Your success is not defined by the hierarchy of a corporation or any other establishment. Your security will come from options rather than commitments, from mobility rather than stability. While you think about moving from one project to the next, prepare to sell your most valuable talents on the open market. Every untapped resource is waiting to be mined. Every unmet need is an opportunity to add value.
Every person is a potential customer.
One strategy is to actively reinvent yourself. If you find yourself in a support role, answering phones and making photocopies, don't lose heart - just reinvent your position. Technology is eliminating many of the distinctions that once separated primary tasks from support tasks. Chances are that your boss will give you as much responsibility as you are willing to take on. Regardless of your title, your position is defined by your actions.