Fired After Starting a New Job - What to Do
“I got fired after starting a new job. Fifteen days after I started, HR notified me of the termination.”
This situation occurs more frequently than you think. Now, beyond the legal implications of the termination of a contract, there’s one thing that often goes unnoticed: the psychological impact.
Everyone knows that life is full of beginnings and endings. Most people dedicate a large part of their time to the professional sphere. This contributes to advancement and development and prevents stagnation.
Being fired is more than just an emotional and personal shock. Often, the damage goes beyond the financial aspect. This is because it affects a person’s self-esteem. Thus, it’s a blow to one’s self-concept. These feelings are more intense and disconcerting at times, especially when the dismissal occurs during the trial period or shortly after starting a new job.
Oftentimes, the person’s performance isn’t up to par. In other cases, there may be more complex realities, such as disagreements between colleagues or even a sudden disinterest by the management in maintaining the position. Whatever the cause may be, it’s a blow the worker must face.
Fired after starting a new job – whose fault is it?
If you’ve been fired from a job, it’s natural to experience frustration and discouragement. This is because you must rebuild yourself and start sending CVs the very next day, as you can’t waste any time.
The script may seem simple but it isn’t. This is because nobody recovers that fast. Moreover, in these circumstances, it’s common for there to be anger and disappointment. Also, it’s almost impossible to find enough encouragement to start again. The reality, in addition, becomes more complex when that dismissal comes during the trial period.
“Being fired has some of the advantages of dying without its supreme disadvantages. People say extra-nice things about you, and you get to hear them.”
-Howard Zinn-
Why?
On average, every new worker begins to work with great enthusiasm. The economy, the job market itself, and the macrostructures that surround you make it hard to find a job. Thus, a lot of people find a job after an average of three to six months of searching.
Therefore, at the beginning of this new stage, the emotions and anxieties mix. Now, the fact of being fired during that trial period generates surprise, embarrassment, and misunderstanding at first. The person needs to know why.
These are the most common reasons:
- Your performance and effectiveness don’t match the characteristics of the position and you’re not considered competent enough.
- Not receiving adequate training for that position. No one bothers to train you, to clarify what they expect of you, and to show you how to carry out certain tasks. All this leads you to fail during the trial period.
- Disagreements and not adjusting to an already complex and adverse work environment.
- Finally, there’s another highly common reality. The company may decide it isn’t necessary to fill the position they just hired you for. If they fire you shortly after starting, it may be due to mismanagement and lousy organization.
What to do if you were fired after you just started a new job
It isn’t easy to lose a job, even less so when the dismissal occurs within a few days of starting. Once again, they must confront their lack of income and the idea of having to look for a job all over again. A search that can last for several months until, in the end, someone finally responds. In these situations, it’s best to follow some very basic guidelines.
Keys to facing an unexpected dismissal shortly after signing a contract
The first step is understanding the reason. Knowing if it’s your responsibility and understanding where you failed is a good step. Now, if it’s due to factors other than yourself, it’s best to accept what happened. In other words, you shouldn’t consider yourself the victim nor let this affect your self-esteem and personal worth.
Thus, give yourself a week off. It’ll take a few days for you to release emotions such as anger, sadness, and frustration. Allow your body and mind to rest, as this will really help you.
Experts recommend talking to your friends and family about it. Feeling supported, comforted, and understood will give you some relief.
Recover and boost your self-esteem. You must remember your past achievements. Those events that dignify you and make you proud. Remember that you’re so much more than your bad experiences.
Final notes on being fired after starting a new job
You must adopt a proactive attitude. If you’ve been fired, the last thing you should do is obsess over it. Ideally, you must adopt new behaviors in your next job search. Do something different, such as probing in your network of acquaintances. Perhaps you can also focus on other markets and reinvent yourself.
To conclude, a layoff during the trial period causes a lot of confusion and misunderstanding. However, it happens more frequently than you think. This highlights the importance of aspects such as proper training by the company or their need for a better selection process.