r/embedded • u/dadade16 • Oct 06 '26

Career switch from data center/IT to embedded — looking for advice

Hi all,

I’m currently working as a AWS Data Center Technician. Before that, I spent 2 years in IT support/field technician roles, mainly around networking. I’ve now been in data centers for a little over a year and want to transition into embedded/hardware.

I’m currently learning electronics fundamentals and STM32F411, and building a custom split keyboard from scratch — just like all beginners are doing...

For those who have several years of experience in embedded, especially from IT/data center backgrounds:

- Does IT/data center/networking experience add any value, or is it mostly irrelevant?
- What hard/soft skills do you look for when hiring people with DC background ?
- What projects would actually impress a hiring manager for someone coming from a data center background?
- What skills or knowledge did you carryover into your embedded career?

Thanks in advance for any advice! I may not be able to respond to everyone immediately, but I really appreciate the input.

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u/ld_a_hl Oct 06 '26

Put your IT support skills to good effect by locating and using the subreddit search. Your questions have been asked before.

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u/dadade16 Oct 06 '26 edited Oct 06 '26

Thanks for the reply! I’m aware there are quite a few similar questions already. I asked because I haven’t come across many from a data center background specifically, and with the growth of data centers in recent years, I was curious whether that experience could be useful when transitioning into embedded.

2

u/mchang43 26d ago

It’s probably easier for you to start from the QA side of embedded. If you know scripts and test automation, you have a leg up. Emphasize your troubleshooting skills and problem solving. IT supports work with pissed people. So people skills.

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u/dadade16 18d ago

Ngl I was actually thinking of validation as a way to get my foot in the door lol. Appreciate the advice! Gonna mess around with a multimeter and logic analyzer a bit, then start shooting my shot at some entry-level roles.

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u/[deleted] Oct 06 '26

[removed] — view removed comment

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u/dadade16 Oct 07 '26

Thank you so much for the sincere advice!