Wouldn't it be nice to get a promotion for Christmas? We'd all like to be promoted, preferably faster rather than slower. But, if you work in a company with hundreds of people, how do you get noticed and promoted?

Here are three different methods you might think about using to make yourself stand out from the crowd:

Become the Symbol of an Issue: If you work in a company with lots of people, find out what issues of important to the people you work with. One Asian employee at a Fortune 100 company banded together all the Asians in his company, then went to corporate management with their issues. The number one issue? That the company didn't have any Asians in upper management. When the executives set out to fix the problem, guess who they picked as their first Asian executive? You got it. Look around and decide which issues are important to you and the people around you, then do something about it. That will get you noticed!

Show You Care About Your Company: Most people hate their jobs and care more about their own needs than about the company. If you can show you really care about the welfare of your company, you'll get management attention. For instance, at Southwest Airlines, flight attendant Rhonda Holley suggested to President Colleen Barrett that the airline remove its logo from the in-flight trash bags. Barrett agreed and the suggestion has saved Southwest over $300,000 each year. What you can you to help your company? When you really get interested and involved in your company's well being, you'll get noticed.

Work for a Company That Promotes from Within: Before you go to all the effort to make yourself stand out, check out whether your company promotes from within or not. Some companies bring in outside managers rather than promoting the people already in the company. If you're company doesn't promote from within, you might want to look for a new job in a company that does. Working hard won't help if your company doesn't even bother to look for talent from within its own ranks. While switching jobs is sometimes difficult, it may give your career a big boost in the long run.