Large fires were his area of expertise: American fireman Paul Adair fought more than 2,000 fires around the world, including a gas source in the Algerian Sahara which blazed for six months, and 117 oil wells which went up in flames during the first Gulf War. His missions were so spectacular that they even provided material for the 1968 film “Hellfighter”, in which John Wayne played the fearless firefighter. Back then, Adair had certainly contributed a lot to the positive perception of his profession. Yet firefighters remain highly respected to this day, and not only in the USA. In all corners of the world, people place a lot of trust in fire departments. And this positive image also applies to other caring professions.
They help us out in emergencies, save lives and care for others: In nearly all of the countries surveyed, firefighters and medical professions such as paramedics, doctors and nurses are awarded the best scores. These are the results of the “Trust in Professions 2015” study carried out by GfK Verein last fall, in which more than 29,000 consumers were surveyed. People from 27 countries around the world were interviewed with the aim of discovering the level of trust they have in 32 pre-determined occupations. So that the results of individual countries could be compared, the average trust values per country, worldwide and within Europe were recorded, weighted according to the respective population.
Caring professions: Global acknowledgement
As was the case in the 2014 survey, firefighters top the global trust rankings. With the exception of Kenya and Nigeria – where firefighters arguably cannot achieve so much due to lacking equipment and infrastructure – at least 80% of the global population has either high or very high trust in them. In many countries, the value is even higher than 90%. Other caring professions are perceived favorably by citizens: Paramedics are rated highest in the UK, Japan and Switzerland; doctors in Iran and South Africa; and nurses in South Korea. Alongside the medical sector, education is also well-represented at the top of the rankings: Teachers are the most trusted profession in India, Indonesia and Turkey. In Kenya, Nigeria and the Philippines, farmers place highly. In these countries, between 85% and 95% of the population has trust in farmers. In fact, agriculture is the most important economic sector in Kenya, providing a livelihood for many people. And while the most important economic sector in Nigeria is oil production, 60% of the population here is employed within the agricultural sector.
There is not so much agreement between countries in terms of overall trust as is the case with regard to trustworthy professions. The average values for all professions surveyed vary from 55% to 82%. The highest trust values were seen in India and Indonesia, with values around the 80% mark. However, Nigeria, Japan, Argentina and Brazil bring up at the rear with overall trust values between 55% and 56%. They therefore occupy the last positions in the ranking. However, in Germany, people are more trusting: the average trust value of 65% places the country mid-table.
Banks: Europeans more skeptical than on average
Whether we trust somebody or not appears to largely depend on our life experience and impressions. These vary from country to country and across continents. A comparison between Europe and the rest of the world reveals that the financial crisis is Europeans’ main preoccupation. Bankers may well have a 67% trust value globally, placing them in the mid-range, but the equivalent value in Europe is just 42%. This places financial service providers among the least trusted professions overall. Financial matters reveal the starkest divergence between Europe and the rest of the world. Europeans also display a more reserved attitude towards other professions than the global average: Journalists, advertising executives, insurance brokers and businessmen fare significantly worse within European borders – the difference between these figures and the global average lies between 17% and 22%.
Police: Europeans more trusting than the global average
Europeans are not simply skeptical per se. They do have higher levels of trust for certain professions in comparison with respondents on other continents. The difference is most evident with regard to the police: 71% of Europeans trust law enforcement, while the global average is 63%. Aside from these divergences, there are many parallels to be drawn between the European and global ranking. In both the European and global rankings, firefighters and nurses occupy the top two places respectively. In fact, all of the professions in the global top 10 are highly placed in the European ranking, albeit in a slightly different order. This is also the case at the other end of the scale. For example, politicians are universally ranked bottom, with a worldwide trust value of 30% and a significantly lower corresponding figure of 19% for Europe.
