They Let Me Go

[napoleandynamite]

Well...words can't express how I feel like the biggest incompetant loser to exsist on this planet, but yet again, I lost my job today

 

I feel like such a failure. Why does this keep happening to me? I know having a degree constitutes absolutley nothing in today's society, but I do have a Bachelor's degree and the job I was responsible for did not require any type of degree! I am upset with myself. Is it possible I am retarded or something? What am I doing wrong?

 

With each job I loose, my self-esteem goes too, so the next job I take I think, "What will I screw up now?"

 

What can I do? I need help! There is no one out there as bad as me. I wish I wasn't my own self!

[PCHESS]

What type of work do you do? Is there someone else at that job that would be able to help you keep the job?

[PCHESS]

Tell me more about you Napoleon....

[napoleandynamite]

Unfortunetly, I don't know anyone in my field.

The type of work I did was working as an Executive Assistant. Prior to that I worked as a Receptionist, however, there was a great deal of administrative work involved.

 

I can't believe this is happening to me!

[Touche]

What reason did they give you for letting you go? And what about the last job?

[Guest]

did u really do all this just to talk with me? this way?

 

i would have told u all anything and never judged anyone...

 

so am i suppopsed to do everything those emails state?

[amerikajin]

Unfortunetly, I don't know anyone in my field.

The type of work I did was working as an Executive Assistant. Prior to that I worked as a Receptionist, however, there was a great deal of administrative work involved.

 

I can't believe this is happening to me!

 

Napoleondynamite,

 

First off, I'm sorry that things haven't worked out and sorry about this latest setback.

 

What I'm about to say might sound a little harsh, but try not to take this the wrong way. I think it's basically one of two things, and perhaps both:

 

1) It could be that your skills and personal strengths simply do not fit the jobs you've been trying to pursue. Maybe you're just not a good administrator. That might not be what you want to hear or read, but that could well be the truth. And the thing is, that's not the end of the world. Not being a good administrator does not mean you're stupid, it just means you're not good at the kinds of things that administrators do. Maybe you're not the most organized person. Maybe you forget things easily. Maybe you're not good with machines or numbers. Whatever it might be, it could be that your natural talents don't lie in an office. Not being a good administrator is perfectly fine - until you go after a job that requires good administration. I would not try to find work as an administrative/executive assistant anytime soon, especially since this is not the first time you've been let go from this position.

 

The other thing it could be - and this might sound even more harsh, but again try not to take this too much to heart - your personality might be getting in the way. I don't mean to suggest in any way that you're bad, or that you're not a good worker or have a bad work ethic or any of that. But judging from your posts, it seems as though you get stressed out a bit too easily at times, to the point of cracking. It could be that this has to do with the first possibility, that you're simply not working in an environment that you're comfortable with. But it is possible that you might want to talk to someone about professional counseling of some kind, or maybe find a personal mentor. I don't know...only you know what you really need. Just be honest with yourself and make decisions based on what you know to be true.

[alphamale]

i would need much more info to make an assessment here.

[napoleandynamite]

I was not offended by anything you said in regards to all of my recent posts. To be quite frank, I agree with you. I think the reason for my present situation is due both your suggestions: the position doesn't match my skills and personal strengths, plus I do get stressed. Why I get stressed-I don't know? Probably because this isn't the job I'm supposed to be doing.

 

You're right....going back into this field is probably not the brightest idea. What can I do at this point. Someone suggested in a prior post I go into PR, however, since I lack experience, all I would be is an assistant. I have thought about other options, such as working with disabled people, children, etc,etc. However, since my bachelor's is in Communications/Film/Media/etc, the only job I could get with people would be the type of job that pays $7 ph. My situation is I am married and this type of money will not pay my rent and other bills. If I were single and lived at home (rent free) on that type of money I would be struggling ( I speak from experience too). If you have suggestion, please advise so. Obviously, I need to find another job, but I don't know what I am looking for exactly. An "office setting" may not be the best suited setting for me, but where else would I work? Unless I had a specialized degree for teaching, nursing, physician, social worker, et, etc, there is really nothing else I can do. Even if I took a job working in a store- if organization and other admin skills are not my strongest skills, my guess is that job wouldn't work out either...being I would wind up showing a cash difference or something along those lines.

