to tone it down quite a bit during the interview process. Now, when I got my first job in Mississippi, I found they didn’t really mind. Them white boy engineers had strong accents as well, and weren’t hiding shyt. Vocab just needed to be on point.

 

[MJ Truth]

I’ve seen people get hired for jobs they had no business getting, but how they talk and carry themselves enables them to fake it till they get caught up.

It’s a basic but underrated fundamental trait to have and is often overlooked and underrated.

Of course it does. What kinda question is this? That’s like asking does being attractive affect how people treat you.

 

[MJ Truth]

i take this shyt as an insult because i don’t even think im really that bright at all. like it’s sarcasm

It’s possible you’re just underrating yourself, or that you don’t realize how dumb other people are. I used to feel the same way you did until I spoke to more people and realized that while I thought of myself as average, there are so many dumb people out there that I probably do seem very smart.

 

[drederick tatum]

How would it not?