Why being hardworking isn't always enough to climb the career ladder

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Employees need to do more than just work hard to climb the career ladder of success, as experts claim those seeking a promotion should brag about what a great job their doing.

Bumping into a co-worker in the hallway is not just a time for idle chit chat but a perfect opportunity to share a recent win and the positive impact it had on the company, according to academic experts.

'We are given opportunities all the time to tell our story that we throw away,' Alison Fragale, a professor of organizational behavior at the University of North Carolina , and the author of a forthcoming book on the science of status told the Wall Street Journal.

If a person is worried about sounding too braggadocious, Fragale said they should consider that the employees getting promoted ahead of you are doing are doing the same thing.

She also said workers should ask themselves what positive parts of their workload is not recognized by their bosses, as labor is getting done more and more behind the scenes.

In fact, Tessa West - a psychology professor at New York University - found that 80 percent of people play multiple roles at work, like running a committee or collaborating on a project with another department.

More than half of those extra responsibilities come with no additional compensation.

'People often assume they're getting credit for these things, but the credit just lives in the boss' head,' if the boss even remembers at all, West said.

Sometimes the manager might not even want to share with the boss all of the extra work you're doing out of fear it makes them look unorganized, she added.

West therefore recommends asking your boss if the additional tasks you're doing come up during annual performance conversations, when bosses judge their employees behind closed doors.

She also suggested reminding yourself that even the most powerful people often say 'no' to things and protect their time - spending it focused on their one defining skill.

If you cannot think of how to package the extra work load you're taking on, it's probably not going to help your career, West said.