 

And I don't mean to go off on a tanget here, but I guess I just don't know what job to look for. As I stated, I need something different (obviously), but I do need enough to "make a living". I don't mean to sound snotty or cruel in regards to your suggestion, but I didn't go to college to make what I could have made at a part-time job during my high school years.

[alphamale]

but I didn't go to college to make what I could have made at a part-time job during my high school years.

I see many college students get 4-yr degrees in fields that are totally useless....psychology, history, art, sociology, blah blah blah. These degrees are basically worthless by themselves. The US needs accountants, computer analysts, engineers, nurses, science teachers, blah blah blah. Getting a bachelors in these areas pays big dividends. There are engineers who come out of college making $50,000/yr to start. If you have a nursing degree you can pretty much write your own ticket in almost any large or mid-size city in the US.

 

Unfortunately too many american kids are more interested in getting into hollywood than earing a degree that is worth something. And I blame this on the media and the public school system and their parents.

 

Math and science buddy...that is where its at!!!

[napoleandynamite]

Next lifetime, I will be sure to ask God himself to make me a math/science person. But that's not where my greatest skills are in this lifetime, and I have to deal with it somehow. Obviously, I am not going to be an auditor or an engineer. I was thinking about going back to school for Childhood Ed. That idea is gone now that I have no job and it's doubtful a student loan would get handed to someone with an unstable work history.

 

I am planning on working on my resume and cover letter and I will have to take into account what it is exactly I am looking for.

[Guest]

This isn't making sense. If you MUST earn more than minimum wage, then how can you afford to go back to school?

 

Of course you'll start out earning a low wage because you have no experience. But when you're working, you'll be acquiring experience and your salary will rise. So it doesn't make sense to keep rejecting careers because you can't start out at a high wage. You have a good degree that's a stepping stone to lots of jobs - but you have to start at the bottom and work your way up.

 

I've taken low-paid agency jobs and when the people at the workplaces saw what I could do, they hired me for very good full-time jobs. What you need to do is take a job that suits your skills (communications is probably a better field - or something related) and then be excellent at it. If you are good, you'll do well soon enough.

[westernxer]

A Communications degree rarely gets anyone a head start in the working world... usually it's a precursor to some sort of Graduate Studies program. This is how it was for many of my college classmates.

 

I have a Journalism degree but never considered reporting as a future endeavor. The starting pay sucks and I couldn't see myself writing about topics that didn't interest me, so I stuck to my plan to find something in technology. It took me a year to find a suitable entry level job after graduation, but when I found it, I accrued some great experience and learned a helluva lot about computers, and it's finally starting to pay off. My future is a lot brighter now than it was when I finished college. Not saying I'm on my way to wealth and power, but at least I'm not struggling to make ends meet.

 

If I had to do it over again, I'd have probably taken a shot at Computer Science, but mathematics is not my strong point and retrospect is worthless, and it's likely I'd have ended up in the same place as before, which is fine. It's the path I've chosen, and there's no looking back.

[alphamale]

It took me a year to find a suitable entry level job after graduation, but when I found it, I accrued some great experience and learned a helluva lot about computers, and it's finally starting to pay off.

I know people in the IT field that have two yrs of college under their belt and probably make $75,000 per year.

 

The point I was trying to make regarding degree and career choices is: Don't follow the herd.

[Touche]

I used to manage a temp agency and advised lots of people on career matters. I wanted to help you but you never answered my questions. I wasn't just being nosy. The answer to the reasons for your terminations would help me to try to help you.

[amerikajin]

Next lifetime, I will be sure to ask God himself to make me a math/science person. But that's not where my greatest skills are in this lifetime, and I have to deal with it somehow. Obviously, I am not going to be an auditor or an engineer. I was thinking about going back to school for Childhood Ed. That idea is gone now that I have no job and it's doubtful a student loan would get handed to someone with an unstable work history.

 

I am planning on working on my resume and cover letter and I will have to take into account what it is exactly I am looking for.

