[legohead]

wow you sound just like me a year ago. late 30s, had to job transition, and found the tech stack had wildly changed from what I was used to. I'm full stack, but with a focus on backend, so I do a lot of sysop stuff. kubernetes and docker was everywhere, and all these new deploy tools I've never heard of. since when did "automation" (CICD) become its own thing??

anyway, my advice: don't settle. you are a senior. find a job that is willing to accept you as a senior and acknowledge your ability to learn quickly and adapt. demand a high salary (higher than what you're making now) with confidence.

it may take you a couple months to get up to speed, but you have seen it all before. you know what to look out for. you can smell the bullshit out there and you are responsible enough to have autonomy. you don't get this with newbies. this is what a company is really paying you for.

in the meantime, start building environments using these tools you are unfamiliar with. show you have initiative and can talk about these tools for when you get interviews. it may take a month or two until you find the right job. it's hard, but be patient.

as for management, well that's up to you. I tried it once and sucked at it, so I'm fine just being an engineer :) p.s. also check out terraform