[scarface74]

Yep. You probably wasted your time. Been There Done That.

I stayed at one company for 9 years between 2000-2008 between the time I was 25 and 34. My skills atrophied, I was woefully behind technologically - we were still using VB6 in 2008.

Suck it up, try to sell your maturity and soft skills, be prepared to check your ego at the door and learn modern technology and processes from people who are a lot younger than you.

You’ve got a lot of grinding to do, but you won’t permanently be behind. There is a point where you get “get enough” for your local market and where any increase in experience has diminishing returns as an individual contributor.

More formal education is not the answer. “There is no compression algorithm for experience”. You’re going to have to work longer hours to stay caught up and to produce at the level you should until you catch up.