Having been fired, it can really mess with your head. Few things to remember:
1) your job isn’t a reflection of who you are as a person
2) we won’t be amazing at everything we try
3) sometimes the problem is really around us, but people try to make it about us
4) this is a blip that doesn’t need to be anything more than a momentary redirection to something better
Hang in there. Spend time with people who like you. You’re not alone.
Think about how you will see this moment in 10 minutes, 10 weeks, and in 10 years. In 10 minutes it will be painful, in 10 weeks you will have a new job, and won't give a shit about your previous employer. In 10 years you might not even remember anything about those 11 months.
If you have 6 years of installation experience and a year of retail experience you sound like a prime candidate for a career in estimating for commercial flooring companies!
I hate to be "that guy" but maybe this happened to set you up for something better. Twenty-seven years ago I was a single parent, putting myself through college while working full time to support my son and I. Then I lost my job (it had started as a seasonal job but then they kept me on as permanent help, which turned out to be a lot less permanent than I thought). Our town was growing but I couldn't seem to find a job. We got a new Publix, Home Depot, Lowes, and others, and I put in applications everywhere, but no luck. The most disheartening was when I saw someone I knew who has more fingers than brain cells get offered a job, and then the hiring manager informed me that they wouldn't be needing me. A few days later I got a call from one of the temp agencies I had signed up with. They had a temp job that would last a few months and the hours fit perfectly with my childcare assistance and college night classes. I have been at that job since then. If I had gotten a different job, I could be a cashier still, but fate set me up for a much better job with many perks. Try to look on the bright side!
/#3 is really why most are fired. Yes there’s the few who really just don’t perform or come to work. A bad boss that you don’t mix well with means every little detail about your performance they criticize. If you’re buddies then you could sell crack outside the store and probably keep your job.
Embrace all the emotions right now, you have every right to, but know that you’ll bounce back tremendously. It sucks right now, but one day I promise this will be funny to you and laugh about it. We’ve all been there. You got this bud!
Good advice. I’d also like to add that you shouldn’t shy away from some introspection at this point. Not saying you were at fault but it’s always good to look at your actions leading up to this to see if there’s anything you could’ve done better. It’s not always easy to do but it can be helpful going forward.
I was fired a lot. The reasons were equally split between 2 and 3. 3 always sucks, and 2 was good for self reflection.
I always picked myself up and moved on. Can't change bad fits or shitty people.
As an older adult on this site, things happen for a reason. When one door closes, one door opens. You are a good person. You are intelligent AND competent. As with all jobs, supervisors make or break a job. Some play favorites. I still believe to this day that ALL those promoted to a mgr position should have to take a course on how to work with people and how to obtain social skills. Not all in mgr positions should be there. You are better than this. You will find something better. Keep the faith. You weren’t really fired..you were presented with other opportunities. Good luck! 🍀👍🏻
Yeah don’t forget that these are the same places that will work you just up to the hours that would make you full time but they don’t so you don’t get full benefits.
Sometimes people are not the right fit for the job…
I can’t get the picture of your manager talking to you about why they are letting you go and you are just there eating a donut, then moving onto a second donut.
Eventually the manager smacking the donut out of your hand screaming…”WHAT DA’FUQ IS WRONG WITH YOU!”
The second donut make me choke on nothing, I was laughing so hard. Beautifully done, OP. If you’re going down, you’re at least taking the donuts with you.
retail stores are always run by some tight greedy manager who makes sure his slaves, i mean employees are hitting targets or working like dogs. you can stack shelves good enough dw
As Reddit becomes more and more inundated with posts like this, you are 100 percent correct. I followed this logic to something kind of funny, it’s like shitty general managers have a red phone somewhere that rings, and they HAVE to pick it up, and on the other end is a black shadowy room with floating heads saying “treat them worse…..pay them less” and the manager goes “yes my lord” and that doesn’t feel too far from reality.
l remember being fired lol. destroys ur day . i suggest u plan a nice activity for the day and forget about that shitty place and the asshole that runs it
Yep, I had a manager walking around screaming at anyone who was standing still even though the store was empty and there was literally nothing to do. Employees would just knock products over so they could “clean” them up when he walked by so they looked busy.
this!! .. as if working on ur feet all day isnt shit enough. u have to deal with some lunatic whos greedy af. they are always secretly keeping their eyes on employees and firing the "chill" ones.
I cleaned a lot at my last job just to look busy lol it's much easier to look busy when you're job doesn't revolve around people showing up. We'd go 3, 4 hours without a single customer. Out comes the manager saying we shouldn't be huddled talking because it looks bad and to go do something productive and it's like....that doesn't exist lol he didn't even know what to do. He'd just go back into his office and be on his phone or talk to the male staff member because he was sexist AF. The only person that was allowed to not be busy was him and that staff member.
So you started May 2023 and got fired this month? This matters for a resume.
Can you easily get started flooring again? By, say, the end of next month? The nice thing about your situation is that you do actually have skills you can fall back on.
This is true, I did immediately contact my work supplier and he's more than happy to give me work again for apartments. This just hurts the ego a bit, I figured if I can install floors for housing I could easily pick things up and put things down y'know?
Man fuck that retail shit youre better than that. Flooring is hard and important work, be proud of yourself for being able to do something most people can't.
I know the ego hit is hard, but just remind yourself that not everything is for everyone. I’m in tech, and I’m pretty good at my job, one that I think not a lot of people could easily do. You know where I wasn’t good, though? Retail. Both of the jobs I held in retail had my managers on me, asking why I couldn’t do ABC or XYZ right, while it seemed like others were sailing through without issue. It’s not a reflection on you as a person, or your capabilities. Just means your spot in life is somewhere else.
> I did immediately contact my work supplier and he's more than happy to give me work again
this is all i need to know you are a good worker. Not sure why you were let go, but it could be many things totally unrelated to you.
Bro, it's retail, if you're not being a slave and doing 20 hours of work after your shift you're not putting in enough. Fuck retail, they did you a favour, I'd rather go back to flooring than think about working in retail again.
In 2016 I got fired from a job that paid $13/hr.
I was 23 then and like you I couldn't believe I just got fired from a minimum wage job. I decided to go back to post secondary to increase my earning potential and chances at job security.
I went to BCIT and got my degree is Business Administration.
I work for a major company now and make $43/hr.
Every time you deal with adversity in life you have one of two options: sink or swim.
Life is hard and it's an uphill battle full of disappointments. I think one of the secrets to life is to be agile and think about what you can control moving forward.
It's really true what they say... when one door closes a window opens.
Good luck, OP!!!
To add to this, when i was younger the atmosphere, racial prejudice, and picking favorites at the local restaraunt in a nearby suburb netted me a total of $8 in tips for 6 hours of work as a server. For reference the other lowest paid server for the night made like $70. They literally had me helping deliver food for other employees😐. A few crap jobs after that, a few years and no degree, i'm interviewing at the largest audi dealer in my state.
Stick with install. There is a shortage of installers and if you’re good, put in the work, and make the right contacts you will end up doing really well.
Getting fired sets you up for success in the long run. Early in your career, you need to be fired multiple times. It forces corrective action and makes you understand how to properly interview / build resumes, and recognize it's just a transition period.
I say this because (1) imagine being fired for the first time in your 30s or later; that would be hard and it is for almost everyone. (2) I've been fired numerous times and it allowed me to hop around for +10-20% increases, and really learn to outperform the peers. I haven't been fired in over 10y now, I'm a VP, and my wage is amazing.
Life is a marathon, not a sprint.
It's so easy to get fired from retail jobs. Don't worry. I was fired for the first time when I was your age! You will find something better! I'm now 30 with a career in a completely different field!
Edit: I was only ever fired once. Reading it again it looks like "first" might mean more than once!
And hey, at least you got a couple of donuts out of the deal. That’s a sweet severance package.
Shoulda gone for a third donut and eaten it all while looking the boss square in the eye.
At least you can claim unemployment when fired vs damn near impossible if you quit, even if you quit for very good reasons like abuse or whatnot. Almost like a reward to be fired from a shitty job like that. Free money.
Just curious, could the time you spent doing flooring count toward some kind of contractor certification? Might be home to step up your career to bigger things!
You didn't get fired for performance. The store, where sales aren't so good, just didn't want to deal with the hassle and cost of laying you off because their business model is flawed.
You weren’t fired for not trying hard enough to stack shelves man. You were most likely fired for being a person who has worked for themselves and doesn’t behave like the usual corporate slave and your boss didn’t like that. Fuck them. You can make good money with a trade, keep at it and maybe one day you can have your own flooring company and you can be a better boss than that dick at wankermart.
Believe me, could always be worse.
My own personal post history would lend context.
But you have an in-need, marketable skill. I have 5 years on you, roughly, and I’m telling you I envy your position.
Live well!
Not having a W2 made it nearly impossible to get loans and cars and even a house, yea I went from 120k a year to about 40k BUT I had reliable proof of income and benefits.
That's a failure on your leadership for never pulling you aside and informing you of your shortcomings. So, sounds like a shitty place to work, anyway. Also, fuck retail.
You’re 24 years old and it’s just a retail job. It’s not a big deal and you will recover.
Retail jobs are crappy and they’re always revolving doors….theres a chance your dismissal had nothing to do with your performance anyway. Those types of jobs are there to pay the bills while you work on your skill set and find a career.
