career ladder

American  

[ker-eer lad-er] / kərˈɪər ˈlæd ər /

noun

career ladders plural

1. a series of jobs, roles, or positions of increasing importance or responsibility, through which one progresses or is expected to progress; corporate ladder.

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Other Word Forms

Inflected Forms

noun

• career ladders
  plural

Example Sentences

Marks and Spencer is launching a new training scheme for young people trying to get on the career ladder in a bid to tackle the "growing youth unemployment challenge".

From BBC • Jun. 7, 2026

The missing lower rung in today’s career ladder isn’t a problem to be solved.

From The Wall Street Journal • Dec. 22, 2025

“There are a lot of rungs on the career ladder that are disappearing,” she said.

From Los Angeles Times • Sep. 1, 2025

Kerri Pegg, 42, was seen as a "rising star" of the Prison Service, climbing the career ladder from graduate to governor at HMP Kirkham in Lancashire in six years.

From BBC • May 16, 2025

Skills-based hiring is on the rise, job-hopping has become more accepted and the traditional career ladder is being replaced by a more flexible, nonlinear career path.

From Salon • Apr. 10, 2025