From Tech to Teaching: How Layoffs Pushed a New York Professional Toward a More Fulfilling Path
From Tech to Teaching: How Layoffs Pushed a New York Professional Toward a More Fulfilling Path
After three layoffs in two years, Sarah Henschel found resilience, clarity, and a renewed sense of purpose in education.
For more than a decade, Sarah Henschel built a successful career in tech sales, climbing the corporate ladder to become a customer success manager. At her peak, she was earning as much as $110,000 a year, a figure many would consider a marker of stability and success. Yet beneath the surface, the volatility of the industry told a different story. In just two years, Henschel faced three layoffs, with the most recent one this past April becoming, as she describes, “the straw that broke the camel’s back.”
At 35, recently married and reflecting on what she wanted her future to look like, Henschel made a life-altering decision. Instead of returning to the cycle of high-paying but precarious tech jobs, she chose to pursue a master’s degree in education. “Teaching is not going away,” she said with conviction. “It’s always going to be a needed career.”
This pivot wasn’t entirely out of the blue. Teaching had long been woven into her life story. Early in her career, she taught English in Spain and later worked as an SAT tutor in New York. “I’ve always really enjoyed working with kids,” she explained, recalling how these experiences consistently sparked joy and fulfillment. The stability and structure of education also appealed to her as she thought about starting a family and building a sustainable future.
Financially, the transition comes with sacrifice. While her new career path begins with a lower salary than she earned in tech, the long-term benefits are substantial. New York City’s public school system offers competitive compensation, with starting salaries around $80,000 for teachers with master’s degrees, annual guaranteed increases of about 3 percent, and the possibility of earning up to $140,000 by retirement. Add to that the security of pensions and comprehensive health coverage—benefits not guaranteed in the private tech sector—and the move makes practical as well as personal sense.
“I know I’ll make less money for a while, but in 10 years, I’ll be making the same, if not more,” Henschel said. Her one-year master’s program ensures she can begin teaching by next fall, minimizing the financial strain of the transition.
Beyond finances, the decision reflects a deeper search for meaning. “I enjoyed tech, but I didn’t wake up dying to be in it every day,” she admitted. While she values the dynamism and excitement of the tech world, she recognizes that education offers not only stability but also the chance to shape young lives and leave a lasting impact.
For Henschel, the layoffs that once felt destabilizing now seem like a disguised blessing. They forced her to confront difficult questions, reevaluate her goals, and ultimately align her career with her values. “It just made sense to make the leap now,” she reflected.
Her story is a reminder that career setbacks, while painful, can also serve as turning points.
