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To move forward after you’ve been terminated? I’d say find peace within yourself & see it as God (or whom you believe in) removing you out of a bad situation. They don’t owe you an explanation IMO. Tip: sometimes it just a business decision & no hard feelings.
It doesn’t really sound like you were the one the burned a bridge in this situation. And what are you looking for that makes you want to reach out to them? Would you trust these people for a recommendation or referral in the future?
The manager is interesting. I’ve been told if you need to let someone go, be really clear and upfront with the reasons (not doing so can lead to the person creating their own narrative and could lead to lawsuits if they believe they were let go unfairly). I don’t think it sounds worth trying to reach out to them. Maybe some of your peers that reached out would be able to shed some light, but is there really an answer they could give you that would make this situation better?
I’d try moving on without this closure. Your next company won’t know about this, so you don’t need the validation from them to prove yourself to a future employer, just try to go into the next position knowing you’re going to knock it out of the park!
You might not know what the final decision was based on, but didn’t you mention that they did a PIP for you? What were you asked to improve on in that PIP? And have examples ready to go about what you’ve improved. For example, time management, you could say some feedback I received was about my time management, I started using a different program or organizing myself in such and such way to improve.
I don’t think you should feel like you have to explain yourself, but they probably have termination paperwork on file that lists the reason(s) they let you go, so it’s more something to be mindful of.
It depends what you’re looking to do, so it’s a little difficult to give specific advice. But if the goal is to work at this company and you want to make connections with people in different departments, you could reach out and say I worked at blank company for a short time, blank job wasn’t a good fit, but I loved blank about the company and wanted to connect in case positions opened up on your team and I can contribute blank to helping do whatever the department does
And also no, I don’t (personally) think people need to explain their time off. For the people I interview, I might ask more as a talking point to connect with someone, but I don’t know if it would make or break someone’s chances for a position. But also the positions I hire for wouldn’t really benefit from volunteer work or advanced degrees or certifications, it might make more of a difference for other positions or in different industries
I’m sorry you had to experience something like that, OP. Did they at all say anything about why you were let go? How did it go down? I would try to move on without contacting them as it could just open a can of worms and get you even more disappointed. Sometimes it’s not worth knowing. Have you found employment now? Focus on your strengths and who you are - know you can always improve - but you don’t need a past employer or job or title to validate who you are! You got this.
If you reach out, be ready to not get the outcome/answer you’re hoping for.
I am very sorry for your unfair termination.
It’s okay to feel sad about losing your job, but not wallow on it. Accept that this is a situation you couldn’t control. You can control in how you let this experience hold you back or not. The sooner you accept the loss vs wondering about the unfairness or how much better things would have been if it didn’t happen, the sooner you can pick up and find a new job again. Do not give up hope that you will find a new job with a team and boss who value you.
Try not to beat yourself up about this. In tough times I write down a list of things I’m grateful for so that there’s no room for anger in my heart.
What did they say when they terminated you? Usually the conversation includes a reason but not a lot of details (ex. layoffs or performance). Unless they really said nothing about reason and you need it for something like unemployment forms, you’re unlikely to get any additional information. Companies are typically careful about trying to say enough to be clear and avoid lawsuits, but not so much that it opens an in-the-weeds conversation/dispute and also could lead to lawsuits.
That’s actually very helpful! Thank you for sharing.
For me, if there was any explanation, it did seem like my supervisor had a lot of pressure placed on her. The CEO often deferred to her for anything involving our department. I just wished that there was some honesty. I can’t help but to think that they could have let me go instead of firing me..
OP seems like you have the reason they let you go, and contacting them won’t get you any more information. I know this must be extremely tough, but you can overcome this. Be angry with them, be sad, be hurt. Feel those emotions, it’s all valid. But don’t dare let a company define who YOU are or what you are capable of. If this was a prestigious firm, be proud of the fact you got there - and have no doubt you can reach new heights and do it again. Sometimes experiences like this are a blessing in disguise - you probably dodged a bullet with your ex-manager. If this is the space you want to work, it’s good you have the direction. Give yourself space and time to feel what you need to feel, but hold yourself in high regard and don’t blame yourself.
I have a feeling that they have somewhat of an idea that what they did was wrong. One of my co-workers reached out and provided a recommendation for me on LinkedIn. Two others also checked almost immediately after. Two others added me on LinkedIn maybe about a month after it happened. I haven’t said anything because the entire situation was genuinely traumatic for me and I’m trying to heal from it all.
I felt so isolated while working there and never got the chance to show what I could do. It seemed like everyone believed what my direct supervisor might have been saying about me. I’m not the type of person to burn a bridge but I also don’t know how to navigate an unexpected situation like this.
Move on. They aren’t worth any single second more from you.
I was previously fired from a role without much of an explanation. I had multiple bosses and one hired me and worked closely with me, and the other never interviewed me, didn’t seem to like that I was hired, generally made my life harder by changing my scope… I could go on forever but the whole experience was rough. Especially being so young at the time I so badly wanted to prove I could be amazing at whatever was thrown my way.
All this to say, I understand the idea of needing ‘closure’ because it can definitely be jarring to be terminated in this way. Do your best to move on, they’re not worth the stress. In my situation I tried my best to analyze what the red flags were in the hiring process and worked to better my interview skills so I had a better idea of what I was getting into when I was looking for my next role.
I’m sorry you’re going through this tough time!