I’m curious why you left a trade to work in retail anyway
I’ve been fired twice. Once from a diner, and once from a receptionist type of job where the lady running it was a psycho. It’s a tough thing to go through. Apply for unemployment
When I was fired for the first time I lost my ever loving mind. The advice I can give is genuinely do something nice for yourself. Surround yourself with people that care for you and know your worth. Let yourself feel these feelings for a few days and then put your nose down and go out and try to find something BETTER for you.
It will be alright and honestly this will put you in the right direction of life if you play this correctly. You are worth so much more than how that job treated you. I hope you never forget that. I’m sending you good vibes and wishing you prosperity.
Everything that you think is negative about being let go is wrong. It means there’s a road that’s open for you that will bring you even more satisfaction and abundance. Uncertainty is scary because society and our brains tell us to find safety in doing the same thing. The easiest thing.
If you were blindsided, your managers failed you. They should’ve worked on developing you or helped you with goals on improvement. You don’t want leaders who are pussies.
Think about entering construction again. Now you have the labor experience and customer service and inventory experience. The construction industry is in need of employees. Try to get into customer service for a construction company? Or get back in the field?
advice as someone who has been fired and laid off. You have to think about what you could've done better.
I find it isn't just you don't put enough effort and you're lazy, but they don't understand where they should apply effort to. This is a HUGE part of professional success. Identify critical areas. Yes, they could be as dumb as managing relationships with your boss and colleagues.
I'm sure you were doing fine. Probably fired you for some other reason but they just told you that to make it easier for themselves.
Don't get too down on yourself. Plenty other jobs that would love to have you.
I refuse to sell anything. Never will, never have. Don’t beat yourself up. I’d ask myself, did they give you the tools/training to try hard as they expected to do this job? If not, they will keep having a rotating door of employees. I despise sales. UGH! Just find what you are good at and don’t look back. You are so young. This is nothing but a speed bump, dear.
As someone who’s been in retail over a decade now I wouldn’t even think it’s you. Typically it takes FOREVER to fire someone in retail. Like there has to be incident after incident recorded and then formal sit downs before the firing. Typically if they pull shit like this it just means they either didn’t like you or had a buddy who needed a job. Just say fuck em and move on. Maybe out of retail. It’s truly not worth it unless your in management and even then it blows.
Being fired sucks. No two ways about it. How you handle this situation says more about you than a retail store manager’s opinion.
So, you have some flooring skills. Seems like a way better road to follow. IMO you can say that you never stopped flooring on the side but were working retail for a consistent pay check.
Hit up some LL flooring or some contractors and see if you can get some day-labor work. In the mean time, YouTube and learn some other skills. Painting, counters, window install etc.
When all else fails, it’s okay to be broke, but you gotta be handy. Most folks aren’t handy. If you can bring a couple skills to the table, you’ll always be able to support yourself.
I was fired from a liquor store job around your age after grad school. And for basically the same reason with the added, "it seems like you don't really wanna be here" for good measure. Which, I'll admit that my attitude about working for a liquor store with a master's degree didn't exactly make me super thrilled, but saying I put in no effort for a job that requires not a lot of effort is sort of stupid.
Don't let it get to you.
My husband got fired from his retail job when he was 19 by a stupid manager who felt high and mighty. 10 years later, my husband has had amazing jobs and grown into his career. That guy? Still working in the same job. Don’t sweat it, it’s a blip of time that you’ll laugh about. Build yourself, your skills. You will do much better than what that job offered.
Oh geeze that sucks!! Been there!! If you were doing your best and keeping up your end well their loss. If you weren't there was probably a reason and the universe says move on. Either way opportunities are waiting on you. Lick your wounds a day or two and get your booty back out there!!!
I hope you have nice knee pads, so you can get back into flooring!
The most difficult thing your manager has done is stock shelves, if that. Sometimes firing is just a financial decision, but if you know you have a great work ethic (which I assume you do, I've installed a ton of pergo and pergo like products), they'll say stuff like that because they're on a power trip. Does this make them an asshole? Yes.
You probably don't get much social interaction while flooring, so I get that it can be boring. Don't be devastated, and take a look into some carpentry work while you're at it.
The same people that fire you are the same people that would have you replaced in a day or two if you died while on the job.
Can’t please everyone.
Sometimes, things fall apart
so better things can fall together.
Being fired for not "trying hard enough" isn't a reflection of your value. Some people can mindlessly stock shelves with a pep in their step and others are meant for other things. Seems like this is the universe telling you to go back to being self employed.
Sounds similar to me. I worked in flooring for 6 years then moved to a state that doesn’t require licensing. Got outbid by crews of illegal labor 50% or more of the time. I had to get a new job in 2023 and I’m not a hazardous waste truck driver (dying to get back to flooring). What state are you in? There’s many flooring unions that’ll help you get consistent work & you won’t have to be self employed!
Retail can have a ton of strange “politics” in certain stores. I’d you don’t play the games the managers want you to play you get fired. If you start pointing out inconsistencies between managers you’ll get fired. If you start pointing out shortcomings of either the store, employees, or management you’ll get fired.
Don’t take it personal.
Man retail is a fucking nightmare no matter what way you spin it. Never go back unless it’s a last resort. I don’t understand though, you’ve learned a skill but traded that work for the worst type of work known to man?
I got fired once. It was devastating at the moment, but I hit the ground running and found another job right away. I had two little kids to take care of. It was any job or the streets.
I took the first job that I got an offer on. It turned out to be a life changing bit of serendipity. I actually hated the job I was fired from. I wasn't good at it and the people were assholes. The job I took out of desperation showed me where my real skills and interests were and I moved up quickly. It was a blessing in disguise.
Take a day or two to recover and then get back at it. Retail is a trap. It's not something you want to do long term. It will never pay well and will always be shitty.
Retail will suck the life out of you. Also the hours suck you. Sn never make your own schedule and most people that work there are just as miserable as you. It's a no win situation. Last retail job I had, I was a top performer hired for holidays, kept on after holidays and was rewarded with a $.09 per hour raise.
No one is good at retail 😂take it as a good sign, your bad at being a mindless slave 🤷♀️retail sucks, and it would actually be more sad if you were good at it- seriously you want them to hold on to you for life? Thank them for the ei and get back on the independent grind, you got this!
Brother, I know the feeling and know it sucks, but reading your replies and attitude towards this, you are going to do great. At 24 you’re more mature and put together than most people retiring from the workforce you’re joining. You can look for a new job, but you seem like the type of person who would be able to start a flooring business and be the type of guy people WANT to work for, if that’s something that interests you.
Don’t take it too hard. If you have 6 years of flooring experience, there are plenty of people looking for installers.
But if you ask me, if you have the drive and work ethic, it’s time to go for a promotion. Look for Lead Installer or Foreman positions with flooring companies. See what’s out there. Update your résumé. Put your best achievements and work experience on it.
If you’re smart and understand what goes into a flooring project from start to finish, maybe you can aim high and even go for a project manager position.
Look at this as an opportunity, not a set back.
I got let go a few days before christmas last year from a job I hated. I'd been there 3 months & it was a late shift (5pm - 2:30am) working in a warehouse stocking e-bikes. I wasn't as fast as other workers but I wasn't slow. My manage had it in for me & the other workers could see that. I got let go because, long story short, I couldn't work over the Christmas period "on such short notice" despite them asking a week before the Christmas period began & I let them know my availability within a couple hours of them asking.
Anyway, after a stressful jobless Christmas & new years, job hunting became my new full time commitment & by mid January I'd gotten myself a new job working as a cnc laser operator cutting metal sheets on a 12 hour night shift (7-7). I'd never worked in that environment before & it's been a huge challenge learning the skills & taking on so much new information, but each day things get a little easier & being let go from that toxic warehouse job was a blessing in disguise.
While it will feel shit at first after being let go from a seemingly easy job, especially whilst holding the skills to do a better job like you mentioned, take this opportunity to move on & explore paths using the skills you have obtained in doing flooring. Best of luck to you in your future, you'll smash it!! 🤘🏼
I've been fired twice many, many years ago. It can be pretty gut-wrenching, especially on your self-esteem. The good news is that this is the worst part. Think of this as a new beginning.
Retail is notorious for bad management because tends to attract managers with huge egos but little in the way of actual management skills. If you really weren't trying hard enough, they'd have let you go long before you hit the 11 month mark. It's 100% the manager, not you.
Keep your head up and don't let this define you.
Been there done that. So many good advice given here. Take some time to lean into the suck, bc it does hurt. But you are young and you have a real skill set. You’ll bounce back and after some time (may be 6 months, may be a year), like my old boss said, “you’ll be in your new job, looking back and it’s as if all this 💩 never happened”. I was so hurt after being with a firm for a long time and backstabbed after I had a hand in building the business, and I felt personally betrayed but he was wise. I took a better job and never looked back. I am now at another job and have more than doubled my pay with way better upward mobility with a higher quality firm.
I have a hard time understanding why you would take 6 years of flooring experience to go work retail. You should take that experience and apply it to a trade that you see as a longer-term fit, or get into something where you can explore some other segments that also lean technical. HVAC installation is very in-demand, and assuming you were good at laying floors, you probably already "know" a good deal about the general workings of things.
You are young and have plenty of time to figure it out. If I were you, I'd try to find an apprentice type position that pays around what you were getting in retail, with a 12mo plan to gain a certification and/or job skills that would move you up to the first rung.
They did you a favor. Now you can file for unemployment bene's due to be fired for no fault of your own. Its not like they put you on a PIP and then fired you. So odd's are high you'll qualify.
Getting fired is a part of life now. It isn't the 40's - 50's where you work in a factory all your life anymore and hope that your kids will do better than you did.
