Making it to the top: what does it take???

Jeffrey D. Powell's career has taken him from management trainee to vice president with a comfortable compensation package and an assistant in just six years, Now an officer with J.P. Morgan Chase Inc.'s personal financial services group in Houston, Powell manages about $120 million in assets of wealthy clients. The 30-year-old credits his ascent at the company to smart moves he's made throughout his career. They included heeding the advice Of his mentor, volunteering for additional responsibilities, capitalizing on networking opportunities and earning new credentials when necessary. Powell says the climb hasn't been too difficult. "As I look back on my career," he says, "my efforts seemed effortless because I enjoy volunteering, networking and working on various projects."

If you want to move up in your career, here are some strategies that have worked for Powell and Other professionals.

Develop a career plan. "We have business plans and marketing plans, but we don't have a career plan," says Joseph Watson president of StrategicHire, a recruitment firm based in Reston, Virginia. A career plan should include a personal mission statement, goals, action steps and a time line, he advises.

Find a mentor. Sponsors or mentors can be especially bellyful in advancing your career, according to Meldron Young, human resources practice consultant at the American Management Association in New York. Choose a mentor carefully, he says. Look for someone who is moving UP the career ladder and make the connection over shared interests such as spot. From there you can transition to professional topics.

Take on added tasks, Volunteering for tasks outside your normal day-to-day responsibilities can raise your company profile, putting you in line for opportunities to move up, experts say. When Powell's employer was considering entering the insurance market several years ago, he volunteered to heed a task force on the subject. The work entailed doing research and presenting results to his managers. As a result of his team's efforts, the bank entered the insurance field, Though Powell didn't receive additional compensation for his increased workload, he gained another kind of corporate currency: recognition. "I had to present feedback to senior management," Powell says. "It gave me visibility and accountability."

By networking with clients and other managers Powell was able to receive encouragement to apply for future job openings. This also allowed him to participate in various groups, including Urban Financial Services Coalition, a nonprofit organization of minority financial-services professionals.

Interning at another financial-services firm, Powell came up with a simple way for his department to save money. He suggested billing clients via e-mail, rather than by regular mail as his department was doing at the time. "It seemed little at the time," he says. But the whole department saved money, and Powell got the credit.

Request Informal appraisals. Many professionals dread their once or twice yearly reviews, but they can be a useful tool for enhancing your career experts say. The key is to manage the process so that no surprises crop up n your review. By meeting regularly with your manager--before your evaluation--you can make your manager aware of your contributions, provide information relevant to your performance, and correct any mistakes before they become part of your record. Powell meets with management four times a year rather than waiting until his twice-yearly review. "I don't want to wait six months and find out that there was a problem or an "area of development," he says. "I want to know going in so I can work on it prior to my evaluation."

Produce results. One of the best ways to move up in an organization is to make a contribution in your current position, says Young. Ask yourself what results you are producing and share them with your supervisor during an informal appraisal. "You have to shine some light on what you're doing or it won't be recognized," Young says. Worse, someone else may take credit for it.

Educate yourself. Once you develop your career plan, ask yourself what education is necessary for you to achieve your goals, Watson advises. Throughout his career, Powell has earned various credentials. He is a certified financial paraplanner and holds Series 6, 7 and 63 securities licenses. Powell is now studying for the Graduate Management Admissions Test in order to apply to business school and continue advancing his career.

These days, professionals have many opportunities to educate themselves--from executive MBAs, traditional programs and online programs, Set your goals and talk with your direct supervisor or someone in human resources department and ask them for advice on the best route to take.

Finally, take responsibility for your career, says Watson. "There's no career fairy," he says. "If you don't [take responsibility] no one else will."