Thread: Just got fired.

I know I haven't been on here much lately, but there a lot of other guys on here with good advice and experience to share, and I could really use some right now.


On Saturday, I was fired after 6 and a half years at the same company. I made a clerical error that cost my employer several hundred dollars (talking about a casino with close to a billion dollars per year in net profit). However, they count it as total potential liability, which was more like several thousand. The error was literally typing the wrong number in a box. Until about a month ago, I had never made a single error of the kind, or anything like it, but I did make an almost identical error about a month ago. In short, it was my fault, and my employer (past employer now) was not willing to offset the damage with the years of service or value as an employee.

On one hand, I know I made an error that I shouldn't have, and I know that they felt they were doing what they needed to do. At the same time, I feel betrayed because I've seen other employees make mistakes in the same areas with FAR larger actual costs. In some cases, actual costs that exceeded the perceived liability of my errors even though the employees were never terminated.

As for advice, I'll take anything you can throw at me. I'm 31, and I've been married for less than 5 months. Now I'm completely unemployed for the first time since I started working. The only other time I have ever been fired (about 9 years ago) I was working 3 jobs, and was fired for pushing too hard for a raise with one of them in the hopes of being able to cut back to 2 jobs. So, at that point it wasn't such a big deal to lose a job, and I ended up getting a raise without asking for it from one of the others.

The only favor my employer was able to do for me, was to give me 30 days of administrative leave so that anyone who calls them to verify my employment will be told that I'm a current employee, at least until 30 days runs out. Of course, that's still of limited value because company policy prohibits all employees, from dishwashers up to the board of directors, from providing professional references or letters of recommendation.

I don't know what to say besides I'm sorry to hear of your losing the job. I don't know what the economy is like in your neck of the woods or in your field of expertise but I hope you get another job, and a better one, sooner than later.

Sucks doesn't it. The initial shock is the tough, fear of the unknown even tougher, and the toughest is putting that first foot forward towards "bigger & better". In today's world & on average, a employee is simply disposable. Don't let something like this get to you, heck, I was fired from a job with almost 10 years there for being a "matter of a fact" type of guy instead of a sugar coater. I made a major career change: From a Regional Manager over USDA's 523 Housing program in the Central 11 States to working for the railroad as a Locomotive Engineer, but I started as a Brakeman. Give yourself a self evaluation and ask yourself where you see yourself in the future, do you like the field you are in and so on. Check out the other casino's, mortgage companies & banks to start with the accounting type field. With all of the Native American casino's popping up, you surely can find another if you are willing to pull up roots. For me it was difficult to find something local and took me about 5 months to find "local" employment, I ended up doing some "shutdown" type work as a safety man as my savings was getting thin before I became a railroader. I was engaged myself & it actually pulled us closer together. For me, it would have been MUCH easier to find something else if I didn't try to stay local...but my wife's "roots" are deep here with the grand-kids.

I don't have any real advice to give you. I can't really comment on US employment challenges

Honestly, it does sound as if they were looking for a way to fire you. If they wanted to keep you on board, there was a multitude of sanctions that they could have decided on if they did not want to let it slide. And honestly, a couple hundred or even a couple thousand dollar is peanuts for any company of that size. Not saying it is ok to waste money, but to err is human, and as everyone is human, there will always be smaller write offs due to human error.

Best of luck to you.

Been there, done that. Now looking back, I'm glad that it happened to me because the new doors never would have opened had I remained where I was. Best advice I can give you is the same as was given to me. You now are in your new job: it is looking for a worthy employer, one that will be happy and proud to make you a member of its team. There is no shortage of bad employers, there is a shortage of good employees. Head up, chin up, shake the past from your feet.

Sorry to hear about it.
This is from my cell, on the road, so sorry about errors.
I can only advise how I would approach the situation.
Start with taking a deep breath and say to yourself that you are young and determined and will overcome this.
When you are ready to roll, sit with the wife and start implementing a plan of attack:
Stop spending now on everything, except vitals, food, hygiene, electricity gas.
List and contact creditors and anyone expecting payment; rent, car, credit cards, insurance---they don't like to be surprised on the day of payment due. Let them know that this just happened and your intent to better the situation. DOCUMENT ALL CONTACTS AND DETAILS OF DISCUSSION. Many have extensions and plans for this situation.
List all monetary assets available to you and possible methods to liquidate.
List all family & friends that might assist.
Know to the dollar what you need to survive and begin scouting temporary jobs that will cover this.
Find a person who is good with resumes and get started ; get them out.
Forget what could have happened, should have happened; put the anger to good use in the form of energy dedicated to better the situation .
Realize that you are not the only one, you are not alone, you are the LEADER of your family, so lead.
I hope some of this may help you.

I'd go with what Hirlau.

He looks like he's just a young kid, but he knows what he's doing.

Follow his advice. This is an opportunity for you. Grab it and go!

Hello VeeDubb65,

You are doing a good thing reaching out to friends. Hirlau has given you good, practical, and sound advice.

My employer is the same way about providing references, etc.; I'm forbidden from doing that. I'm not sure if that's an ethical request on their part; there's nothing in the handbook about it

I would consider joining LinkedIn and connecting with professional contacts who might be able to give you leads. If you have any personal friends who work at your old place of employment, they might be willing to give you a good professional reference despite your company's policy. I'm not a lawyer, but I see these kinds of policies failing court tests one day.

This is a slam to your self esteem because you, like most professionals, probably define yourself by what you do at work. If so, you will need to get beyond this idea and realize you are more than just a lost job title. You are a new husband and I'm sure your wife adores you. Use that to your advantage to redefine who you really are. Then you will realize that when you go in for that interview, not only are they interviewing you, but you are interviewing them.

This is a new beginning for you and may end up being something you wished had happened long ago. Good luck, sir.

-Mark

Well, Hirlau pretty much nailed it so all I can say is: it sucks allright, but it ain't that bad. The fact that you have your wife beside you makes a lot of difference. Listen to Peter Gabriel's "Don't give up" and carry on You'll do allright.

Good luck,
Adrian

I've been in those shoes myself, just a few years ago. I was laid off tho..

I tried all the networking stuff, etc. job fairs, all the standards. I managed to luck into a job by having dinner with old friends. Something will turn up!! That's all I'm trying to say.

Get out there and get your face seen in the right places, get your resume up to date, and don't be afraid to take a job not in your chosen field until you can get to where you want to be.

Good luck my friend, things may seem tough right now, but it's always darkest before the dawn, as they say, and things will get better!!

M