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Successful careers built on charm and hard work, claims survey

Written by sgilroy | 27/06/12 13:02


Persistence, hard work and a smidgen of luck are some of the criteria needed to enjoy a successful career.

That's according to new research conducted by children's literacy charity Volunteer Reading Help, cited by i-l-m.com, which questioned 500 managers, chief executive officers (CEO) and businesspeople boasting salaries over £70,000.

According to the survey, attributes such as hard work, persistence and charm are key players when it comes to getting ahead in the jobs market. Furthermore humour, intelligence and 'acting warmly' towards others are attributes perceived as helpful when it comes to climbing the career ladder.

Only two per cent of those surveyed believed that ruthlessness helped them to get ahead in the sector.

Hard work does pay off claims Sue Porto, CEO of Volunteer Reading Help - who stated: "It's the old adage of people wanting to work with people they like and proves that hard work, persistence and being decent pays dividends in the long run."

The research formed part of a survey to explore the link between reading and success. The results found that high-flyers are more likely to read crime and action adventure books in their spare time, with memoirs ranking the lowest, reports thebookseller.com.