I am sort of surprised that FAANG / MAanG companies are laying off … didn’t they hire the best with multiple rounds of interviews… how did they go so wrong …. Yet they permeat this paradigm of interview similar to the feudal days when a jester out of a thousand applicants gets the court appointment as they were no other jobs in the land . Would someone be brave to share if folks built systems without knowledge of data structures and algo that delivered value but after hiring experts the companies were shedding market share … eh!
I went for my second Masters at 43 thinking it would be a breeze knowing how to better focus. First semester I barely passed and decided to take the next semester after a break which stretto an year. It took me 5 years to complete a graduate degree. I would not underestimate the value of discipline with health, attention duration one can afford with kids and family or relationships. Be more forgiving to yourself if kids half your age tend to be able to arrive at answer faster.
Vector database space is the Wild West, keep at it