With unemployment still high, you should be happy to have a job. This is why those with jobs don’t complain too much about non-existent pay raises or stagnant careers. But just in case you’re interested to know, here are America’s toughest corporate ladders to climb.
Finance
This career field expects you to have a broad knowledge on economics and finance, be licensed in many cases, and keep up with the rapidly changing regulations. You also have to add to the corporate bottom line – financial investors need to gain enough clients, brokers need to make the right investment calls, and so on.
Advertising
The advertising industry is a highly-competitive field. Climbing the corporate ladder requires an unending flow of creative juice and sales savvy. Just look at how we treat 20-second spots, catch jingles, and clever slogans – we cringe at bad commercials; we replay and celebrate the good ones.
Sales
A career in sales is all dependent on your sales number. In this field, it’s not enough that you keep your numbers stable; you have to keep them rising. Gone are the days when sales was a good entry-level career for high school graduates. Now, you’ll be needing a proven track record and, more often than not, a college degree.
Publishing
Many publishing venues like newspapers are going under corporate cutbacks. Editors and other publishing professionals face fierce competition. At times, others work harder for less. With this kind of scenario, getting promoted is tougher than ever in publishing.
