You know, it’s HARD to be objective about your job. We all think that we are either doing a great job or our boss just doesn’t understand us. Well, that may not be what we ALL think! LOL. However, the simple thing is this, we take our jobs very personally.
We REALLY take our jobs personally when we get fired. Aside from the loss of loved one, losing your job is truly a devastating and traumatic event. Now, it’s different if you were layed off due to tough financial times or you quit due to a better opportunity. Those situations are different because if you’re layed off, you’re one of alot of people in the same boat. If you quit due to a better situation, you did it on your own terms.
However, if you get fired or constructive discharged (i.e. your job sucked so bad due to the harassment, hostility and discrimination that you had no choice but to quit), it is ON and POPPIN! To lose your job is almost like losing a part of your identity.
Think I’m being melodramatic? Feel me on this one. When you work, you bust your butt to develop a good product or good service. You take pride when you get good feedback. You are happy when you get a positive evaluation. You are excited to see your growth. Any time some one fires you, you instantly take it personal. The employer is not merely firing you. The employer is slapping you in the face. The employer is telling you that YOU are not good enough. The employer is telling you that YOU were inadequate.
And what about when you are in the streets? Doesn’t it sting to tell people that you were fired? Don’t you worry that people are going to look at you ‘cock eyed’? Are they going to think that you’re a bad apple? And how are you going to explain this to future employers??
Now, it doesn’t matter that these things that I just said may not be true at all! It could be that your work performance wasn’t up to the company standard. However, that doesn’t make you a bad worker. It could be that you had a personality conflict. That doesn’t you a bad person. And let’s be real. You can easily explain that you had a philosophical difference with the company. Maybe you were desirous of leaving and your work productivity unfortunately slipped! You can’t let it get to you.
Even if they DID take advantage of you, you got to be cool as a cucumber! Everyone is going to expect you to get straight LIVE and JIGGY but you don’t want to give them the satisfaction. As I’ve stated in other blog posts, your ability to be cool under fire makes your credibility that more believable.
Listen, we’ve all heard the phrase “Business is Business” but the simple fact that our jobs have such a connection to our finances, our family, our future, and our life. When someone takes it upon themselves to disrupt that job, you will lose your objectivity.
Keep it cool and you will come out infinitely ahead in the long run.
