Thanks for your last comment. The CEO of Me mentality is one that can keep us focused on what’s really important – that is the people we love and depend upon us. It has the added benefit that it throws us into the drivers seat responsible for our own future as opposed to being victims at the whims of “the corporation.”

When I came up with the Career Jockey byline, “Ride your career hard so it doesn’t ride you!” that’s the approach I actively promote.

Looking forward to future interaction with you.

Jorge Lazaro Diaz, The “Original” Career Jockey

Nice job and well written!

I empathize with the article and with so many others who have been in the same place. As a former HR Manager I sat in the HR role many times and this is why I left corporate and share the article below – it is so so important.

Commit To It Then Hold Yourself Accountable

The key to developing ME, Inc. is the idea of reframing the self-image of the employee (or job seeker) from the powerless “employee” to the powerful, in-charge CEO of ME, Inc.

The following passage is a commitment pledge I drafted to help me internalize the shift in thinking from employee to business owner for my own Personal Board of Directors. Maybe it will give you some ideas for developing your own commitment pledge and holding yourself accountable for seeing it through:

As CEO of Rod, Inc, I have responsibilities to run my business for the benefit of my Board of Directors (Maria, Rod III, Nick, Alicia and extended family). I have business decisions to make geared at maximizing my profitability in selling my value proposition.

I have no excuses, just a business to run. Jobs, employers, layoffs, etc. are not personal, just part of business. I do not think of “giving an honest day’s work for a day’s pay” (although I do that and more). Instead, I am a business owner providing an honest service at a good price to a valued client.

In order to get a client, I need to establish my value proposition, evaluate the geographic market for what I am selling (my skills and experience), and understand that I may need to modify one or the other depending on supply and demand. In general, as a business, I need:

1) Something productive to do on Monday morning that I’m looking forward to on Sunday night
2) A back-up plan
3) Multiple sources of income that do not conflict with my primary source of income
4) A network of at least 200 people that I care about and who care about me

The art of life is to know how to enjoy a little and to endure very much ~ William Hazlitt

Life’s not always fair. Sometimes you can get a splinter even sliding down a rainbow. ~ Cherralea Morgen

Your commentaries resonate with the pain, sorrow, horror, disbelief, sense of betrayal, angst, and utter humanness (I think I just made that word up or at least misspelled it; maybe humanity would be more appropriate, but you know what I mean – lol). And, this is what will make you whole, with time.

As mentioned, there is similitude in our stories, and for many of you, you will see yourselves in the next piece once again, as I experienced the “exact” same thoughts/reactions … thought of re-editing but opted to leave the truth in tact (no plagiarism here!).

Cannot wait to read your thoughts and feedback on the next piece. Please keep your stories coming, we all need to be heard — we are all brothers-and-sisters at arms!

The boss fired me two weeks before a six month “trial period.” Apparently, according to her, one of my closest childhood friends had called the state office in NC to comment negatively on the ratio of students to teachers. Finding out that my friend had betrayed me, (she later denied doing so) plus losing all my income was a jolt that changed the course of my life.Realizing I was jobless, without any family and alone in a society that seemed closed against me was overwhelming. Only my belief in God kept me going. Thankfully, my landlord was a lovely lady who really cared for me and reduced my rent on the one bedroom apartment I’d had for two years.

I quickly took secretarial classes and, over the next many years, became a fine executive secretary. At least the work was definable and less subjective than daycare where one woman had total power.

You will be just fine over the years. Your voice is very important and I applaud you and your spirit! Being fired is quickly becoming a rite of passage for us all, at least you and I are ahead of the game and major survivors!

Blessings,
Momma Nature
Carole Yancey

On my fateful day… it was the Tuesday following Mother’s Day, I was summoned to the Superintendent’s office in the morning. Typical request. When I arrived, the Superintendent, Human Resources Director and School Solicitor (lawyer) were seated waiting for me. Still not phased – I uncover a lot of legal issues – employee and student computer theft, etc. Then, like you, I notice that none of the three will look me in the eye. Yeah… I “never saw it coming”. The solicitor turns to me and tells me that serious charges have been filed against me by one of my employees. The next few minutes felt surreal. I couldn’t believe this was actually happening. It seemed like a big and very evil joke. He went on to tell me that one of the technicians working for me filed a sexual harassment charge against me. I flashed back to the weekend I spent on Mother’s Day feeling so blessed to be the mother of 3 bright, handsome and caring teenage boys. So the next several minutes was a bunch of “blah blah blah” like a Charlie Brown show. He was talking to me but like an out of body experience, all I could think about was that I was a happily married, slightly old, slightly frumpy woman who was raising 3 teenage boys and was the “den mother” and manager of a bright and beautiful team of technical support staff. Incapable of harassment and especially anything of a sexual nature. I was proud of my team and all we had accomplished over the last two years. It was as though we banded together fought against every obstacle and succeeded in making miracles out of a mess. They took my laptop computer, my badge and my keys and walked me to my car like a criminal.

