a stepping stone

Some situation, circumstance, or experience that serves to assist one in reaching or progressing toward a goal or desired outcome. While I wasn't paid during my internship with the law firm, it acted as a superb stepping stone to getting hired as a full-time legal assistant at another firm.

Common Names:

Name	Pronounced	Usage
Gennadios	-	Ancient Greek
Danel	-	Basque
Maas	MAH:S	Dutch
Ajax	AY-jaks (English)	Greek Mythology (Latinized)
İLkİN	-	Turkish, Azerbaijani
Ulric	UL-rik	English (Rare)