From My Heart to Yours

7 Things I Learned After Being Fired From My Job

I was terminated from my job two days ago and I'm still trying to wrap my head around it. It started off great! I loved my boss, my coworker, my little cubicle, the other employees who shared the building with us, and just knowing that I had found a "real" job, on my own, (after being a student for so long) and was now able to contribute to the household. Not to mention, finding this job just in the nick of time. I. Felt. Amazing! But, shortly after 9AM on Tuesday October 2, 2018 (just 1 day shy of exactly 9 months), I was informed that I was no longer an employee of the company. Although I apologized, cried and thanked my boss for a wonderful learning experience, I still had mixed emotions about it all. Here are the six most important things this job (and being let go of it) taught me.

1. "It's Just Business"
   This is that oh so famous line that employers throw out to make an already horrible situation just a teency bit better (or to take the guilt off themselves), but as the recipient, hearing this only annoyed me. It was funny when my boss said this because just Friday, she and I were laughing all afternoon and left on a light note! Yes, I called out on Monday, yes it was October 1, yes I apologized, but I figured employees get a written warning for minor infractions like that, not terminated. But, the way she came prepared with all sorts of documents to sign, as well as my final cheque, seemed like she truly thought it over and planned the whole thing out Monday. What's even funnier is, since mid-August, I had only remained on the job out of consideration for her as the only other employee had just quit and because my boss was still out of office after having given birth. Oh, the irony. I really owe it to myself to follow my gut and seize more moments rather than considering people's feelings, because just as much as it was "just business" for her, it could have been for me about three months earlier. 
2. Communicate. Communicate. Communicate.
   It may be cliché but the BIGGEST lesson I learned from being on this job for nine months is communication truly is key. I'm not the loudest person in the room (right away), I'm quite introverted, but I realize that this can work against me when I don't need it to. I'm working on it. There were moments, both on and off the job, where I swallowed something I really wanted to say to spare the other person's feelings, or not burn any bridges, or to simply avoid confrontation of any kind; but looking back, I should have spoken up in all of those moments. My exit interview is also one of those moments. When my boss asked if I had any feedback, what I should have done was tell her everything I had been complaining about in private for the past few months. Instead, I simply thanked her for the opportunity, cried (which caused her to cry), and told her how the job came right when I needed it. SMH.
3. It Humbles You
   The fact of the matter is: having a job gives a person a sense of self and responsibility, which are both great feelings! But, boy oh boy, when that title and position are snatched from you... good luck handling your ego and figuring out exactly who you are again, which is how I'm feeling now. Suddenly, being out of a job, having bills pile up and have your savings be finite, makes even a job at the bottom of the totem pole seem like a saviour! You just wake up one day and realize that everyone around the world, no matter their position, is simply trying to make ends meet. You're no longer "too good" or "above" any ol' 9-5 or shift job. Any and everything seems viable once it's a steady flow of income.  
4. LIFE GOES ON!
   One good thing about time is... it keeps moving! Who wants to keep dwelling on the past? Especially the negative parts? I was terminated, yes, but I'm not taking it hard. I feel great! Okay, maybe "great" is not the usual response to being let go, but it's no sweat off my back! This was my first real job after college and I was becoming a bit stressed and tired of it anyway (which probably showed through my behaviour and lack of productivity), but it feels like a burden has been lifted! This time around, time is on my side! I had been on a few job interviews within the past few weeks that seem to be looking great, so I'm using this little break to de-stress, replenish and come back stronger than ever before! 
5. I CAN Keep A Job
   I'm actually super awful when it comes to committing to obligations, so having been on this job for nine whole months was a personal goal I thought I would never accomplish. It helped that my boss was pregnant and not working full hour days and weeks and that my coworker was really great, so time flew! Having a steady source of income also helped. And, simply wanting to reach at MINIMUM one year, after having come so far, was also a great push! Knowing that being at home, alone, is boring and hot and that I was trying to prove to my family that I am a responsible adult who can keep a job, all helped get me to that nine month mark.
6. I Still Have A Lot To Learn
   Speaking of proving myself to be a responsible adult, the workforce is completely new to me! I've been in school full-time, literally for the past twenty-four years! School is all I know! Flexible schedules, no bills, waking up at whatever time I want and going to bed at whatever time. Being thrown into a fast-paced full-time job as my first permanent job after having graduated in May 2017, was a huge culture shock! I still don't know how our parents do it! That Mon-Fri 9-5 life is just NOT for me! But, being on this job and having the boss that I had, taught me a lot personally and professionally. Deadlines, being accountable, responsible, good at managing time, and being organized are all great traits to have as a person. I'm still learning myself as an adult and as an employee, but it's a journey I'm gladly traveling. 
7. I'm Destined For Greater!
   I am a FIRM believer that life is predestined and everything happens for a reason the way it's supposed to. This termination is a blessing in disguise! I had been wanting to leave since July but no other job opportunity had come through soon enough, so I had to stay put. After my coworker left, I felt even guiltier because I didn't want to leave my boss while she was dealing with a newborn and risk being viewed as a flake. Here I was trying to hold on for as long as I could and the tables ended up turning on me! Wow! Either way, my boss did me a favor. I was feeling overwhelmed, like I had hit a plateau, and just not productive or motivated. I guess, as I mentioned earlier, these feelings started to show and that one phone call Monday was just the catapult my boss needed to get this show on the road! The good thing, though, is that my friends and family had already told me that I was simply wasting away in that cubicle everyday, not using my talents, and I agree! This was a great learning experience. I am very grateful. I met a lot of people and I had a taste of what it really means to work. But, I know life has more in store for me and I'm ready for whatever comes my way!