The majority of professionals just wander in their professions without a definite roadmap and expect that sheer effort will bring them up. Nonetheless, there is one common thing between those who have grown professionally and made a great career: they have a personal development plan that they follow.

Technical skills may get you the job but emotional intelligence will dictate how high you get up the career ladder. Studies continue to reveal that the more emotionally intelligent a professional is, the more he or she earns, the faster the professional rises in rank and the better the professional relationships that are formed.

A professional success is no longer achieved by being a master of one field. Employees who can cross-function, learn about other areas of business and respond to evolving organizational demands are the most valuable, and the ones who make the fastest progress.

Being noticed by the top is a career booster that most professionals find it difficult to maneuver. The dilemma is to demonstrate your worth and what you can offer without being pushy and self-serving. The trick is to show the qualities that leaders really appreciate and be sincere and professional at the same time.