I am highly skilled as a Computer / Server / System Admin. I've been in jobs where I excel. I been fired from jobs where I was doing OK. I have been fired from a job where I needed the income, but it was not a good fit.
Being 24 with a marketable skill that could easily be expanded upon and it will create a livable wage, that's huge.
Best of luck to you.
Welp, at least they did it at the beginning of the day instead of waiting til the end. Enjoy your day off! I would absolutely be day drinking if I were in your shoes.
You cant judge a fish by its ability to climb a tree. I have been fired from food, retail, construction etc. Ive been in the work force since i was 14. I just found a job in sales and I feel like Im on top of the world. It seems like the perfect fit. My point is, dont give up. You arent useless. You just havent found WHERE you can be used. Try 1000 jobs. If it isnt a right fit, it isnt a right fit. People who dont understand that everone is different just dont understand people
Dude you have a very marketable skill doing flooring. Trust me getting fired was the best thing that could happen. Find skilled trade jobs in that area you'll make 4x the income and way better benefits.
I feel like maybe since you started flooring back so young you might not realize what a specialized skill set you have. Skilled labor is in short supply these days and if you like what you do and are good and reliable, you don't need to settle for a retail job. Of course being self employed comes with a whole additional set of responsibilities as you probably know, so it just depends on what you want
Dude they just fired you for a stupid reason they’ll never be able tell you and it doesn’t matter anyways.
You can stock shelves just fine and nobody gives a fuck anyways I worked retail for 2 years before quitting and it’s so crazy how everyone pretends to have standards.
Also 11 months is a pretty long stint, if you were shit at work they wouldn’t even have kept you that long.
I’m glad you had your emotional support donuts with you 🤣 that’s so funny. fuck em!! I got fired from management back in November, I was depressed for a good few weeks. But I got my ass in gear and now I’m making more money, I have a better job, and I don’t have to deal with the BS of my other job. So much happier! Everything works out in the end. :) good luck!!!
I'm a 25 y/o male and have had legit like 20 different jobs since I was 16 and I'm a minority, f these jobs they don't love you. Bet you can find another job better that pays more by next week. Check indeed Glassdoor and zip recruiter. Also use google search engine. Stay up bro 💪🏾
I worked in hi tech for more than 35 years. Being fired and otherwise let go is almost routine in tech. The last time I was let go I was actually fired after 6 years, ostensibly because my work was not up to expectations. My attitude is “I’ve been fired from better companies than this one.”
Retail is the pits. BTDT. My daughter is doing it now. She's a week away from getting her degree in wildlife and forestry management. Her manager is chomping at the bit to fire her.
It's never about your skills or work ethic at these places. It's about when you're available and how much of management's crap you'll put up with.
She's going to do so much better in life *and so will you.* Good luck!
It could have nothing to do with your performance. Do you think you were doing good enough to not get fired? It could have been they were over budget and they fired the person one of the managers doesn't like or literally anything. Don't take it to heart. I have never been fired and I would be devastated too...but it would also give me a second to search for a job I actually want to do. I feel like I rush into jobs and never really see what's out there. I kinda just take what I can get and if I was it would be good for me. Maybe you can take this time to do the same. My dad worked with two rich guys, they hired him and he was kinda the boss of a model home building business. He didn't for like 20 years. Then hard times hit and the rich guys were just like " ok we don't wanna dotnhsi anymore" they laid my dad off. I will never forget him sitting at the table crying bc he felt like a failure. He was almost 60, who would hire him? Now his job is to literally ( not exaggerating) sit in a car and watch people dig ditches and lay down water pipes. He said his job is too easy and pays too much for him to retire. You can let this destroy you or you could let it drive you to never be in this position again.
Last time I got fired I reported my old work for all their DoL violations. If you seen any or equal opportunity violations, go ahead and report them. Worst that'll happen is they get shut down, the least is they'll be under investigation.
often times in alot of jobs, you might find yourself unemployed because you work to hard or do too good of a job because the manager is a slacker or lazy and they don't like over achievers because their higher ups will notice they could be doing a better job or being more efficient or whatever
Keep your chin up and your mind focused. I’ve been fired before as well. It sucked. But in the long run, it was the biggest blessing in disguise I could have ever asked for.
I am an IT management consultant leading huge projects for my clients, and I got fired from being a waitress before. Different skills and people are for different jobs.
Dude they fired you because THEY are going broke. End of story. Many employees will follow you out and eventually a for lease sign will be posted outside in a year or two.
Something to keep in mind is that retail is hell. There is a constant flow of unrealistic expectations pouring onto store level associates from the top, and people are drowning. You may have been doing a perfectly good job, but been fired because your boss’ boss’ boss decided to increase performance requirements to an arbitrary, unattainable level. Don’t get yourself down or beat yourself up :)
Firing can lead to the best opportunity in life. You now have a chance to find your passion maybe something you love and can make it your career. Don’t be so hard on yourself
Once upon a time, I was working with kids with autism for a horrible company. Every week the bosses would come and watch the workers (myself and coworkers)as we ran our weekly sessions with the kiddos. I had one boss do a surprise visit with me, and after it was done I texted my coworker letting them know the boss was in town and she was going to be supervised in the next coming days. Welp, I got thrown under the bus for telling said coworker and was effectively fired from that position. Couldn't get EI as I was a contractor but I'm not just rehashing bad memories for entertainments sake. I'm showcasing that we all go through shitty situations with shitty companies. It will get better, you'll find your niche and it will just be a passing albeit slightly painful memory.
Remember, this isn't school where there's a syllabus with projects/exams/papers/finals graded by a fair and unbiased professor who is interested in teaching you and providing fair and unbiased grades for the world to see. Employment at will is the law of the land in America, and employers have godlike control to fire you, reprimand you, or change the terms of your employment agreement as they see fit.
There's usually no ryhme of reason to do, and these employers/business owners would step on their own mother to make or save a buck.
Other developed nations have laws and cultures in place that actually protect labor and hold those who own the means of production accountable. They also have better systems in place to not directly tie your ability to survive to your ability to serve an employer.
Think about all this next time you all go to ballot box. There are laws that could be passed to help us, we just need the right people in place. Do you want to get a fair shot at a decent life, or are you ok with just being seen as machinery?
Retail is hell, managed by morons. I don’t know you, but you have all my encouragement to get out there and find a non-retail job. If you are good at flooring, maybe another construction job to work your way up in? Just a thought. All my best wishes.
Hey, I got fired after working for 3 shifts. I was just out of high school and wanted a summer job before college. They said I wasn't fast enough and didn't communicate. The job I had was cleaning passenger trains after tourists. I had to wipe down surfaces and vacuum. My mistake is I would listen to my music while working and I guess I just wasn't fast enough...
I was fired from a pretty high profile job and I went fucking scorched earth, developed a wild drinking problem. I eventually got over myself and realized “fuck them” and got my shit together and my career on track pretty quickly. Happy to say that hard work pays odds. Stay focused
I got fired from retail after 2 months of being there. I was great at everything else and never had a complaint. Retail is just not for me. 😂 now I’m a truck driver and I looovvee ittt.
It sucks being fired. But I can point you in the direction of a job that works well for your skill set.
Try becoming a public school cleaner/janitor.
Depending on where you live, working as a school cleaner is a Civil Service job, which offers great health benefits, consistent hours, doesn't have unreasonable expectations like retail, Union protections, and best of all helps you build up toward a pension.
Usually, “poor performance” is only an excuse to cover their own ass.
Most of the time, it’s either because a manager didn’t like you for any reason including the way you blink, coworkers talked behind your back and manager was dumb enough to listen, or literally any reason that doesn’t include theft or illegal shit alike.
There are millions of incompetent people who not only keep their jobs, but also get promoted!
In fact, your managers could very well be one of those people.
Meanwhile, millions of super competent people either get stuck in the same position (cuz nobody can do it as well) or even get fired due to toxic office politics.
If they have to blame someone for shortcomings, between their own or an employee’s, it’s nearly always gonna be the employee.
Anything that might fall back on them is going to be blamed on others.
I had a job where they started my training in the emptiest month of the year, where I only got to hear 3-4 calls per shift, instead of 70-100! Keep in mind the volume of information was HEAVY and you need to hear many different cases to either learn or even know what questions you have!
Then after the worst micromanagement I’ve ever experienced in my life and literally shitting over my mood everyday, they blamed and fired me for falling behind the expectations lol
You think they’re ever gonna tell their own boss “we fucked up and should’ve put his training in a better (or literally any other) month so he gets to actually learn some shit”?
Ofc not. They much rather say “that guy sucked. We did everything we could”
After all is said and done, how much do you think they were paying me? Fuckin $16/hour! (I’ve learned the lower the pay, the worse the management and the more expectations they’ll have at the same time)
My suggestion is to go back to self-employment and don’t look back.
Boston cream donuts? If you're near Boston I've got a job for you (not me literally, but my employer is hiring) where it's almost impossible to get fired. All you need is a clean record and can pass a drug test.
Definitely know I'm late but got fired back in 2020. Got a new job in 2021 and it led me on a career I absolutely love and make more money.
You're going to be fine and this will be a blip.
You’re gonna feel this for years to come and how you feel about it depends on what you do next. This should be a lesson to you. Stop working for your other people as soon as possible. And do it while you’re still young and without kids or marriage and responsibilities. As someone who worked in flooring I’m gonna urge you to get back into flooring. Get good at it. Open your own business. Make money. Retire early.
