It is no new sentiment that a college degree no longer has the same value that it once did. But now research is showing that degrees might not even be the best predictor of being able to advance to a higher level position.

The Wall Street Journal examined how career advancement may depend less on your degrees and more on what company you are with. They used the findings from the Burning Glass Institute, which did a five-year study on career mobility in America.

The results suggest much of your ability to climb the ladder comes down to the company you work for.

The study analyzed aspects such as how often certain companies promoted their employees, how long it took to move up, and how likely they were to promote from within rather than hire new employees from outside the company.

It revealed that some companies definitely did provide more opportunity for upward momentum than others. As far as the companies that topped out the list for the best chance for career advancement, the top five included AT&T, American Express, Cisco Systems, PG&E, and Microsoft.

Though one challenge for employees is that much of this data is not commonly known and shared, therefore many are in the dark whether the company they choose will facilitate their growth or not.

Even looking at job postings or company websites, it is not always stated which companies have a culture of promotion from within. For instance, many are likely unaware that AT&T has 172,000 employees, yet of all their roles, only a mere 5% require any higher education degrees.

Of late there have been many proponents for saying that the best method to advance your salary is to simply job hop to a new company every few years. However this study shows that the old way of doing things, being dedicated to a single company for your career, does still have viability if you can find the right organization.

For continued reading on picking the right company that can help you advance even without a degree, check out what The Wall Street Journal had to say.

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Brendon Burchard shares his five suggestions for getting ahead.

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Wilmington University, the sponsor of DELCO Today — Career Corner, is a private, open-access institution that serves more than 20,000 adults, including those seeking advancement through higher education and traditional-age students who aspire to become successful global citizens.

One of the most affordable private universities in the Delaware Valley, WilmU is committed to the idea that finishing an undergraduate degree or obtaining a master’s or doctoral degree can be affordable and accessible.

The University offers over 200 accredited and career-relevant degree and certificate programs in flexible online and hybrid formats designed to accommodate adults of all ages who work full- or part-time or juggle demanding career, family, and personal schedules.

Learn more about WilmU here or register to attend one of the University’s webinars. You will find information about academic programs, flexible scheduling options, tuition, admissions, student services, athletics, and more.