A former Google techie says he was laid off despite prioritizing work and putting in long hours at his job. Jason Zhang was impacted by layoffs last month and has since been documenting his life after job loss on Instagram. In a recent video, he reflected on the transient nature of corporate jobs, saying that job security is never guaranteed even if employees work hard.
“None of it mattered”
“I have always prioritized work in my life and honestly still do,” Zhang said in his Instagram post. “I thought that if I just worked harder, put more hours in, delay that vacation, it’ll all be worth it. But despite that, none of it really mattered,” he elaborated.
In spite of delaying vacations and working long hours, Zhang was among those impacted by layoffs at Google. He had earlier said that his life consisted mostly of work — he often worked late into the night and even on weekends.
(Also read: Laid-off Oracle employee turns Uber driver, earns while planning new business: ‘No panic, no stress’)
“I delayed many things”
Zhang said that vacations were not the only thing he delayed as he focussed on work. He put off many things he wanted to do, just so he could put all his effort into his job. The Google software engineer was convinced that if he worked extra hard, he would not be laid off.
{{/usCountry}}Zhang said that vacations were not the only thing he delayed as he focussed on work. He put off many things he wanted to do, just so he could put all his effort into his job. The Google software engineer was convinced that if he worked extra hard, he would not be laid off.
{{/usCountry}}“I delayed many things I wanted to do so I can put in more effort into my job, convinced that working harder means I am less likely to be let go - but I’ve seen that to not be the case for many talented people I’ve worked with,” Zhang wrote.
He reflected on the lack of job security, writing, “Companies can let you go at any time and it’s become the new normal.”
He concluded his post by saying that when he lost his job, it made him want to build something that no one could away – possibly alluding to his content creation.
Watch his video here.
Internet weighs in
“We are always taught to work hard for someone, but never for or on ourselves. Always prioritize life and health, work will not stop without you but your life will,” one person advised in the comments section.
“Be more aggressive and looking for other job opportunities, even while having a job and a side business,” another said.
“I was laid off too when I was 25. I got so depressed I didn’t work for 7 months and tried starting my business. This is hard esp if you are someone who loves your craft and enjoy the job. I pray you find the best job, not just in terms of position or salary package but I meant good environment and something you’d prolly enjoy as much!” a user added.
(Also read: Techie says he got manager fired after PIP, shares how he challenged the decision: 'I chose violence')