It's an unfortunate fact of life at most companies that the people who labor in silence, far from the eyes of their boss, are often the ones passed over for promotions and merit raises, even if they put a lot of time and effort into their jobs. If you really want your paycheck to match your drive and the amount of work you do, you need to focus on the most visible projects—the ones that everyone sees—and you need to be happy doing it. Appearances count for a lot, and you don't have to be jaded with your job to realize it. More »