Ambulance officers take top spot as the most trusted profession in the land

Webmaster on 12-Oct-2010 11:07

For the seventh year in a row, Ambulance officers take top spot as the most trusted profession in the land – while journalists find themselves struggling behind lawyers, roof-insulation installers and tow-truck drivers.
But the story gets even worse for real estate agents, politicians, car salesmen and telemarketers.
The job you hold can influence whether people trust you, and in Australia we tend to place our faith in the people who save our lives, care for us, protect us, and give back to us.
As part of its annual Trust Survey, Australian Reader’s Digest ranks a list of 40 professions. A cross section of 750 Australians were surveyed, by an independent research firm, to rank the professions we have most faith in … along with those suffering credibility issues.

JOBS TO ASPIRE TO (OR AVOID) … TO BE VALUED & TRUSTED
• THE JOBS WE BELIEVE IN - 1) Ambulance Officers 2) Firefighters 3) Nurses 4) Pilots 5) Doctors 6) Pharmacists 7) Veterinarians 8) Members of the Armed Forces 9) Farmers 10) Scientists

• OTHER NOTABLE MENTIONS – 11) Dentists 12) Teachers 13) Police Officers 15) Bus/Train drivers 16) Judges 20) Plumbers

• BELIEVING IN THE PEOPLE WHO LOOK AFTER US – We’re pretty rock solid in our trust of the professions featured in the Top Ten – most of which feature prominently year-on-year. Many of the high-ranking professions involve those who care for us, especially when we might be feeling vulnerable.

• HOW THEY FARE & COMPARE - We rate dentists (11th) ahead of judges (16th). We seem to have mixed feelings about accountants (21st), and we rate hairdressers (18th) more highly than religious leaders (25th). Well-paid CEOs struggle to win our trust at 33rd, behind weather forecasters (24th) and mechanics (27th).

• SHOOTING THE MESSENGERS – Journalists (35th) have slipped even further this year (down from 32nd last year). They find themselves lagging behind lawyers (30th), tow-truck drivers (31st) and roof-insulation installers (34th). But the politicians they report on are even less trusted, only managing to edge out two other nominated professions.

• THE OLDEST PROFESSION BETTER THAN POLITICS - Sex workers may have ranked a lowly 37th (down two spots from last year) but we still trust them more than politicians (38th) and car salesmen (39th).

• OUR BIGGEST HANG-UP – Telemarketers have (again) come in last – as the least trusted profession - for the fourth year in a row.

• THE DIRTY DOZEN – 29) Fast-food servers 30) Lawyers 31) Tow-truck Drivers 32) Taxi Drivers 33) CEOs 34) Roof-insulation installers 35) Journalists 36) Real estate agents 37) Sex Workers 38) Politicians 39) Car Salesmen 40) Telemarketers.

• The full list can be viewed at www.readersdigest.com.au