Fired? Don’t Despair.
October 27th, 2008. Published under Career Hunting. No Comments.
Toby Young is not a household name, at least not yet, but his story can serve as an inspiration for the rest of us. Young landed his dream job early in his career, working at a major American magazine, but after only about six months his editors showed him the door. After repeated incidents of unprofessional behavior, including sending a stripper-gram to one of his coworkers on Bring-Your-Daughter-to-Work day, Young lost it all.
While many would think that this guy missed his greatest opportunity, he instead started thinking about what he could gain from the incident. His experiences as a magazine writer bloomed into the international bestseller How to Lose Friends and Alienate People, which was later adapted into a movie.
When you’re down on your luck, take the time to reflect on your work history. While you may not want to write a book, you may have learned about work environments you need to avoid. Your temperament may be best suited to an entrepreneurial or freelance setting. Alternatively, you may find that you were let go because you weren’t using your skills to their greatest potential. Although shrouded in failure and disappointment, a firing can serve as a call to self-discovery.