A small percentage of people in this world are lucky enough to be born rich. Even fewer manage to hit the lottery or somehow fall into large sums of cash. Generally speaking, the rest of us have to rely on good old-fashioned hard work if we want to get ahead. Unfortunately, not everyone who works hard will be rewarded for it. In addition to being dedicated and having the right skills, there are some important steps to take if you want to advance in an organization.

In your quest for professional promotion, the first stop should be your human resources or staffing department. Find out everything you can about the culture and values of your organization, so you can be sure you’re towing the company line. Equally important as you step onto the corporate ladder is having a strong sense of your own abilities and what you want to achieve.

If you’re currently on the market for a job and looking for a role you can grow in, some companies may be better at cultivating their employeesthan others.

Data research company the Burning Glass Institute recently partnered with Harvard Business School and the Schultz Family Foundation to rank the 250 biggest U.S. public companies in terms of their investment in their workforce, a report entitled the American Opportunity Index.

“The index is designed to measure companies based upon the level of opportunity they create for their workers,” says Matt Sigelman, president of the Burning Glass Institute, adding that, “we are specifically focusing on the roles at the Fortune 250 that are open to people without a college degree.”

Career success in the USA: Five years ago, family man Guido Schmitz emigrated to New Jersey in the USA with his wife and daughter for his job. Professionally, things couldn’t be better, but the family still struggles with the idea of returning to their old homeland of Germany.

YouTube comments:

“I think people are so cool! Why can’t Germans be like that? Simply unconditionally warm, open, friendly. That gives you a completely different attitude towards life.”

“I’ve been to the US three times now. In total over a period of almost 3 months. During this time I was always on the move, trying to make contacts, observing, imagining living there. The USA is not a country for undecided people. Whoever hesitates or is scared loses. I’ve been to 149 cities, from the East Coast to the West Coast, with over 25 days in Texas in between, according to my Google timeline. People are often only friendly if they get money for it (locals). The rules in the US are not for Germans because we are too uptight. It is actually the case that the colleague in the video lives a classic stroke of luck of the American dream. That’s not the case for many others. The USA is a grand master in the topographical change of business locations. There is enough documentation for this. The odds of finding an employer that will make you satisfied to work for a full decade is hit and miss. Are you not performing, have you had a career break, is it hard to recover, social hammocks?”

“Just watched a report about American prisons, at least in part, then switched off… 🙁
How people, sometimes children, are treated there, violently. This is no longer a land of freedom. I never set foot there.”