I worked at Amazon on an F-1 visa as layoffs mounted. Here's why I left for a semiconductor company.

Vinit Juneja, a former Amazon software engineer, left his position at the tech giant due to a combination of factors. As an F-1 visa holder, Juneja was concerned about job security, as many of his colleagues were laid off during his tenure at Amazon. This visa status also meant that losing his job could result in losing his ability to stay in the US.

Juneja moved from India to the US in 2023 to pursue a master's degree at Columbia University, with the goal of landing a tech job and staying in the country after graduation. However, he finished his master's in late December 2024 without a job lined up, which was particularly stressful due to his F-1 visa status. If he hadn't found a job before the 90-day unemployment clock started, he would have had to leave the country.

Fortunately, Juneja secured a job at a startup before the clock began, giving him time to explore other opportunities without worrying about his visa status. In April 2025, Amazon reached out with an offer for a software engineering role, which he accepted and moved to Seattle. However, he didn't stay long at Amazon.

Juneja chose the semiconductor industry for his next role, drawn by the potential for long-term growth in AI chips and the company's position in the market. He applied for a technical product manager role at Applied Materials, one of the world's largest makers of semiconductor manufacturing equipment, and accepted the offer in April 2025. He attributes his accelerated learning curve to using AI tools to turn onboarding materials into structured, searchable notes, saving time and serving as a knowledge base for his team.