Action to Take It's not just who you know that counts. It's who knows you. When you're gunning for a promotion, you're competing against many other candidates. The whole purpose of the selection process is to pick the best person from a pool of applicants. But most of the time the job is wired.
Many managers know exactly whom they want to promote - and only that person gets real consideration.
The reasons are varied. Often the person who gets promoted has worked with the hiring manager. It's unlikely that bosses will feel compelled to look elsewhere if they already know someone who can do the job. It's rare that a promotion is a true contest among candidates. Action to Take Increase your visibility.