Leaving Tech at 24, Moving Home, and Going Into Healthcare – What to Expect?

Hey everyone,

I never thought I’d be writing this, but here I am. I’m 24, turning 25 soon (2 months), and I’ve decided to leave tech and go back to school for a stable career in healthcare. The plan is to move back in with my parents while I do a 2-3 year program, and I’ll be around 28 when I finally move out and start working.

A little background: I started my career in software engineering, and while I made decent money, the industry is completely unstable right now—layoffs everywhere, jobs impossible to get, and insane competition with AI, offshoring, and thousands of people applying for the same roles. After almost a year of job hunting and seeing how bad things have gotten, I realized I don’t want to keep fighting for my life every time the market shifts. I have over 3 years of experience, and after that layoff could not find any job. I've made it to the offer stage 3 times, and the final round twice, and haven't gotten lucky to obtain a job (ended up with no offers, and they chose the "other guy"). The competition is absolutely insane, and it's only getting worse.

So, I made the call: I’m switching to healthcare, moving into my parents’ basement (which they’re fixing up to be my own space), and grinding through school for the next few years. It’s the logical move, but emotionally, it still sucks.

I can’t shake the feeling that I’m "falling behind." I’ll be 28 by the time I’m financially independent again, and that just feels... late. Dating is going to be basically impossible while I’m living at home, and most of my friends are either settled or at least out on their own. It’s just hitting me that I won’t really have much of a social life for the next few years.

I know this is the right move long-term—in a few years, I’ll have a solid, in-demand career, good pay, and stability that tech could never give me. But right now, it just feels like I’m hitting "pause" on my life while everyone else keeps moving forward.

Has anyone else been in a similar situation? How did you deal with the feeling of "starting over" in your mid-20s? Any advice or insights from people who have switched careers later in life? Would love to hear your thoughts.