Research from the University of Melbourne's
School of Social and Political Sciences has revealed a strong correlation
between confidence and occupational success.
As part of the pilot study, researchers interviewed more than 100
employees from large corporations in Melbourne, New York City and Toronto about
their levels of confidence while in elementary school, high school, college and
on the job.
Self Confidence
Those who self-reported higher levels of confidence earlier in school were earning better wages
and were being promoted more quickly. The research suggests that confident employees have more successful careers than
their peers who aren't as self-assured. The
study's lead author, Dr Reza Hasmath, said the research demonstrates a crucial
ingredient of workplace advancement. “The secret
to success at work doesn't seem to be about who you know, or even what you
know, but how you feel about yourself,” he said.
Better Job Prospects
The survey found that confident people were
more likely to be hired in the first place - and that this confidence begins in school. Adults who were
confident as children are more likely to be promoted to high-paid jobs. Dr
Hasmath went on: "The findings imply that we
should stress confidence-building activities at an early age. Such activities
should be strongly encouraged both in formal schooling and within the family
unit." "The implications are tremendous in terms of
the personality employers should look for when it comes to hiring or promoting
staff," Hasmath said.
Confidence, Height & Looks
He went on to say that the findings also shed
new light on previous studies that argued better-looking people were more
likely to get ahead in the workplace, or that taller people earn higher
salaries. "We now know it's actually higher
confidence levels - which may be a by-product of attractiveness and height - which
make all the difference," Hasmath said.
Source: www.brightfutures-experience.com
