Why is it NAIVE, EVEN UNREALISTIC to contend that people who have been terminate

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   gmwilliamsposted 8 years ago

   Why is it NAIVE, EVEN UNREALISTIC to contend that people who have been terminated/fired
   
   obtain better jobs or go on to  become even more highly successful when in fact they get WORSE jobs & never fulfilling their career/success potential, even becoming abject failures? I was strongly inculcated by my parents that to be terminated/fired from a job is the KISS OF DEATH career & success wise.  To me that was what I FEARED the most.  I cannot understand how people can view being terminated/fired from a job as an opportunity.  I would view such as THE END of life as I knew it.
   
   

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2. 60

   fpherj48posted 8 years ago

   Grace.....All due respect to you, your parent's warning to you and to what appears to be an adamant, narrow opinion on an extremely complex & varied fact of life.  This is simply not the case at all for untold hundreds of thousands of people in the workforce.
   It is not at all naive nor unrealistic to be well aware that the VAST majority of individuals who may have been let go from a job, ANY job, are NOT tragically "doomed to failure".....and your "Kiss of death," comment.....well frankly Grace, I'm shocked you use such fatal terminology in this circumstance.
   At this moment, I am able to call to mind such a vast number of cases that negate this attitude entirely, for the first time in a long time, I intend to utilize your question to write a hub on this very topic.  Fortunately, my own career experiences provides me with an endless array of cases, circumstances and highly successful individuals to prove this is an unnecessary and unwarranted attitude.
   
   In this particular venue, we are not allowed enough character space for me to do this justice.  I am honestly rather stunned that you, as an intelligent, open-minded professional woman have allowed yourself to embrace this concept.
   
   You neglect to bring into focus here, the "jobs/careers" involved, the terms of employment, the alleged basis/reason for termination,  and have not explained your follow-up on the countless individuals you are certain went on to "failure," rather than possible success.
   
   Since my intention is to present my rebuttal in hub form, I will end here with just one of HUNDREDS of case histories, to give you a slight example .   (This is unusual that I disagree with you...so remember I love you anyway!  LOL)
   
   Going back a couple decades, in my capacity as Human Resources Director for a major corporation of our Tri-State area, one of our branch facilities had  an Administrative Assistant who had been with the company for several years, working her way up from the pool of general secretaries.  The undercurrent for months was that this young woman was clearly in the running for next in line to the Assistant General Manager's position.
   
   As fate would have it, our GM was suddenly snatched up by Corporate and assigned to another property, meaning for a couple of weeks, we were left without a GM.  When a new GM finally came aboard, I had to meet with him to bring him up to our current status quo.    Afterwards I sensed that there would be a serious personality conflict between him and our Miss Admin. Asst.  How did I know?  (That's why they pay Human resources the big bucks,,just trust me)
   I was right. Within less than 2 weeks, the new GM found a dastardly & sneaky way to terminate her.  Believe me when I tell you she was beyond devastated.  I seriously worried about her.
   
   This woman took her 20 years of hard work, her personnel file, resume and determination to pound the pavement and go forward.  In less than 3 months, she had secured herself a "GM" position with our biggest competitor, a salary and benefit package in excess of our GM......and went on to far surpass annual sales of our facility, 3years in a row. 
   Termination a Kiss of death?   Well sort of, but not for her!!

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      dashingscorpioposted 8 years agoin reply to this

      Avoid listening to Dream Killers!
      In order to be an "exception" you have to (believe) you're an "exception". Listen to those who've been through it!
      Make a decision and then be determined to do whatever it takes. Most people give up in life!

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      fpherj48posted 8 years agoin reply to this

      Exactly Dash! Do NOT accept "always' or "never" Pessimism, negativity, fatalistic attitudes create LOSERS. The rising numbers of "successful" Corp Execs who have been SUED for wrongful termination is astronomical 2 the tune of BILLI.IONS $$. Oops!!

