How Listening To Music Can Help You Advance In Your Career

Publish date: 2024-06-05

No matter if it is your first job out of university, or if you have been climbing the corporate ladder for decades, everyone is looking to advance their career, so they can enjoy more responsibility, have greater personal fulfilment and earn more money. There is no shortage of advice showing you how to further your career, but most of it focuses on practical techniques such as networking and upskilling. However, there is one thing that ties all these techniques together that no one ever talks about.

Music lovers know the calming effect music has on the soul. But did you know you can harness these effects to advance your career as well? Yes, music could be the secret weapon you need to take your career to the next level. Music plays an integral role in how we interact and develop as human beings, how we learn new things and how we cope with stress. Take a look below at just how listening to music can help you advance your career no matter what stage you’re at.

It can help improve productivity

Several studies have proven that listening to music while working can improve productivity. But you need to be mindful of your personality and the kind of music you listen to because music can also have a detrimental effect on productivity. For example, this study shows that listening to background music without lyrics improved concentration levels in participants. While listening to background music with lyrics had a negative impact on concentration and attention levels.

Your personality can also play a role in whether you will benefit from listening to music. Some studies have also looked into the effect that music has on both extroverts and introverts. Results have shown that introverts may experience improved memory, while extroverts did not.

Music can help you study

Many professionals have to study hard to get onto their desired career path and a lot of students have a variety of revision techniques to help them study for their exams. Some students might use flashcards, some might also use music. While some may prefer to work in silence, others swear that listening to music while they are studying helps them to concentrate better, stay productive for a longer period or time, and remember new information more effectively.

Much research has been conducted over the years to assess the effect that music can have on the body. A University of Central Florida study looked into how music alerts different parts of the brain. Stanford University research from 2007 also found that classical music comes out on top as being the best music for studying. If you have some of your favourite songs and artists on your playlist, music can be a powerful tool that can help motivate you to study harder for longer.

Music can reduce stress

A recent study carried out by the World Economic Forum shows that workplace stress has increased for the past three years in a row. High-stress levels impair workers’ abilities to make rational decisions. Stress also causes workers to become disengaged which reduces productivity and increases absenteeism. It is estimated that stress-related illness costs the global economy $7.8 trillion, around 11% of global GDP.

Music can help professionals advance in their career by acting as an effective method of reducing stress. Whether it’s an instrumental piece, a classical title, or the latest music releases, music can help destress a lot of individuals who are finding their day-to-day work stressful. Reducing stress can help professionals concentrate on their work better and be more organised.

Music can increase your concentration

People whose work involves carrying out repetitive tasks very quickly start to lose concentration. This leads to mistakes which in turn slows down productivity. This phenomenon was first noticed in factory workers during the 1960s. Activation theory was developed as a means to combat the problem. Activation theory is based on the knowledge that humans require a certain amount of stimulation to remain intellectually active.

Playing music has been shown to significantly increase attention levels in workers that carry out repetitive tasks. Choosing the right type of music to listen to while studying or working can help improve concentration and focus on the task at hand. Being able to concentrate well and focus on small details is a useful skill for many career paths.

It can also help boost professional working relationships

Listening to music releases dopamine in the brain, which regulates our mood and helps to manage cravings. This keeps us in a positive frame of mind and makes us more open to connecting with others. Another study has shown that listening to music in a group helps to foster positive associations within the group. So listening to music can be an effective team-building tool in the right setting.

Forming good professional relationships is useful to help people climb the career ladder and land that sought after position or promotion. Networking is valuable for many working professionals and teams can bold over shared music interests as well as listening to music together in the workplace.