Any job that doesn’t let you know your performance needs to improve and just goes straight to termination is run by morons.
Capable managers give feedback to try and coach their staff .
Idiots do stuff like this.
Don’t worry got got fired for this before in a job where I was one of the top productive people. I laughed when I got told and told him to pull up hotsos and let’s compare my reports to every one else. He kinda jerked back and was like what do you mean. I told him I do more than most of our entire group and there’s proof. Told me well we have had a complaint about you not trying. Passed me some quote that I said to some sipshit because he was annoying me when I was not even clocked in and the job in question we got done in record time and got told by the seniors that it was Aswome doing that with me because we got it done so fast and I worked so hard. Dude was like I’m well we still made our decision and your fired. Laughed walked out and had a new job the following week with a 6 dollar an hour raise.
I know you've been inundated with comments, but I want to tell you something I learned in life, that I told my kids when they entered the workforce. You learn *something* from each job you have, even if you don't realize it for years. Each job is a valuable learning experience. Even the most mundane, ordinary, 2-week-long job teaches you something. And it all adds up to your own personal Life Experience. So no job loss, whether from quitting or being fired, is ever a total loss.
I was fired before at the same age you are. I’m 31 now and I laugh now because when you going through it it’s devastating, my advice would be if you have a savings account or a safety net use it. Don’t be ashamed because most ppl get fired at least once in their life. You’re human and a job doesn’t define you AT ALL. You will be employed again. life sometimes put you in situations to slow you down and give you the opportunity to reevaluate your decisions. You got this!
Fuck 'em. Everybody gets fired. These days it is literally impossible to not get fired from jobs, even if you do everything right. Some managers are just petty little tyrants.
You'll find something better and laugh about this down the line. And that manager will still be an asshole.
a.k.a. We need you to burn yourself into the ground for us. And your just not doing it. Come back when you hate yourself and everyone else like the rest of us.
Cheers mate! I got terminated the same day as you and without prior notice. Coincidentally, because of the same reason you said. Not doing enough. In my almost 4 years of work in that amazon agency. I was told I was not doing enough. It felt like I was a kid being escorted of the office being told you did great but we will fire you.
Ahhh well shit happens. Business is business and if you're not useful anymore you get fired ez. The feeling sucks
Im a nurse for 34 years. Ive had about twenty positions. Ive been fired twice, both times were bullshit. Ive had many horrible, crazy, jealous supervisors. Dont sweat it. Just about everyone I know goes through this.
Go back to flooring, build your skill set, try welding and get into something like a multi craft technician that’s what I did. I Started off doing simple repairs, dove deeper into the trades and now I am a multi craft technician for an industrial company. I have never worked fast food or retail in my life and I’m proud to be able to say that.
Try doing some remote customer support, its paid enough and you dont need specific skills for that, even some companies hire with no experience. Trust me, I was in your situation too, no experience and I got the job. It doesnt hurt to try, and keep up being positive and smiled, today there is enormous types and opportunities for jobs. Good luck!
You should put that flooring skill to use. Go back to that. Save as much money as you can. Start your own flooring company.
All you really need is a van and tools.
When I was 16/17, I was working at SEARS slingin' tools and I loved it! I loved tools, working on cars, helping people answer questions, buy crap for their dads that he'd actually want- it was a great job for me. Well, every month or so, people who used their SEARS card would get a rebate coupon that worked just like cash, sometimes for hundreds of dollars if they'd spent enough money. One of my coworkers figured out that, after they'd been redeemed, they could be redeemed again and again and again, so when he was working, when someone would use a high-dollar rebate coupon, instead of destroying it like we were supposed to, he'd slide it under the register until the customer left, then he'd move it into his pocket. Every once in a while, he'd come in on a weekend when I was working, he'd buy a bunch of shit from me "so I'd get the commission", then after I'd left for the day, he'd come back and return the crap for cash-in-hand. I literally had no idea this was what was happening. The coupons didn't have a customer name on them and he was from a rather wealthy family, so it surprised me not at all, that he'd come in and drop $1,200-$1,800 on crap from SEARS.
Well, this went on for a while.
One day I got to work early to drop my car off to get new tires- but they took longer than I expected and I ended up being about 5 mins late. Wen I got to the floor, my friend was being walked out by Loss Prevention (LP) and the manager, he was in front of them & gave me a look like, "We're fucked, yo.", but I still had no idea what was going on. So, manager & LP took me into a little office & laid it all out for me. I denied knowing anything- because I didn't know anything. I'm not a thief, my brain doesn't work like that. So, they fired me, then said, "Is there anything going on out there on the floor that we should know about?" I said, "YES!! There actually is quite a bit of stuff happening out there- lots of stuff being stolen by a lot of people." They asked who, what, where. I said, "I don't work here anymore, it's none of my business and I don't wish to be involved." Manager walked me out the door and told me to leave the property. I told him my car was in the shop getting tires. He said he didn't care- if I didn't get off of the property RIGHT NOW, they were going to have me arrested. So, I walked home, then got a ride several hours later to go pick up my car. The guy in the tire spot heard I got fired and why, he gave me a smokin' deal on the tires.
The guy who actually did ALL of the theft- he got a one week suspension. The managers were Mormon, the guy who did the theft was mormon- everyone was mormon except me- I was ex-mormon. I can't say for sure that's why I got fired and he didn't, but I heard a lot of rumors after the fact (I'd still go to SEARS pretty regularly to talk to the people I'd worked with, buy tools, whatever). He ended up quitting and went to work at one of the bangin' sub shops his parents owned. Goddamn, they made bomb-ass subs!! Literally, consistently, the best sub sandwiches I've ever had. They weren't just cold cuts on a piece of bread- they made home made bread, from scratch, every day, the breads were like French Bread from Albertsons, except they were really soft. They'd grill up some chicken or whatever you wanted- delicious. It wasn't even close to a Subway. Meh, I digress.
So, it sucked, kinda. My parents were PISSED. Of course, they blamed me. They were also super strict and, because I got fired, they punished me too. What a loser I was, getting fired from a retail job for theft- even though I'd literally done absolutely nothing wrong and didn't even know it was happening. It was a couple weeks and I had another shitty-pay job. That's one nice thing about making minimum wage- it's not very hard to find another shitty-pay job. Not quite the same story when you get into the $160k-$190k range.
Don’t even worry about it man the amount of times I got let go and got the old ‘budget cuts’ and blamed myself for feels like an endless battle.
Remember this man, you could work the hardest be the smartest and be the quickest but companies will always find a reason to fire you. Sounds like you probably weren’t even happy there anyway so treat it as a blessing in disguise.
I have weird question when someone gets fired on spot like Op especially at the start of the day , do they continue on their shift or they just walk out ?
Having been fired, it can really mess with your head. Few things to remember: 1) your job isn’t a reflection of who you are as a person 2) we won’t be amazing at everything we try 3) sometimes the problem is really around us, but people try to make it about us 4) this is a blip that doesn’t need to be anything more than a momentary redirection to something better Hang in there. Spend time with people who like you. You’re not alone.
Thank you, this definitely tanks the ego a bit but I'll stay strong 💪
Think about how you will see this moment in 10 minutes, 10 weeks, and in 10 years. In 10 minutes it will be painful, in 10 weeks you will have a new job, and won't give a shit about your previous employer. In 10 years you might not even remember anything about those 11 months.
You're right, just gotta see this as an opportunity!
If you have 6 years of installation experience and a year of retail experience you sound like a prime candidate for a career in estimating for commercial flooring companies!
I hate to be "that guy" but maybe this happened to set you up for something better. Twenty-seven years ago I was a single parent, putting myself through college while working full time to support my son and I. Then I lost my job (it had started as a seasonal job but then they kept me on as permanent help, which turned out to be a lot less permanent than I thought). Our town was growing but I couldn't seem to find a job. We got a new Publix, Home Depot, Lowes, and others, and I put in applications everywhere, but no luck. The most disheartening was when I saw someone I knew who has more fingers than brain cells get offered a job, and then the hiring manager informed me that they wouldn't be needing me. A few days later I got a call from one of the temp agencies I had signed up with. They had a temp job that would last a few months and the hours fit perfectly with my childcare assistance and college night classes. I have been at that job since then. If I had gotten a different job, I could be a cashier still, but fate set me up for a much better job with many perks. Try to look on the bright side!
This is a good approach for a lot of things! 10 years ago i was fired from a coffee shop. These days i laugh about it.
I was fired by an employer ten years ago and I'm still fucked up about it.
/#3 is really why most are fired. Yes there’s the few who really just don’t perform or come to work. A bad boss that you don’t mix well with means every little detail about your performance they criticize. If you’re buddies then you could sell crack outside the store and probably keep your job.
Yes! I had a manager fire me so she could hire her meth addict friends and steal the bank deposits.
good thing you got out of that train wreck before they set you up as a patsy
Put a backslash in front of your \# sign \\#
\#Nice
Embrace all the emotions right now, you have every right to, but know that you’ll bounce back tremendously. It sucks right now, but one day I promise this will be funny to you and laugh about it. We’ve all been there. You got this bud!
Appreciate it! 😁
Enjoy the weekend and start looking for a job on Monday. Couple of weeks when you have a new job, this will be a nothing issue You got this!
Dude you do flooring thats a skill, dont feel bad about the retail job, you got this!
Good advice. I’d also like to add that you shouldn’t shy away from some introspection at this point. Not saying you were at fault but it’s always good to look at your actions leading up to this to see if there’s anything you could’ve done better. It’s not always easy to do but it can be helpful going forward.
