Should I focus on SFMC or Marketing Cloud Next?

Hello everyone!

I'm Sakshi, a Salesforce Account Engagement (Pardot) specialist with 6 years of experience. I took a year-long career break and am now working on getting job-ready again. In that time, a lot has changed in the ecosystem, and I'll admit I'm feeling a bit overwhelmed trying to figure out the right way to structure my study plan. 

I've seen some opinions suggesting I should learn SFMC first, then move on to Marketing Cloud Next. But I've also read that Pardot now has some MCN capabilities of its own, which has left me a bit unsure of the right path. 

I'm based in the Bay Area, where there are strong opportunities in this space, and I'd love this community's input: Should I focus on SFMC first or stick with deepening my Pardot/MCN knowledge? What would give me the best shot at landing a well-paying role? 

Would really appreciate any advice or perspective from those who've navigated this recently or are working in the industry.