They Don’t Teach Corporate in College

Chapter 8

Moving Up in the World

There may be no greater challenge in business than getting promoted. For every factor you can control (such as your skills and attitude), there are at least two that you can’t (such as the economy and your company’s infrastructure). Career author Harry Chambers tells us that in the era of streamlined organizations, companies have been flattened and downsized so that there are fewer middle-management positions for twenty-somethings to be promoted into. Also, a “do more with less” mentality often translates into increases in responsibilities without additional compensation or acknowledgment.

For some, a job in the corporate world is just a pit stop on the way to a career in another field—such as entertainment. ...