By Megan Martin

You're a highly experienced accounting and finance professional—so why has your career started to feel like a “job” you could do in your sleep? You're dissatisfied, unmotivated and bored. You think about looking elsewhere, but you like your boss, have good relationships with your co-workers, and are happy with your work-life balance.

Too often, exceptionally skilled workers get bored because their position—which was once challenging—becomes routine.

“When you aren't fully engaged, your efforts are scattered. You don't do your best, which hurts you, your employer, your colleagues and your clients….In short, you're sabotaging your career,” says Ian Christie in his Monster.com article “Are You Engaged?”

Before you jump ship, take a closer look at your situation—and why you're unhappy. While it's easy to blame your boss or the position, you may realize after looking more deeply that the real answer is: “I have a lot to offer, but my skills aren't being utilized.”

Communicating what you want and need to your superiors sounds easy enough, but CJ Dubé, Managing Director and Co-Founder of Oberon, says that too often, “People don't speak up. They have a tendency to talk to a peer in the back room. If an organization doesn't have a good performance management system built in, with reviews, then communication doesn't happen.”

So, what can you do? We all have the power to change our situations, often more than we think. Whether you've just started in a position or have been at a company for 10 years, here are some tips on how to make sure your skills are being utilized and what to do if they aren't.

What Are My Skills?

Think back to your first day at your current organization. You arrived with goals, dreams and expectations—overflowing with ideas about what you could bring to the position and the company as a finance professional.

What happened between then and now?

When you've been in the same position for an extended period of time, it's easy to lose track of your goals. Or perhaps you've achieved many of your initial goals and it's time to re-evaluate.

In her April 2006 Office Pro article, “Getting Ahead” Elizabeth Black, VP of Keane, Inc., suggests sitting down and taking inventory of what you've learned, experience you've gained and skills you've acquired since you started.

Don't limit yourself to work. Include important lessons you've learned or interpersonal skills you've acquired outside of the office as well.

Now, look through the list of skills and think about what you would genuinely like to do in a position—where are your greatest strengths? What new skills and ideas could you bring to your current position? How could you utilize them?

Don't Be Shy

In today's fast-paced finance world, it's easy for employee achievements to go unnoticed by higher-ups. Sure; you don't want to brag, but there are ways to tactfully notify others of your successes and skills.

“If you're someone who wants to advance your career,” DuBé says, “you need to be able to manage up—to manage your manager, in a sense.”

She recommends scheduling a one-on-one meeting with your manager to discuss your goals and growth opportunities. “Be very detailed about what you're looking for,” she says. “The majority of directors and managers will be very clear on whether those are feasible or not. Our world is a world of results. Say to your manager: ‘These are the things I see that I have accomplished; do you feel the same?'”

If you're truly unhappy with your position, ask if there is a way to redistribute some of your less-interesting duties to up-and-comers in the company, leaving room for you to do more challenging work. Focus on staying positive. Instead of saying, “I'm bored by my position and thinking of looking elsewhere,” show that you want to expand your skills and challenge yourself.

While being assertive is the best way to get your point across, there are other ways to let people know what you've done well and to ask for more fulfilling work.

If you receive an email from a team leader or project manager lauding your work on your last project, forward the email to your supervisor, Black suggests. Include a brief description of what you did to assist with the project, and, most importantly, mention that you would enjoy being involved in similar projects in the future. If you learned a lot from the project and would like to learn even more to gain higher-level skills, say so. Black also recommends asking the project manager to recommend you to others for similar projects in the future.

In her 2005 Money article, “21 Ways to Jump Start Your Career,” Donna Rosato offers a simple suggestion. If you have down time, “Don't Web surf. Tell whomever you report to that you've polished off your work faster than expected and you're available.”

By communicating your desires to higher-ups, they are more likely to seek you out for new opportunities.

Look For New Opportunities

Before you start a new job search, keep your eyes peeled for new opportunities within your company.

“If you want to stay at your current company, look around the organization and see if there is a different or better fit. Or maybe you need to make a lateral move to expand your skills,” says DuBé.

A new challenge may arise that you might not have previously considered, but you discover upon closer observation that you have the perfect skills. Again, talk to your manager about the position. They will usually give you an honest assessment of whether they feel you'd be a good fit—or, if not, what you need to learn before moving on.

Remember, your career future is in your control but it's your job to take the reins.

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