Getting fired is not the end of you

Hey there, time traveller!
This article was published 12/06/2024 (659 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

Dear Money Lady,

I don’t want to admit it, but I just got fired from my job after eight years with my employer. I am devastated. I never saw it coming and I am not sure what to do now. I’m not young, I turn 48 this year. I can’t retire now, can I?

Pete

Dear Pete,

No, you can’t retire now. You have a lot more working years left. I know it hurts to be fired, and if this is the first time it has happened to you in your career, then I would say you’re doing pretty good. A recent study by Statistics Canada found that 47 per cent of Canadians will be fired at least once in their lifetimes and 32 per cent will be fired two or three times. That’s not a bad thing. There are brilliant, capable people who get let go by their employers every day, for reasons they may never know. Embarrassment and shame are par for the course. I know it seems like a catastrophic event now, but you will survive and then be free to find a better position. This is not going to ruin your life – unless you let it.

I think everyone should be fired at least once in their careers. Being fired allows you to build up your inner strength and it motivates you to pivot n a different direction, perhaps one more suited for you. This is the time Pete, when you can ask yourself these questions:

What do I want out of my life? What do I want out of my career? Could I go back to school and retrain for something I really want to do? Or could I now start that business I’ve always wanted but never thought possible?

Being locked up in a demanding job stunts the creative mind. It provides you with all the excuses to not look for alternatives, because you’re too stressed and too busy trying to tread water in a hectic career. I have met some people who have never been fired, but they aren’t always better off than those who have been. Yes, if you are timid and compliant, you can avoid conflicts and lower the possibility of losing your job. But, I would ask you, at what cost? Many people in their late 50s who have been compliant all their lives are now experiencing mental illness and depression owing to the constant denial of their true feelings, their beliefs and the constant contortions of trying to fit in.

When you get fired — or if you’re brave enough to quit — you suddenly have the time to plan your life and your new career path. The excuses are out of the way and you are free to begin anew. Please remember, you can’t be all things to all people. Not every manager or every company deserves you. Have the strength of mind to leave your past in the past and move on to something better. Use this experience as a wakeup call so you can find your true calling and forge your own path. Most likely, after time, you will say what all the others who have been fired now claim — “It was the best thing that ever happened to me.”

Turn your hurt and shame into motivation and power – you will make it to the next job, doing far better than the last.