| Here is my 2 cents:
1. It looks like you have been a successful software engineer and were able to move up. 2. From the sound of it you hit the mastery portion of S learning curve in terms of technical ability. So no matter how much you "educate" yourself you will never hit the level of growth you experienced when you were younger. So staying current is the best part you can do in this section as that is how the tech world works. 3. There is a new skill set that you might still be in the early stages of and that is as a VP of Engineering/Managing people are getting the best of your team and being able to challenge yourself is this department. Technically no two companies are the same so this is a place where you can constantly challenge yourself. So changing the place you work at can lead to a lot of growth here, or possibly acting as a consultant for companies that don't need a "VP of Engineering"
quiet yet. 3b. If being in management doesn't really interest you and you want to be an engineer, then working in another industry might keep you excited, like becoming a game programmer/iOT programmer, AI, Architecture, etc. 4. Could be changing careers all together because you don't feel challenged enough, you can use your current job to help fund your family and the learning for that new career. 5. Terms of Salary is all subjective to where you work and what the place you work. I technically take a 50k+ pay cut because I work for a small company. The current job gives me a lot of flexibility, less stress than I have ever had to deal with before. That piece of mind and relaxation is more important to me given some medical issues I deal with from time to time. So yes you can be underpaid, but is the great team and the place you work at worth it? The end of the day these are my 2 cents on the matter, but what I will say at the end is to do what really makes you happy. Is it family, career, challenges, etc. Finding what truly makes you happy and doing that is the best career move you can make. I would say start with that :) |