Like many professionals, you may have chosen a degree in a field that you were interested in, and thought that this would carry you into a long and fulfilling career. Now, years after graduating, you may feel a little dissatisfied and bored with the position you’re in. Fortunately, there are many ways to further your career without dropping everything and going back to school. Here are some options to keep in mind…

Try to Reshape your Current Job

Though a lot of people aren’t aware of it, there are many ways that you can reshape the job you’re currently in. You could talk to your colleagues about trading tasks, or volunteer to deal with a job that would usually go to someone more senior than you. For example, if you’re currently a programmer or coder, you could offer to take on responsibilities more closely tied to project management. You can also talk to your boss about your personal development goals, and any ways they could help you with them. For instance, if you’re looking to develop your financial skills and get better at managing a budget, you could ask if you’d be allowed to track the company’s expenses for the next quarter.

Consider Distance Learning

A lot of people see distance learning opportunities as a little thin on the ground, or somehow lacking compared to the education that a college or university can offer you. However, the niche has come a long way since distance learning first came about, and after browsing what’s on offer, you may feel much more attracted to the idea. Whether you want to launch a career in marketing and take a full IMC masters program or you simply want a crash course to improve your communication skills, there’s a wide range of online distance learning options on the market. Many of these modern learning opportunities have very flexible time frames, and you’ll be able to set your own schedule and deadlines for some surprisingly prestigious qualifications. While online qualifications may have carried a certain stigma at one point, those days are long gone, and they’ll look as good or even better than many conventional degrees or diplomas.

Search for the Right Challenge

While getting out of your comfort zone can often bring opportunities to develop your career, a new role isn’t always going to be that beneficial to your professional goals. Before you throw yourself into a totally new job title at your company, take a minute to consider what you’re actually trying to learn. Consider the skills, behaviors, and experiences that you’ll need to develop in order to be more effective in climbing your chosen career ladder. For each area of your current skillset that you want to improve, you should be brainstorming different methods for learning and practicing new skills or behaviors. There are a lot of ways to hone pretty much any skill you can think of, both within a company and outside of it. Before committing to anything, make sure you weigh up your options and choose the right challenge.