I lost my software engineer job in May and have taken up welding. I'm happy to leave the tech industry — AI has changed it.

This as-told-to essay is based on a conversation with Tabby Toney, a 37-year-old former software engineer based in Oklahoma, about leaving tech for a blue-collar career. It's been edited for length and clarity.

My path into software engineering wasn't direct. I followed a friend into tech and started doing manual testing, knowing nothing; I was just doing user-experience work. I self-studied, paid for virtual classes, and bugged all of my software engineer friends until I could get a job as a software engineer.

I loved tech because of the intellectual stimulation it provided. I enjoyed the creative problem-solving and critical thinking required to make things happen. That part has been taken away with the industry pushing AI.

Last year, I started thinking about a transition out of tech. I was having recurring moments of frustration, and all my friends were having the same issues.

I was laid off in May. At first, I thought I'd just take a month off because I was already so burned out. But I don't sit still very well, so I decided to take up welding.

Layoffs have forced me to figure out what to do next

I had a feeling I was going to get laid off due to the industry's direction with AI, so I was hoarding all my extra money in preparation.

I didn't want to start over again, but I also didn't want to be bored. I needed something to keep me engaged and feeling like I was contributing, but my tech job didn't do that anymore.

Like me, I have friends who are completely leaving the tech industry right now. If tech isn't your whole life, it's OK if you want to move on. Now it's a little easier to make the jump. With how often the layoffs are, I feel less like I'm leaving something stable and steady.

I got frustrated with the reliance on AI when it's not ready yet

There's a lot of talk now, like, "Are you just mad because AI is taking your job?" That's not it.

I haven't lost a job to AI. I think the problem is the industry's reliance on AI when it's not ready yet. Also, a lot of decisions are being made by non-tech people who don't fully understand how it affects the people who are writing the tech.

I started feeling the shift affect me in October of last year, but I didn't want to leave the industry because tech has always excited me.

Software engineer interviews are typically very intense

I dreaded the coming interview process if I were to continue looking for software engineering roles. You have to drop everything for two months and study for these assessments, which are like studying for the ACT.

I couldn't stand the thought of dropping everything and studying all over again for the interview, so I decided to take a month off, and I haven't looked back.

Welding was a natural option for me

How I picked up welding after getting laid off was pretty random. I took welding in high school, and I remember running around as a kid in my grandpa's garage, where he and my dad did it a bunch.

I thought of it as something you do to repair things around your house or farm. But I borrowed some of my family's equipment and tried it again during my month break.

I enjoy it because it's creative. However, metallurgy also involves knowing what to use and how to do it in certain situations, so there's still a thinking aspect to it. I also like working with my hands.

I'm thankful I have enough money saved to get through welding school, and I don't think I'll return to tech

I'm doing some side jobs for some friends right now, but I'm not at a level of welding yet that I would feel comfortable applying for a job in the field until I at least finish one class, which I start in August.

Tech years are like dog years with how fast stuff changes and new inventions, but if we rely on AI to do so much, it almost feels like you're going backward in your skills, unless you're the person creating the AI.

I've forgotten things that I previously knew how to do just because I hadn't done them in so long, and I've heard other people say the same thing. The market and the job industry didn't have to go this way because we could've used AI as a supplement. It's great as a helper.

With how the industry is now, I'm pretty happy with my decision. I thought I would be a nervous wreck forever, but I was ready. I feel so relieved now that I have left tech and have a new plan.

If you have a career change or layoff story that you would like to share, please email the reporter, Agnes Applegate, at [email protected].