I was on paid leave of absence while they investigated. I sobbed for days trying to figure out what just happened. Why one of my guys would charge me with such serious allegations without ever giving me a warning. Sure I was a loving, caring, hugging kind of “den mother” type but sexual harassment? And slowly I realized that the allegations were ridiculous and unfounded. I’m so naive. So then I wondered why my supervisor didn’t dismiss the stupidity and support me. And slowly I realized that my supervisor didn’t dismiss the charges because she was part of the process to force me out. I’m so naive. After weeks of humiliation and paranoia, the district offered me a severance package if I resigned. I agreed, happy to be out of there and put all of the pain, betrayal and abandonment behind me.

It’s been six months and the pain, bitterness and resentment is still there. Compounded by the fact that I have been unable to find another job. Can’t even get a call for an interview. I’ve always been able to reflect on the past and improve myself. This time, however, I have replayed the events thousands of times and can’t see where I went wrong. Except for the fact that I worked so hard and gave so much of my time and myself to that organization and those people.

I more clearly see the characters… I see the union official that I caught red handed with a district laptop computer. I see the retiring business manager with the beef against me, emotional issues and an ego. I see the technician suffering from a few personal issues and a little threatened by my passion to improve performance when he was on another track, just trying to finish his studies and get out of a job he was not happy in. I see the new superintendent angry with my outcries for help in dealing with the business administrator over the years. I see the connections between all of them… I see the loyalty, the friendship and the past love affair between the technician and the union official. I see a similar loyalty between the Superintendent and the business administrator. I see the debts owed and threats between the four of them.

What I don’t see is why I was the one caught in the cross-hairs. I don’t see how this couldn’t have all gone so bad. I don’t see how NO ONE would stand up and stop the nonsense. I’m so naive.

I wish I would have been laid off like you. I would still be job hunting. My ego would still be wounded. But I wouldn’t be so conflicted about good and evil. Yes… I wish I was laid off.

Well, it turned out, not me. Not anyone, for that matter.

The morning it happened I had just finished submitting vendor payments and booking rooms for meetings. My boss walked into my office, looking like he had just walked into a wall, and asked to see me in his office. That’s when I knew. I followed him down the hall with heavy footsteps, walking as slowly as I possibly could to try to put off the inevitable. We got to his office and I briefly stopped at the door to see and HR rep waiting for us…I was right. I kept telling myself, “don’t cry, whatever you do, do not cry!”.
I sat down with my boss beside me and the rep on the couch in front of me. The rep slowly, mechanically went on to inform me that my services were no longer needed and I was free to go home. Free? I wasn’t free at all! Now I had to face myself, my fears, and everything else that followed.
I remained professional for the first couple of minutes although I didn’t hear anything they said to me. I glanced at my boss who was clearly upset and that’s when I lost it – completely – for about 45 seconds – shaking, crying…you get the picture. Then I pulled myself together and told them I thought it was important to transition the vendor relationships and files as quickly as possible for the sake of the department and the business. They both looked at me like I was crazy. I guess I couldn’t blame them. I mean, after all, a moment ago I was crying out of control and now I was all business.
The next day I went back in to relinquish my vendors over to my boss and the department manager but I left as quickly and quietly as possible so no one would see me and say things to me like: “I heard…are you okay?” or “We’re gonna miss you around here” or “Do you know where so-and-so is or where I can find this meeting location?”
Now here I sit at my home computer, day after day, examining my resume with a fine-toothed comb, checking the job boards, and learning how the world of job searching has changed – and oh, how it’s changed.

Well, it turned out, not me. Not anyone, for that matter.

The morning it happened I had just finished submitting vendor payments and booking rooms for meetings. My boss walked into my office, looking like he had just walked into a wall, and asked to see me in his office. That’s when I knew. I followed him down the hall with heavy footsteps, walking as slowly as I possibly could to try to put off the inevitable. We got to his office and I briefly stopped at the door to see and HR rep waiting for us…I was right. I kept telling myself, “don’t cry, whatever you do, do not cry!”.
I sat down with my boss beside me and the rep on the couch in front of me. The rep slowly, mechanically went on to inform me that my services were no longer needed and I was free to go home. Free? I wasn’t free at all! Now I had to face myself, my fears, and everything else that followed.
I remained professional for the first couple of minutes although I didn’t hear anything they said to me. I glanced at my boss who was clearly upset and that’s when I lost it – completely – for about 45 seconds – shaking, crying…you get the picture. Then I pulled myself together and told them I thought it was important to transition the vendor relationships and files as quickly as possible for the sake of the department and the business. They both looked at me like I was crazy. I guess I can’t blame them. I mean, after all, a moment ago I was crying out of control and now I was all business. The next day I went back in to relinquish my vendors over to my boss and the department manager but I left as quickly and quietly as possible so no one would see me and say things to me like: “I heard…are you okay?” or “We’re gonna miss you around here” or “Do you know where so-and-so is or where I can find this meeting location?”
Now here I sit at my computer, day after day, examining my resume with a fine-toothed comb, checking the job boards, and learning how the world of job searching has changed – and oh, how it’s changed.

