many of us will accept bad conditions at work and go to extraordinary lengths to keep our jobs. People who live in fear of being fired tend to:
Put up with bad treatment from management.
Follow unethical or immoral orders.
Stand for bullying or harassment.
Go along to get along.
Mask their real personalities.
Hide their real opinions.
Accept salaries which are too low or unfair.
Kiss butt.
Avoid complaining about any problems they see.
It’s time we took the stigma out of being fired. If you can reduce or even rid yourself of that threat then you’re granted much wider latitude at work. When you really think about it, what’s so embarrassing about being fired? Here are some of the most common reasons why people are fired, and why that doesn’t reflect badly on the one being fired:
Personality mismatch — So you didn’t fit in at that one company? There are millions of others. There will be one somewhere that is a good match for you. Besides, who says you were the problem?
Skill mismatch — So you tried out a job, and you didn’t have the skills for it? Big deal. Again, there are millions of other jobs.
Refusing to go along — Good for you. If that’s why you got fired, be proud for standing up for yourself.
Downsizing — Thousands of people are downsized every day.
Unreasonable firing — If you were fired for being pregnant, for telling the truth or any other unreasonable excuse, then there’s certainly no reason to be ashamed.
The exceptions to this list are people who are fired for harassment, abuse, or simply not doing the job. These people need to take a closer look at themselves.
Of course, being fired can create problems, but you can deal constructively with many of them, and thus reduce or eliminate the consequences. Here are some typical problems of being fired and how to mitigate them.
Economic uncertainty
This must be the biggest problem with being fired — how will you pay your bills, your mortgage, and your kids’ college savings?
There are two ways to deal with the financial problems that result from being fired. The first way is to increase your employability and make it easier to find a new job. This is a matter of keeping your personal and professional skills up to date and cultivating a good network. The second way is to keep your private expenses low, so that you’re not 100% dependent upon your paycheque every month. When you’re completely dependent upon bringing home a paycheque (or two) every single month you’re trapped, and that makes things much worse. A bad situation is unpleasant. A bad situation you can’t escape from is excruciating.
If you can reduce your personal spending to a level where you can quickly decide to not work for a while or to work for less money, you’re much more free and will have a much easier time becoming happy at work. This may of course mean living in a smaller house or apartment than you would prefer, no 40-inch flatscreen TV, and no second car, but you need to ask yourself whether owning all these things is worth it. If your work makes you unhappy you’re not really enjoying all the things your salary buys anyway. It makes more sense to reduce your expenses to a level that affords you more freedom at work.
Trouble explaining being fired to your next employer
If you believe that being fired is embarrassing and that it reflects badly on you, then this will come out in your CV and in your job interviews. However, if you hold your head up high and explain exactly what happened and why you’re not ashamed, then this will help convey the impression that, “Yeah, I was fired, but so what?”
Some employers will understand — provided you explain it right.
Shame
Many people feel deep shame about being fired and being unemployed. Being fired from your last job is not typical polite dinner conversation with strangers. Why is being fired or unemployed so embarrassing for us? It simply doesn’t need to be. Don’t let others force shame
Put up with bad treatment from management.
Follow unethical or immoral orders.
Stand for bullying or harassment.
Go along to get along.
Mask their real personalities.
Hide their real opinions.
Accept salaries which are too low or unfair.
Kiss butt.
Avoid complaining about any problems they see.
It’s time we took the stigma out of being fired. If you can reduce or even rid yourself of that threat then you’re granted much wider latitude at work. When you really think about it, what’s so embarrassing about being fired? Here are some of the most common reasons why people are fired, and why that doesn’t reflect badly on the one being fired:
Personality mismatch — So you didn’t fit in at that one company? There are millions of others. There will be one somewhere that is a good match for you. Besides, who says you were the problem?
Skill mismatch — So you tried out a job, and you didn’t have the skills for it? Big deal. Again, there are millions of other jobs.
Refusing to go along — Good for you. If that’s why you got fired, be proud for standing up for yourself.
Downsizing — Thousands of people are downsized every day.
Unreasonable firing — If you were fired for being pregnant, for telling the truth or any other unreasonable excuse, then there’s certainly no reason to be ashamed.
The exceptions to this list are people who are fired for harassment, abuse, or simply not doing the job. These people need to take a closer look at themselves.
Of course, being fired can create problems, but you can deal constructively with many of them, and thus reduce or eliminate the consequences. Here are some typical problems of being fired and how to mitigate them.
Economic uncertainty
This must be the biggest problem with being fired — how will you pay your bills, your mortgage, and your kids’ college savings?
There are two ways to deal with the financial problems that result from being fired. The first way is to increase your employability and make it easier to find a new job. This is a matter of keeping your personal and professional skills up to date and cultivating a good network. The second way is to keep your private expenses low, so that you’re not 100% dependent upon your paycheque every month. When you’re completely dependent upon bringing home a paycheque (or two) every single month you’re trapped, and that makes things much worse. A bad situation is unpleasant. A bad situation you can’t escape from is excruciating.
If you can reduce your personal spending to a level where you can quickly decide to not work for a while or to work for less money, you’re much more free and will have a much easier time becoming happy at work. This may of course mean living in a smaller house or apartment than you would prefer, no 40-inch flatscreen TV, and no second car, but you need to ask yourself whether owning all these things is worth it. If your work makes you unhappy you’re not really enjoying all the things your salary buys anyway. It makes more sense to reduce your expenses to a level that affords you more freedom at work.
Trouble explaining being fired to your next employer
If you believe that being fired is embarrassing and that it reflects badly on you, then this will come out in your CV and in your job interviews. However, if you hold your head up high and explain exactly what happened and why you’re not ashamed, then this will help convey the impression that, “Yeah, I was fired, but so what?”
Some employers will understand — provided you explain it right.
Shame
Many people feel deep shame about being fired and being unemployed. Being fired from your last job is not typical polite dinner conversation with strangers. Why is being fired or unemployed so embarrassing for us? It simply doesn’t need to be. Don’t let others force shame
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