Hardware Career Advice Needed

I see so many posts and advice about SW here. Wanted to see if there are any experienced HW engineers out there that can advice me on how to grow in the HW field.

My experience so far:
1) 3 years in IC Package Design (FCBGA, Wirebond, FCCSP, WLCSP)
2) 2 years in Mechanical Design (Jig design, automation assemblies, medical device design)

I am very tool savvy and learn the ins and outs of a tool really fast and that generally becomes my advantage when it comes to speed and efficiency in finishing a project. Very proficient in Mentor PCB Layout, SolidWorks and other CAD tools.

Prior to my 2 years of experience with mechanical design I had almost 3 years of experience through multiple design projects in Bachelor’s and Master’s. I moved from Mechanical design to a different field for a change. The IC Packaging field turned out to be very interesting and exciting to work on. I am not sure if I ever want to go back to Mechanical Design (still on the fence on that one).

I need some stories of career paths or some advice from experienced HW engineers. I would really appreciate any help.

I am still relatively young (late 20s) and still have some passion and hunger left before the family aspects kick in and put a brake.

TC: 180k (Apple)

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