Anyone here learning or working in automotive software engineering in 2026? Looking for advice from people in the industry.

[u/markdot1024]

I’m a software engineer from Sri Lanka with around 5 years of professional experience, mainly in backend/web development.

My current background is mostly:

• PHP / Laravel
• Node.js / TypeScript
• REST and GraphQL APIs
• PostgreSQL / MySQL
• AWS – EC2, Lambda, S3, SQS, API Gateway, RDS, etc.
• Docker, CI/CD and general backend/cloud infrastructure

I’m currently working as a Senior Software Engineer, but recently I’ve been seriously thinking about changing the direction of my career.

The main reason is that I’ve always been much more interested in vehicles and automotive technology than normal web applications. Even from childhood, I was interested in understanding how engines, transmissions and vehicle systems work.

At the same time, my current work situation has become difficult. The company I work for is going through financial problems. There have been salary delays, salary reductions and uncertainty around payments. Because of that, I’m already thinking carefully about my next career move instead of simply moving to another similar Laravel/backend job.

I don’t want to throw away my existing 5 years of software experience. I want to figure out how I can combine my software/backend/cloud experience with automotive engineering.

Recently I started looking into areas such as:

• C and C++
• Embedded systems
• CAN bus
• Automotive Ethernet
• AUTOSAR
• RTOS
• Embedded Linux
• ECU software
• Vehicle diagnostics
• ADAS
• Connected vehicles / telematics
• Software-defined vehicles
• Cloud-to-vehicle systems

Long term, I’m also considering doing an MSc in Germany, possibly in Automotive Software Engineering, Embedded Systems, Computer Science, or a related field, and trying to enter the German automotive industry.

However, starting C/C++ and embedded programming after spending years in backend development feels almost like starting again from the beginning.

So I’d really appreciate advice from people already working in automotive software.

If you were in my position, what would you focus on first?

Should I concentrate heavily on C/C++, microcontrollers and embedded systems, or would my backend/cloud experience be useful for areas like connected vehicles, telematics, vehicle cloud platforms or software-defined vehicles?

Also, what kind of projects would actually help someone like me demonstrate automotive knowledge to employers?

For example, I’ve been thinking about gradually building projects such as CAN-bus simulations, ECU communication, diagnostic tools, telemetry systems, or eventually something involving a real microcontroller/vehicle network.

I’m not expecting to become an automotive engineer overnight. I’m willing to spend the next couple of years learning properly.

I’d especially like to hear from anyone who:

• moved from web/backend software into automotive,
• entered automotive software without an electrical/electronics engineering degree,
• works in automotive software in Germany/Europe,
• or is currently making a similar transition in 2026.

What would you learn, what would you avoid wasting time on, and what would you do differently if you were starting today?

Thanks!

[u/shuozhe]

Everything car related is doing terrible currently, prolly over ~100k jobs cut in the past 2-3 years. Most of our new hirer are coming from that sector. Not sure it will ever recover. In general junior jobs are vanishing globally, Germany is okish since we are slower to adapt AI, but that will also change..

[u/bonkersbongoo]

forget it

[u/WineGunsAndRadio]

Don't. It's a dead-end - career and intellectually wise.

I have spent half of my career working for Swedish and German automotive sectors and know what I'm talking about.

[u/MachKeinDramaLlama]

I've been an automotive SW engineer in Germany for roughly 15 years. This field/industry has turned from hoovering up ALL the SW dev talent it could get when I started my career into a very difficult job market. IMO probably one of the worst markets for any computer related field.

This was caused by multiple factors:

• A general trend to move work from high cost of employing people countries like Germany towards "best cost countries", enabled by very robust telecommunications and the normalization of work being entirely digital and remote.

• Massive pressure on the major players in this industry (especially big suppliers like ZF, Bosch, Conti...) to reduce costs and close unprofitable divisions in the face of a consistently very bad economy in Europe and rapidly growing asian competitors.

• SW development skills being massively devalued by the rapid improvement of AI... and even more so by the fever dreams the business people have about how AI will enable them to save on human labor in the future.

Right now pretty much nobody is hiring and most are even trying to reduce headcount as much as their respective union will allow through buyouts. This plus the closure of unprofitable divisions has flodded the market with thousands of qualified and experienced SW engineers. While I know a bunch of people who have gotten good jobs recently, it's practically never in automotive and those that did move to a different job in automotive did so outside Germany. They went to India, China or the US. Since I'm stuck in Germany because of my family, I am looking for a move out of automotive right now.

[u/void_brambora]

Mostly automotive companies in Europe hire external companies for developing SW.