This is an unpleasant, but important one. Layoff. I have faced this question several times last year in 1:1 “How can you keep your head steady on work when so many roles are impacted around you? Does that not concern you?” My shorter response had been - “If I tell you I am not concerned, I will be lying. But, if you can convince yourself that layoff is not the worst thing that can happen, that will take the pressure off”. Then I shared 3 stories from my professional journey: Fresh out of collage, I joined a software company back in 2005. I had a plan and a dream to be successful, but someone else had a different one. That company laid off 40% of its population in 3 months, including me. I felt broken, humiliated and scared. I did not tell my parents about this for a week and was searching for jobs walking door to door of each tech firm. But, no company in town offered job to a fresher. Ultimately I revealed the situation to my parents and they offered me what I needed most: a hug and assurance. Eventually got a job; but I had to leave safety net of my hometown. But this is where my career acceleration started. Most importantly, I learned how to survive by myself in a different city. That layoff, which seemed catastrophic at that moment, actually set the foundation for my career. 4 years later, I applied for a job in US and relocated. Again, I had plan and a dream. But, I ended up being in a project that had no material connection to Company’s mission. Team members started leaving and that included my hiring manager. There was no one to support me. My employment visa did not even allow me to switch job or city. So, I was stuck and stuck bad. I wished everyday, this team just let me go. My inability to take action and decision, pushed my frustration to its limit.This is when I decided to join academia and completed my masters in CS. It was hard to dual between job and study; but it was beautiful. I could not change my professional situation, but enhanced my education. 3 years later, I joined Amazon. Walking into Amazon was like a dream come true. Very soon, I realized - this is way advanced game than what I was accustomed to. The speed of the company, the intense focus on solving complex problems and the culture is something I am not made for. I declared at home - I won’t survive here. My family again shared what I needed the most - a hug. Rest is history. I started believing into Company’s mission, culture and myself. I worked very hard to elevate my skills. I kept delivering most fascinating customer experiences for Amazon and raised rank to Principal engineer. Morale of the story: 1. Control the input metric and don’t wrestle with output metric. 2. Your family is your most valuable asset. Protect it more than anything else. 3. Layoff is not the worst. So why to be scared. 4. Job can be eliminated, not your career. Focus on your career and job will follow.
Sudip K.
2mo
Completely agree with your vision , better to be very clear about your priorities and just stick to the plan!
Great post. I can see the rise of future tech influencer
Cat Lo
2mo
Thank you for the vulnerability and inspiration for taking the long view in life. Knowing what matters and sharing your background. 😊
Mike Panzitta
1mo
Pratik, you made my hire decision at Amazon easy, and from my first visit to the Irvine office, you affirmed my decision. I’m super happy to watch (and to a very small degree, assist) your success, and I’m glad to have you sharing your experience with others to foster their individual successes. Please don’t stop!
Sandeep Botcha
1mo
Thank you for sharing Pratik .. Very insightful and well written
Mridul Gupta
2mo
Inspiring 🙌 Thanks for sharing.
Pratik Guharay your career journey is good example for perseverance.
Neha Aggarwal
2mo
Thanks for sharing this so timely!
Vimal Bhat
2mo
4 golden insights Pratik!
Engineering Manager at Google
2moThanks for your insightful post. I like your long-term view and the idea of focusing on your career and not the job. It's also inspiring to hear about the support your family provided during challenging times.