James Strawn got laid off after 25 Years at Adobe. Now he is driving a school bus. He had a hard time finding a new job in the tech field.

James Strawn got laid off after 25 Years at Adobe. This made him change careers in a way he probably did not expect. James Strawn worked on making sure software was good, for a time. He says looking for a tech job was hard and took a long time. This is why James Strawn decided to drive a school bus. He talked about what happened to him on LinkedIn. A lot of people who were having similar problems liked his story.

From Adobe Engineer to School Bus Driver

Strawn worked in software quality assurance for a long time, more than twenty years. He even worked at Adobe for a while. His LinkedIn profile says he tested a lot of products like Premiere Pro and After Effects. And that, he lost his job. That is when things got tough. Finding a job was a lot harder than he thought it would be. He said on LinkedIn that he applied for than one hundred jobs but only got one interview. That interview was because he knew someone. Strawn also talked about how he thinks age might be a problem when you are looking for a job. He does not like the automated systems that look at applications either.

“Driving a 40-foot bus instead of a computer”

Now Strawn is going to drive a school bus for the schools in his area. He is excited about this job. Strawn says this is a part of his life. He is happy to be working with people who are nice and care about others. He thinks the people he will be working with are kind and down to earth. “Driving a 40-foot bus instead of a computer.”

The most striking part of Strawn’s message was his blunt assessment of the tech job market. He said he had felt “demoralised and discriminated against” during his search and criticized employers and recruiters for filtering applications, ignoring inquiries and missing interviews. The comments beneath his post showed that his experience was far from unique. Other professionals described lengthy searches, repeated applications and major career changes after struggling to return to well paid technology roles. One commenter argued that driving a bus was “just as important” as working at a major technology company, noting that Strawn could have a meaningful impact on young people's lives.

A Wider Conversation About Tech Careers

This incident has opened up a broader conversation about what happens when experienced technology workers suddenly find themselves outside an industry they helped build. For some, the answer is entrepreneurship. Strawn himself has since explored starting a software testing service, showing that his career story is still evolving.

Business Fortune believes that for now though, the school bus represents something different; stability, human interaction and a fresh start after an unexpectedly difficult chapter.

 

FAQs

Who is James Strawn?

James Strawn is a software quality engineer from the Greater Colorado Springs area with extensive experience at Adobe.

Why did James Strawn leave the tech industry?

He said a prolonged job search after his Adobe layoff contributed to his decision to pursue a different career.

What is Strawn doing now?

He has moved toward becoming a school bus driver for his local school district.

How long did Strawn work in software quality assurance?

His LinkedIn profile describes more than 25 years of software quality assurance experience.

Why has his story attracted attention?

His experience reflects concerns shared by other experienced tech workers about layoffs, automated hiring systems, age discrimination and the difficulty of finding comparable work.