Finding and marrying "the One" not only benefits your romantic heart; it also determines your career success, according to a recent study.
The study found that in terms of shaping your career for the better, it is not just your personality that matters but also the personality of your spouse. The researchers discovered that a conscientious spouse gives a person a better chance at success.
Apparently, a person's spouse has more influence than close co-workers, particularly in terms of promotions, pay raises, and other determinants of career success.
According to lead author Joshua Jackson, Ph.D., "The experiences responsible for this association are not likely isolated events where ths spouse convinces you to ask for a raise or promotion."
He clarified that in terms of a spouse's personality influencing one's career, many factors are involved. Such factors occur daily, accumulating and summing up across time, creating an impact on one's actions that can lead to career growth, like a promotion or a raise.
The five-year study involved around 5,000 married couples aged between 19 and 89. Seventy-five percent of the sample had both spouses working.
Participants took a set of psychological tests that measured five broad personality factors- openness, extraversion, agreeableness, neuroticism, and conscientiousness.
Jackson, together with co-author Brittany Solomon, also tracked on-the-job performance of working spouses. Information used were annual surveys that measured occupational success, which included salary increases. job satisfaction self reports, and the likelihood of getting a promotion.
Results revealed that employees who had the highest scores in occupational success often had a spouse who scored high in conscientiousness, regardless of gender and whether or not both spouses worked.
Based on several theories, Jackson and Solomon explain that a working spouse may rely on his/her partner to handle household concerns. It is also possible that the working spouse has a tendency to emulate the good habits of their conscientious partners, absorbing traits like reliability and diligence and bringing it to the workplace.
The study's findings are published in the journal Psychological Science.