Top 11 Tips for Fast-Track Climbing the Corporate Ladder
Updated March 7, 2023
What Is the 'Corporate Ladder'?
‘Corporate ladder’ is business jargon that describes the process of gaining promotion and moving to higher ranks within a company.
The term was originally coined in past decades when people would often work within the same company for the entirety of their career. As they progressed from entry-level positions to junior and senior managerial roles, this would be seen as ‘climbing the ladder’.
It still applies today, even though most people move between companies more frequently than in the past. Climbing the corporate ladder tends to bring the opportunity for higher salaries, better bonuses and more recognition for hard work.
It used to take many years to achieve promotion at each level. It can still take time, but there are things you can do to speed up the process and help you achieve your ambitions more quickly.
Top Tips to Fast-Track Climbing the Corporate Ladder
Step 1. Volunteer for Less Desirable Projects
When considering staff members for promotion, employers want to see who gets stuck in and gets their hands dirty in every aspect of their job, not just the nice bits. It is, therefore, beneficial to volunteer for the less desirable tasks within a project.
It could be that the project itself isn’t particularly pleasant or fun, or perhaps doesn’t appeal to you as it doesn’t involve your favorite aspects of your job. Some projects or tasks will seem less desirable because they don’t seem to relate to your job role or the company as a whole.
Whatever the reason, putting yourself forward for these projects can benefit you in the long term.
By volunteering for these less desirable tasks, your employers and managers will see that you are dedicated to seeing a project through from start to finish and ensuring that a high quality of work is maintained in every area.
Step 2. Contribute Ideas
One of the many skills that you will need to show as a leader is the ability to problem-solve and think outside of the box. A good way of showing this is to contribute ideas in brainstorming sessions.
This will show senior managers that you can come up with solutions to problems and work as part of a team to create ideas.
Step 3. Overdeliver on Projects
One of the best ways to stand out from the crowd is to overdeliver on projects as often as you can. This won’t always be possible, but going above and beyond on a task will set you apart from your peers.
By consistently giving 110% to a project, you will be showing your managers and superiors how dedicated you are to helping the company reach and even surpass targets.
Step 4. Work Visibly Harder than Peers
A large part of your ability to be recognized for promotion will depend on standing out from the crowd. You need to make a noticeable difference when compared to your peers.
The more you do this, the more likely your superiors are to notice your hard work and dedication.
Step 5. Find a Mentor
One of the best ways to fast-track your way to the top is by finding a mentor.
A mentor is someone in a more senior position than you. They will have previously worked their way through the ranks in a similar way that you intend to.
The idea of a mentor is that you will be able to ask their advice and gain the benefit of their experience. They will guide you through your journey, helping you to see potential stepping stones and opportunities for advancement.
Step 6. Take Credit for Your Achievements
As much as it might be tempting to sink into the background at times, it’s important that you can take credit for the things you do well.
By taking the credit when you deserve it, those in senior positions will know what you are capable of, and you will get the recognition you deserve. There’s nothing worse than seeing somebody else get rewarded for your hard work.
Step 7. Help Others Where you Can
The corporate world has a reputation for being a cut-throat environment where each person looks out for themselves and their own interests. In reality, this isn’t what employers are looking for when considering individuals for promotion.
They want someone who can work as part of a team as well as be a consistent leader. One sign of a good leader is someone who can help others.
This will also build a positive rapport between you and your co-workers. Good rapport means that other employees are willing to help you when you need it, just as you helped them.
Step 8. Be Cheerful at Work
Let’s be honest, you might not always be feeling at your best and there will certainly be days when going to work will be the last thing you want to do.
But, having a positive and cheerful personality can help employers to see the benefits that you bring to a company. Other employees will also be happier to work with you or help you, thanks to the positive attitude you bring to a project or situation.
Step 9. Networking
Networking is a vital skill within the business world for several reasons. In relation to climbing the corporate ladder, successful networking can lead to connections that are useful in completing projects or bringing in new clients. It can also help you to find people who have experience or expertise in an area that you may need help with.
By networking, not only will you be finding contacts and connections who can help you within the business world, but you will also be creating a database of people with knowledge that is different from your own and can be useful in the future.
Step 10. Keep Expanding Your Skill Set
You will need different skills as you progress up the corporate ladder. For this reason, the most successful people are often those who dedicate time to continuous study.
This will involve taking courses, reading books and gaining certifications in your own time.
Each new skill can help to differentiate you from your competition and can give you the upper hand when it comes to taking the next step on your journey.
