This as-told-to essay is based on a conversation with Sarah Henschel, a 35-year-old former tech worker and current master’s student based in New York. It’s been edited for length and clarity.
In April, I went through my third tech layoff in two years, and it was the straw that broke the camel’s back: I was leaving tech behind.
I just got married this summer, and it made me think about what I want my life to look like in five or 10 years. I had thought about leaving tech to go into education before, but it was hard to justify leaving when I was making up to $110,00 a year with just a bachelor’s degree.
As long as I was still employed, I was going to keep working in tech sales.
After this last layoff, I wanted something more stable. I enjoyed the work I was doing, but I didn’t wake up every day dying to be in tech sales. I’m now pivoting my career to teaching. I know I’m walking into making less money for a while, but in 10 years, I’ll be making the same, if not more, and teaching is not going away; it’s always going to be a needed career.
My layoff was a blessing in disguise
My path into tech sales was typical. I started in sales development because my parents were both in business, and this seemed like a way to get my feet wet in the corporate world.
I climbed the ranks until, most recently, I was a customer success manager. I enjoyed what I did because every day was different and things were always changing in tech. But it wasn’t enough to compete with the ebbs and flows of the marketplace.
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Two years ago, after a previous layoff, I took time to travel and thought about pivoting into a career in teaching, but I found a new job quickly, so I stayed in tech sales. I was on the edge of thinking I don’t want to be doing this career forever, but I didn’t have that push of what the next step looks like.
As a single woman, I knew that going to grad school was expensive. I didn’t know how to justify taking loans for school and the cost of living beforehand. Making the decision to leave tech and change careers in a partnership just made a lot more sense.
Teaching is a more natural and flexible option for me
I’ve worked in different forms of teaching for basically my whole career. I studied history in college and started my career teaching English in Spain right out of school. After two years abroad, I moved back to New York.
On Saturday mornings, I was an SAT tutor when I was in tech sales. I’ve always really enjoyed working with kids. I started looking for a job that I could work in for a long time but not get bored with, that could also offer flexibility for when I start my family. I liked the idea of having a new classroom every year or becoming an administrator.
It’s also a really well-paid job. In New York City public schools, if you have your master’s, your salary starts at around $80,000 with a 3% promised increase every year, and it can go up to $140,000 by the time you retire.
The job also comes with a pension and free health insurance, and those were not insignificant in the factor process as well.
I chose my program because I could start working within one year
When I got laid off in April, I remember turning around to my now-husband in bed, and I told him I wanted to go into teaching. He was supportive, so about a week and a half later, I started the process of applying to master’s programs.
Being over 10 years out of school, I had no idea what I was doing. I reached out to two former managing directors, who I had really strong relationships with, and I got them to write my letters of recommendation.
All the schools I applied to were in the New York City area. I chose my program because it was a one-year program. I could start in the fall, end the next summer, and work in a school that fall. That was a huge benefit to me.
I also liked that the program was in person.
The salary is definitely a step back, but I know it will pay off
I worked in tech for 12 years, and I’ve set myself up with a huge cushion from being in sales.
I feel bittersweet about pivoting. I will miss the startup world and the perks that came with it, such as free cold brew, countrywide travel, and the feeling of building something new. But after my chaotic three-year sprint in tech, I’m happy to join a field I’m passionate about with a union and pension that will help with my long-term family and retirement planning.
Even though tech is a really exciting industry and I loved my time in it, I would say to anyone considering pivoting out, don’t be afraid to look into more traditional industries.
Do you have a story about leaving tech to share? Contact this reporter, Agnes Applegate, at aapplegate@businessinsider.com.
