Chinese national says Google laid him off before he did 'a single day of real work', why he returned to AmazonFor many tech professionals, landing a job at Google is a dream. For Chinese national Gu Yichen, that dream lasted just a few weeks.The 31 year old software engineer, who lives in California and works on an H 1B visa, says he was laid off in early 2023 before he had done "a single day of real work." Today, he is back at Amazon, where he previously worked, and says the experience taught him that careers often depend as much on timing as talent."I had started work around Christmas, and the layoff notice came in January 2023. I didn't do a single day of real work. My former manager was right," he recalled in an as-told-to essay published by Business Insider.A student exchange program changed everythingYichen's journey to Silicon Valley began years before he entered the tech industry.He spent his sophomore year of high school as an exchange student in Yacolt, Washington, an experience that completely changed the direction of his life."I didn't realize that participating in the program would lead me to skip China's entrance exam and set me on a path toward studying abroad for my bachelor's. I also hadn't realized that it would eventually lead me to build a career in the US," he said.He later studied electrical and computer engineering at the University of Illinois Urbana Champaign. Although his coursework focused on circuit boards and chips, software eventually became his passion."My focus was on circuit boards and chips at the time, but I was more interested in the computer side because results were more tangible and visible."Amazon was his first big breakDuring college, Yichen interned at Amazon. After graduating in 2017, he joined the same team full time while working on an OPT visa.With a STEM degree, he had three chances to enter the H 1B visa lottery."I got lucky on my third try," he said.He returned to China to complete the visa process, but the COVID pandemic meant he spent a year working remotely for Amazon before returning to the United States.Why he left Amazon for GoogleBy late 2022, the tech industry was booming and companies were hiring aggressively.Yichen accepted an offer from Google despite warnings from his manager at Amazon."My manager at Amazon tried to convince me to stay, saying things were unstable and the future was uncertain. I felt that if I didn't take the chance while I was young, I'd be less likely to do it later."He also remembers being reassured during orientation that layoffs were not expected."Human resources reassured us at orientation that there wouldn't be layoffs."The layoff came almost immediatelyThings changed quickly.The experimental project his team had been hired to work on was cancelled as Google began cutting costs."My team had planned to work on an experimental project. Due to cost cutting, it was shelved, and the entire team was let go."Suddenly unemployed and on an H 1B visa, Yichen had just 60 days to secure another sponsored job or leave the country."There was also a time crunch because I was on an H 1B visa. Within a 60 day grace period, I had to find a job, get sponsorship transferred, and start working. It was tight."Going home before finding his way backAfter struggling to find another opening at Google, Yichen decided to step away for a while."I decided to take a break instead. I went back to my hometown, Nanjing, for a while, then traveled to Yunnan province in southwestern China to stay with my aunt."The break did not last long."I'm not the type who can rest for long."He stayed in touch with former colleagues at Amazon, who told him about an opening on his old team.Because he was returning to the same team, he was also able to continue using his previous H 1B application instead of starting the process all over again.Looking ahead with a new perspectiveNow back at Amazon in Sunnyvale, California, Yichen says the experience changed how he thinks about work and long term career planning.He has applied for a green card and hopes it will eventually give him more flexibility."Once my I 140 is approved, I can renew my H 1B indefinitely. It will give me more freedom in both my personal life and my career. In the future, I might start my own business or take cooking lessons."Reflecting on his experience, Yichen says he still enjoys working on ambitious and experimental ideas, but he now understands how companies make decisions during uncertain times."My experience at Google made me realize that while I prefer working on experimental projects, companies tend to prioritize essential teams and mature products over exploratory projects.""It also taught me that landing your ideal job is often as much about timing as effort. I became more flexible once I realized how much was outside my control."