I got a job at Google within 90 days of getting laid off from AWS. I started preparing well beforehand.

• Charles Broomfield was cut from AWS and landed a job at Google within 90 days.

• He said he got referrals for 26 roles when job hunting, and six turned into interviews.

• Broomfield said financial planning and networking helped him stay calm after getting laid off.

This as-told-to essay is based on a conversation with Charles Broomfield, a 25-year-old engineering analyst at Google, based in Washington, D.C. His employment and identity have been confirmed by Business Insider. This story has been edited for length and clarity.

I graduated from a tiny liberal arts college called Knox College. The downside is to that that there is a much smaller alumni network. The benefit is that I suspect the likelihood of them being willing to help out is much higher.

I was a computer science tutor there. That ended up being an advantage because I got to work with a lot of people who are now at great companies and were willing to help me out. I started working at a government research company after college,…