5 ms·

When I was fired from my first job, a friend and mentor looked at me and asked "Is this your first time getting fired?" Everything about that question helped m

When I was fired from my first job, a friend and mentor looked at me and asked "Is this your first time getting fired?" Everything about that question helped me gain perspective. Not only did he normalize getting fired, but he implied that getting fired multiple times in a career was quite possible and pretty independent of ones actual ability. I haven't been fired since, but I have thought about it often. Definitely a good lesson to learn early.

microtherion 6y ago
> "Is this your first time getting fired?" The kids have a meme for that now: https://i.kym-cdn.com/entries/icons/original/000/027/763/07B89120-B48D-45FB-AF1D-49AF6CD16790.jpeg https://i.kym-cdn.com/entries/icons/original/000/027/763/07B... The one time in my career I got laid off was the day after I got married. I had taken the day off, got back in the office the next day, and was let go. I was close to finishing my PhD at the time, and had never made a secret to my employer that I was planning to move abroad after that, but the layoff still came as a bit of a shock to me.
- annoyingnoob 6y ago
  That is a great point. Never show your hand. Letting an employer know that you are planning to leave often does not end well. Its hard when you have good, family like, relationships at the office. Best to keep major changes under wrap until you are fully committed.
  - microtherion 6y ago
    I don't know. In this case, I ultimately suffered no material adversity at all (the company in question was a spinoff from the lab where I did my PhD, and my advisor simply wrangled some short term employment for me at the lab), and I would have hated for somebody with longer term perspectives at the company to lose their jobs over a misunderstanding.
  - twiddling 6y ago
    Yep. You owe them the courtesy two weeks and really nothing more unless stipulated in a contract. Also be prepared to be fired on the spot if you try the "I have got an offer, what will you counter with" gambit.
    - annoyingnoob 6y ago
      Exactly, there are other things that might get you shown the door on the spot like considering leaving to start your own business. Once had someone think I was going to compete with them and worried I was taking inside info to help myself. Showed up one day and one of the partners met me in the parking lot with a box full of my stuff. Funny how business can screw up friendships.
babelfish 6y ago
This is kind of what scares me. I'm 3 years into my first job out of college, and I'm not sure how people get fired if they're performing fine. I meet my performance goals, get along fairly well with my manager and my skip, and business seems to be doing well...how do people in this same position end up fired? How can I avoid that? Sorry, I know that's a bit of a vague question, but threads like these keep me up at night
- pm90 6y ago
  Many times the circumstances aren’t in your control. The business may not be doing well, or your project or your division. Your manager may get replaced or his skip or the division manager. They may not like you because you speak up a lot. There can literally be a million reasons for getting laid off or fired and keeping that in mind is always healthy lest that you’re caught off guard.
- smsm42 6y ago
  You can't really avoid it, especially if you work in a big corp. It can happen absolutely regardless of what you do - somebody could decide the whole section is redundant, or they're getting out of this business, or they just need to reduce the workforce and you got the short straw. It'd suck if it would happen, but it's better to realize it's a possibility and be ready. I don't mean to work with one foot constantly out of the door, people don't like that, but have a plan just in case - just like people have plans for natural disasters, etc. Keep your knowledge fresh and broader than your current job, take interest in new stuff that may help you find your next job, network with people that may not be connected to your current job but may very well help you find the next one. Maybe you'll be lucky and will work at this job until you're sick of it and ready to leave or retire. Or maybe not - be ready for it.
- annoyingnoob 6y ago
  Certainly kicking ass at your job helps. Sometimes you kick ass and the company fails or merges or changes directions and there is nothing you can do. Even when there are tough changes companies don't like to lose good employees, just do your best. But realize that you can pick yourself up if you fall.
- 6y ago

microtherion 6y ago

> "Is this your first time getting fired?" The kids have a meme for that now: https://i.kym-cdn.com/entries/icons/original/000/027/763/07B89120-B48D-45FB-AF1D-49AF6CD16790.jpeg https://i.kym-cdn.com/entries/icons/original/000/027/763/07B... The one time in my career I got laid off was the day after I got married. I had taken the day off, got back in the office the next day, and was let go. I was close to finishing my PhD at the time, and had never made a secret to my employer that I was planning to move abroad after that, but the layoff still came as a bit of a shock to me.

annoyingnoob 6y ago
That is a great point. Never show your hand. Letting an employer know that you are planning to leave often does not end well. Its hard when you have good, family like, relationships at the office. Best to keep major changes under wrap until you are fully committed.
- microtherion 6y ago
  I don't know. In this case, I ultimately suffered no material adversity at all (the company in question was a spinoff from the lab where I did my PhD, and my advisor simply wrangled some short term employment for me at the lab), and I would have hated for somebody with longer term perspectives at the company to lose their jobs over a misunderstanding.
- twiddling 6y ago
  Yep. You owe them the courtesy two weeks and really nothing more unless stipulated in a contract. Also be prepared to be fired on the spot if you try the "I have got an offer, what will you counter with" gambit.
  - annoyingnoob 6y ago
    Exactly, there are other things that might get you shown the door on the spot like considering leaving to start your own business. Once had someone think I was going to compete with them and worried I was taking inside info to help myself. Showed up one day and one of the partners met me in the parking lot with a box full of my stuff. Funny how business can screw up friendships.

babelfish 6y ago

This is kind of what scares me. I'm 3 years into my first job out of college, and I'm not sure how people get fired if they're performing fine. I meet my performance goals, get along fairly well with my manager and my skip, and business seems to be doing well...how do people in this same position end up fired? How can I avoid that? Sorry, I know that's a bit of a vague question, but threads like these keep me up at night

pm90 6y ago
Many times the circumstances aren’t in your control. The business may not be doing well, or your project or your division. Your manager may get replaced or his skip or the division manager. They may not like you because you speak up a lot. There can literally be a million reasons for getting laid off or fired and keeping that in mind is always healthy lest that you’re caught off guard.
smsm42 6y ago
You can't really avoid it, especially if you work in a big corp. It can happen absolutely regardless of what you do - somebody could decide the whole section is redundant, or they're getting out of this business, or they just need to reduce the workforce and you got the short straw. It'd suck if it would happen, but it's better to realize it's a possibility and be ready. I don't mean to work with one foot constantly out of the door, people don't like that, but have a plan just in case - just like people have plans for natural disasters, etc. Keep your knowledge fresh and broader than your current job, take interest in new stuff that may help you find your next job, network with people that may not be connected to your current job but may very well help you find the next one. Maybe you'll be lucky and will work at this job until you're sick of it and ready to leave or retire. Or maybe not - be ready for it.
annoyingnoob 6y ago
Certainly kicking ass at your job helps. Sometimes you kick ass and the company fails or merges or changes directions and there is nothing you can do. Even when there are tough changes companies don't like to lose good employees, just do your best. But realize that you can pick yourself up if you fall.
6y ago