How to climb the career ladder (without stepping on others) – Bossing It

Climbing the career ladder doesn’t have to mean leaving others behind – in fact, success is often found through collaboration and mutual support. We asked three experienced alumni to share their tips on rising through the ranks while lifting others along the way.   

Leigh Debbage (BA 2004)

Leigh is a company director in London specialising in PR stunts, experiences, and events for the film and television industry. With over twenty years’ experience conceiving innovative activations for clients including Warner Bros, Universal Pictures, Paramount, and Netflix, he has worked on most big movie franchises, from Star Wars to Jurassic World.

A career highlight was creating the multi-award-winning sculpture trail Scenes in the Square in Leicester Square. Launched in 2020 with ten dynamic bronze statues of movie icons, it now regularly inducts stars like Harrison Ford, Rowan Atkinson, and most recently Daniel Kaluuya, becoming London’s answer to the Hollywood Walk of Fame.  

Build your reputation   

Whilst business can of course be ruthless, it’s also a fallacy that ‘nice guys finish last’. A fundamental piece of advice I would give is to treat your colleagues, juniors, and suppliers well at every point in your career, as they could all be instrumental in your own progression.   

Even if you see colleagues as rivals for jobs or promotions, your relationship with them is also critical in your own progression. Treating them with respect and building your own reputation as a generous professional and team player will go a long way to paving your own success. Pass on knowledge, offer yourself as a mentor where you can, share advice and it will inevitably be paid forward.  

Daniel Tan (LLB 2011, PGDip 2014)

Daniel is a Corporate Managing Associate at Linklaters’ Singapore branch, which he joined in 2022. His focus is mergers and acquisitions involving financial institutions, and he also represents financial sponsors on investments in Southeast Asia and the renewables sector.

After studying Law at Cardiff University, Daniel went on to complete a master’s in International Banking and Finance Law at University College London, and was called to the Bar of England and Wales in 2013. The following year, he joined Wong & Partners (a member firm of Baker McKenzie in Kuala Lumpur) and was called to the Malaysian Bar shortly thereafter.   

Be the mentor you wished you had  

A hunger to learn and resilience are key, especially at the start of your career. Find good mentors who will guide you – they have been invaluable throughout my career, and I was fortunate to have mentors who invested in both my career and myself as a person.   

In the spirit of paying this forward, I live by the words, “Be the mentor you wished you had” and strive to mentor others as well. This dual approach of being eager to learn while supporting others will help you advance in your career, and will also create a supportive environment for everyone around you.  

Gavin Phelps (BA 2009)   

Gavin is Head of Sourcing at Oddbox, a fruit and veg delivery company which aims to curb food waste. In his first summer post-graduation, he worked a local fruit-packing job before landing the company’s Production Manager position. He then spent five years overseeing packing operations and helping the business to scale up, before leaving for some travels.

Gavin later followed his fascination with fresh produce to Oddbox (then a startup called Tasty Misfits). He’s since dabbled in different roles – from Operations to Sourcing – and is proud to have suggested the company’s new name.

Find a role that aligns with your values     

I can’t emphasise enough the importance of finding a job or industry you have a passion for. It took me a while to realise this, as I started out with a ‘work hard and prove yourself in whatever you do’ mentality. While I still endorse having a strong work ethic, true satisfaction comes from making a difference in the things you believe in.   

When you spend most of your week at work, it’s vital to find somewhere that shares similar values to you. If I was graduating tomorrow, that would be the first thing I’d look for when searching for jobs. Most jobs are demanding, but if you’re doing something that aligns with your beliefs, it makes navigating those demands a whole lot easier.   

Support others to reach their goals  

To maximise your own positive impact, you need an ambitious and happy team around you. And to create that team, you need to understand the people you work with and their personal motivations.   

Support your team through their own journeys, wherever they lead. It’s not just about looking out for your fellow colleagues – without them, I don’t think you can succeed on your own path. 

You can support current students or fellow alumni through Cardiff University’s mentoring programmes.  

The Cardiff University community are a helpful bunch, here to help you get ahead in your chosen career. Our Bossing It series brings together advice from alumni contributors in various fields – tap into their collective wisdom and browse through top tips on a wide range of topics.   

Interested in contributing to a future Bossing It edition, or perhaps you have a topic suggestion in mind? Get in touch.