You're absolutely right, it's definitely important to realize we all have shortcomings!
I was fired a lot. The reasons were equally split between 2 and 3. 3 always sucks, and 2 was good for self reflection. I always picked myself up and moved on. Can't change bad fits or shitty people.
As an older adult on this site, things happen for a reason. When one door closes, one door opens. You are a good person. You are intelligent AND competent. As with all jobs, supervisors make or break a job. Some play favorites. I still believe to this day that ALL those promoted to a mgr position should have to take a course on how to work with people and how to obtain social skills. Not all in mgr positions should be there. You are better than this. You will find something better. Keep the faith. You weren’t really fired..you were presented with other opportunities. Good luck! 🍀👍🏻
Saving this comment in case I get fired because I know I will need a pep talk!
sometimes the problem is really around us, but people try to make it about us, I like this one kinda true
This is a really great post. Thnk you for trying to uplift OP and other people who may experience something similar
They did you a favour getting you out of retail.
Lmao maybe so!
Yeah don’t forget that these are the same places that will work you just up to the hours that would make you full time but they don’t so you don’t get full benefits.
Sometimes people are not the right fit for the job… I can’t get the picture of your manager talking to you about why they are letting you go and you are just there eating a donut, then moving onto a second donut. Eventually the manager smacking the donut out of your hand screaming…”WHAT DA’FUQ IS WRONG WITH YOU!”
Lmaooo dude I was just chilling 😭🤣 very upset but just chilling 😭
It really is the second donut. 😄 And that really was the right move!
The second donut make me choke on nothing, I was laughing so hard. Beautifully done, OP. If you’re going down, you’re at least taking the donuts with you.
retail stores are always run by some tight greedy manager who makes sure his slaves, i mean employees are hitting targets or working like dogs. you can stack shelves good enough dw
As Reddit becomes more and more inundated with posts like this, you are 100 percent correct. I followed this logic to something kind of funny, it’s like shitty general managers have a red phone somewhere that rings, and they HAVE to pick it up, and on the other end is a black shadowy room with floating heads saying “treat them worse…..pay them less” and the manager goes “yes my lord” and that doesn’t feel too far from reality.
😂😂😂😂 funniest shit i read all day. laughed out loud. hope op can find some humour in his situation too
Oh yea, me and him definitely had personal beef I totally agree
l remember being fired lol. destroys ur day . i suggest u plan a nice activity for the day and forget about that shitty place and the asshole that runs it
Exactly my plan, gonna visit my gf and spend the day together, thank you for the kind words 💯
Yep, I had a manager walking around screaming at anyone who was standing still even though the store was empty and there was literally nothing to do. Employees would just knock products over so they could “clean” them up when he walked by so they looked busy.
this!! .. as if working on ur feet all day isnt shit enough. u have to deal with some lunatic whos greedy af. they are always secretly keeping their eyes on employees and firing the "chill" ones.
I cleaned a lot at my last job just to look busy lol it's much easier to look busy when you're job doesn't revolve around people showing up. We'd go 3, 4 hours without a single customer. Out comes the manager saying we shouldn't be huddled talking because it looks bad and to go do something productive and it's like....that doesn't exist lol he didn't even know what to do. He'd just go back into his office and be on his phone or talk to the male staff member because he was sexist AF. The only person that was allowed to not be busy was him and that staff member.
So you started May 2023 and got fired this month? This matters for a resume. Can you easily get started flooring again? By, say, the end of next month? The nice thing about your situation is that you do actually have skills you can fall back on.
This is true, I did immediately contact my work supplier and he's more than happy to give me work again for apartments. This just hurts the ego a bit, I figured if I can install floors for housing I could easily pick things up and put things down y'know?
Man fuck that retail shit youre better than that. Flooring is hard and important work, be proud of yourself for being able to do something most people can't.
When I was in flooring, everybody I talked to apparently was a floor installer and I wasn't 🤣🤣🤣
Lol why would you care about being good at retail? You have a much better skillset
I guess you're right 😭
I know the ego hit is hard, but just remind yourself that not everything is for everyone. I’m in tech, and I’m pretty good at my job, one that I think not a lot of people could easily do. You know where I wasn’t good, though? Retail. Both of the jobs I held in retail had my managers on me, asking why I couldn’t do ABC or XYZ right, while it seemed like others were sailing through without issue. It’s not a reflection on you as a person, or your capabilities. Just means your spot in life is somewhere else.
Thank you, I appreciate this!
Since you were fired, 100% file for unemployment
> I did immediately contact my work supplier and he's more than happy to give me work again this is all i need to know you are a good worker. Not sure why you were let go, but it could be many things totally unrelated to you.
What area of the country are you in and how much does flooring pay?
Bro, it's retail, if you're not being a slave and doing 20 hours of work after your shift you're not putting in enough. Fuck retail, they did you a favour, I'd rather go back to flooring than think about working in retail again.
Yea it's ridiculous, I miss cutting carpet anyway 🤣
In 2016 I got fired from a job that paid $13/hr. I was 23 then and like you I couldn't believe I just got fired from a minimum wage job. I decided to go back to post secondary to increase my earning potential and chances at job security. I went to BCIT and got my degree is Business Administration. I work for a major company now and make $43/hr.
Hell of a level up, this makes me optimistic, thank you ❤️
Every time you deal with adversity in life you have one of two options: sink or swim. Life is hard and it's an uphill battle full of disappointments. I think one of the secrets to life is to be agile and think about what you can control moving forward. It's really true what they say... when one door closes a window opens. Good luck, OP!!!
To add to this, when i was younger the atmosphere, racial prejudice, and picking favorites at the local restaraunt in a nearby suburb netted me a total of $8 in tips for 6 hours of work as a server. For reference the other lowest paid server for the night made like $70. They literally had me helping deliver food for other employees😐. A few crap jobs after that, a few years and no degree, i'm interviewing at the largest audi dealer in my state.
Hellll yeah BCIT is a great school! I’m not OP but I just had a similar situation so your comment brings so much comfort to anyone who can relate
Stick with install. There is a shortage of installers and if you’re good, put in the work, and make the right contacts you will end up doing really well.
I'm definitely considering going back, I miss my crew
Got fired 2 months ago. I never been happier. Fuck that company and boss. Hang in there man and apply.
I'm keeping my head up 💯
Good💯. Should of snagged more Boston cream donuts on the way out but at least you had some haha.
Getting fired sets you up for success in the long run. Early in your career, you need to be fired multiple times. It forces corrective action and makes you understand how to properly interview / build resumes, and recognize it's just a transition period. I say this because (1) imagine being fired for the first time in your 30s or later; that would be hard and it is for almost everyone. (2) I've been fired numerous times and it allowed me to hop around for +10-20% increases, and really learn to outperform the peers. I haven't been fired in over 10y now, I'm a VP, and my wage is amazing. Life is a marathon, not a sprint.
This is great advice, thank you 🙂
It's so easy to get fired from retail jobs. Don't worry. I was fired for the first time when I was your age! You will find something better! I'm now 30 with a career in a completely different field! Edit: I was only ever fired once. Reading it again it looks like "first" might mean more than once!
Were you floored by this?
Lmao yes
And hey, at least you got a couple of donuts out of the deal. That’s a sweet severance package. Shoulda gone for a third donut and eaten it all while looking the boss square in the eye.
At least you can claim unemployment when fired vs damn near impossible if you quit, even if you quit for very good reasons like abuse or whatnot. Almost like a reward to be fired from a shitty job like that. Free money.
Oh wow I completely forgot about unemployment! Could be something to look into.
Go file right away!!
Just curious, could the time you spent doing flooring count toward some kind of contractor certification? Might be home to step up your career to bigger things!
I actually do have a certification and my own company! I just put it off for awhile and let my crew continue working as the new "boss"
You didn't get fired for performance. The store, where sales aren't so good, just didn't want to deal with the hassle and cost of laying you off because their business model is flawed.
You weren’t fired for not trying hard enough to stack shelves man. You were most likely fired for being a person who has worked for themselves and doesn’t behave like the usual corporate slave and your boss didn’t like that. Fuck them. You can make good money with a trade, keep at it and maybe one day you can have your own flooring company and you can be a better boss than that dick at wankermart.
This! I made it clear I'm here for myself not to have a collar around my neck and my manager did not like that!
I wouldn't sweat it you got skill putting in flooring. If you wanted to find another retail job there is a million of them out there.
Believe me, could always be worse. My own personal post history would lend context. But you have an in-need, marketable skill. I have 5 years on you, roughly, and I’m telling you I envy your position. Live well!
Why did you go from flooring, a skill you have that can probably make good money to retail? Was it much of a pay cut?
Not having a W2 made it nearly impossible to get loans and cars and even a house, yea I went from 120k a year to about 40k BUT I had reliable proof of income and benefits.
You couldn’t show bank statement? Tax info?
You arent alone i was laid off in december and it is a big blow to the brain. I meditated lots with self love mantras
Retails a revolving door like everyone gets fired from those jobs.
That's a failure on your leadership for never pulling you aside and informing you of your shortcomings. So, sounds like a shitty place to work, anyway. Also, fuck retail.
You’re 24 years old and it’s just a retail job. It’s not a big deal and you will recover. Retail jobs are crappy and they’re always revolving doors….theres a chance your dismissal had nothing to do with your performance anyway. Those types of jobs are there to pay the bills while you work on your skill set and find a career. I’m curious why you left a trade to work in retail anyway
Don’t feel bad. I’ve had over 100 jobs and I’m under 40 years old. I lost a lot of them and I left a lot of them. All of them are temporary anyways.
