3 Reasons Why “You’re Fired” Can Be a Gift

We have all heard Donald Trump say, “You’re fired!” to a celebrity, but what if it happens to you?

Have you ever been fired from a job?

Even if you were already planning on quitting and have been actively interviewing for other positions, those two little words sting like nothing else.

A dear friend of mine was just fired and she’s completely devastated.  Even though she had been miserable for a long time, and had a boss that came from the depths of hell, hearing those words “you’re fired” has been a complete shock to her system.

She has never been fired from a job before and always believed that working hard and operating with integrity was enough protection against those dreaded words.

What she hadn’t experienced before was a full-blown, calculated, and methodical assault by her boss to make her life completely unbearable.  Her boss made it her mission everyday to sabotage my friend in every way possible.

Despite my friend’s relentless efforts to try to improve the situation, it just got progressively worse.  Her boss, however, was just one example of an overall toxic work environment.

My friend desperately needed to get out of there, but she wanted to be the one to quit. 

Many of my clients who find themselves in similar toxic situations share the “I Quit!” fantasy.  You know the one…where you get to storm into your boss’s office, yell “I Quit!”, and then waltz out leaving your boss stunned and scrambling to fill the void.

Even if you can’t fulfill the “I Quit!” fantasy, there are still plenty of upsides to getting fired.  Here are 3 reasons why getting fired can truly be a gift…

1) Ends the Madness

Call it pride or stubbornness, but some people have a higher tolerance for abuse in the workplace than others.  They are determined to “fix the problem” despite the overwhelming odds against them.

Unfortunately, they can end up overstaying their welcome and don’t even recognize the physical and emotional toll the unhealthy workplace has taken on their soul.

This is why getting fired can truly be a blessing…it finally puts that person out of her misery and allows her to move onto a much healthier environment.

2) Releases Your Energy

A ton of time and energy goes into trying to improve a difficult work situation and you end up being too tired and too busy to look for another job.

An effective job search requires focus and a strategic action plan.  It’s almost like having another job.

An effective job search also needs time and complete confidence to be successful.  If you’re working in an environment where you feel exhausted, beat down, and filled with self-doubt…you’re not going to be able to show up at an interview as your best possible self.

Being fired allows you time to recover, regain your confidence, and hit the job search ground running.  You can finally commit all your time and energy to finding a much better position.

3) Let’s You Claim Unemployment

Obviously, one of the biggest reasons why people don’t quit more often is because of money.  They need an income.

One of the benefits of being fired is that you can file for unemployment.  The process is relatively easy, but it does vary from state to state.  In most states you can even file online.

The income you can receive and the length of time you can receive it also varies.  Just make sure to file for unemployment immediately after being fired so you can get the ball rolling.

Think of it as a gift…you’re now being paid to look for a much better job.

I know there is really nothing I can say to ease the pain of being fired, but I hope if you find yourself in that situation, you can remember the reasons why sometimes it truly is a gift.