Want to Quit Software Engineering? How to Decide Without Regret

If you’ve searched “want to quit software engineering,” your feelings are completely valid. Many engineers have faced the same struggle at some point in their careers.

This article helps you make a decision you won’t regret. You’ll find a diagnostic checklist to identify the root of your problem, a comparison of five career options, and concrete action plans to move forward.

1. 11 Reasons Why Engineers Want to Quit Software Engineering

Putting your reasons for wanting to quit into words helps you see the core of the problem. Check which of the following reasons apply to you.

Reason 1: Exhaustion from Long Hours and Excessive Overtime

Industry surveys show the average IT overtime in Japan is 23.2 hours monthly, though this varies significantly by company. Where death marches, crunch time, and emergency responses are the norm, exceeding 80 hours monthly—the threshold linked to death from overwork—is common.

One engineer shared: “The overtime destroyed my health. Over 150 hours monthly for an extended period collapsed me mentally and physically.” If you’re at your limits, that’s a normal response.

Reason 2: Salary Doesn’t Match Your Workload or Skills

Japan’s average engineer salary is roughly 5.5 million yen—ranking mid-level globally and less than half of U.S. salaries.

“Salary” consistently tops the list of reasons engineers quit, with “seeking higher income” being the most common reason for job changes.

Many engineers share the frustration of developing skills without salary increases, or working under opaque evaluation systems where hard work goes unrecognized.

Reason 3: Interpersonal Stress and Communication Challenges

Many engineers struggle with supervisor relationships, team friction, and communication difficulties unique to technical roles.

Some report: “The atmosphere wasn’t bad, but I couldn’t take the harassment from a senior colleague and eventually left”

When constantly drained by harassment or unreasonable demands, performing your best becomes impossible.

Reason 4: Pressure from Constant Technical Learning

Do you feel anxious about keeping up with trends, or suffer from the compulsion that “if I don’t keep studying, I’ll be left behind”?

Keeping up with new technologies is always challenging. Because technology evolves rapidly, skills you worked hard to acquire can quickly become obsolete.

Spending personal time on learning is a burden unique to this profession.

Reason 5: Lack of Belonging Due to Client-Site Assignments

Many in SES (System Engineering Services) or client-site assignments question “who am I really working for?” Japan’s IT work often involves multi-layered subcontracting, creating difficult conditions with low wages and constant deadline pressure.

When your career path is unclear and growth feels absent, it becomes a major stressor.

Reason 6: Monotonous Work That Doesn’t Utilize Your Skills

Exclusively maintaining legacy systems, only handling downstream processes, or repeatedly doing growth-limiting tasks like testing and monitoring drains motivation.

Many engineers find themselves assigned to operations work despite joining to do programming. When work feels meaningless, motivation inevitably declines.

Reason 7: Anxiety About an Unclear Career Path

Many feel anxious when choices are limited to management or specialist tracks with no role models in sight. The top career concern for IT engineers is reportedly “skill obsolescence”

Feeling vague anxiety about your career in your 40s or 50s, wondering if your current path is right, is common.

Reason 8: Collapse of Work-Life Balance

Unexpected troubleshooting and on-call duties can leave no time for family or hobbies. When work-life boundaries blur, the situation becomes unsustainable long-term.

Excessive overtime and weekend work eating into personal time is a major factor in considering resignation.

Reason 9: Doubts About the Company’s Future

Facing poor performance, management instability, technical debt, or slow digital transformation naturally makes your career feel unstable.

Many engineers cite “concerns about the company’s or industry’s future” as a reason for changing jobs.

Reason 10: Feeling Engineering Isn’t Right for You

Perhaps logical thinking and problem-solving feel painful, working alone feels uncomfortable, or you wish you could work more closely with people.

Taking long to learn skills, not fitting team-based work, or making frequent mistakes doesn’t necessarily mean you’re unsuited for engineering. That said, these could indicate an aptitude mismatch, and forcing yourself to continue may only cause more suffering.

Reason 11: Challenges Unique to Female Engineers

Women face specific issues including difficulty returning after maternity leave, lack of understanding for reduced hours, and scarcity of female role models.

An environment forcing a choice between career and family remains a significant barrier.

2. Want to Quit Software Engineering But Feel “It Would Be a Waste”—Overcoming This Dilemma

Many engineers struggle with “but I’ve come so far.” Let’s examine this from an economic perspective.

The “What a Waste” Feeling Is the Sunk Cost Fallacy

“I’ve invested so much” “My skills might go to waste” “My salary might drop” These feelings may be keeping you stuck.

Sunk cost refers to past investments that cannot be recovered. While we naturally want to avoid wasting past investments, economics says to make decisions based on the future, not the past. What matters is “what do I want to do from now on?”

