27 Jan Are You Stagnant in Your Career? A Clear, Practical Look at What’s Next
Early in to the New Year can be a useful time to assess where you are at professionally. Many people in Accountancy & Finance, and across all sectors, reach a point where their role stops stretching them. The work gets done, the routine is familiar, and progression feels distant.
Career stagnation isn’t dramatic. It’s subtle. And it’s common.
How to Recognise You’re Stuck
Stagnation often shows up in small, consistent patterns:
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Your responsibilities haven’t changed in a long time
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You’re no longer developing new skills
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You feel disconnected from the wider purpose of your role
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You’re not being challenged, or you’re avoiding challenge
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You can’t articulate what your next step looks like
In finance roles, especially at senior levels, it’s easy to become the “safe pair of hands” who keeps operations running smoothly. But reliability can unintentionally mask a lack of growth.
Why People Stay in Roles That No Longer Serve Them
There are predictable reasons professionals stay put:
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Stability and routine
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Strong salary or benefits
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Lack of time to explore alternatives
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Uncertainty about what’s next
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Fear of stepping into unfamiliar territory
These aren’t excuses, they’re real constraints. But they’re also manageable.
How to Get Unstuck Without Making Reckless Moves
1. Conduct a Career Review
Treat your career like a business asset.
Ask yourself:
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What value am I adding today?
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What skills will be relevant in the next 3 – 5 years?
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Where are the gaps between where I am and where I want to be?
Finance professionals are trained to analyse data, apply that same discipline to your own trajectory.
2. Update Your Skill Set
The market is shifting. In Accountancy & Finance, demand is rising for:
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Data literacy (Power BI, SQL, analytics)
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Commercial finance capability
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Business partnering
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Leadership and stakeholder management
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Transformation and systems experience
Across all careers, the principle is the same: identify what the market values and align yourself with it.
3. Expand Your Network Intentionally
Most senior opportunities, especially in finance are filled through networks, not job boards.
Engage with:
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Industry groups
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Recruiters specialising in your field
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Professional bodies
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Internal stakeholders outside your immediate team
Visibility creates opportunity.
4. Ask for Stretch Work
If you’re not ready to move roles, start by reshaping the one you’re in.
Examples:
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Leading a project
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Taking ownership of a new process
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Supporting cross-functional initiatives
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Shadowing senior leaders
Small steps build momentum.
5. Explore the Market
You don’t need to commit to leaving.
But understanding what’s out there gives you:
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A benchmark for your skills
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Insight into emerging trends
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Clarity on what you want (and don’t want)
For senior finance professionals, this might mean exploring roles in FP&A, commercial finance, transformation, or operational leadership.
6. Make a Decision Based on Evidence, Not Fear
Becoming unstuck isn’t about dramatic leaps.
It’s about informed decisions
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Do you stay and reshape your role?
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Do you move internally?
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Do you explore external opportunities?
The key is to act deliberately rather than drift.
A Final Thought
Career stagnation isn’t a failure, it’s a signal. A prompt to reassess, re-calibrate, and re-engage with your long-term goals. Whether you are in Accountancy & Finance or any other field, the most important step is the first one: acknowledging that you want more than the comfort of the familiar.