Step 11. Set Clear Goals for Yourself
One of the best things that you can do for yourself is to consider and define your goals.
Where do you see yourself in five years? What do you need to do to make this happen?
By setting yourself clear goals, you can create a step-by-step plan which will help you make progress. You will fully understand how each step of your journey will work toward your goal and you will be able to create a strategy that helps you achieve your desires.
Step 12. Defining Success for Yourself
Before you start your journey up the corporate ladder, take time to think about what success looks like to you.
Not everyone’s journey will be the same as each person is unique. The things that one person considers valuable or important could be of less value to someone else.
Maybe you consider your salary to be more important than your job title. Alternatively, you could place your work-life balance ahead of attaining a top-level role.
Questions to consider when defining what success means to you include:
- Is there a specific salary which you consider to be a mark of your success?
- Are you looking for a specific job title or responsibility?
- Do you want to be employed throughout your career or is your aim to eventually start your own business?
- Is having a family important to you?
Your answers to these questions will help you decide what success is to you.
As you progress up the corporate ladder, keep returning to that definition and ask yourself:
- Does success still mean the same thing to you?
- Do you need to reconsider what success looks like for you?
- When you reach that level, do you feel as though you are successful, or do you want more?
Despite many changes in recent years that go some way to closing the gender gap, there is still a disparity between the numbers of men and women in senior managerial roles within businesses. This is often because of the traditionalist views that can be held within senior management.
To climb the ladder as a woman may involve taking a slightly different approach compared to your male counterparts. It is more important than ever for women to stand up for their ideas, take credit when they achieve targets and volunteer for leadership roles within projects. Sometimes, the loudest voice is the one that gets noticed.
One of the best things that a woman can do when looking to advance up the corporate ladder is to find a mentor. Having someone whom you can email, call or meet up with to discuss the issues that you face is invaluable. You will be able to gain advice from someone who has faced the same issues and learned from them.
If you are a woman who has already started to climb the ladder, consider mentoring a younger female. The only way to change the traditional views of old-fashioned, white men within the workplace is to get more women into positions of power where they can show off their unique viewpoints and skills.
Realistically, it depends on what you want from your career. If you are happy in your role and enjoy what you do, climbing the corporate ladder may not be for you.
However, if you are ambitious and continually looking for the next challenge, you might find that you welcome the different levels of challenge that you encounter as you progress through a company.
It is worth noting that a more senior role and large salary will often come with more responsibilities and potentially a higher level of stress. You should always be sure that you can manage these things without compromising on your family life or mental health before deciding to pursue promotions.
The main difficulty for people who want to climb the corporate ladder is that there are fewer jobs available the higher you climb. The further up the ranks of a company you go, the harder you will find it to achieve the next level. Generally, the larger a company is, the more roles there will be at each level.
Some people will stay in their senior-level roles until retirement, so there can be a delay in your ability to reach each level of your journey. It used to be that individuals could expect to stay in a role for around a year before promotion opportunities occurred. This is not always the case now.
This is one reason why people nowadays tend to move between companies in similar industries to achieve higher-level roles.
There is no set amount of time that you should aim to take when progressing through your career. Some people may find that it only takes a few years to get to where they want to be. For others, it will be a long journey with changes in direction along the way.
However long it takes you, the most important thing to be sure of before taking the next step is that you have the required knowledge to do the job properly. Each role will come with different responsibilities. If you rush through the levels too quickly, you may be less able to perform to the best of your abilities.
There are plenty of people who will tell you that you don’t need a college degree to climb the corporate ladder, but the reality is that a degree is often useful.
If you ensure that you have the appropriate qualifications in the field you are hoping to work in, you may be able to start your journey at a higher level compared to someone with no qualifications. You will already be a few rungs up the ladder before you have even started.
Even with a degree, you should continue learning throughout your career. This may mean taking online courses, further degrees or other accredited certification programs.
This continued education will show employers that you are serious about bettering yourself. You will also be continually up to date with the best processes within your chosen field.
Final Thoughts
Climbing the corporate ladder might not mean the same thing as 50 years ago when the term became popular, but the idea is still relevant.
Maintaining a positive attitude and a clear view of what you want to achieve during your career will help you to know the steps that you need to take at every stage of your journey. It is also important to remember that ongoing learning and mentoring programs can give you valuable insight into the corporate world which can help to give you the upper hand.
By honing your skills and keeping your eyes on the prize, you will climb the ranks and reach your goals as quickly as possible.
