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
Fintan	FIN-tan (Irish)	Irish, Irish Mythology
Hall&Thorn;ÓRa	-	Ancient Scandinavian
Kineret	-	Hebrew
Shaquille	-	English (Modern)
Clotilda	klə-TIL-də	English
Kaye	[kei]