Anyhow, long story short, after a few years of seething at that organization (I have to drive by it every day), the CEO was fired for misappropriation. I call it just desserts because karma eventually comes back to bite you. I’ve been able to move on and advance my career so I’m feeling good now and you will too. It just takes a while and you have to make sure you give yourself some time to realize that it really wasn’t you or the job you did. It was the situation you were in at the time.

Thanks for sharing. I feel better just getting my story out too.

Good luck.

I liked your story and all its earmarks in your day. I liked how you handled the atrocity of the business climate in December 2008. I liked your brains and your beauty. I liked your compassion and your criticisms. In the end, losing a job is the same and getting a job – its about MONEY. So funny the things people will do to keep you away from the watering hole of severance. So funny.

I like your sense of humor too and most of all. Yes – people WILL be human. And business is business. You can take it personally if you want to, but don’t ask this business professional how to keep her heart clear of doing the best she can once she is in the employ of anyone…bravo.more.

Thank you all for your wonderful feedback and contributions. I am gratified that this first piece has offered an opportunity for us to share what is a momentous (not catastrophic) event in most of our work lives. As one colleague reminded me, there are worse things that can happen. Your words of inspiration are truly appreciated.

Here’s hoping you’ll come back and read the next excerpt, leaving gracefully (or so I hope), and that you share your final exits with us as well. With appreciation, OERamz.

This post was mentioned on Twitter by CareerJockey: You’re Fired! Why didn’t I see this coming http://ow.ly/D3ho...

If I remember correctly my first day at a certain firm will forever be linked with you! Well, I was so excited when I finally left that firm for a better paying job……

I guess your last name can’t be “Fireman” without a reason. I worked for this restauranteur for two weeks during that same December ’08. First day, sick as a dog. I called the agency but struggled in anyway. The assistant I was to work with was none to happy about me even though I was told that she would be happy to see me. We didn’t speak much but I tried to stay cheerful. I was generally the first one in as the office opened at 10:00 and closed around 8:00pm.

Second faithful day, I was leaving for work and my rabbit who never leaves my room in the morning just bolted. I was asked to be in early at 9am and I ran after her not knowing what to do. I coaxed her to no avail just sitting their trying to decide between my baby and my new job. Hmmm. I gotta feed the little monster, so I bolted out the door and stressed the day away as she was wedged under my roommates bed with no food or water.

The week was quite a fright as I was told that “we don’t know what you are going to do here…just fight it out with my other assistant of eight years for what work you can do.” YIKES.

I made it to the week before Christmas when I was asked to come in on the weekend. I was told to be in at 11:30 then he adjusted it to noon. I woke up at 6am in a cold sweat. I jumped up and started cleaning the house anything to kill time. Ultimately, I had planned to arrive at 11:45. I then realize that my boss was oh-so-old so perhaps he wouldn’t he remember that he changed the time. He only ever referred to me as “that girl.” So, I bolt for the door and jumped in a cab rather than the subway just to get stuck in the worst accident in China Town. When I arrived at noon he was waiting outside his office fuming. He belted out that I was late. I tried to explain as I quickly did the prep work before he could ‘official’ enter his office. Lights at a certain level, temperature at a certain level, dust wiped from the designer glass table. Checked the toilet paper in the private bathroom.

He called me in after him. “Honey, let me tell you something. In life you should always be 15 minutes early. You are not showing me that you really want this job.” Me, “well, you had said noon and there was this accident.” Him, “Get up earlier!”

I arrived at 9:45 for the start of biz at 10:00 and was called into the CFO’s office. GOOD BYE

I guess my bunny was trying to tell me something all along. I have been bouncing around on the sea of tempdom but hope to secure a new job soon.

Moral of my story? Always listen to your bunnies. I would have hated being called “that girl” for a whole year!

(\__/)
(=’.'=) Thanks TahTah Bunny you knew it was not the job for me.
(“)_(“)

First of all, great photo!

I kind of lost you in the 2nd paragraph as I wasn’t sure if you were still talking about your manager or yourself and if you were stating that you were still expected to work after being laid off. Otherwise the writing is good.