The Opportunity Cost of Staying

Consider the price of spending one, three, or five more years in your current environment. The health, time, and career possibilities you’re losing make future-oriented decisions more important than clinging to the past.

Your Engineering Experience Will Never Be Wasted

Logical thinking, problem-solving, and technical understanding are transferable skills valuable elsewhere. “Quitting engineering” doesn’t equal “throwing away your skills.” People with engineering experience are valued across many fields.

■Related Reading

If you’re considering staying or leaving, understanding Japan’s IT industry conditions is crucial. Learn about working hours, overtime culture, and what to expect in Japanese tech companies.

3. [Diagnostic] Want to Quit Software Engineering—Is It the Profession or the Workplace?

Getting this wrong means repeating the same problems after changing jobs. Use this checklist to identify the true nature of your issue.

Is it the engineering profession you dislike, or your current company? Identifying this will completely change your course of action.

[20-Item Checklist] Where Does the Problem Lie?

Group A: Aptitude for Engineering Itself (7 Items)

• Writing code has become painful
• I’ve come to dislike learning technology
• I feel fundamentally bad at logical thinking or debugging
• I strongly want more direct interaction with people
• I can’t imagine being an engineer in five years
• I’m more interested in planning and strategy than problem-solving
• Working alone quietly doesn’t suit me

Group B: Problems with Your Current Workplace (7 Items)

• My overtime exceeds 40 hours monthly
• My salary is clearly below market rate
• Relationships with supervisors or colleagues are my main stress source
• I can only use outdated technology
• I feel problems with client-site assignments or multi-layered subcontracting
• I’m worried about the company’s future
• The situation could improve with a department transfer

Group C: Warning Signs of Mental and Physical Limits (6 Items)

• Getting up is painful with strong resistance to going to work
• Physical symptoms like insomnia, headaches, or stomach pain have continued over two weeks
• I’ve received a stress-related diagnosis
• I can’t stop thinking about work on days off
• I’ve lost interest in hobbies
• I can’t bear imagining this continuing another year

Interpreting Your Results

Many checks in Group A

Consider a career change to a profession leveraging your engineering skills, such as IT consultant or product manager.

Many checks in Group B

Consider changing companies while remaining an engineer. Since you like the work, changing your environment could significantly improve things.

Many checks in Group C

You need rest immediately. Prioritize leave and medical consultation. No job is worth sacrificing your health.

Similar numbers in A and B

First try environment improvement through Group B solutions. If that doesn’t work, consider Group A career changes.

4. Want to Quit Software Engineering? 5 Options to Consider

This isn’t a binary “quit” or “stay” choice. Here are five options to find the right path.

Option 1: Improve Your Current Work Environment

Best for: Those with many Group B results who have no complaints about the company itself

Explore internal improvement possibilities: frank discussions with supervisors or HR about workload adjustments or reassignment, department transfers, or negotiating remote work or flextime.

This carries no job change risk and keeps you in a familiar environment, though improvement may not happen and could take time.

Option 2: Change Companies While Remaining an Engineer

Best for: Those with many Group B results who actually like engineering work

Job changes could improve working hours through remote-friendly or flextime companies, salary matching your market value with potential 500,000-1,000,000 yen increases, technical environment with modern technologies and growth opportunities, and culture with open communication and psychological safety.

To avoid mistakes, research the company’s development structure, tech stack, and culture beforehand. Verify reality through review sites. Use interviews to confirm overtime, remote rates, and evaluation systems. Be cautious about SES companies.

■Related Reading

When changing companies in Japan, having the right support makes all the difference. Discover specialized recruitment agencies that understand foreign engineers’ unique needs and can help you find better opportunities.

Option 3: Transition to a Different Profession Leveraging Your Skills

Best for: Those with many Group A results interested in planning, strategy, or working with people

Preparation requires improving communication skills, learning business skills like marketing and finance, and highlighting transferable skills in your resume.

6 Recommended Professions

Salaries vary by skills, experience, and company size—consider these as guidelines.

IT Consultant (6-10+ million yen)

Solve clients’ IT challenges using technical knowledge. Some see 1-3 million yen increases. Requires high communication skills; may involve travel.

Product Manager (6-12 million yen)

Determine product direction and lead development. High market value with management perspective, though responsibility is heavy.

Pre-Sales/Sales Engineer (5-8 million yen)

Bridge technology and sales with technical proposals. Offers customer interaction and sales skill development, though sales pressure exists.

Web Director/Project Manager (5-8 million yen)

Manage entire projects. Engineering experience applies directly, though coordination work is heavy.

In-House SE/Information Systems (4.5-7 million yen)

Maintain your company’s IT environment. Stable with low overtime, though less cutting-edge exposure and lower salary ceiling.

IT Sales/Corporate Sales (4-10+ million yen)

Propose and sell IT products. High income potential, though quota pressure exists and you’ll be distant from technology.

