Why Getting Fired From Your Job Can Be Great!
You just read the title of this article and, at first, you’re probably confused. Getting fired is okay? What is Jessica talking about? And I get it, trust me, I totally do. As employees, we are conditioned to treat termination as a disease to avoid or to mourn others when it happens to them. Why? Again, it goes back to management’s unfair and unrealistic expectation that employees are supposed to devote their entire existence to their jobs like a one-sided love affair.
The truth of the matter is this: The longer you are working, the higher your chances of being fired become. It happens for a variety of reasons. Maybe the job wasn’t a good fit, which you knew but kept trying to make it work. At least, this was my experience at my last job. When my manager threw me under the bus, I knew an eventual termination would follow, but I kept trying to fix it.
Being fired is part of working that most everyone has or will experience. It’s unavoidable. Famously fired employees include Oprah Winfrey, Steve Jobs, and Walt Disney and look at how they turned out. The reasons for termination can vary. Like I said, maybe the job wasn’t a good fit (more common than you think), a problematic manager, or maybe you made a bad mistake and the company decided to cut their losses. Mistakes happen and mistakes can really help you learn lessons that you otherwise wouldn’t.
Again, it happens!
Getting fired can stir up a variety of emotions ranging from anger, guilt, shame, and even fear because let’s face it, money matters. I’ve been there.
However, I also believe everything happens for a reason and while it may suck at the moment, being fired from a job can be an eye-opening experience.
Here are just a few benefits:
Eye Opening: Sometimes, a job or company just isn’t the right match for you, either skill wise or even personally. I’ve found myself struggling in these times, trying to fit a square peg into a round circle. After unwillingly leaving the job, you will begin to clearly see that.
Reduce Stress: It got so bad at my last job, I found myself wearing a freaking rosary to help cope with the stress! That’s insane! After being let go, my stress levels plummeted downward. Now, I had time to refocus and regroup to plot my next moves.
Realignment: Now that you aren’t in your job anymore, it's the perfect time to ask yourself what you actually want to do. I used the summer of 2019 to really reflect on my current situation and my goals moving forward. In turn, I launched my website and blog, which relaunched my writing career.
Fearless: Getting fired has made me fearless because it didn’t kill me, might happen again, and now I have a game plan. It has also made me aware of the importance of centering myself in my career and stop being so overly committed to my job. Jobs come and go, but you are forever. So, I am far more concerned with my brand.
Does getting fired suck, yes. But, is it the end of the world? No! Pick yourself up, reflect, re-strategize, and move on. You don’t really have a choice, so you might as well grow from it.