So I've got about 9 YOE working in development, primarily backend for web apps, and I'm currently in the midst of the job hunt since getting laid off from my last company. I used to always think I would stay in the individual-contributor realm forever, but over the last few years I've found that I increasingly enjoy the more interpersonal elements of the job, and have gotten increasingly better at them, while my technical prowess has begun to stagnate relative to my seniority. I still enjoy coding and solving problems well enough, but I seem to fall behind on the more system design and architecture-y side of things, which have become ever more and more prevalent in interviews for new SWE positions. On the other hand, even from interviews I bomb technically I've found that I get really excellent feedback on communications and interpersonal skills, and even when I get rejected I keep getting called a "fantastic culture fit"

So with all this in mind I'm strongly considering trying to pivot to a less technical role that would still make good use of my technical background, but I'm not sure where to start! Engineering Manager seems like the goal in terms of moving in the direction of that managerial path, but I get the impression that's a role that's hard to get hired for without a previous manager role on your resume and the closest I have there is acting as the Tech Lead of my team in my last role.

Should I just keep interviewing for Senior SWE positions and emphasize the fact that I'm aiming for a more manager's path in terms of advancement? Should I lean more heavily on what leadership experience I have had in previous roles and apply for manager or lead positions?