(climb/move) up the ladder
Meaning(s)
1. move up through a company's employment hierarchy
Popularity
High
Professional
High
Social
How to Memorize
climb/move up the ladder in work
Analysis
To climb or move up the ladder means to advance in some way through an established system. You might 'climb up the ladder' of a company or organisation, meaning to progress through the ranks to move higher and higher in position. "I hope this night course will help me move up the ladder at work." - in this sentence the speaker is hoping the course they are doing might earn them a promotion. This is an idiomatic expression used in social and professional contexts.
Professional Examples (Basic)
- Employees will often sacrifice their social lives in order to climb the corporate ladder.
- The ambitious young graduate vowed to move up the ladder and become CEO one day.
Social Examples (Basic)
- I didn't have any formal training for this job. I started at the bottom and moved up the ladder.
- I hope to climb up the ladder in this organisation and become chairperson in a year or two.