38, Laid Off, and Unemployed for 9 Months: My 10-Year Career Journey in China

Ever since I was laid off late last year, I’ve been unemployed for over 9 months. During this quiet stretch, I spent a lot of time reflecting on my 10-plus-year career across different industries in China. In this video, I want to share my honest personal journey—from extreme 36-hour factory shifts in manufacturing, teaching myself to code from scratch, enduring 996 game dev overtime, contracting as a web developer at Unity Shanghai, to moving to Yiwu for cross-border trade and managing a Canadian branch office until trade tariffs hit. Facing the tech sector’s infamous "35-year-old curse" and refusing to give up my work-life balance for grueling 6-day workweeks, I’ve chosen to pause, breathe, and carve out an independent path forward. If this story resonates with your own career struggles, layoffs, or pivots, please leave a comment sharing your thoughts. Don't forget to like the video and subscribe to follow along with this new chapter!