I was fired at the age of 23. Here is what that taught me about job security.

On a sunny day in July 2006, I came to work expecting to have a standard 1-2-1 catch up with my boss. 

When I arrived at the meeting room, her boss was in the room as well. Which was weird.

10 minutes later, I was sobbing as they delivered the news they were letting me go.

Aside from the fact that crying in front of male bosses makes them very uncomfortable, here are 3 big lessons I took from being fired at 23.

1. There is no such thing as job security.

Even in 2022, there are still plenty of people who believe they are in a ‘safe, secure’ job. I had the pleasure of learning at a young age that there is no such thing as job security. 

Redundancies happen very regularly and ‘being fired’ (typically because you aren’t the right fit for a role) is very common.

Understanding this - even if you never lose your job yourself - helps you keep perspective on your job and its role in your life. And it also helps you remember to keep thinking one step ahead.

2. It is not the companies job to take care of you.

Companies will hire and fire as business needs require and, to be honest, this is ok. It is not the companies job to take care of you. It is the company’s job to stay in business and serve their customers.

Realising this at a young age liberated me from the false idea that someone else would look after me. It put the control back in my hands. 

Over the next 10 years, I built alternative income streams and savings so that I wasn’t fully reliant on my salary, should the inevitable happen again.

And it did. I was made redundant twice over those 10 years and was fired again when I was 32. But thanks to being fired at 23, I was much better prepared to deal with this - both emotionally and financially.

3. Don’t take it personally.

The first time I was fired at 23, it was devastating. I took it really hard and let it effect my confidence. I was convinced I’d done something wrong. 

But with the benefit of hindsight, I realised that it wasn’t in my best interests to take it personally. Yes, it effected me personally. But by blaming myself I was giving away my power. 

Instead, I flipped the narrative to what the reality was - this company was not the right fit for me. And I would find a place where my contribution is valued and where I can thrive.

3 months later, I started working for Nike. And I stayed for 8 years.

As tough as being fired at 23 was, I feel grateful that I had this experience so young. It gave me perspective that, even now, many people I know don’t have. 

And as the economy worsens, so many people are about to learn these lesson first hand. I hope you are not one of them! 

But if you are, remember - you will get through this. And the other side will be amazing.