 

Math and science are great - if that's what you are good at and interested in. IT is okay for people who have an interest and talent in the IT field; it's not going to do you much good to pursue a career in IT if you don't have the kinds of skills or the desire to work in IT. I agree with alpha in that the greatest pay goes to people who have intellect that's in short supply, and in America, science and math skills are in very short supply, which is why they get paid well. That's why they bring in Indians, Russians and Chinese by the truckload to study at American universities. But I'd wager that the really well-paid IT guys have 1) an interest in IT and 2) have the natural skills to match. Me? I would suck at IT. I won't even bother wasting $50,000 on an education preparing me for a career when I know ahead of time that's not what I was born to do.

 

Likewise, a communications degree is not a waste of time or money if you know how to make the degree work for you. Communications departments will advertise the degree curriculum to those who are particularly interested in a career in public relations or mass media, but the degree does hold weight in other areas. Most managerial positions require good communications skills, especially written communication - one of the biggest complaints among managers these days it that their employees don't know how to write. A surprisingly simple thing, yet so many people apparently can't do it to the satisfaction of their employers. I got a job right out of college working for a small not-for-profit trade association. The money sucked but I had my sights set on the future, and I thought that if I could just get some experience, I might qualify for a department head position. Turns out, my boss left and the ended up hiring me to run the company - I was inexperienced but it wasn't a massive operation, so they took a chance on me. It was a great job and I had the chance to use my degree, albeit not in the way I had originally envisioned. You have to be a chess player when it comes to your career. You can't just look at the next move, you have to look at the next three or four moves before you make the next one. You have to think about what your opportunities are, and what your potential weaknesses and pitfalls are as well.

 

Sometimes it takes a long time to figure out exactly where our true talents and interests lie. After I left my job in Louisiana - the one I liked - I applied for another position for a job in Florida. I hated it. It wasn't what I had envisioned at all, even though some of what I was doing was relatively the same. I ended up getting into frequent arguments with my boss, who was an unorganized goof, and ended up getting 'downsized'. He was actually nice enough to try and set me up with a position in another organization, but I more or less told him to f--k off (not the smartest thing I've done in retrospect, but I can live with it because I thought he was underhanded). But the whole experience, unfortunate though it may have been, told me what I really needed to know: I was not really the kind of person who fit too well in executive, corporate type positions in a trade association. I was not political enough. I needed to find something else.

 

So I ended up...teaching English in a foreign country. At first I thought it was a bit silly and nothing more than an excuse to get away and see a different part of the world, but I've since found that I love foreign cultures and the international scene, and I enjoy teaching and mentoring as well, especially children. I've decided to go back and get some advanced credentials to supplement my experience and also to study foreign languages more intensively with an emphasis on Asian languages most likely. This is something I could not have foreseen 5 years ago, but it came about because I finally started asking myself what I wanted to do, rather than thinking in terms of how much money I could make in a given field or what people thought I should be doing. I feel much better about myself and my future now. That doesn't mean the road ahead will necessarily be a gravy train. My career will not make me among the more highly paid professionals. It won't be a glamor job. I won't be driving a Benz or a Beamer. But if I'm smart about it, I'll live a decent, if modest, lifestyle, and I'm fine with that.

 

I think you should do what you love, the money will follow.

[alphamale]

Math and science are great - if that's what you are good at and interested in. IT is okay for people who have an interest and talent in the IT field; it's not going to do you much good to pursue a career in IT if you don't have the kinds of skills or the desire to work in IT. I agree with alpha in that the greatest pay goes to people who have intellect that's in short supply, and in America, science and math skills are in very short supply, which is why they get paid well. That's why they bring in Indians, Russians and Chinese by the truckload to study at American universities.

I agreed....and I should also add that Americans should then stop bitching and moaning that all the well paying science & math based jobs are taken by immigrants. And Americans also bitch and moan that all the very low paying jobs are taken by mexicans. These same "Americans" are not willing to work the low paying jobs and they have no interest in math & science to get the higher paying jobs.

[napoleandynamite]

Sorry I did not get back to you.

