Qualifications matter most to employers, according to a new survey from The Open University. Eight in 10 Britons are overworked, with almost a third “burnt out” or “very overworked”. Employees believe that working longer hours is one of the best ways to earn a promotion or pay rise despite being considered important by just one in ten employers.

Nearly two-thirds of us regularly work overtime, with nearly 10 per cent working at least an extra 40 hours per month; a full working week. However, while a quarter of employers said they wanted staff who met deadlines and targets, a greater number (46 per cent) cited work-related qualifications gained through additional education, as a reason to offer a pay rise or promotion. Other things viewed favourably by employers were staff who went on training courses and who were eager to learn new job skills.

The survey also revealed widespread disaffection with their career choices: Just 15 per cent of people are entirely happy with their career.
The Open University is releasing a Guide to Fast-Tracking Your Career containing expert advice from its Careers Advisory Service to help people improve productivity without necessarily working longer hours.

Keith Zimmerman, director, students at The Open University says: “The start of a new year is the perfect time to take stock of your career and make decisions to change it for the better. The survey shows that people in the UK work very hard but some overlook the more effective means of achieving career goals… with higher-level skills more important to our national economy than ever, now is the perfect time to think about whether you’ve got the right ones.”

To download the free Guide to Fast-tracking Your Career, visit www.openuniversity.co.uk/guide or call 0300 303 0068.

Top ten things people believe will earn a promotion or pay rise
1. Meeting deadlines (37%)
2. Meeting targets (37%)
3. Working longer hours (33%)
4. Learning new job skills (23%)
5. Being a team player (18%)
6. Going on work related training courses (17%)
7. Working through lunch hour (15%)
8. Dressing for success (13%)
9. Being first in the office (12%)
10. Work more efficiently (12%)

Top ten things employers really look for when offering pay rises or promotions
1. Gaining qualifications, through additional education, that help them become better at their job (46%)
2. Going on work-related training courses (33%)
3. Gaining work-related knowledge through free online courses or by reading relevant books and/or articles (26%)
4. Meeting deadlines (25%)
5. Meeting targets (23%)
6. Being eager to gain new job skills (22%)
7. Working more efficiently (19%)
8. Being a team player (19%)
9. Winning new business (18%)
10. Working as hard as possible to make things easy for a supervisor/manager (15%)