I've been scrolling through LinkedIn and Twitter lately, and there's a trend I can't stop thinking about. More and more people are posting about leaving tech for other careers. Developers, designers, product managers, people with years of experience and real skills, just walking away from the industry entirely.
And honestly? It hits different for me.
Where I Came From
Six and a half years ago, I wasn't a software developer. I was working in natural gas, pulling 70+ hour weeks for $40,000 a year. I'd come home exhausted, barely see anyone, and wonder if this was just what life was going to be. The money was terrible. The hours were worse. And there wasn't really a path forward, just more of the same grinding.
Tech felt like this impossible dream. I'd look at job postings and think "there's no way someone like me could ever do that." No CS degree. No connections in the industry. Just a blue collar guy from Long Island who was tired and wanted something better.
But I took a shot. I went to a coding bootcamp, put in the work, built projects, and somehow got that first break. And when I finally landed a tech job, it genuinely changed everything.
Suddenly I was working 40 hours a week instead of 70. I was making enough money to actually breathe. I had time for a life outside of work. Eventually I met my wife Hillary, we got married, and when our daughter Adeline was born last year, I had the time and energy to actually be present as a dad. Tech gave me a life I never thought I'd have.
So when I see people walking away from this industry now, it's complicated for me. Because I remember what it felt like to be on the outside looking in.
The Market Has Changed
But here's the thing. I get it. I really do.
The American tech job market right now is brutal in ways it wasn't when I broke in. The landscape has shifted hard, and not in favor of workers.
Mass layoffs have become normal. Companies that were hiring aggressively two years ago are now cutting 10%, 20%, sometimes 30% of their workforce. Experienced developers with solid track records are getting let go, not because they did anything wrong, but because of "market conditions" or "restructuring" or whatever corporate speak makes it sound less awful.
Hiring freezes are everywhere. Even companies that are profitable and growing have basically stopped bringing people on. The few positions that do open up get flooded with hundreds of applications from qualified candidates who are desperate for stability.
Entry-level positions have become a joke. Jobs labeled "junior developer" require 3-5 years of experience, knowledge of 15 different technologies, and the ability to hit the ground running on day one. The idea of hiring someone with potential and training them up? That's basically disappeared. New grads with good skills and solid portfolios are getting ghosted by companies that won't even give them a shot.
The pressure to do more with less is constant. Teams are getting cut while the workload stays the same or increases. People are burning out trying to cover for the colleagues who got laid off. And there's always this underlying anxiety, this sense that your job could disappear tomorrow no matter how hard you work or how good you are.
And let's talk about what's happening with H-1B visas and outsourcing. I'm not trying to get political here, but the reality is that American workers are competing in a market where companies can often find cheaper labor elsewhere. It's making it even harder for people here to find or keep good positions.
Why People Are Walking Away
So yeah, I understand why talented people are leaving.
I see developers who spent years building their skills, who did everything they were supposed to do, who were good at their jobs, and they just can't find work. Or they found work but got laid off six months later. Or they're still employed but so burned out and anxious that it's affecting their health and their families.
I see people who are tired of the instability. Tired of wondering if they'll have a job next quarter. Tired of watching friends and colleagues get cut. Tired of the constant tech news cycle of "Company X lays off 5,000 workers."
Some are going into teaching. Some are starting small businesses. Some are going back to trades. Some are just taking time off to figure out what's next. And I respect every single one of those decisions.
Everyone has to do what's best for their family, their mental health, their life. If leaving tech is the right call for you, then it's the right call. No judgment.
What I Wish Was Different
But man, it makes me sad.
This industry changed my life. It gave me opportunities I never thought I'd have. It let me provide for my family in ways I couldn't before. It gave me work that's actually interesting and challenging. It gave me a career path instead of just a job.
Tech has that power. It can genuinely transform someone's trajectory. I'm living proof of that.
But the way things are right now, that door is closing for so many people. Americans who want to break into tech are finding it nearly impossible. People who are already in tech are struggling to stay. The opportunities that changed my life are getting harder and harder to access.
And that's not because there isn't work to be done. It's not because there aren't problems to solve or products to build. It's because of decisions being made at levels most of us have no control over. Market forces, corporate strategy, economic uncertainty, whatever you want to call it.
The result is the same though. Good people are being pushed out of an industry that could really use them.
To Everyone Still Fighting
If you're still trying to break into tech, if you're fighting to stay in despite the conditions, if you're applying to jobs and getting rejection after rejection, I see you.
I know it's exhausting. I know it feels impossible sometimes. I know the job descriptions are ridiculous and the interview processes are broken and the whole thing feels rigged.
But you're not crazy for trying. Tech can still change lives. The opportunities are just harder to find right now.
Keep building. Keep learning. Keep applying. Network when you can. Help each other out. Share leads. Give honest feedback. Be the industry you want to see.
And if you decide to walk away? That's okay too. There's no shame in choosing your peace over the grind.
At the End of the Day
I wish the American tech job market was what it was when I broke in. I wish it was easier for people to get their shot. I wish companies valued stability and growth over quarterly earnings reports. I wish experience and skill mattered more than they seem to right now.
But it is what it is. And all we can do is support each other through it, whether that means staying in the fight or walking away to something better.
To everyone who's left tech recently, I hope you find what you're looking for. You deserved better from this industry.