I ended my career as a flight attendant after 5 years. It felt like my personal life would always be second fiddle to protecting the schedule.

Wed, 02/08/2023 - 06:40

former flight attendant Betty Ma sits in an airplane's engine — Betty Ma became a flight attendant right after college, but issues like unpredictable schedules and poor work-life balance led her to hang up her wings after 5 years.
Courtesy of Betty Ma

Betty Ma became a flight attendant at 21. Five years later, she's hung up her wings and left the profession.
The job helped her meet her husband but it also had downsides she wasn't expecting.
Unpredictable schedules, a lack of work-life balance, and other factors drove her to leave the profession.

This as-told-to essay is based on a conversation with Betty Ma, a former flight attendant who left the profession after five years. It has been edited for length and clarity.