I want to add that job experience is not the only type of experience. You can enroll in a bootcamp program or just create and start something on your own. You can do this while working your current job and build up experience that way.

You should be very proud of what you accomplished already.

I’ve met many people (myself included) in the tech industry that have experienced similar feelings of stagnation and uncertainty about their career path. You’re not alone and there are definitely ways to get where you want to be. From experience, FUD can really eat you alive if you dwell on it.

Having a background in many technologies is actually a strength, not a weakness. It does nothing to hold you back from specializing. You have the ability to understand the broader tech landscape, and that’s a valuable trait. While it’s true that specialization is important, a wider knowledge base can help you see how different technologies work together, which can make you a more effective problem solver and innovator when you eventually specialize.

Whatever you do, continue to learn and upskill. It seems like you’re already doing this, but keep it up.

Some advice? Leverage your current position. It’s paying the bills and then some. Keep it around while you learn. You say your current job is not as technically challenging as you would like, this comes with 2 advantages.

1. You can do the bare minimum to stay employed. Since you’re not trying to advance in the current field you don’t have to stress yourself. Do what you gotta do, no more no less. Use the extra time and energy to put into learning. You don’t have to worry about the bureaucracy or “doing the role you want to be promoted to” - often a pre-req to promotion.

2. You can get “selfish” in the way you problem solve by pushing solutions that you want to work on. Look at this this way, you have the solution (something you want to work on) now find a problem in your org you can apply it to. It doesnt have to be optimal, as long as it solves something If you gey noticed, you will become that guy that can do X. This is how I’ve managed to shift my career in the same department. If you don’t get noticed, at least you have real experience applied solutions you want to work on.

See if your company can pay for some classes or trainings. Formal education is definitely not critical but depending on what field you want to break into, they might require either degree or YOE equivalent. So you can work toward a degree while working.

As for the experience question, it can be tough when job postings ask for a certain number of years of experience. Remember that these are usually more like guidelines than hard rules. If you can demonstrate your ability through your projects and show enthusiasm for the role, many employers are willing to overlook a lack of formal experience.

Do lots of LeetCode so you can ace the technical/programming part of the interview. For the rest, honestly just bullshit and be able to talk about how you applied the skill your interviewer is looking for in the domain you’re in now. One advantage to that is, since you have a broad view, you have many avenues to talk about.

It’s not too late for you. I had a friend that became a math teacher, no formal programming experience. After 10 years he wanted to program. He spent 1 year doing Leetcode and learning how to ace programming interviews and toy problems and now works at Google. SOB went from 60k to 300k, second job ever. What he works on? Google classroom. Can’t guarantee the same results, but you can do it!