10 Careers with Great Potential for Upward Mobility

When choosing a job, there are many factors to consider. 

What do you want to do?
What are your strengths?
What salary and benefits do you expect?
Do you plan to work your way up the corporate ladder, or are you content to make a career on a lower rung? 

That last question often gets overlooked by individuals who are just starting in the workforce. They are either so focused on getting any job that they aren’t thinking about the future, or they simply assume there always will be opportunities for moving up later. 

Unfortunately, that isn’t always the case, and many people find themselves stuck in lower-level jobs for years because they didn’t think about their career path’s potential for upward mobility. 

If you have aspirations to move up the corporate ladder, it’s important to work in a field that offers adequate opportunities for promotion. In today’s economy, some industries have better upward mobility than others. 

If you aren’t content to spend your entire career at one level, here are ten careers in no particular order with great potential for upward mobility:

1. Hospitality Jobs

While many people work in a hospitality job short-term, for many others, these jobs become a lucrative career. Jobs like bartending, flipping burgers, and waiting tables quickly can turn into management jobs if you demonstrate the right skills and attitudes. 

Food service and hotel environments need multiple levels of management to operate smoothly, and many companies prefer to promote loyal, experienced employees. 

So what started as a summer job might turn into a fast-track up the corporate ladder if you learn the trade and demonstrate excellent interpersonal skills. 

2. Construction Jobs

Construction jobs are another type of job where you can start out at the lowest level and work your way up based on experience and skill. 

This industry relies on insider knowledge and on-the-job training, so if you stick around long enough, you easily can work your way up to become a skilled craftsman, foreman, manager and beyond. 

3. Warehouse Work

Another type of work with excellent upward mobility is warehouse work. Warehouses have many entry-level jobs where you can gain on-the-job experience that qualifies you for management positions later.

4. Maintenance Occupations

Maintenance occupations include jobs like electrician, plumber, HVAC technician and more. Employees often begin as apprentices and work their way up to journeyman and master levels of skill (and pay). 

Some of these workers can advance into managing a team for a corporation or start their own business. 

5. Accounting Positions

Every business needs someone to do their accounting and taxes. As an accountant, you can advance from working for small businesses to larger corporations, manage a team of accountants, or even progress to being a chief financial officer. 

6. Public Relations Jobs

Public relations work offers many job opportunities in growing companies and as communication methods expand. Stay up-to-date on communication tools, and you’ll find yourself working your way up the corporate ladder within your department or by joining more and more prestigious firms.

7. Management Consulting Work

Management consultants or analysts help organizations increase efficiency and profits. This valuable expertise ensures a stable career and the kind of longevity you need to get promotions. 

8. HR and Staffing Positions

Like many other jobs, jobs in HR and staffing offer advancement opportunities as you move from smaller companies to bigger ones and from low-level HR positions into management and director positions. 

9. Marketing Manager

If you started in marketing, pursuing management opportunities is very lucrative. You get to continue your creative work with the added responsibilities of managing and hiring staff. 

Marketing can involve many different teams, requiring many different levels of management to work your way through. 

10. Software and Applications Developer

Advancement in software and application development is good, mostly because the field has so many different kinds of jobs. 

Every piece of software or mobile app has to be designed and implemented by someone, and someone has to manage those teams of developers too. With so many jobs available, it’s not difficult to find new opportunities after gaining some experience in this industry.  

If you have lofty career goals, look for a career in these fields. While some might be more difficult to break into than others, all offer plenty of opportunities for advancement, so you don’t get stuck in the same position forever. 

Looking for even more resources to help you in your career? Check out SelectOne’s blog for tons of helpful information and advice.