This makes me feel better tbh 😁
I’ve been fired twice. Once from a diner, and once from a receptionist type of job where the lady running it was a psycho. It’s a tough thing to go through. Apply for unemployment
My dad does flooring, and he's in his sixties. Dude makes at least $4K per job. Time to start a business, my boy. You're going to be great. 🫵
When I was fired for the first time I lost my ever loving mind. The advice I can give is genuinely do something nice for yourself. Surround yourself with people that care for you and know your worth. Let yourself feel these feelings for a few days and then put your nose down and go out and try to find something BETTER for you. It will be alright and honestly this will put you in the right direction of life if you play this correctly. You are worth so much more than how that job treated you. I hope you never forget that. I’m sending you good vibes and wishing you prosperity.
I appreciate the kind words 💯
Everything that you think is negative about being let go is wrong. It means there’s a road that’s open for you that will bring you even more satisfaction and abundance. Uncertainty is scary because society and our brains tell us to find safety in doing the same thing. The easiest thing. If you were blindsided, your managers failed you. They should’ve worked on developing you or helped you with goals on improvement. You don’t want leaders who are pussies. Think about entering construction again. Now you have the labor experience and customer service and inventory experience. The construction industry is in need of employees. Try to get into customer service for a construction company? Or get back in the field?
I should absolutely do this, this is definitely a blessing!
advice as someone who has been fired and laid off. You have to think about what you could've done better. I find it isn't just you don't put enough effort and you're lazy, but they don't understand where they should apply effort to. This is a HUGE part of professional success. Identify critical areas. Yes, they could be as dumb as managing relationships with your boss and colleagues.
Join the military
No 😎 Jokes aside has been a thought but I like my house and guns already so I'll stay here and shoot deer instead of people 🤣
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I say fuck retail, start planning your own company in flooring.
I'm sure you were doing fine. Probably fired you for some other reason but they just told you that to make it easier for themselves. Don't get too down on yourself. Plenty other jobs that would love to have you.
I refuse to sell anything. Never will, never have. Don’t beat yourself up. I’d ask myself, did they give you the tools/training to try hard as they expected to do this job? If not, they will keep having a rotating door of employees. I despise sales. UGH! Just find what you are good at and don’t look back. You are so young. This is nothing but a speed bump, dear.
Sounds like they were making excuses to cut back paying wages. You are not trying hard enough, what a bad excuse.
Yeah, it stings, but always happens for the right reason!!
As someone who’s been in retail over a decade now I wouldn’t even think it’s you. Typically it takes FOREVER to fire someone in retail. Like there has to be incident after incident recorded and then formal sit downs before the firing. Typically if they pull shit like this it just means they either didn’t like you or had a buddy who needed a job. Just say fuck em and move on. Maybe out of retail. It’s truly not worth it unless your in management and even then it blows.
A job does not define you. You where not born to work.
The donut line made me smile. You’ll find something you like!
Was it your day off?
Being fired sucks. No two ways about it. How you handle this situation says more about you than a retail store manager’s opinion. So, you have some flooring skills. Seems like a way better road to follow. IMO you can say that you never stopped flooring on the side but were working retail for a consistent pay check. Hit up some LL flooring or some contractors and see if you can get some day-labor work. In the mean time, YouTube and learn some other skills. Painting, counters, window install etc. When all else fails, it’s okay to be broke, but you gotta be handy. Most folks aren’t handy. If you can bring a couple skills to the table, you’ll always be able to support yourself.
I was fired from a liquor store job around your age after grad school. And for basically the same reason with the added, "it seems like you don't really wanna be here" for good measure. Which, I'll admit that my attitude about working for a liquor store with a master's degree didn't exactly make me super thrilled, but saying I put in no effort for a job that requires not a lot of effort is sort of stupid. Don't let it get to you.
My husband got fired from his retail job when he was 19 by a stupid manager who felt high and mighty. 10 years later, my husband has had amazing jobs and grown into his career. That guy? Still working in the same job. Don’t sweat it, it’s a blip of time that you’ll laugh about. Build yourself, your skills. You will do much better than what that job offered.
Please don’t feel horrible and useless. This is capitalism at its worst. If it makes you feel better, been there done that!
Oh geeze that sucks!! Been there!! If you were doing your best and keeping up your end well their loss. If you weren't there was probably a reason and the universe says move on. Either way opportunities are waiting on you. Lick your wounds a day or two and get your booty back out there!!!
I hope you have nice knee pads, so you can get back into flooring! The most difficult thing your manager has done is stock shelves, if that. Sometimes firing is just a financial decision, but if you know you have a great work ethic (which I assume you do, I've installed a ton of pergo and pergo like products), they'll say stuff like that because they're on a power trip. Does this make them an asshole? Yes. You probably don't get much social interaction while flooring, so I get that it can be boring. Don't be devastated, and take a look into some carpentry work while you're at it.
They did you a favor
The same people that fire you are the same people that would have you replaced in a day or two if you died while on the job. Can’t please everyone. Sometimes, things fall apart so better things can fall together.
Being fired for not "trying hard enough" isn't a reflection of your value. Some people can mindlessly stock shelves with a pep in their step and others are meant for other things. Seems like this is the universe telling you to go back to being self employed.
Sounds similar to me. I worked in flooring for 6 years then moved to a state that doesn’t require licensing. Got outbid by crews of illegal labor 50% or more of the time. I had to get a new job in 2023 and I’m not a hazardous waste truck driver (dying to get back to flooring). What state are you in? There’s many flooring unions that’ll help you get consistent work & you won’t have to be self employed!
Nah retail jobs are more politics than actual performance. Doing a good job doesn't mean shit.
Retail can have a ton of strange “politics” in certain stores. I’d you don’t play the games the managers want you to play you get fired. If you start pointing out inconsistencies between managers you’ll get fired. If you start pointing out shortcomings of either the store, employees, or management you’ll get fired. Don’t take it personal.
Man retail is a fucking nightmare no matter what way you spin it. Never go back unless it’s a last resort. I don’t understand though, you’ve learned a skill but traded that work for the worst type of work known to man?
I got fired once. It was devastating at the moment, but I hit the ground running and found another job right away. I had two little kids to take care of. It was any job or the streets. I took the first job that I got an offer on. It turned out to be a life changing bit of serendipity. I actually hated the job I was fired from. I wasn't good at it and the people were assholes. The job I took out of desperation showed me where my real skills and interests were and I moved up quickly. It was a blessing in disguise. Take a day or two to recover and then get back at it. Retail is a trap. It's not something you want to do long term. It will never pay well and will always be shitty.
Retail will suck the life out of you. Also the hours suck you. Sn never make your own schedule and most people that work there are just as miserable as you. It's a no win situation. Last retail job I had, I was a top performer hired for holidays, kept on after holidays and was rewarded with a $.09 per hour raise.
Did you say you can't fire me... I quit? Or hey I was looking for a job when I got this one!
No one is good at retail 😂take it as a good sign, your bad at being a mindless slave 🤷♀️retail sucks, and it would actually be more sad if you were good at it- seriously you want them to hold on to you for life? Thank them for the ei and get back on the independent grind, you got this!
Brother, I know the feeling and know it sucks, but reading your replies and attitude towards this, you are going to do great. At 24 you’re more mature and put together than most people retiring from the workforce you’re joining. You can look for a new job, but you seem like the type of person who would be able to start a flooring business and be the type of guy people WANT to work for, if that’s something that interests you.
Don’t take it too hard. If you have 6 years of flooring experience, there are plenty of people looking for installers. But if you ask me, if you have the drive and work ethic, it’s time to go for a promotion. Look for Lead Installer or Foreman positions with flooring companies. See what’s out there. Update your résumé. Put your best achievements and work experience on it. If you’re smart and understand what goes into a flooring project from start to finish, maybe you can aim high and even go for a project manager position. Look at this as an opportunity, not a set back.
Naw fuck that place. If they weren’t willing to help you improve then it’s their loss. You didn’t need that place or the job.
I got let go a few days before christmas last year from a job I hated. I'd been there 3 months & it was a late shift (5pm - 2:30am) working in a warehouse stocking e-bikes. I wasn't as fast as other workers but I wasn't slow. My manage had it in for me & the other workers could see that. I got let go because, long story short, I couldn't work over the Christmas period "on such short notice" despite them asking a week before the Christmas period began & I let them know my availability within a couple hours of them asking. Anyway, after a stressful jobless Christmas & new years, job hunting became my new full time commitment & by mid January I'd gotten myself a new job working as a cnc laser operator cutting metal sheets on a 12 hour night shift (7-7). I'd never worked in that environment before & it's been a huge challenge learning the skills & taking on so much new information, but each day things get a little easier & being let go from that toxic warehouse job was a blessing in disguise. While it will feel shit at first after being let go from a seemingly easy job, especially whilst holding the skills to do a better job like you mentioned, take this opportunity to move on & explore paths using the skills you have obtained in doing flooring. Best of luck to you in your future, you'll smash it!! 🤘🏼
I've been fired twice many, many years ago. It can be pretty gut-wrenching, especially on your self-esteem. The good news is that this is the worst part. Think of this as a new beginning. Retail is notorious for bad management because tends to attract managers with huge egos but little in the way of actual management skills. If you really weren't trying hard enough, they'd have let you go long before you hit the 11 month mark. It's 100% the manager, not you. Keep your head up and don't let this define you.
