Of course, it’s hilarious in the movie, but not in real life.

After all, it’s no laughing matter when your contributions, talents, and abilities go unnoticed. It stings when the projects you’re most excited about end up going to co-workers – especially when you know you were the right person for the task. And it’s downright demoralizing when you finally get a raise, but it amounts to peanuts.

So why does this happen?

Well, the reason so many skilled and talented professionals don’t get promoted or paid more, even though they should, is because they expect their boss to go out of their way to notice the contribution they're making and then reward it by giving them a leg up to the next rung of the career ladder.

In short, they expect their boss to drive their career for them.  

You need to be the driving force.

You have to take the wheel and steer your career where you want it to go. It’s up to you to make your contributions known too.

You have to deliver what your boss really cares about (even though they often don’t share that information with you) – and get the recognition you deserve for your hard work – without asking repeatedly, seeming like a “brown-noser,” or acting like a “kiss-up.”

There are many GREAT bosses out there who will work with you, reward your efforts, and help you advance in your career. However, as I said, you can’t expect them to be the driving force behind your career progression.

That’s something you have to do.

If you’d like to discover how to do this, I’m jumping on a live training webinar this Thursday to outline the steps with my friend Nancy Slessenger.

She's an expert at navigating the workplace and helping professionals get the recognition they deserve for their talents and efforts – without sounding pushy, dabbling in office politics, or feeling like a phony.

When you do this correctly, not only will you be acknowledged for your accomplishments, but you’ll enjoy your job a whole lot more too.