Software engineer career change advice: A software engineer earning about $110,000 a year plus stock and retirement benefits recently took to Reddit asking for advice on a drastic career change: quitting tech to become a flight attendant.
Why the Engineer Feels Mentally Drained and Seeks a Change
In the Reddit post, the engineer explained that his current role has left him mentally drained, with stress so intense that he has had “moments in the last few months where I wanted to get in a car accident or be injured somehow just so I didn’t have to go to work,” as per the post shared on subreddit community r/careerguidance.
He said he’s applied to other tech jobs but believes they would feel the same, and is drawn to flight attendant work because he thinks the emotional load will be lighter, work won’t follow him home, and he’d get travel benefits.
Pros and Cons of Becoming a Flight Attendant
He listed pros such as cheaper travel, a lower‑stress perception of the job, and the fact he’s single with no mortgage so a pay cut wouldn’t be as consequential. The main con he noted was the lower starting pay, around $40,000, compared with his current salary, and the difficulty of telling his parents, especially given cultural expectations.
Challenges of Flight Attendant Life: Jet Lag, Difficult Passengers, and Burnout
Responses from the Reddit community were overwhelmingly cautionary. Many users called the idea a bad move and urged him to reconsider. One of the top comments bluntly said that swapping a tech job for “a sky waiter/safety attendant” was unwise and warned that working with the general public on flights can be far more challenging than coding.
Advice from Reddit: Consider Alternatives Before Quitting Tech
Others echoed concerns about jet lag, difficult passengers, and burnout, suggesting that many people don’t even make it through flight attendant training, let alone remain in the job long‑term. One commenter noted that flight attendants often earn low pay for years and that the stress from customer service can be intense.
How to Get Insight from Current Flight Attendants
Some responders advised the engineer to take a vacation or find a tech role with better work–life balance instead of making a radical change, while others recommended talking to current flight attendants to understand the job firsthand before making any decisions.