Some choices:
1. Ask your employer to file H1 petition as soon as possible. Then, talk to your school for CPT. If it CPT does not work, then make either of the following choices:
2. Talk to your employer whether you can work without pay as a volunteer for a couple of months before Oct. 1, ( because you are not get paid, normally USCIS can not know you work), and then work with H1 status Oct. 1 or when the H1 is approved whichever is later.
3. Get the J1 document from your employer and go to China to get the J1 visa to come back to work immediately with J1 status. You need to get the J1 waiver if you want to get H1 or green card in the future.