Where should I (camera assistant) look to begin gaining production skills?

Hi everyone,
I am a camera assistant with a degree in TV production & three to four years experience.
Whilst I love what I do, the work that inspires me has always been created by self-shooting PD's.
How can I (or people like me) start looking to add junior production roles alongside my camera work?
Is it unusual for crew to transition across into production roles?
Does experience on set make me desirable as a shooting researcher?
Thanks, Jack.