The only real way I know to go from intermediate to advanced is to build something advanced. The good news is that you don't have to rely on a job to do so. The

The only real way I know to go from intermediate to advanced is to build something advanced. The good news is that you don't have to rely on a job to do so. The barrier to entry for building something bigger and more complex is far lower than most people think. Even deploying to a cloud can be much less difficult and expensive than you might imagine. So my advice if you feel like you can't get this progression via work related activities and you really wish to push yourself. Just go ahead and build something in your own time. One of the great things about software engineering is that you can do far more learning and experimentation on your own than some other disciplines. It's great if you can be paid to learn but you don't have to be trapped in a stagnant state if you aren't fortunate enough to be in a company that helps you do that.