While a high attrition rate is often blamed for problems like higher organizational costs and lower productivity in the tech industry, employee churn actually provides “hidden benefits” that boost job satisfaction for the remaining workers.

When employees change jobs frequently, it facilitates both lateral and upward mobility, allowing technology pros to advance their careers by acquiring new skills and experience. Growth opportunities can come along unexpectedly, sparking your interest in a new technology or field.

The question then becomes: how can you keep your career from stagnating during times like these when turnover, especially in positions involving legacy skills, slows to a crawl?

Here are some ways to reignite learning and growth when there are fewer opportunities to advance and your career seems at risk of stalling out.

Look in Your Own Backyard

Don’t assume that you have to stay stuck in neutral just because job openings are down.

There are plenty of opportunities to add complementary skills or transition to new roles hiding in plain sight, especially in large companies, noted Caroline Ceniza-Levine, career coach at DreamCareerClub.com.

You just need to make an effort to find them, she said. For instance, take the initiative to let your boss and other managers know what your skills are and what you’re interested in doing.

Laura Normile, career coach for women in tech and founder of Woven Career Coaching, agrees.

This is the time for self-advocacy, Normile explained. Find out what is required to get to the next level and make sure your boss knows what your career goals are and the things that you’ve achieved. Decide whether you want to pursue a senior contributor or expert track or management track so that you can understand the rubric for progressing.

Be sure to network internally by connecting with colleagues across different departments, hierarchies and functions within an organization, to find out what they are working on.

When you know more people and take an interest in their work, more opportunities automatically come your way. Getting involved with business process automation, business analytics, finance operations, customer development, information security or other functional areas can help you transition and thrive in the future job market. You may even uncover a chance opportunity to backfill a position in a different department left vacant by a temporary freeze on external hiring.

Become T-Shaped

You don’t need a different role or title to cultivate T-shaped skills; you can demonstrate your leadership potential or work with others in a collaborative way. Growth can come as a result of simply taking on new and different activities.

For instance, taking the initiative to mentor junior team members, help out the process documentation team, or train others in the requirements-gathering process can elevate your stature with management and open things up internally, Normile said. If you demonstrate the ability to lead without a position or title, it will only be a matter of time before you are offered a formal leadership position.

Start developing a niche or consider transforming into a subject matter expert (SME). Becoming an authority is a surefire way to set yourself apart, make yourself irreplaceable and elevate your credibility and market value.

Your boss would probably love it if you offered to take some things off their plate or help organize an internal hackathon to encourage creativity, spur problem solving and reinvigorate the culture.

It is your responsibility to look at the challenges most closely tied to your role and suggest ways to solve problems, develop better processes, increase revenue or morale and have a more significant impact.

Look Outside Your Own Backyard

If all else fails, there's always room for growth to be found outside of your company and immediate circle of contacts. Consider becoming a guest lecturer at a local college or volunteering to be an advisor for a tech incubator or non-profit.

Technology pros have skills and experience that others will find valuable, Ceniza-Levine said. Venturing out into the ecosystem is a great way to expand your horizons and find opportunities that align with what you are passionate about.

No matter what the state of the economy, it’s never a good time to just hunker down. Return phone calls from recruiters, reconnect with former colleagues and classmates, or even consider taking a course or enrolling in a bootcamp to add in-demand or complementary skills.

Companies often have learning and development budgets that need to be used before the end of the year, and managers are looking for ways to address skill gaps within their organization. This is the perfect time to upskill and demonstrate a growth mindset to current and potential employers.