Germany: great trust in law enforcement and justice
How are individual professions perceived in Germany? Which occupations do Germans trust the most, and which perform poorly in comparison with other countries? Those representing the rule of law, order and safety enjoy the best trust values in Germany: lawyers, judges and police officers are rated significantly better than their European and worldwide counterparts. Public transport drivers, who are tasked with the responsibility of bringing thousands of people safely to their destination each day, are seen positively in the eyes of German respondents. And nearly everybody in the country places incredibly high trust in medical professions. When it comes to their reputation, paramedics are rated particularly highly. Nearly 96% of Germans trust them – and with this in mind, are on an equal footing with firefighters.
Service providers: IT sector performs well
Germany’s service sector has been growing for years: according to the German Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs, the tertiary sector generates approximately 70% of GDP and three quarters of jobs (source: bmwi.de bzw. statista.com): these figures speak for themselves. However, when it comes to trust, certain professions need to catch up. Among those seen critically by Germans are retailers, advertising executives and insurance brokers. Others in the media and entertainment sector should not be so satisfied with their trust values yet: journalists, TV presenters and actors are seen more critically in Germany when compared with other countries. In this regard, the difference ranges between 10 and 27 percentage points. And while many Germans no doubt enjoy watching a soccer game or two, whether sitting in front of the TV or in the stands, trust in professional players is much lower than elsewhere. The financial sector also fares poorly when compared with other parts of the world. Although Germans consider bankers to be just as trustworthy as their European neighbors, Germany is far below the overall trust level in a global comparison. Last but not least, German citizens don’t know what to make of their armed forces. They display less trust for their soldiers than other nations. On the other hand, there is one positive exception in the service sector. IT specialists can take pride in their good trust levels: 59% of respondents have a high opinion of computer and software experts, 14% higher than their European counterparts and 9% higher than the global average.
But how do you go about gaining people’s trust? Can an average or even a negative image be improved at all? A simple recipe for success doesn’t exist. After all, each profession faces different challenges. However, it may help to seek inspiration from John F. Kennedy. He is claimed to have once said: “He who acts while others talk gets ahead in life.” These words will above all resonate with firefighters, paramedics and police officers alike.
Data source: GfK Verein, Study „Trust in Professions 2016“
Responsible for the article and contact person for queries about Compact: Claudia Gaspar(e-mail to hello@nim.org).
FAQs
What is the most trusted profession in the world? ›
According to the latest annual Gallup rating of various professions, nurses lead the nation in ratings for honesty and ethics for the 20th consecutive year.
What are the top 5 most trusted professions? ›- Nursing: 81%
- Medical doctors: 67%
- Grade school teachers: 63%
- Pharmacists: 63%
- Military officiers: 61%
With 96%, nurses also came out on top for trust in the 2022 edition of the survey, ahead of pharmacists' 93% and doctors' 91%.
What are the most trusted jobs? ›...
The Top 5 Most Trusted Professions
- Firefighters. ...
- Teachers. ...
- Doctors/Nurses. ...
- Postal Workers. ...
- Armed Forces.
List of over 12,000 Careers.
Who is an example of a professional? ›The definition of a professional is someone who works in a particular field. An example of a professional is someone who plays football in the NFL. One who earns a living in a given or implied occupation.
Which profession is most respected in USA? ›The way people perceive work impacts on the professions they respect, and certain jobs seem to garner more value. The professions people respect most are these: Scientists, farmers and doctors – 83% of people respect these professions.
What is the noblest profession in the world? ›Teaching is indeed the noblest, an enobling profession. “A teacher,” said Henry Adams, “affects eternity. He can never tell where his influence stops.
Is there a difference between a career and a profession? ›Career and profession both are long-term endeavours of life. While career encompasses all the jobs, business or any other type of work performed by an individual during his life, the profession is an occupation for which a person should have good knowledge and expertise, to provide services to others.
What is an example of a profession? ›The definition of a profession is a job, or what you do for a living. A lawyer is an example of a profession. When you work as a teacher, this is an example of a situation where education is your profession.
Which is the most important job in the world? ›
Teaching is the most important job in the world. The quality of any nation's education cannot exceed the quality of its educators. Each teacher has the opportunity to shape and impact tens of thousands of young lives over the course of their career.
What are the top 10 best profession? ›- Information Security Analyst.
- Nurse Practitioner.
- Physician Assistant.
- Medical and Health Services Manager.