 

Job Failure #1:

I was let go from 3 job within the year. The first one, they said I "couldn't keep up with my work." This one I don't believe was my fault because they went through 5 Receptionists before me in just a 4 month period. A majority of them were fired. Two of them resigned. It is my understanding they are still looking for a new Receptionist. There's the explanation.

 

Job Failure #2:

After 8 months as a Receptionist/Admin at a family-owned business, the reason they gave me was "Business is slow, we don't have too much money coming in, and the phones really aren't busy." Since I was the one answering the phone, I did get many calls from angry vendors demanding their money. However, prior to this I recieved complaints about my "persistant mistakes" on mundane details, such as forgetting to put a period at the end of a sentance, not being accurate with data entry work, etc, etc.

 

Job #3 (recent):

I was told coldly by our Receptionist/Office Mgr (while my two bosses were away on business) that both my bosses were "very dissatisfied with my work performance." Then I was told to turn in my key and leave the building immedietly. I did so.

 

I don't know what the heak I'm supposed to do, as my experience falls under the Admin category. I never thought it was a good idea to discuss with a temp agency mgr about my weaknesses in a job...my guess would be the mgr would decide not to send my resume out to his/her clients if the candidate is complaining about how poor their admin skills are.

 

But as I stated earlier, pls give suggestions on what I should do next.

 

Thanks!!

[amerikajin]

Sorry I did not get back to you.

 

Job Failure #1:

I was let go from 3 job within the year. The first one, they said I "couldn't keep up with my work." This one I don't believe was my fault because they went through 5 Receptionists before me in just a 4 month period. A majority of them were fired. Two of them resigned. It is my understanding they are still looking for a new Receptionist. There's the explanation.

 

Job Failure #2:

After 8 months as a Receptionist/Admin at a family-owned business, the reason they gave me was "Business is slow, we don't have too much money coming in, and the phones really aren't busy." Since I was the one answering the phone, I did get many calls from angry vendors demanding their money. However, prior to this I recieved complaints about my "persistant mistakes" on mundane details, such as forgetting to put a period at the end of a sentance, not being accurate with data entry work, etc, etc.

 

Job #3 (recent):

I was told coldly by our Receptionist/Office Mgr (while my two bosses were away on business) that both my bosses were "very dissatisfied with my work performance." Then I was told to turn in my key and leave the building immedietly. I did so.

 

I don't know what the heak I'm supposed to do, as my experience falls under the Admin category. I never thought it was a good idea to discuss with a temp agency mgr about my weaknesses in a job...my guess would be the mgr would decide not to send my resume out to his/her clients if the candidate is complaining about how poor their admin skills are.

 

But as I stated earlier, pls give suggestions on what I should do next.

 

Thanks!!

 

I think you might want to talk to your temp agency manager a little more openly about your situation. You may well find that it takes longer to help you find work, but you will find a job that is more suited to your talents once you actually get a job. You can, and should, tell them your weaknesses - never try and bullshyte your way into a job because you'll just end up getting mismatched and that will cause all sorts of problems.

[Touche]

No it really isn't a bad idea to discuss your weaknesses with the temp manager. I always appreciated when employees did discuss them with me because I could place them in a job that better suited them. The trick is to emphasize and play up your STRENGTHS in that same conversation. Are you punctual? Do you get along with others? Are you willing to do whatever it takes to get the job done? Tell them about your weaknesses yes but don't forget to tell them about your strengths.

 

Also, did you check all your work? It's just like when you're in school...CHECK your work. I used to do payroll and I ALWAYS double-checked my work. Ninety-percent of the time, I'd catch a mistake or two.

 

Ok, all that being said I think you should try again on the admin stuff but wipe the slate clean in your head. I think your psyching yourself out. Did you do well in college? If you did then you can more than likely do well in an office admin position.

 

Otherwise, if you're really dead set on trying to get your foot in the door via the admin route, go in a completely different direction. Apply at Social Services for example. They have positions that do not require a degree in Social Work. The titles vary but I think they're usually Case Managers or something like that. So try to look into that. It's still administrative in nature but you have more control over your work. You wouldn't be supervised as directly as in an assistant type position. Maybe you wouldn't get as flustered or nervous.

