Once you have mastered the basics, it becomes time to move to a more advanced class. This is not just the next level of learning but when you want to prove and show to your colleagues that you have "arrived". The best way to do this is through certifications.
Admittedly I was one of the worst about certifications early in my career, other than a college degree there were not that many places that offered certificates. At least ones with a reputation that you could depend on or be assured that they would be accepted by a wide range of companies and interviewers. I had encountered more than my share of people who listed certificates that seemed sketchy, or came from places that offered a cost for a class, and at the end "helped" you pass to get the certificate.
Over time my thinking has changed on that and I have become a proponent of letting my Team go out and get those certificates. With O'Reilly becoming more well known, and having structured class I did a couple of them. AWS, Python, and other places do well with having well structured classes that not only allow one to learn a lot, but really push you to pass the tests. Making the exams not only challenging, but to ensure that you have the right critical thinking skills to apply the knowledge from the classes to make it useful.
To be able to choose the right classes and certificates to do that can be useful, and also illuminate the best parts of ones career takes some thought. Going out and getting an AWS Developer Certificate is a great thing! Never using it in your work is not as good. Make the classes and choices meaningful, get the use out of the class and certificate just earned to not only highlight it on a resume but make use of it and get the money's worth out of it.
Advancing ones career is not just about checking off boxes, but to be able to put those boxes to use for you. Make the knowledge meaningful and useful, and put it into practice every day.
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