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A lot of people are disappointed that the +1 you get from a proficiency increase doesn't feel like a major thing. An increase typically unlocks some feats, but you can't necessarily gain those at the same level. There's also a sense of feat overload, where the feats you just unlocked have up compete with all the others you might choose to take.
Here's a suggestion to add weight to the increase:
Every time you gain in any proficiency, you choose a relevant feat.
This would apply across the board, whether to attacks, armour, saving throws, skills, spells etc. Each proficiency bump is directly tied to a feat that's on the list for that ability.
- I become trained in my deity's weapon, a spear, and pick a feat to grant me defence bonus at reach when braced.
- I become expert in reflex saves, and pick a feat to let me roll twice to dodge energy effects.
- I become master at heavy armour, and pick a feat to let me move quietly while wearing armour.
- I become legendary at medicine, and pick a feat to let me heal wounds regardless of alien physiology.
This wouldn't necessarily result in taking more total feats, but it would change when you get them. Rogues, for example, get more skill ranks and therefore more skill feats to go with them.
There are benefits to this:
1. It makes each increases to proficiency feel more meaningful if it directly unlocks the benefits of a feat.
2. It regulates the opportunity cost of feats by requiring you to pick an appropriate one from a short list. This reduces analysis paralysis and speeds up levelling.
3. It's easy to understand because it fits with the symmetry of the proficiency system.
4. It makes the game easier to balance, particularly once Paizo and third party companies start releasing expansions.
This is entirely separate from the relative value of +Level vs +TEML, please don't detail this thread.
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My thought was just to have every relevant feat progress with more impressive abilities as proficiency goes up. The best example is cat fall.