It's understandable to feel frustrated if you are constantly working hard and have never let any of your workmates down, but still struggle to take advantage of promising opportunities. Perhaps you were passed over for an especially exciting assignment, or that promotion still seems out of reach.

However, if you are serious about ascending the corporate ranks, you shouldn't just be ticking all of the boxes in the job description - you should also be extending yourself to further responsibilities.

You might have long assumed that you shouldn't try to take on more work than you are formally tasked with - especially if you are in a junior position. However, regardless of the level at which you currently work, you should routinely endeavour to go beyond the call of duty.

Admittedly, doing this might feel rather at odds with your personality. Still, it's something that the most successful people do, reports Fast Company. Take up this habit yourself, and you could soon find that many people approach you with big projects, having seen more of your ability.

When preparing for an interview in the past, you probably listed your various strengths and drawbacks. However, how many of your skills have even been noticed by your work colleagues? You might not have even tried to show those skills, but now's the time to start doing so.

In your drive to pick up extra work, you could move too quickly and so add work that isn't quite right for you. If you are more careful with what projects you select, you could thrive more in your additional responsibilities - and, thus, better benefit the company as a whole.

You might have particular knowledge that has eluded everyone else at the company. Alternatively, you may have noticed gaps in the company that no-one else has yet spotted. Basically, you should consider how you could help in ways that the rest of the firm's workforce can't.

If you never seem to be "in the right place at the right time", it's easy to assume that you have simply been cursed with very bad luck. However, those "lucky" people you envy are aware that there is always an opportunity, as observed on the American Express OPEN Forum site.

Look at an existing idea and consider possible ways of improving it. It doesn't matter exactly how you would improve it; you just need to think about the golden touch that you specifically can give.

When you do spot an opportunity, pounce on it. Let it hone the skills that allowed you to uncover that opportunity in the first place. Furthermore, along the way, keep in mind how the whole experience could help you to grow through constantly learning and noticing. This growth could even put you in the frame for better Irish jobs; vacancies are abundant on CV-Library.