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3. 85

   DzyMsLizzyposted 8 years ago

   Hmm...I don't think that is the case, especially nowadays, what with companies firing people for NO good reason, other than so-called "downsizing," or shipping jobs offshore to satisfy the greed of the CEO, or because there was a merger, and the company that bought the other one wants to replace folks with "their own people."
   
   Then, you have your so-called "right to work" laws in some states, which is a misnomer, for it is less a 'right to work' than a 'right' to be fired for no fault of your own, but because someone else offered to do the same job for 50 cents less an hour. 
   
   Sure, folks get fired for screwing up, but that is not the most common reason these days...

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4. 92

   lisavollrathposted 8 years ago

   I can only speak from my own experience. I was "fired" by a large corporation (in reality, the Texas employment commission determined I was downsized due to budget constraints, which my former employer didn't dispute), and walked away from the job with no references after six years with the company. I was walked out of the building on Friday, and by Tuesday, I had a contract for my first book. When I delivered the book a month later, the owner of the publishing company hired me, without having an open position, and agreed to match my salary and most of my benefits, just to prevent my going to any other company in our industry. I worked there for two years, and left to start my own business, which I've been running for 10 years, quite happily.
   
   Getting "fired" by an employer who didn't appreciate my hard work was the best thing that could have happened to me, and definitely wasn't the kiss of death. Sometimes, career success isn't a straight line, and an apparent failure turns into a huge win.

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      lawrence01posted 8 years agoin reply to this

      Lisa
      I like what you say here.

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5. 49

   bradmasterOCcalposted 8 years ago

   Grace
   
   I think that your parents gave you the general rule. And while there are always exceptions to the general rule, human nature hasn't changed for the better.
   
   Divorce once had a stigma on divorced women, but when no fault divorce was created in 1970, and half the marriages are failing the stigma is gone.
   
   But the cloud of being fired still lingers when the prospective company asks the job candidate about their last job, or job history.
   
   Even with the millions of people that lost their jobs in 2008, and after because of the economy crash, the hiring managers that didn't face that time and kept their job still don't look fondly on candidates that met a different fate.
   
   Being fired is different than being a victim of a downsizing, or even a staged downsizing in that the candidate has to overcome what is usually a convince me why your termination wasn't your fault.
   
   Remarkably, there are many hiring managers that never had to look for work, and have been with a company for decades, and they don't understand the general climate of companies that aren't run the way their company is run.
   
   The culture in many companies invites turnover and many times that means cleaning the old loyal employees, and getting a younger less costly employee.
   
   There are a number of reasons why people get fired where it isn't their fault, but people still do get fired because it was their fault. The problem for the former group is how does the hiring manager know which group is yours.
   
   In the high technology field, expertise, and certification can be a wild card for people because there is a shortage of talent.
   
   my opinion

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   1. 49

      bradmasterOCcalposted 8 years agoin reply to this

      Please delete my comment, as I have been informed by my wife who currently works in executive staffing that I am behind the times.

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   2. 83

      gmwilliamsposted 8 years agoin reply to this

      I will not delete your comment as your comment is a good one.  It is also realistic and reflects the real world.  Being terminated from a job still carries a stigma & can affect future employment.  Your comment is good. You AREN'T behind the time

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6. 65

   lawrence01posted 8 years ago

   Grace
   Four years ago I got made redundant! It was pretty gutwrenching as I really enjoyed my job!
   I had a choice, either roll over and die or just get on with it! I found a job working in a workshop that I pretty much hated, but a job's a job so I worked there only to get told after the six months were up (it was a six month contract but they'd said it would be permanent!) "See ya later" and that was it, out on my arse again!
   Six months working nights followed and I eventually said to myself "stuff this" and found a job I really wanted to do!
   I think some of those who 'get fired' hated either their job or their boss but are afraid to make that jump (or afraid to tell their family they want to make the jump!) so when they get the push they can tell people what they really want to do and people aren't thinking they're nuts for leaving a 'good job' to follow some seemingly hair brained scheme!
   My thoughts anyway
   Lawrence

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