■Related Reading

Understanding typical engineer salaries in Japan helps you set realistic expectations and negotiate better. Explore comprehensive salary data across experience levels and specializations.

Option 4: Become a Freelance Engineer

Best for: Those with 3+ years of experience, specialized expertise, and autonomous work ability

This offers high rates of 600,000-1,000,000+ yen monthly, flexible arrangements including remote work, and time freedom. However, you’ll face income instability, limited social security, administrative burden, and potential isolation.

Requirements for success

• At least 3 years of practical experience
• Expertise in a specific field
• Project acquisition routes through networks or agents
• High self-management ability
• Savings covering at least 6 months of expenses

Option 5: Leave IT Completely

Best for: Those with many Group A results exhausted by the IT industry

Prepare for potential 20-30% salary decrease, resolve to learn from scratch, and understand the job market favors those in their late 20s with possibilities remaining into early 30s.

Popular destinations include administrative work, customer support, marketing/PR, HR, sales, and education.

This offers a fresh start with new possibilities, though salary typically decreases and leveraging your previous career is harder.

5. Pros and Cons of Quitting Software Engineering

Changing jobs is a major life decision. Understanding both sides helps you make an objective judgment.

5 Advantages

Physical and mental health recovery improves quality of life. New growth opportunities allow you to break free from fixed thinking. Improved work-life balance gives time for family and hobbies. Discovering a suitable work style opens new possibilities. Resetting relationships allows new encounters.

5 Disadvantages

Career you’ve built may reset. Different industry changes may mean 20-30% income decrease. Job hunting requires time, effort, and mental energy. New environment adaptation requires building relationships and learning tasks. Job change failure risks gaps between expectations and reality.

6. [Warning] 3 Danger Signs That Mean You Should Quit Software Engineering Now

No job is worth sacrificing your health or future. If these signs appear, act immediately.

Danger Sign 1: Serious Impact on Health

Contact a specialist immediately if you’ve been diagnosed with depression or adjustment disorder, have had insomnia or appetite loss over two weeks, experience panic attacks, or have suicidal thoughts. Your life matters more than your job.

Danger Sign 2: Illegal Conditions or Harassment

For unpaid overtime, 80+ hours monthly, normalized harassment, or no improvement prospect, gather evidence and consult the Labor Standards Inspection Office or prefectural labor bureau.

Danger Sign 3: Company in Financial Crisis

For delayed or unpaid salaries, large-scale restructuring, or high bankruptcy probability, start your job search early. Don’t stay on a sinking ship.

Emergency Consultation Services

• Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare “Kokoro no Mimi”
• Inochi no Denwa (Lifeline)
• Labor Standards Inspection Office
• Prefectural labor consultation services

■Find a Healthier Work Environment

If you’re experiencing warning signs, it’s time to explore better opportunities.

BLOOMTECH Career for Global carefully vets companies to ensure they offer healthy work environments, competitive compensation, and growth opportunities. We prioritize your well-being and career satisfaction, connecting you only with companies that value work-life balance and employee development.

▼Contact BLOOMTECH Career for Global here

7. Who Shouldn’t Quit Software Engineering [Advice by Experience Level]

Decisions based on temporary emotions can lead to regret. Reconsider if the following applies.

If You Have Only 1-2 Years of Experience

The first years are difficult for everyone. Changing jobs before acquiring basic skills could disadvantage your next career. Gain at least 3 years before deciding, except for health issues.

If the Cause Is Temporary

Death marches end. Wait to see what happens after the project completes, and assess whether things change in a few months.

If You Still Have Technical Interest

If learning new technologies excites you or problem-solving brings joy, you have engineering aptitude. Changing environments will likely improve your situation.

If There’s Room for Internal Improvement

If you haven’t talked to supervisors or HR, submitted transfer requests, or negotiated remote work, try these first.

Timing by Experience

• Year 1: Generally continue, except for health issues
• Years 2-3: Basic skills established; valued in the job market
• Years 4-5: Specialty established; optimal job change timing
• Year 6+: Management experience or expertise gives advantage

8. Want to Quit Software Engineering? Your Job Search Roadmap in 5 Steps

Avoid impulsive resignation—planned execution is key. Job hunting while employed offers continued income, better interview impressions, and comfortable margin for choosing companies.

Step 1: Self-Analysis and Career Inventory (1-2 Weeks)

Organize experience and skills chronologically. Write out technologies, roles, and achievements. Clarify strengths, weaknesses, and core values.

Step 2: Information Gathering and Market Research (1-2 Weeks)

Research job listings for salary ranges, required skills, and openings. Check review sites for working hours and evaluation systems. Follow industry trends.

