Career advancement may be right where you are.

Robert Half, CPA, founder of Robert Half International, Inc. and author of six books on the work place, offers advice for CPAs who are interested in new professional options.

Many CPAs and other professionals believe that to gain a promotion or a raise they must leave their present employment. Sometimes they find themselves stymied in their current jobs and have little choice but to move on. But too often professionals take that step without exploring the potential for advancement right where they are. There are techniques they can use to advance while remaining with the same employer.

In every public accounting firm and management accounting department within an organization, one can find individuals who may be skilled and knowledgeable and who work hard, yet never get appropriate recognition. Generally, their relative obscurity is very much their own doing.

Gaining visibility. If you want to ascend the career ladder at your present place of employment, it is your responsibility to do what is necessary to gain visibility so that your talents and achievements will be recognized.

For example, if the firm or company is large enough to support an employee newsletter, seek opportunities to write for it. The same goes for magazines or other publications; they may publish articles related to accounting. Individuals who are comfortable speaking before a group also should offer to speak at meetings of professional accounting organizations. And be sure to bring these activities to the attention of your manager.

Acting as one's own public relations person is uncomfortable for some people; it's "tooting your own horn." But there's nothing wrong with that, provided it's done in good taste and without crossing the line from acceptable assertiveness to unpleasant aggressiveness. After all, if you don't talk about your successes, who will?

Of course, writing and public speaking don't come easily to everyone. However, courses in communications are generally offered at local colleges.

Another way of gaining favorable attention is becoming active in civic and fraternal organizations. This not only benefits others, but it also provides an additional platform upon which a professional can achieve the sort of positive visibility that can advance a career.

In-house networking. Another myth many professionals believe is that networking should be reserved for people outside one's present place of employment. That closes off what should be your prime audience--the people with whom you currently work.

Successful networking within one's place of employment involves some very simple things. First, of course, is being a pleasant, cooperative colleague. It doesn't take much to be nice; a friendly, sincere good morning," a readiness to listen (but not to contribute to negative gossip) and an openness to new ideas from a variety of people will go a long way.

Effective internal networking also means being willing to take on tasks that others aren't anxious to tackle, or offering to pit in w n the crush is on for another individual or department, even though it extends your working hours. It means doing small favors for colleagues, remembering a birthday with an appropriate greeting card or being a good and helpful listener when the person in the next office has a difficult personal problem. In short, it means putting into play all the networking techniques you would practice with your external network of colleagues and friends. The only difference is that you do it at your place of business.

Learn the business. Accountants and other professionals who get ahead in their firms or departments are eager to know much more about their organizations than the narrow scope of their particular jobs. They need to understand the bigger picture. Ask yourself what you can learn about the firm's clients with whom you are not directly involved, and then become informed about them. Management accountants should know and understand the company's overall goals and the challenges it faces in maintaining its competitive position. Becoming well informed about one's own organization takes additional time and work. But by knowing more, you enhance your career prospects without having to look elsewhere.

Design your new job. If there isn't a particular open position you want to pursue at your current place of employment, you have nothing to lose by attempting to create such a job.

For example, the CPA firm you're working for is getting many new clients in the software business, an area in which you have a great interest and considerable experience. You believe that with your help the firm will be able to expand services to clients. Draw up a plan of how to meet that need and present it to management. Even if this doesn't result in a new job, it establishes you as an employee who cares enough to have explored beyond the scope of your present position.

A supportive family also helps anyone seeking greater career success. Despite the long hours the accounting profession demands, you must learn to budget your time so that you have enough to give to your work while fulfilling your responsibilities to family and to the larger community.

Of course, no matter how well one follows these suggestions, it may be that opportunities for a better position really do lie elsewhere. If so, pursue them. But, before you do, be certain you aren't operating from beliefs based on myths. That better job you seek might be right there where you are.