It is no longer 100 percent true that if you work hard people will notice you and they will help you move up. There is something else you must do if you want to get ahead.

Remember the adage made famous by Peters? He said "A person is usually promoted to his level of incompetence." Most managers are moved up in ranking due to force of circumstances and not by their own bootstraps.

It may also be true that he, himself is focused on attaining his career goals. In other words, just relying on your boss to jack up your career is now getting to be a losing proposition.

But don't be mistaken. Working hard is still essential in getting up the ladder. What this article is saying is that you need to do something else in addition to working hard.

Here are some suggestions.

1. Start tracking your professional activities.

You need to track your work activities and determine if they are on schedule far as reaching your destination is concerned. If you see a tendency of zigzagging, then you know what to do. Steer clear of any career distractions so that you will pile up work experience after work experience that will lead you eventually to the top of your field.

2. Create the platform

Every good company has an employee performance review. If your company does not have one, you are in the wrong company. Let's say you have one. Don't wait for the annual performance review to broadcast your accomplishments to your manager. But do it in a very discreet manner so you won't project an image that you're someone who is blowing his own trumpet.

3. Set your sight forward

Weeks or even a month ahead of every performance review, ask your supervisor or manager what concrete goals you are supposed to achieve or the additional training you need to take to get promoted.