How your partner influences your career success

Can your choice of partner influence your career? Photo by Getty.

You can update your résumé all you want, but if you really want that raise, research suggests that you also need the right partner.

A study, by Washington University, tested almost 5,000 married adults to determine their levels of openness, extraversion, agreeableness, neuroticism, and conscientiousness—and their spouses'.

Then, over the course of five years, researchers followed up with them to see how their careers were going.

It turns out, workers who enjoyed the most career success - boasting the greatest levels of job satisfaction, as well as more promotions and raises - tended to have a conscientious spouse.

Why? A partner who is conscientiousness - defined as being self-disciplined, dutiful, and achievement-oriented - helps you put your best foot forward, says lead study author Dr Joshua Jackson.

First, a conscientious S.O. is likely to help out around the house, making it easier for you to devote the time and energy necessary to succeed in your career. (FYI, the researchers found conscientious partners boosted their spouses' career success whether or not they were men, women, also worked, or stayed at home.)

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Second, if your partner is hardworking, you're probably not going to slack on the job.

And third, contentiousness tends to boost a couple's relationship satisfaction, so if you hook up with one, you won't have a ton of relationship drama around to spill over into your professional life, says Jackson.

Talk about an awesome way to mix business and pleasure.

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