Are you stuck in a rut and anxious to leave a job you used to like?

Perhaps after receiving several promotions, you're spinning your wheels in a role where there's little room for further advancement. Maybe your company's corporate culture has taken a turn for the worse, or a new manager is placing unrealistic demands on you. Feeling unchallenged, underappreciated, and overextended are just a few of the many reasons people become disillusioned with once-appealing jobs.

The problem in a tough economy is that it can be extremely challenging -- and time consuming -- to secure a new position that fits your career goals. With countless other professionals looking for employment today, you may discover you need to remain with your current employer until conditions improve. If this is the case, use the following strategies to make the most of a bad situation:

"The only risk of failure is promotion."
- Scott Adams

Though corporations often use career advancement as an incentive for their staff, a promotion is more than just a reward for years of hard work and dedication. There's a reason why managers screen and interview different candidates before moving an employee up the ranks: They want to make sure the person promoted can handle the position. After all, with a new job title comes new responsibilities. In today's increasingly competitive job market, it's crucial that workers make the most of any promotion in order to solidify their standing within the company.

There exist two types of promotions. The first consists of a change in pay grade to reflect seniority and expertise. The job description remains more or less the same, but the promoted employee is expected to take on a heavier workload and act as a mentor to the junior staff. This sort of advancement is generally reserved for workers with years of experience. The second type of promotion demands more leadership skills. Along with the raise and upgraded job title, the employee is given a higher level of discretion as well as a new set of managerial or administrative responsibilities.

Q. You were just passed over for a promotion that you believe you deserved. You are shocked but don’t want to mishandle the situation. What should you do?

A. First, calm down. You may feel as if you’ve just sustained a body blow, but you need time to put this decision into perspective and analyze it.

If you are feeling emotional, try to say very little at first because you could end up doing something counterproductive, said John Beeson, founder of Beeson Consulting in Manhattan.

“Your boss is probably feeling guilty and is not prepared to give you good reasons for the decision,” Mr. Beeson said. “Just say: ‘I am disappointed. I am not challenging the decision, but I would like to come back to you in a few days and get some feedback that would help me manage my career.’ That tells your boss you’re not giving up and you want more information.”

Q. After you’ve calmed down, what’s the best way to find out why you didn’t get the promotion?

A. First, answer some basic questions. Were you aware of the possibility that someone else would get the promotion? How important was this promotion to you? And how is the company doing over all — were you the only person who didn’t get a promotion this year?