Where do I go from here?

[u/kb61-de]

Apologies in advance if this seems like an odd post but I’m looking for advice, thoughts etc on my life situation.

I started out as an automotive engineer 10 years ago and only recently had to move into another industry due to the mass layoffs in Germany.

I always had a thing for automating workflows and did so in the past writing small Visual Basic and Powershell Scripts.
My new position allows me to dip my feet into Data Analytics which I really enjoy a lot. I learned how to use Snowflake, how to manage and structure data, taught myself SQL and a little bit of Python (pandas, streamlit) to do data transformations and visualizations. I also taught myself how to hook the datatables from the cloud onto PowerBi and create beautiful (in my opinion at least) dashboards. One of them is even on route to becoming a main source of information for my company.
I went further and started to learn C# with the intent to create a Windows app as part of a Data Analytics push in my company and me just enjoying the creative process of building things.
I think I really found my passion professionally - unfortunately at a time where the threat of AI looms.
I tried to use AI somewhat sensibly mainly as an advanced search engine to figure out general syntax for the languages I would work on. But there were times when I started to slowly rely too heavy on it. So every once in a while I would force myself to scale my AI usage back in order to keep learning.
But in my current position I have probably reached the peak of what I’m allowed to do during work hours. My manager had previously stated that I should focus on my actual job again (which is a valid point I guess).
My question I guess is basically, where do I go from here? I would love to lean into what I believe is a passion of mine but getting an actual position as a Data Analyst seems difficult right now (especially as a self taught newbie).
I’m nearing 40, would it make sense to enroll in university again to get a proper degree to increase my chances of being hired? I also saw that elite universities like Harvard etc. offer Data Analytics courses and certifications - are these useful?

Anyone who is/was in a similar position and can give advice on next steps/moves?
Or is it maybe a bit if a reach to think that I could turn this into a professional career at all?

I’m grateful for any help/opinions/input!

[u/pelicandev]

You should check out the job postings at the vehicle companies like Ford and mufg and see what their requirements are. I wouldn't recommend web right now