Sylvia Duran Chen was shocked to be laid off from her YouTube job at Google after almost nine years. The job perks and mission mattered to her, and she'd felt proud to have been chosen by Google. This as-told-to essay is based on a conversation with Sylvia Duren Chen, a 39-year-old former Google/ YouTube employee from San Diego, California. Although I had a successful career before Google, with stints at Nike and McKinsey & Company, landing at Google felt like winning the lottery. I talked about being laid off by Google and the raw insecurities it laid bare.

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Persons: Sylvia Duran Chen, she'd, Sylvia Duren Chen, It's, I'd, that'll, I'm, Susan Wojcicki Organizations: Google, Morning, YouTube, Cornell University, Columbia Law School, Nike, McKinsey & Company, YouTube Mexico Locations: San Diego , California, San Bruno , California, Mexico, There's