How Your Spouse Could Boost Your Career or Sink It

As you know, your relationship with your spouse or significant other is vital to your overall enjoyment of life. You probably know from experience that when your relationship is going well, your personal life and happiness levels also seem to peak.

But now researchers are showing that your relationship with your significant other can influence your life beyond the household. And it may even be a significant factor in your success and getting you promoted at work.

Researchers from St. Louis’s Washington University collected data from 4,544 participants and their spouses and examined that data over a 5-year period. Assistant Professor Joshua Jackson and graduate student Brittany Solomon collected information about work success every year and also instructed all participants to answer a questionnaire about their spouse’s personality.

The personality traits that the researchers were most interested in were extraversion, openness, neuroticism, agreeableness, and conscientiousness. It’s often been indicated that these traits are frequent indicators of important things like life satisfaction and personal success.

In particular, the researchers hypothesized that Conscientiousness (being driven, disciplined and dependable) would be an ideal trait in a partner because they will be likely to support the significant other in their work. While never forgetting to buy a birthday present or pick up the eggs may be useful, when applied to the spouse’s career, a conscientious partner may help spur on accelerated success.

The results of the study indicated that the personality traits of your life partner can enhance the career success you experience in life. The researchers saw that those with more conscientious partners were more likely to be promoted and even earned more money annually.

They also identified that having a more conscientious partner will increase job satisfaction, likely as a result of enjoying more relationship satisfaction. A more conscientious partner has a positive impact at home and that results in better performance on the job for a lifetime.

The study confirms that a strong social connection with your spouse as well as having a partner with a positive outlook can really improve the quality of your life, not just at home, but at work too. If you have been having a lot of success at work recently, perhaps you have a conscientious partner at home that deserves your thanks. So, be conscientious and express your gratitude.

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