A golden handshake
a financial reward for long service
cut their teeth
to get experience
progress up the rungs
to climb the career ladder/improve in your chosen field
a mixed blessing
something that is both good and bad
dog-eat-dog world
a fiercely competitve environment
the slightest whiff of
a tiny bit of
snapped up
recruited immediately
a track record
evidence of previous experiences (good or bad)
mindset
way of thinking
the jury's still out
people haven't decided yet
a quantum leap
a huge improvement
quick fixes
simple/instant solutions, often a failure
keep their heads down
avoid trouble by being quiet and keeping out of the way
