Why So Many Tech Workers Are Dreaming of a Career Change

In a season of layoffs and burnout, more people in tech are asking: What if I did something completely different?

If you’ve found yourself daydreaming about becoming a therapist, coach, or creative freelancer, you’re not alone—and no, you’re not being irresponsible. Here’s why so many people in tech are rethinking their careers, and what it means to pursue something more tangible. Photo credit: NoSystem Image

If you’re in tech and you’ve been thinking about making a big career change—maybe even something like going back to school, starting your own business, or becoming a therapist—you’re not alone.

A lot of my financial planning clients work in tech. Some still love it. But many are feeling unsettled. They’re not in crisis, exactly—but they’re restless. They’re asking big questions about what they actually want to do with their time and energy. And increasingly, they’re looking for something more tangible, more grounded, and more directly connected to other human beings.

Maybe that sounds familiar.

The View from the Top Is… Abstract

One client put it this way:

“I just want a job where someone asks me for something, I make it, and I give it to them.”

It was almost a joke. But also not.

That desire—to have a clear request, a clear task, and a clear delivery—makes sense. Especially when your job feels like meetings about meetings, planning cycles with no end, and vague goals whose outcomes are five layers removed from anything a real person touches.

In tech, especially in higher-paying or more senior roles, your work often becomes more strategic, more abstract, and less personal. Instead of building something yourself, you’re managing the people who manage the people who build it. Instead of writing, designing, or coding, you’re presenting slide decks, negotiating headcount, or forecasting budget scenarios. It’s intellectually demanding. But it’s also… kind of alienating.

The Draw of Direct Service Work

This is why I’ve seen more tech workers consider transitions into one-on-one service roles—therapy, coaching, consulting, financial planning (hi). They’re craving work that feels personal. Tangible. Meaningful.

There’s also a clarity to this kind of work: You help someone. You see the result. It’s not scalable, exactly, but it’s real.

I made that shift myself. After more than a decade in tech, I started a financial planning practice—first on the side, then full-time after getting laid off. Now I meet with people one-on-one and help them figure out how to use their money to build the life they want. It’s harder than my tech job in many ways. But it’s also more satisfying.

And it feels like mine.

“But Can I Afford to Make a Change?”

This is usually the next question—and it’s a good one. Especially if the change you’re considering involves going back to school, taking a pay cut, or starting a business.

Here’s the truth: It might not be easy. But it’s often more possible than you think.

I’ve worked with tech professionals who wanted to become therapists, writers, consultants, or artists. We looked at the numbers. We planned for a couple of low-income years during training. We adjusted saving goals, shifted priorities, and figured out what would need to be true to make the leap.

Sometimes the math doesn’t work. But a lot of times, it does.

And even when it doesn’t—at least not yet—thinking seriously about your goal helps you work toward it. You might save more intentionally, take on freelance projects for flexibility, or start your next thing as a side gig.

Rethinking “Security”

Let’s also talk about job security.

It’s easy to think that staying in tech means staying safe. But recent layoffs, hiring freezes, and return-to-office ultimatums have made a lot of people reconsider. What if that high-paying, “safe” job isn’t as secure as it once seemed?

Here’s another way to think about it:

If your job is your only source of income, and you lose it, you go from 100% employed to 0% overnight. But if you’re self-employed and working with several clients, losing one isn’t great—but it’s not catastrophic.

There’s risk on both sides. The question is, which kind of risk are you more comfortable with? Which kind of life feels more aligned with who you want to be?

You Don’t Have to Know the Whole Plan

Maybe you’re not ready to leap. That’s okay. But you don’t have to dismiss the dream either.

Start by getting curious. What kind of work feels meaningful to you? What kind of problems do you want to solve? What does a “good day” look like?

Then run the numbers. What would it take to make a change? How much do you need to earn, save, or give up?

And if you want help thinking through that—financially or otherwise—I’d love to work with you.