Tired of job rejections after layoff, techie quits IT to be a school bus driver: 'Hope this industry finds its way back to treating people better'

After spending more than a year looking for work following a layoff, a senior software quality engineer has decided to leave the tech industry behind and start over as a school bus driver, saying the experience changed how he looks at work and the people involved in hiring. James Strawn, who has worked at companies including Accolade and Adobe, shared the decision in a post on LinkedIn.

He said the long search for another technology job had left him feeling demoralized and discriminated against, and that he was now ready to begin what he hopes will be his final career.

From software jobs to a 40-foot school bus

Strawn said he is starting work as a school bus driver for his local school district. The new job comes with a major pay cut compared with his previous technology roles, but he said there are other things he likes about it.


"Next week I start my new —and hopefully final— career as a school bus driver for my local school district. It pays a lot less than my previous job, but it's fun, the kids are good (mostly), and my co-workers are caring, kind, and down-to-earth."

For Strawn, the change also means leaving behind a part of the technology industry that he feels treated him poorly during his job search. He thanked former colleagues who supported him while he was looking for work, but also had some blunt words for those who rejected or ignored his applications.

Frustration after applications and interviews

Strawn said he was particularly unhappy with employers and recruiters who filtered applications, failed to respond to direct messages or did not attend scheduled interviews.

"To those at my previous employer who passed me over, brought me down, and ultimately laid me off: thank you as well, but only because you showed me the door to a better future."

He added that he now prefers the idea of driving a bus over returning to the same kind of corporate technology environment.

"It's people like you who make me glad I'll be driving a 40-foot bus instead of a computer."

His final message was aimed at the wider technology hiring system.

"And to the potential employers and recruiters who blindly filtered out my applications, ghosted me on direct inquiries, or never even bothered to show up for interviews: I hope this industry can find its way back to treating people better."

His post struck a chord with other workers

The post also drew responses from people who said they had made similar career changes after layoffs or difficult experiences at work.

One commenter said he was driving for Amazon Flex despite having 13 published books, while another worker said she had moved into a different field after being laid off twice.

Other responses focused on the value of jobs outside the corporate world. Several people shared memories of school bus drivers who had made a lasting impression on them, suggesting that Strawn's new job could have an impact beyond simply providing employment.

Strawn also offered a glimpse into his new workplace, saying the people at the bus depot come from different professional backgrounds. "It's an interesting crew down at the bus barn. Former highway patrol, airline pilot, techies and other professionals, not just driving big ole buses and mostly enjoying it."

For now, Strawn appears ready to move on from the job hunt and settle into a very different daily routine, even if it means earning much less than he did in technology. "Let's raise a glass to new beginnings."