🗓️ Idiom: Climb the Corporate Ladder (verb)
💬 Meaning
- To move up to higher positions in a company.
- To progress in one’s career through effort and success.
🧠 Example Sentences
- She started as an intern and climbed the corporate ladder to become the company’s marketing director.
- Many young professionals work long hours to climb the corporate ladder quickly.
- He focused on building strong relationships to help him climb the corporate ladder.
🏛️ Origin
The phrase uses the image of a ladder to represent career progression — each rung symbolising a higher level of responsibility and status. It became popular in the 20th century as office work and large organisations grew, reflecting the structure of modern corporate life.
📝 Practice Exercises
1. Fill in the blank:
She worked hard for years to _______ the corporate ladder and reach a management position.
Answer
climb
2. Multiple choice:
What does “climb the corporate ladder” mean?
a) To take a break from work
b) To move up to higher positions in a company
c) To start a new business
Answer
b) To move up to higher positions in a company
3. Change the sentence using “climb the corporate ladder”:
“He aimed to advance his career by taking on more leadership roles.”
Answer
He aimed to climb the corporate ladder by taking on more leadership roles.
ℹ️ Other Useful Pages
📚 Learning Resources
👉 Career Development Idioms
👉 Business English Idioms List
👥 Support Spaces
👉 Student Space
👉 Tutor Toolkit
⭐️ Extras
📫 Get a Daily Idiom
🚀 Build a Business with AI
Leave a Reply