Photo: bossip.com

Many of us attribute taking a step down in our career, or foregoing a career altogether, to having kids. Yet the somewhat surprising secret of your career success (or lack thereof) could actually be your significant other. According to a recent study, your spouse’s personality has a lot more to do with your career success than you could ever imagine.

Remember Huma Abedin, who started out as Hillary Clinton’s assistant and ended up rising to the top of her career? Or rather, do you remember her more when reminded of her husband Anthony Weiner, who made headlines for sharing pictures of his (no longer intimate) intimacy. Do you recall how all of a sudden, in light of all the penis-sharing business of her spouse, her career lost lackluster as she was faced with the harsh decision to divorce her hubby (and be poor, alone and pregnant at the time), or stay and endure the backlash of public opinion?

Speaking of the Clinton’s circle, do you also recall Monica Lewinsky and the whole sex scandal that surrounded her back then? Granted, unlike Huma, Monica had an integral part in it. Yet, here as well, the actual spouse, Hillary, who had nothing to do with the whole thing, also had to suffer the consequences of her husband’s behavior. And sixteen years later, as Monica Lewinsky is shamelessly staging a comeback on social media ahead of the 2016 campaign (interesting coincidence), Hillary is probably going to have to suffer consequences she never bargained for….

So can your spouse ruin your career? Absolutely! Can you do anything to prevent them from doing so, or to even limit the damage? It depends on how strong you are if you decide to stay and face the backlash on the home and public fronts; or how much you are willing to place a phone call to your parents to loan the money you’ll need to pay for an expensive divorce, oh, and for groceries too…

And while you’re at it, and if you still are deciding on the best marriage and career choices, you may want to read Linda Hirschman’s book, Get to work, and follow her decade-old advice to “marry down“. As crazy as it may sound (and to my male readers, please don’t get mad), a man who is less rich, less in the limelight, and less prone to ask their spouse to set their careers aside to propel his, may just be what some ambitious, go-getter women need…

Just sayin’…

The Corporate Sis.