Step 3: Prepare Application Documents (1 Week)

Resume tips

• Show achievements with numbers (e.g., “Led 5-person team, shortened deadline by 2 weeks”)
• State your tech stack clearly
• Convert departure reasons into positive expressions

Cover letter tips

• Frame as “positive career choice” not “escape”
• Clarify why that specific company

Step 4: Use Recruitment Agents (Immediate)

Agents provide access to unlisted openings, market value assessment, resume review, and company negotiation.

Agent types

• Major comprehensive: Wide industry coverage; good for first-timers
• IT-specialized: Tech-savvy consultants for easier technical discussions
• High-class: Strong for 6+ million yen positions and management roles

Tips

• Register with 2-3 agents for comparison
• Request consultant change if needed
• Communicate conditions specifically

Step 5: Application, Interviews, Offers, and Resignation (2-3 Months)

Application tips

• Apply to 5-10 companies in parallel
• Divide into first-choice, challenge, and safety options
• Track your progress

Interview questions for evaluation

• “What are average and peak overtime hours?”
• “What’s the remote work rate?”
• “How does evaluation work?”
• “What career paths are possible?”
• “What’s the team atmosphere like?”

Post-offer

• Review employment contract carefully
• Coordinate start date
• Inform supervisor in person
• Propose resignation 1-2 months ahead
• Create handover documents
• Plan paid leave usage

■Let Us Support Your Job Search Journey

Navigating Japan’s job market can be complex, especially when balancing language barriers and cultural differences.

BLOOMTECH Career for Global provides end-to-end support including resume preparation, interview coaching, salary negotiation, and visa assistance. Our experienced advisors have helped hundreds of foreign engineers successfully transition to fulfilling careers in Japan. Get started in just 30 seconds.

▼Contact BLOOMTECH Career for Global here

9. How to Explain Why You Want to Quit Software Engineering [Interview Prep]

Interviewers want to know if you’ll quit for the same reason at their company. Convert negatives to positives.

Long hours

• NG: “Too much overtime. I want an easier company”
• OK: “I want an environment where I can produce results efficiently while having time for growth”

Low salary

• NG: “Salary is too low. I want more”
• OK: “I want an environment where my skills and achievements are fairly evaluated”

Bad relationships

• NG: “Don’t get along with my boss. Harassment is terrible”
• OK: “I want to perform where the team cooperates and communicates openly”

Outdated technology

• NG: “All legacy tech. No motivation”
• OK: “I want to increase my market value by working with latest technologies”

Client-site work

• NG: “No belonging. I want my own company”
• OK: “I want to contribute long-term to an in-house product with team unity”

■Related Reading

Master the Japanese interview process with proven strategies. Learn about cultural expectations, common questions, and how to present yourself effectively in technical interviews.

10. Want to Quit Software Engineering? FAQs

Here are answers to common questions engineers have when considering a career change.

Q1. Is wanting to quit in my first year just weakness?

Not weakness, but careful judgment is needed. The first year is hard for everyone, and leaving before acquiring basic skills can disadvantage your next career. Health issues or illegal conditions are exceptions.

Q2. Will my salary decrease?

Depends on the profession. Positions leveraging engineering skills like IT consultant or product manager can maintain or increase salary. Different industries may mean 20-30% decrease, though suitable work leads to better long-term advancement.

Q3. Is it difficult to quit in my 30s or 40s?

Not difficult. With management experience or expertise, mid-career professionals are highly valued. Experience-focused positions actively seek people in their 30s and 40s. Complete industry changes with no experience become harder compared to your 20s.

Q4. Is engineering experience valued elsewhere?

Very highly. Logical thinking, problem-solving, and technical understanding transfer across professions. People who understand technology are rare and valued in sales, marketing, HR, and business planning.

Q5. Job hunt while employed or after resigning?

Generally while employed. Continued income allows comfortable choosing. Being employed appears “planned” in interviews. No rush even if hunting takes long. Exception: if health is at its limit, prioritize rest.

Q6. Will short tenure hurt my next search?

Under a year means you’ll be asked about it. Clear reasons like health or illegal conditions won’t be major disadvantages. What matters is convincing interviewers you won’t quit for the same reason.

Q7. As a foreign national, will I be disadvantaged?

With Japanese ability and skills, nationality is becoming less of a disadvantage. Global perspective can be a strength. More companies actively hire foreign talent, especially in IT. Prepare to explain visa status and renewal plans.

■Related Reading

If you’re a foreign national working in Japan, understanding your visa options and work rights is essential. Get comprehensive guidance on visa types, requirements, and the application process.

11. Transform Your Desire to Quit Software Engineering into Your Next Step

Wanting to quit software engineering is neither wrong nor unusual.

What matters is not deciding on emotions alone. Identify the core problem—profession or workplace? Compare options and judge based on objective data.

Use this article’s checklist, five options, and roadmap to make a decision you won’t regret. Your life is your own. Whatever you choose, the satisfaction of having decided yourself matters most.