Let go after spending 6 months in a soul-crushing, toxic environment. My attorney left, and his last day was my last day. I was given 2 weeks severance and told I "wasn't a good fit." It was not about my work product.
I feel like I have PTSD and would love to hear good come-back stories.

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You’re freeeeee!!! This is a blessing, even if it doesn’t feel like it. I was let go on the eve of coming back from maternity leave. 4 months later, I’m partner at a firm that fits me. I definitely have trauma from the old firm but it’s getting better. ❤️‍🩹

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I was once fired because I “didn’t think the way we (they) think”. I was too shocked to ask for an explanation.

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Sorry to hear that! My stories, in case they are helpful: Long ago, my first job was selling tickets at a movie theater. At 17, I was fired after two years there with no notice for a ridiculous male-fragile-ego reason. Next I applied for a job at McDonald’s and they rejected me. This was our local McDonald’s and I knew many people who worked there. They rarely rejected any applicants, so being a McDonald’s Reject was pretty impressive. I survived though. Went on to get degrees from two different Ivy-League schools, then took a government job in a field I cared about. After two years, fired again! again, not because of my performance. The new boss wanted to bring in his friend to do my job. I found a better job and went on to have a great career, retiring healthy in my 50s. There are tons of clueless, insecure, emotionally-damaged supervisors in the world, and as best I can tell, the legal world has way more than its share of them. I’m sorry this happened to you. Try not to let the turkeys get you down. You will find something better ahead. 🙏🏻

likeupliftinghelpful

Thank you! I have never worked in a worse environment. I appreciate the encouragement!

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Every person I know that has been let go ended up with a better job that paid more. Every single one!

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Thank you!

I got let go during the escrow of buying my house. And the reason I was let go was because I dared get up from my desk to use the restroom, after the attorney told me I had to stay at my desk. I was having a miscarriage….but I was told that I had to be at my desk and available all day with no break.

Found a much better job and went on to a much better career. The attorney is damaged goods and radioactive. One staff sued her and the firm and won.

The wonderful thing is I now know what to look for in a toxic supervisor. And I also know I can speak up and say something. I know my worth. And I know that I don’t have to worry about my reputation.

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I'm so sorry. That is stress to the max. Thank you for sharing your story with me.

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Oppressing firms really make you appreciate good firms.

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Everything happens for a reason. Give yourself some time to recoup & recover, polish-up your resume, keep in touch with your contacts & don't look back. It's your former employer's loss, in the end. Not yours!

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I was a legal assistant then. I was let go due to “not being a good fit and different experience” after 3 months. It was literally right before my honeymoon that they knew about and was going to allow me to use vacation days. And so, I said fuck you too and applied for unemployment, had a peaceful vacation and relieved I didn’t have to go back to that toxic place. It motivated me to study for the notary, get my paralegal certificate and had it not been for this experience, I don’t think I’ll be where I’m at right now.

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I experienced an almost identical scenario about 10 years ago in my first job in my current field. Now, the attorney with whom I was let go in 2014 is the owner of a firm that employs some of the best people we worked with back then. The culture isn’t perfect, but it swung wildly in the opposite direction from the toxic stuff we left behind. Save your contacts, you never know where that better opportunity will come from later. You probably dodged a bullet.

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Let it go! Shake it off! Update your resume and find someone who truly appreciates what you have to offer. Forget those folks and put that behind you.

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I'm sorry that this happened for you. This may be a blessing in disguise.

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