According to a recent article in The Washington Post, and I can agree anecdotally from my experiences in HR, the idea of professional growth has expanded beyond the traditional ladder and salary increases, and is defined more broadly now with abstract rewards like autonomy/flexibility and a sense of purpose.   Especially in smaller organizations, there may not always be opportunities for upward mobility as far as title/position, but cross-training, scope of work, responsibilities in cross-functional teams or projects, mentoring programs, or other internal development can be as (or even more) impactful.  Career experts also highlight the importance of a job aligning with your own individual values and priorities, and recommend doing a "career check-up" periodically to assess your own satisfaction as far as "social connection, intellectual stimulation and the sense that you’re working on something bigger than yourself." These areas are paramount to professional growth beyond climbing the ladder.