Javier Espinoza reported for the Daily Telegraph on A Winning Personality

Extrovert adults are 25 per cent more likely to earn £40,000 a year, with the odds higher for men than women.

Those who are conscientious have around a 20 per cent chance of gaining a high-paying job, a new study has revealed.

It found that a person’s personality and aspirations are strongly linked to their social background.

People from better-off backgrounds were more likely to display “high levels” of openness, which includes imagination and intellectual curiosity.

According to Kent and Cambridge universities, those whose parents worked in a professional job – were more likely to be assertive, talkative and enthusiastic, the traits of an extrovert.

Sir Peter Lampl, chairman of the Sutton Trust, which published the research, said that the results showed the importance of building the aspirations of pupils from disadvantaged backgrounds and giving them the skills and qualities – such as confidence and enthusiasm – that they will need in the workplace.

Read his full report here