I've been following along the posts on this space for a while and am grateful for all the information being shared on here.
I'm a mid level SWE (~4YOE) and I joined the field because I loved solving problems and making impact in whatever little way I can. I was stuck in a bad office politics situation that I just got out of it a little bit earlier and I feel like its set me back quite a bit. With the advances in AI and the constant doom posting in various forums about SWE roles going extinct, I wanted to seek some advice but also just share and hopefully see a path forward.
My experience made me a bit disillusioned to with the role and I felt stuck also because I have some personal factors that didn't allow for mobility to outside of the company in my current location. I had some ML exposure through courses before I started in the industry and am trying to incorporate these tooling in my everyday work to stay up to date. But at this point it feels like the chance to make a shift if needed is quickly closing. I'm contemplating the following:
1) Switching to a new problem space: Although I got out of the situation, the new problem space feels a bit uninteresting now after having worked on it for it. I'm wondering if I should make a switch and what would be an appropriate time period for it.
2) Should I take the plunge and go all in on AI and make a career switch? This may mean a location change with the current restrictions I'm under
3) Sit tight, not a whole lot I could do.
I know I'm probably better off than what some other folks are going through but it feels like something constantly weighing on me and making me less impactful than I could be. Appreciate any and all responses!