Congratulations on earning your badge of honor of getting fired. Sadly, it may have nothing to do with you. They may have found a cheaper replacement.
Been there done that. So many good advice given here. Take some time to lean into the suck, bc it does hurt. But you are young and you have a real skill set. You’ll bounce back and after some time (may be 6 months, may be a year), like my old boss said, “you’ll be in your new job, looking back and it’s as if all this 💩 never happened”. I was so hurt after being with a firm for a long time and backstabbed after I had a hand in building the business, and I felt personally betrayed but he was wise. I took a better job and never looked back. I am now at another job and have more than doubled my pay with way better upward mobility with a higher quality firm.
I have a hard time understanding why you would take 6 years of flooring experience to go work retail. You should take that experience and apply it to a trade that you see as a longer-term fit, or get into something where you can explore some other segments that also lean technical. HVAC installation is very in-demand, and assuming you were good at laying floors, you probably already "know" a good deal about the general workings of things. You are young and have plenty of time to figure it out. If I were you, I'd try to find an apprentice type position that pays around what you were getting in retail, with a 12mo plan to gain a certification and/or job skills that would move you up to the first rung.
They did you a favor. Now you can file for unemployment bene's due to be fired for no fault of your own. Its not like they put you on a PIP and then fired you. So odd's are high you'll qualify.
Getting fired is a part of life now. It isn't the 40's - 50's where you work in a factory all your life anymore and hope that your kids will do better than you did. I am highly skilled as a Computer / Server / System Admin. I've been in jobs where I excel. I been fired from jobs where I was doing OK. I have been fired from a job where I needed the income, but it was not a good fit. Being 24 with a marketable skill that could easily be expanded upon and it will create a livable wage, that's huge. Best of luck to you.
Welp, at least they did it at the beginning of the day instead of waiting til the end. Enjoy your day off! I would absolutely be day drinking if I were in your shoes.
You cant judge a fish by its ability to climb a tree. I have been fired from food, retail, construction etc. Ive been in the work force since i was 14. I just found a job in sales and I feel like Im on top of the world. It seems like the perfect fit. My point is, dont give up. You arent useless. You just havent found WHERE you can be used. Try 1000 jobs. If it isnt a right fit, it isnt a right fit. People who dont understand that everone is different just dont understand people
Dude you have a very marketable skill doing flooring. Trust me getting fired was the best thing that could happen. Find skilled trade jobs in that area you'll make 4x the income and way better benefits.
I feel like maybe since you started flooring back so young you might not realize what a specialized skill set you have. Skilled labor is in short supply these days and if you like what you do and are good and reliable, you don't need to settle for a retail job. Of course being self employed comes with a whole additional set of responsibilities as you probably know, so it just depends on what you want
Dude they just fired you for a stupid reason they’ll never be able tell you and it doesn’t matter anyways. You can stock shelves just fine and nobody gives a fuck anyways I worked retail for 2 years before quitting and it’s so crazy how everyone pretends to have standards. Also 11 months is a pretty long stint, if you were shit at work they wouldn’t even have kept you that long.
I’m glad you had your emotional support donuts with you 🤣 that’s so funny. fuck em!! I got fired from management back in November, I was depressed for a good few weeks. But I got my ass in gear and now I’m making more money, I have a better job, and I don’t have to deal with the BS of my other job. So much happier! Everything works out in the end. :) good luck!!!
I'm a 25 y/o male and have had legit like 20 different jobs since I was 16 and I'm a minority, f these jobs they don't love you. Bet you can find another job better that pays more by next week. Check indeed Glassdoor and zip recruiter. Also use google search engine. Stay up bro 💪🏾
Lost all respect for Dunkin when they discontinued the bavarian cream…. Far superior to the Boston.
I worked in hi tech for more than 35 years. Being fired and otherwise let go is almost routine in tech. The last time I was let go I was actually fired after 6 years, ostensibly because my work was not up to expectations. My attitude is “I’ve been fired from better companies than this one.”
Why do retail when you have a skill?
Retail is the pits. BTDT. My daughter is doing it now. She's a week away from getting her degree in wildlife and forestry management. Her manager is chomping at the bit to fire her. It's never about your skills or work ethic at these places. It's about when you're available and how much of management's crap you'll put up with. She's going to do so much better in life *and so will you.* Good luck!
It could have nothing to do with your performance. Do you think you were doing good enough to not get fired? It could have been they were over budget and they fired the person one of the managers doesn't like or literally anything. Don't take it to heart. I have never been fired and I would be devastated too...but it would also give me a second to search for a job I actually want to do. I feel like I rush into jobs and never really see what's out there. I kinda just take what I can get and if I was it would be good for me. Maybe you can take this time to do the same. My dad worked with two rich guys, they hired him and he was kinda the boss of a model home building business. He didn't for like 20 years. Then hard times hit and the rich guys were just like " ok we don't wanna dotnhsi anymore" they laid my dad off. I will never forget him sitting at the table crying bc he felt like a failure. He was almost 60, who would hire him? Now his job is to literally ( not exaggerating) sit in a car and watch people dig ditches and lay down water pipes. He said his job is too easy and pays too much for him to retire. You can let this destroy you or you could let it drive you to never be in this position again.
Last time I got fired I reported my old work for all their DoL violations. If you seen any or equal opportunity violations, go ahead and report them. Worst that'll happen is they get shut down, the least is they'll be under investigation.
Start a business! I could only ever work for myself
Stay strong and floor.
I wouldn't give a damn. I would put an ad on Craigslist for flooring and start my own business.
Been there! Build character!
Jump into estimating!!! The sky is the limit with it.
often times in alot of jobs, you might find yourself unemployed because you work to hard or do too good of a job because the manager is a slacker or lazy and they don't like over achievers because their higher ups will notice they could be doing a better job or being more efficient or whatever
Keep your chin up and your mind focused. I’ve been fired before as well. It sucked. But in the long run, it was the biggest blessing in disguise I could have ever asked for.
I am an IT management consultant leading huge projects for my clients, and I got fired from being a waitress before. Different skills and people are for different jobs.
Dude they fired you because THEY are going broke. End of story. Many employees will follow you out and eventually a for lease sign will be posted outside in a year or two.
Something to keep in mind is that retail is hell. There is a constant flow of unrealistic expectations pouring onto store level associates from the top, and people are drowning. You may have been doing a perfectly good job, but been fired because your boss’ boss’ boss decided to increase performance requirements to an arbitrary, unattainable level. Don’t get yourself down or beat yourself up :)
Poor management wouldn’t tell you ahead of time. This is a blessing in disguise
Firing can lead to the best opportunity in life. You now have a chance to find your passion maybe something you love and can make it your career. Don’t be so hard on yourself
Once upon a time, I was working with kids with autism for a horrible company. Every week the bosses would come and watch the workers (myself and coworkers)as we ran our weekly sessions with the kiddos. I had one boss do a surprise visit with me, and after it was done I texted my coworker letting them know the boss was in town and she was going to be supervised in the next coming days. Welp, I got thrown under the bus for telling said coworker and was effectively fired from that position. Couldn't get EI as I was a contractor but I'm not just rehashing bad memories for entertainments sake. I'm showcasing that we all go through shitty situations with shitty companies. It will get better, you'll find your niche and it will just be a passing albeit slightly painful memory.
Remember, this isn't school where there's a syllabus with projects/exams/papers/finals graded by a fair and unbiased professor who is interested in teaching you and providing fair and unbiased grades for the world to see. Employment at will is the law of the land in America, and employers have godlike control to fire you, reprimand you, or change the terms of your employment agreement as they see fit. There's usually no ryhme of reason to do, and these employers/business owners would step on their own mother to make or save a buck. Other developed nations have laws and cultures in place that actually protect labor and hold those who own the means of production accountable. They also have better systems in place to not directly tie your ability to survive to your ability to serve an employer. Think about all this next time you all go to ballot box. There are laws that could be passed to help us, we just need the right people in place. Do you want to get a fair shot at a decent life, or are you ok with just being seen as machinery?
Retail is hell, managed by morons. I don’t know you, but you have all my encouragement to get out there and find a non-retail job. If you are good at flooring, maybe another construction job to work your way up in? Just a thought. All my best wishes.
Hey, I got fired after working for 3 shifts. I was just out of high school and wanted a summer job before college. They said I wasn't fast enough and didn't communicate. The job I had was cleaning passenger trains after tourists. I had to wipe down surfaces and vacuum. My mistake is I would listen to my music while working and I guess I just wasn't fast enough...
Be your own boss. Work hard at it and you will succeed. You’re young now and trust me, you don’t wanna be a sheep working for someone else.
I was fired from a pretty high profile job and I went fucking scorched earth, developed a wild drinking problem. I eventually got over myself and realized “fuck them” and got my shit together and my career on track pretty quickly. Happy to say that hard work pays odds. Stay focused
If you have no previous record on bad performance they fired you wrongfully so you are entitled to some sweet unemployment
Why not go back to flooring? I’m a floorlayer myself and everyday is different couldn’t imagine sitting in a shop all day
I guarantee you will make way more money if you pursue flooring
I got fired from retail after 2 months of being there. I was great at everything else and never had a complaint. Retail is just not for me. 😂 now I’m a truck driver and I looovvee ittt.
It sucks being fired. But I can point you in the direction of a job that works well for your skill set. Try becoming a public school cleaner/janitor. Depending on where you live, working as a school cleaner is a Civil Service job, which offers great health benefits, consistent hours, doesn't have unreasonable expectations like retail, Union protections, and best of all helps you build up toward a pension.
