Similar to you, 2006 Graduated with CS and Business degree. Thought I was going to jump into the market and be big cheese and make 85k a year. Boy was I wrong.

Started being a developer (although learned C# in school), using "Cobol" - 30k 2 Years later, became Desktop/ Server Admin -45k 3 Years later, became a Senior Security Officer - 60k 3 Years later, moved and now make over 100k

So, how? 1. Bust your ass and own everything you do. If ANY other groups or departments in I.T. or business departments ask for your assistance, do your best. Show you are versatile. 2. Up your communication and relationship building skills. DO NOT be a brown noser. Learn to get along with teams, and have a general understanding for their pain points and duties. 3. Be willing to move. I wish I would have done this earlier, and the market I was in was limited to pay and advancement.

Every time I ask for more duties, I was given them. I excelled at everything I did. Then what happened is that I was offered huge opportunities in Chief positions and given a chance to train and grow. Now the sky is the limit and I actually have reduced my responsibilities since - personal stress choices (and make more money... go figure).