When you don't see an opportunity to advance in your position, don't suffer in silence. Usually, there are other avenues to further your career Dear Bob …I have been working in the same computer operator position for the last four years. It’s actually a great company and a very large enterprise environment as well.[ Also on InfoWorld, Bob helps you shake up your job situation in “Looking for a new job in a different location? Improve your odds” | Get sage IT career advice from Bob Lewis’ Advice Line newsletter. ] The caveat is that I do not or never did have access to all the technologies and/or talented people around me. I work in a fairly strict, secure, and secluded environment. My role consists strictly of monitoring processes and performance. My 12-hour shifts make school and extracurricular activities rather challenging. Although I am grateful to have a job during these troubled times, I can’t help but feel that this position has stunted my growth as an IT professional in a multitude of ways.While I do have an idea of where I’d like to take my now-hampered career, the challenge is getting the hands-on experience. Certifications and college degrees don’t hold the same value as a decade ago! And the stuff I learned a decade ago isn’t even worth mentioning …Essentially, I’d like to know if you have any suggestions for someone in my “cinder block shoes.” Ideally I would like to reach out to other departments, managers, and employees, to see if I could spend some time with them to learn their trades. How does one go about tactfully doing this in a rather formal, secure, and uptight work place? – Anonymous CharlieDear AC …A lot depends on your manager’s character and attitudes. More often than not, managers are more than willing to work with and develop career-minded staff members for bigger and better things. If yours is among them, ask for some time, explain what you see as your next career step, and request help getting there within the framework of your current position. The best next steps for this sort of conversation are within your manager’s organization as they’re the least threatening, but it doesn’t have to be that way. If you don’t think your manager would be receptive to the conversation, the situation becomes more politically interesting. If your company has an open-door policy (most large organizations do), you might consider asking for 15 minutes of the next-level manager’s time to discuss the topic. Be prepared to explain why you aren’t having the conversation with your manager in terms that aren’t derogatory about your manager while still making your use of the open-door policy legitimate.Here’s an example, assuming your manager’s name is George: “Good question. George has an intense focus on running the datacenter properly. From where I sit, it means he has a strong focus on the processes that have to be executed well, and he’s great at it. My interactions with him have led me to conclude he doesn’t see staff career plans as a responsibility, and I certainly don’t want to get a reputation with him as someone who is dissatisfied and rocks the boat. I’m being honest with you: This seemed safer. I want to make it clear I have a lot of respect for George. I just didn’t see him as the right person to have this conversation with.”If neither of these alternatives appeals to you, consider simply applying for whatever internal position postings appeal to you and see what happens. And if none of these alternatives appeal to you, it probably means you should get serious about finding a position with another employer. Sadly, it’s often the case that finding a position elsewhere is easier than becoming more mobile within your current employer. It shouldn’t be that way. Shouldn’t, though, isn’t the same thing as isn’t.– BobThis story, “Escaping a dead-end IT job,” was originally published at InfoWorld.com. IT Jobs