 

Also, even if you're nervous or feel pressured do your very best to not show it. This makes others' nervous and they might think you can't handle the work. Be CALM. Learn to prioritize your work.

 

Think about what you like to do. What kind of environment do you want to work in?

 

Are there cultural type centers near where you live? Try to see if you can get an entry-type PR position.

 

Also, look over your resume very carefully. You'd be surprised how many mistakes I found in resumes - resumes from people with degrees no less. They immediately went into the reject pile.

 

Are you dressing appropriately for work? Are you on time? Are you pleasant? If your work is criticized, take it well.

 

I don't mean to sound patronizing. I'm just trying to throw out there anything that might be an issue. Employers won't always give you the real reason when they let you go.

 

So what do you think?

[napoleandynamite]

No it really isn't a bad idea to discuss your weaknesses with the temp manager. I always appreciated when employees did discuss them with me because I could place them in a job that better suited them. The trick is to emphasize and play up your STRENGTHS in that same conversation. Are you punctual? Do you get along with others? Are you willing to do whatever it takes to get the job done? Tell them about your weaknesses yes but don't forget to tell them about your strengths.

 

I will discuss both my weaknesses and stregths with the temp agency mgr. Generally, I wont leave a project/task alone unless it is accomplished-so I do what it takes to get the job done.

Also, did you check all your work? It's just like when you're in school...CHECK your work. I used to do payroll and I ALWAYS double-checked my work. Ninety-percent of the time, I'd catch a mistake or two.

 

I checked my work. I would find mistakes about 90% of the time also. I know this sounds stupid, but sometimes you don't always catch the mistake, and that could be due to too many things happening at once and the project needs to get out asap.

 

Ok, all that being said I think you should try again on the admin stuff but wipe the slate clean in your head. I think your psyching yourself out. Did you do well in college? If you did then you can more than likely do well in an office admin position.

 

You are probably right. My self esteem is pretty low and I was ALWAYS freaking out about loosing my job---ALWAYS-even when they were complimenting my work! I know, I created a self-fullfilling prophecy to some extent. In college, I was an average student...in some classes, I got straight A's and the professor loved me, in others, I was just average. However, I did go to a repuatable university. It's known to be an extremely tough school and employers do recondize it on my resume.

 

Otherwise, if you're really dead set on trying to get your foot in the door via the admin route, go in a completely different direction. Apply at Social Services for example. They have positions that do not require a degree in Social Work. The titles vary but I think they're usually Case Managers or something like that. So try to look into that. It's still administrative in nature but you have more control over your work. You wouldn't be supervised as directly as in an assistant type position. Maybe you wouldn't get as flustered or nervous.

 

I've seen the Case Manager positions...I will apply for them. Thanks for the advice !

 

Also, even if you're nervous or feel pressured do your very best to not show it. This makes others' nervous and they might think you can't handle the work. Be CALM. Learn to prioritize your work.

 

Sounds like my situation!

 

Think about what you like to do. What kind of environment do you want to work in?

 

Will do.

 

Are there cultural type centers near where you live? Try to see if you can get an entry-type PR position.

 

Since this is somewhat annoynmous, I am from Long Island, New York. I will look into PR.

 

Also, look over your resume very carefully. You'd be surprised how many mistakes I found in resumes - resumes from people with degrees no less. They immediately went into the reject pile.

 

Ok, I will have my sister who's an English teach proofread it.

 

Are you dressing appropriately for work? Are you on time? Are you pleasant? If your work is criticized, take it well.

 

I dress well. I was always on time. I have a very good work ethic and I'm reliable.

 

I don't mean to sound patronizing. I'm just trying to throw out there anything that might be an issue. Employers won't always give you the real reason when they let you go.

 

You are not "patronizing" in any way...please, I appreciate your help.

 

So what do you think?

 

You've been very helpful, and professional in your efforts to guide me in the right direction in regards to my career. Thank you!

[Touche]

You're welcome Napolean. Please come back and tell us of your progress. Or even if you just want to vent some more about it.

 

Good luck!

[PCHESS]

Your story sounds familiar......

[napoleandynamite]

who else has a similar story as me?

[PCHESS]

By The Name Of Cobb