How to move up the ladder?

I received words of wisdom from a retired Senior Partner of Ernst&Young (he worked there for over 30 years) last week. He told me the key to succeed in the business world. And now, I'm going to tell you.

Working long hours, obeying orders without question, and letting your work speak for itself are not enough for you to be successful. The key is to make sure whoever you work for knows what you have done. More often than not, superiors receive the glory and credit from work performed by their subordinates. This is the sad truth.

In the early years of your career, you will be doing all the leg work but your boss will be recognized for the excellent job you have done. This sucks. I know. However, there is a way to overcome that. Make sure your boss, and your boss's boss knows what you have accomplished. This is the only way you will be recognized and inherit the credit you are supposed to. If you do not tell people, your effort will be swept under the rug.

How can you advertise your achievements without being boastful? Casually work it into conversations at networking events or when conversing with superiors. Without being too obvious, you can weave something like "I worked on project ABC and, I have to admit, it was a tough challenge for me. I invested a lot of time into obtaining the results and with a lot of research, the outcome was good. I'm currently involved in..." into a casual work-related cocktail party conversation. Do not make it sound like you are counting credits but discuss your past work experiences/accomplishments with the right people.

The business world is competitive. It is important to differentiate yourself from others. Working smart means taking on more responsibilities with care and being more efficient. Make sure your superiors know you are capable of higher challenges. Taking on extra work load from others does not mean you are going to get the extra credits. You are just creating more stress for yourself.

BE SMART. Work smart.