10 Best First Jobs for Aspiring CEOs
Written by
Gabrielle Olya
Edited by
Molly Sullivan
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Though it might seem like a long climb up the corporate ladder from an entry-level position to CEO, it’s important to remember that every chief executive started somewhere. However, some entry-level jobs are more likely to lead you on a path to the top than others.
A LinkedIn analysis found the 10 most common first jobs held by CEOs — keep these in mind if you’re new to the workforce and have ambitions to make your way to the corporate top spot.
Most Common First Jobs of CEOs
LinkedIn looked at 12,000 CEO profiles across 20 countries to find the most common earliest jobs held. These are the top 10:
- Consultant
- Software engineer
- Analyst
- Sales manager
- Project manager
- Account manager
- Manager
- Founder
- Associate
- Software developer
How To Climb the Corporate Ladder Like a CEO
Choosing the right first job can help set you on a path to CEO, but it takes a lot more than that to reach the highest level of management. If you have C-suite aspirations, be sure to abide by these expert-approved tips if you want to climb the corporate ladder:
- Lean into your unique strengths. “Everyone has unique qualities that enable them to overcome challenges in their careers and find success in the industry,” said Kim Harding, partner at Harding Financial and Insurance. “In my career, I personally tapped into my own strengths that differentiated me from my peers — being a good listener, patience, reliability, asking great questions, [and] living a life of integrity and curiosity.”
- Take proactive steps to continually improve your skills. “Some key steps for career advancement include always maintaining a growth mindset, seeking out mentors, continuously furthering your education, strengthening your leadership skills and getting involved with industry associations to learn from others who have been successful and can help you grow,” Harding said.
- See barriers as opportunities. “Look at barriers as opportunities to become the best [you] can be,” Harding said, “by learning from every experience, focusing on doing the best job [you] can and building solid, long-term relationships with [your] clients.”
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