Impressing the boss then steal his job while he is on holiday in the Bahamas
Most people see their career as a ladder of progression, with each step you take on more responsibility and pay. To secure promotion you have to impress your employers, the suits on high, the big wigs, and the fat cats.

To impress you have to fulfill everything that is expected of you and more. You should be competent, achieving the tasks your job entails in good time and to a high standard. You should pace yourself, schedule realistically, and be able to manage your own time.

Organization is the name of the game, it is a very important skill to master if you are to reach the top. You must also be results oriented and be completely dependable and trustworthy.

A good employee should be flexible enough to carry out tasks outside of their job description. The most positive way of making yourself invaluable to the company by either being a jack of all trades, or being an expert at something that no one else knows about.

To get this far, i.e. into employment you probably already possess a fair amount of confidence. But If you are to succeed in your ambitions you need to sell yourself and your talents, you need to put yourself forward and stand out from the pack without coming across as being conceited or arrogant.

Patience is a virtue, blah blah blah, "yeah but I wanna be boss NOW!" - tough, sometimes on the way to the top you are going to have to bide your time before you make further progress. In most companies there are one hundred and one deals and strategies going on in the pipeline, everyone is busy and the only way you are going to get ahead is by making an impact on proceedings through your actions, but this can take time.

It is important to stay abreast of the latest developments and technologies within your sector. If you are aware of market sentiment and you are in a position to do so, you can act upon what you have learnt to achieve results. Alternatively, if you have your ear to the ground you can pass information to people who can act upon it and you will gain recognition in this way.

You also have to be aware of what is going on within your company. No, not gossip like who is secretly the father of the receptionist's love child; you need to know what the company's development strategies are, what is its ten year plan for expansion? Are they going to start trading in Euro's in the near future? If you are hoping to advance your career you have to show that you have the qualities that are needed to succeed in a more responsible, possibly managerial position. This means delegation, negotiation, leadership skills and decision-making - do not hesitate at the drinks machine!