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

Noun Inflected Forms

• career ladders
  plural

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

career ladder

Big banks have a hiring dilemma: Deploying AI to automate the rote tasks of junior employees has boosted productivity, but executives are reluctant to topple the field’s apprenticeship-style career ladder.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 24, 2026

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

And he thinks rising up the career ladder would still leave him vulnerable.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Mar. 22, 2026

At an apprenticeship fair in Saltaire, it is not just Fatima who is hoping to get a foot on the career ladder.

From BBC ● Feb. 16, 2026

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

From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 1, 2025