Tech Exodus: Silicon Valley Workers Trade Code for Traditional Trades
As a tech industry reporter, I’ve witnessed a remarkable shift in San Francisco’s job landscape. The recent “career transition” conference in the Presidio highlighted a growing trend: tech professionals exploring life beyond the digital realm.
Albert Qian, the event organizer and job-seeker community leader, hosted this unique gathering where over 140,000 tech workers who faced layoffs in 2024 sought new directions. “Companies will drop you at the drop of a hat,” Qian stated bluntly, capturing the industry’s harsh reality.
Think of this as a reverse boot camp—instead of teaching coding to break into tech, it showed people how to break out of it. The conference featured success stories that would surprise many: a former customer success manager now makes hats, while a data scientist runs a tutoring business.
Jacques Beauvoir, a software engineer who lost his job, shared his frustration: “You see endless layoff news, hundreds of applicants fighting for single positions on LinkedIn within hours. It wears you down.” His words echo the feelings of many tech workers who once thought their careers were bulletproof.
The most eye-opening moment came during the trades panel. Rickey Dunbar, an electrical business owner, reported earning $600,000 annually—a figure that caught everyone’s attention. Similarly, Morgan Haines, who owns a painting company, highlighted the constant demand for skilled workers in traditional trades.
“The trades are dying for young people who are hungry for work,” Haines explained, while noting that even highly qualified tech workers struggle to find jobs. His brother, despite holding physics and astronomy degrees from Berkeley, remains unemployed.
The event wasn’t without its challenges. Of the 185 people who registered, fewer than 50 showed up. However, those present left with renewed hope. Sandy McClenahan, a former tech worker, admitted, “I miss those tech paychecks—those golden handcuffs are very pretty,” but emphasized that leaving tech opened endless possibilities.
What’s most striking is how these different career paths share common ground. As Beauvoir noted, whether you’re coding software or installing electrical systems, core values like work pride and problem-solving remain constant.
Companies like Google, Apple, and Meta continue their layoff sprees, pushing more professionals to consider alternative careers. While the tech industry once seemed like the only path to success in Silicon Valley, traditional trades are proving they can offer both stability and impressive earnings.
One thing was clear from the conference: writing code isn’t the only path to success. As San Francisco’s tech workers face an uncertain future, many are discovering that picking up traditional tools might be as rewarding as typing on keyboards.
Looking ahead, this trend could reshape Silicon Valley’s workforce landscape, creating a more diverse and resilient job market where digital expertise and traditional craftsmanship coexist and thrive.