5 years of experience as a mobile engineer (flutter + a bit of native ios/android), but I was always passionate about backend, so I was learning and building some stuff on my side to practice for a while now.

Recently I got laid off, and I knew it's gonna be hard to find a mobile job, since mobile engineers are currently not in demand at all, there are very few opportunities.

So I started to think of trying to switch over to backend/full stack product roles, since there is a bigger pool. However it feels like this might be a tough experience for me, because:

- Pure backend roles require more fundamental backend experience with things like Kafka, cloud providers, microservices, sometimes an extensive experience with a specific backend language etc.

- Full stack roles look easier on paper since they are open to a wider range of candidates and requirements may be a bit more vague, however they obviously require a frontend web framework like React, so it's one more thing to put into a preparation plan.

On top of that, all companies have different interview processes, so it's hard to define a plan to prepare. Right now I'm practicing: system design, learning/revising backend fundamentals in general, since my knowledge is a bit chaotic.

Are there any mobile engineers who recently switched from mobile to backend/full stack positions? How long did it take you/how hard it was? How was your interview experience?

To those that are employed as a developer - how are the salary bands at the top end of the developer positions compared to the low end of management?

The reason I ask is because the top end of lead developers have a higher base pay than the very bottom of the manager levels, and so moving into management results in a drop in base pay, which is frustrating. I was wondering if this is common across the UK.

30k sounds bad 43k isnt much better why are they so low

For example, Audi is now building a factory in the US because the economic environment there is so much more favorable. This will probably also mean shifting some production capacity away from European plants.

https://www.autonews.com/volkswagen/audi/an-audi-us-plant-1024/

The engineering job market is particularly bad in entire Europe Things are still better in Germany, but even there, the market is a shadow of its former self. Wage freezes are becoming increasingly common there as well.

In my opinion, much of this comes down to the EU's misguided energy and industrial policies.

After all, apart from avoiding tariffs, why on earth would a company spend billions building a factory in the US, where wages aren't any lower than in Germany?

Because of better energy and industrial policies and a more favorable economic environment. Businesses go where they can thrive, and Europe increasingly doesn't seem to be that place anymore.

The problem is that EU leaders still don't seem to recognize just how damaging their policies have become.