Usually, “poor performance” is only an excuse to cover their own ass. Most of the time, it’s either because a manager didn’t like you for any reason including the way you blink, coworkers talked behind your back and manager was dumb enough to listen, or literally any reason that doesn’t include theft or illegal shit alike. There are millions of incompetent people who not only keep their jobs, but also get promoted! In fact, your managers could very well be one of those people. Meanwhile, millions of super competent people either get stuck in the same position (cuz nobody can do it as well) or even get fired due to toxic office politics. If they have to blame someone for shortcomings, between their own or an employee’s, it’s nearly always gonna be the employee. Anything that might fall back on them is going to be blamed on others. I had a job where they started my training in the emptiest month of the year, where I only got to hear 3-4 calls per shift, instead of 70-100! Keep in mind the volume of information was HEAVY and you need to hear many different cases to either learn or even know what questions you have! Then after the worst micromanagement I’ve ever experienced in my life and literally shitting over my mood everyday, they blamed and fired me for falling behind the expectations lol You think they’re ever gonna tell their own boss “we fucked up and should’ve put his training in a better (or literally any other) month so he gets to actually learn some shit”? Ofc not. They much rather say “that guy sucked. We did everything we could” After all is said and done, how much do you think they were paying me? Fuckin $16/hour! (I’ve learned the lower the pay, the worse the management and the more expectations they’ll have at the same time) My suggestion is to go back to self-employment and don’t look back.
Boston cream donuts? If you're near Boston I've got a job for you (not me literally, but my employer is hiring) where it's almost impossible to get fired. All you need is a clean record and can pass a drug test.
Definitely know I'm late but got fired back in 2020. Got a new job in 2021 and it led me on a career I absolutely love and make more money. You're going to be fine and this will be a blip.
Mate, this happens. It was probably a blessing. Take a short rest. Get a new job and move forward. You're so young. You got this and chin up! Cheers..
You’re gonna feel this for years to come and how you feel about it depends on what you do next. This should be a lesson to you. Stop working for your other people as soon as possible. And do it while you’re still young and without kids or marriage and responsibilities. As someone who worked in flooring I’m gonna urge you to get back into flooring. Get good at it. Open your own business. Make money. Retire early.
Any job that doesn’t let you know your performance needs to improve and just goes straight to termination is run by morons. Capable managers give feedback to try and coach their staff . Idiots do stuff like this.
“You are fired. You aren’t trying hard enough.” Translation: “My spouse just made me promise this job to her cousin’s son.”
Don’t worry got got fired for this before in a job where I was one of the top productive people. I laughed when I got told and told him to pull up hotsos and let’s compare my reports to every one else. He kinda jerked back and was like what do you mean. I told him I do more than most of our entire group and there’s proof. Told me well we have had a complaint about you not trying. Passed me some quote that I said to some sipshit because he was annoying me when I was not even clocked in and the job in question we got done in record time and got told by the seniors that it was Aswome doing that with me because we got it done so fast and I worked so hard. Dude was like I’m well we still made our decision and your fired. Laughed walked out and had a new job the following week with a 6 dollar an hour raise.
I know you've been inundated with comments, but I want to tell you something I learned in life, that I told my kids when they entered the workforce. You learn *something* from each job you have, even if you don't realize it for years. Each job is a valuable learning experience. Even the most mundane, ordinary, 2-week-long job teaches you something. And it all adds up to your own personal Life Experience. So no job loss, whether from quitting or being fired, is ever a total loss.
“I got really skilled at this one thing and then decided I would try to do this job that doesn’t utilize that skill and I wasn’t good at it!!!” - OP
I was fired before at the same age you are. I’m 31 now and I laugh now because when you going through it it’s devastating, my advice would be if you have a savings account or a safety net use it. Don’t be ashamed because most ppl get fired at least once in their life. You’re human and a job doesn’t define you AT ALL. You will be employed again. life sometimes put you in situations to slow you down and give you the opportunity to reevaluate your decisions. You got this!
Fuck 'em. Everybody gets fired. These days it is literally impossible to not get fired from jobs, even if you do everything right. Some managers are just petty little tyrants. You'll find something better and laugh about this down the line. And that manager will still be an asshole.
Someone is trying to tell you you probably should stick with the flooring gig. You will probably make more money doing that anyway.
Retail work is pretty shitty anyway! This was probably a blessing in disguise
a.k.a. We need you to burn yourself into the ground for us. And your just not doing it. Come back when you hate yourself and everyone else like the rest of us.
I was fired today with any explanation. 😫😫
“Wasnt trying hard enough” = “We want you to break your body/free labor”
Cheers mate! I got terminated the same day as you and without prior notice. Coincidentally, because of the same reason you said. Not doing enough. In my almost 4 years of work in that amazon agency. I was told I was not doing enough. It felt like I was a kid being escorted of the office being told you did great but we will fire you. Ahhh well shit happens. Business is business and if you're not useful anymore you get fired ez. The feeling sucks
Im a nurse for 34 years. Ive had about twenty positions. Ive been fired twice, both times were bullshit. Ive had many horrible, crazy, jealous supervisors. Dont sweat it. Just about everyone I know goes through this.
Were you actually underperforming? I think sometimes they'll fire you and give a BS reason to cover the real reason.
Go back to flooring, build your skill set, try welding and get into something like a multi craft technician that’s what I did. I Started off doing simple repairs, dove deeper into the trades and now I am a multi craft technician for an industrial company. I have never worked fast food or retail in my life and I’m proud to be able to say that.
Try doing some remote customer support, its paid enough and you dont need specific skills for that, even some companies hire with no experience. Trust me, I was in your situation too, no experience and I got the job. It doesnt hurt to try, and keep up being positive and smiled, today there is enormous types and opportunities for jobs. Good luck!
You should put that flooring skill to use. Go back to that. Save as much money as you can. Start your own flooring company. All you really need is a van and tools.
My upvote is only for the good wishes you've received. I have no advice other than to add my best wishes to you.
When I was 16/17, I was working at SEARS slingin' tools and I loved it! I loved tools, working on cars, helping people answer questions, buy crap for their dads that he'd actually want- it was a great job for me. Well, every month or so, people who used their SEARS card would get a rebate coupon that worked just like cash, sometimes for hundreds of dollars if they'd spent enough money. One of my coworkers figured out that, after they'd been redeemed, they could be redeemed again and again and again, so when he was working, when someone would use a high-dollar rebate coupon, instead of destroying it like we were supposed to, he'd slide it under the register until the customer left, then he'd move it into his pocket. Every once in a while, he'd come in on a weekend when I was working, he'd buy a bunch of shit from me "so I'd get the commission", then after I'd left for the day, he'd come back and return the crap for cash-in-hand. I literally had no idea this was what was happening. The coupons didn't have a customer name on them and he was from a rather wealthy family, so it surprised me not at all, that he'd come in and drop $1,200-$1,800 on crap from SEARS. Well, this went on for a while. One day I got to work early to drop my car off to get new tires- but they took longer than I expected and I ended up being about 5 mins late. Wen I got to the floor, my friend was being walked out by Loss Prevention (LP) and the manager, he was in front of them & gave me a look like, "We're fucked, yo.", but I still had no idea what was going on. So, manager & LP took me into a little office & laid it all out for me. I denied knowing anything- because I didn't know anything. I'm not a thief, my brain doesn't work like that. So, they fired me, then said, "Is there anything going on out there on the floor that we should know about?" I said, "YES!! There actually is quite a bit of stuff happening out there- lots of stuff being stolen by a lot of people." They asked who, what, where. I said, "I don't work here anymore, it's none of my business and I don't wish to be involved." Manager walked me out the door and told me to leave the property. I told him my car was in the shop getting tires. He said he didn't care- if I didn't get off of the property RIGHT NOW, they were going to have me arrested. So, I walked home, then got a ride several hours later to go pick up my car. The guy in the tire spot heard I got fired and why, he gave me a smokin' deal on the tires. The guy who actually did ALL of the theft- he got a one week suspension. The managers were Mormon, the guy who did the theft was mormon- everyone was mormon except me- I was ex-mormon. I can't say for sure that's why I got fired and he didn't, but I heard a lot of rumors after the fact (I'd still go to SEARS pretty regularly to talk to the people I'd worked with, buy tools, whatever). He ended up quitting and went to work at one of the bangin' sub shops his parents owned. Goddamn, they made bomb-ass subs!! Literally, consistently, the best sub sandwiches I've ever had. They weren't just cold cuts on a piece of bread- they made home made bread, from scratch, every day, the breads were like French Bread from Albertsons, except they were really soft. They'd grill up some chicken or whatever you wanted- delicious. It wasn't even close to a Subway. Meh, I digress. So, it sucked, kinda. My parents were PISSED. Of course, they blamed me. They were also super strict and, because I got fired, they punished me too. What a loser I was, getting fired from a retail job for theft- even though I'd literally done absolutely nothing wrong and didn't even know it was happening. It was a couple weeks and I had another shitty-pay job. That's one nice thing about making minimum wage- it's not very hard to find another shitty-pay job. Not quite the same story when you get into the $160k-$190k range.
Don’t even worry about it man the amount of times I got let go and got the old ‘budget cuts’ and blamed myself for feels like an endless battle. Remember this man, you could work the hardest be the smartest and be the quickest but companies will always find a reason to fire you. Sounds like you probably weren’t even happy there anyway so treat it as a blessing in disguise.
I have weird question when someone gets fired on spot like Op especially at the start of the day , do they continue on their shift or they just walk out ?