- Software Developer.
- Data Scientist.
- Financial Manager.
Medieval and early modern tradition recognized only three professions: divinity, medicine, and law, which were called the learned professions. A profession is not a trade and not an industry.
What is the main profession? ›Complete answer:
Agriculture is a primary activity. It works as the raw material industry for various secondary sector industries. Agriculture requires less skill than manufacturing and in Rural India the lack of Skill is a major cause that the people are engaged in Agricultural activities.
Prostitution = The World's Oldest Profession
The earliest known record of prostitution dates back to 2400 BC in ancient Babylonia.
A student is a person who is studying at any school, college, university, and other higher education institute. Being a student is not a profession but rather an occupation, where half of the time is occupied by himself and he doesn't have to work with someone but themselves. Student are also called scholars.
Is teacher a profession? ›It is also a noble profession because it takes courage and passion. A teacher must have the courage to do what is right for the sake of their students and a profound feeling for teaching, even if it is exhausting. Prof.
What makes a good professional? ›The eight core characteristics of professionalism are: Competence, Knowledge, Conscientiousness, Integrity, Respect, Emotional Intelligence, Appropriateness, and Confidence. By finding ways to strengthen each of these attributes, you can become confident to act professionally wherever you find yourself working.
What is professional in simple words? ›1 : of, relating to, or characteristic of a profession. 2 : engaged in one of the learned professions. 3 : characterized by or conforming to the technical or ethical standards of a profession.
How do you answer a profession? ›Talking about your profession in English: 3 easy ways & 3 ... - YouTube
What is the happiest career? ›
Take one step outside and chances are you'll see many buildings that construction workers finished. Construction workers are the #1 happiest job for a reason—they do what humans are built for! They plan, move and use their bodies, and get to see their creative works come to life.
What are the least respected jobs? ›- Judges.
- Clergy.
- Nursing home operators.
- Bankers.
- Journalists.
- Lawyers.
- Business executives.
- Advertising practitioners.
Medieval and early modern tradition recognized only three professions: divinity, medicine, and law, which were called the learned professions. A profession is not a trade and not an industry.
What is the most noble profession? ›The professions people respect most are these: Scientists, farmers and doctors – 83% of people respect these professions. Firefighters and teachers - 82% Nurses - 81%
What is the most important profession? ›Teaching is the most important job in the world. The quality of any nation's education cannot exceed the quality of its educators. Each teacher has the opportunity to shape and impact tens of thousands of young lives over the course of their career.
What profession is happiest? ›...
31 of the happiest jobs
- Teaching assistant. ...
- Early childhood education teacher. ...
- Sound engineering technician. ...
- Event planner. ...
- Heavy equipment operator. ...
- Contractor. ...
- Recruiter.
- Architectural and Engineering Managers.
- Marketing Managers.
- Natural Sciences Managers.
- Petroleum Engineers.
- Podiatrists.
- Financial Managers.
- Sales Managers.
- Lawyers.
Best professions in the world- Doctor ( Physician / Specialist) Doctors have the most respectable, as well as the most challenging job in the whole world.
What are the least respected jobs? ›- Judges.
- Clergy.
- Nursing home operators.
- Bankers.
- Journalists.
- Lawyers.
- Business executives.
- Advertising practitioners.
The four noble professions of Ancient China: fisherman, woodcutter, farmer, and scholar. What other meaning would this have from the context of a tomb?
Which is best government job? ›
- IAS and IPS. The IAS and IPS are crucial to the management and advancement of the nation. ...
- NDA and Defence Services: ...
- ISRO, DRDO Scientists/Engineers. ...
- RBI Grade B: ...
- Indian Forest Services: ...
- PSU Jobs: ...
- Assistant Professors/Lecturers in Government Colleges: ...
- Staff Selection Commission:
From bartender to tattoo artist to escort, these jobs may not be acceptable in the society but one should work towards their dreams.
Who has more respect doctor or engineer? ›Its people who are respected. Doctors and IAS have direct effect on the people as compare to engineers who have indirect effect on people. Engineers are far more respected than doctors and IAS officers.