self-advancement

noun

self-ad·​vance·​ment ˌself-əd-ˈvan(t)-smənt 

: the act of advancing oneself

Reading from an early age is crucial to educational success and self-advancement …

—Sam Ford

Historically, the British aristocracy's defining feature was not a noble aspiration to serve the common weal but a desperate desire for self-advancement.

—Chris Bryant

Word History

First Known Use

1645, in the meaning defined above