Why do professionals have to climb a corporate ladder?

You don't have to... Some never do... These days... it is not the seniors which climb that ladder... but the hungry young men and women. Climbing up that ladder is a measure of success and represents how good you are in your job. Its rewards are great in ways of money and power. However... the higher you get on that ladder... the harder you have to work. You usually arrive before anyone else... and leaves after everyone else. You are making lots of money... but don't get any free time to enjoy it. You never see your children... and in many cases... your wife decides to leave you because you are never home. There are no secret in this life. If you want to make money... you have to sacrifice your personal life. You cannot get it both ways.

Good point. We put so much importance on this ( as demanded by society and business) that we forget that it is the guy at the bottom that truly supports the company and the ladder for that matter. In any situation, if there are no little guys willing to do the dirty work, the big shots would quickly slid down their silly ladders and fall face first into the mud. We have it all wrong. It is the person at the bottom that needs to be taken care of. Without him or her, there is no business. Often, people who get to the top are very skilled and deserving, but many are not.

The truth is professionals don't have to climb a corporate ladder. However, many corporations have highly competitive organizations and they consider people who are happy at a lower level not to be part of their corporate image. There are corporations that aren't that way, and do work as you propose. However, it appears to me that no job is secure these days and I don't see it getting any better soon. It would be nice if seniority meant capability, skill and experience, but many times it doesn't. However, I'm in an age group where you can't prove discrimination either, but I know it exists and I've seen it. I have problems with corporations or any business who bases the job on the appearance of youth rather than experience.

i think because of the power they will have,the popularizition.