I was fired for a while pretty routinely. This happened years ago, back when I worked in law firms. I'd left college just 15 credits shy of earning a bachelor's degree in English, and found myself in a netherworld, where the only thing I seemed to be qualified for was clerical work, because I could type quickly & I sounded pleasant, professional & formal on the telephone. Also, for some reason I didn't have the really broad Upstate NY accent that a lot of my peers had. (No nasal, drawn-out "a" sounds.) The best-paying work at that time & place was in large corporate law firms.

So this was how it worked. The law firm would love me when I interviewed. They would give me usually to an older partner, and I would also relieve the receptionist during her lunch hour & time off. (Because of the phone voice. Also, at that time, I had really great clothes.) But I'd never quite fit in with The Girls in the rest of the office. See, I was snooty because of my education. I read the NY Times Book Review during lunch hour. I went off during lunch hour to get the new novel, "Beloved," signed by Toni Morrison, who was visiting our city at the college I'd failed to graduate from. I read all the Shelby Foote books about the Civil War, just before the series came out on PBS. So I was perceived (rightly) as having an attitude of being too good for the job. This would be permitted to go on for a while, but as soon as I appeared distracted or unhappy, and made a slight slip-up, BAM! they would take advantage of the opportunity & fire me.

Then, weirdly enough, I would be hired a few weeks later by an even posher law firm, and be paid more than the previous job. (This did nothing to teach me humility, BTW.)

How many times did this happen, you ask? Let's see.

Once, from my first job after college. I'd been there six years, and had gotten achievement awards. They were little brass plates on fake walnut plaques. In fact, I got one shortly before being fired. "Plaqued, then sacked," is how I described that episode.

On my second job, they were going to fire me, but I sensed what was going on, and jumped ship, to the largest, poshest corporate law firm in the city.

They kept me maybe four years, and fired me. Which I deserved. I was half-crazy from my eating disorder, and also, I'd been engaged in a rather intense flirtation with a lawyer there, which ended in the debacle of afternoon sex, and left me sad & moping in the hallways. (During that time, I listened to U2's "One" over & over while lying on the floor of my apartment.) Thank goodness that got me away from his proximity.

The next firm kept me for, let's see, I think maybe two years. I had a therapist by then, who helped me straighten out my life. I re-enrolled in college. I wrote papers due for my degree. I took an evening course. The law firm perceived me as too involved with earning my degree, rather than my day-to-day work, so they fired me.

At the next firm, I'd already earned my degree, and was writing freelance articles for the local newspaper. That took up my time & attention. I couldn't wait to get off work & get to my computer to write & interview people. The law firm job, well, I showed up because I wanted to be paid & I wanted healthcare (for all that ongoing therapy). The partner whom I'd been hired to support jumped ship to start his own firm. But he didn't take me; he took his old secretary, the one who'd refused to work for him anymore, and whom I'd been hired to replace. So I felt my job becoming tenuous. I quit that one before I could be fired.

Then I temped for an unpleasant period of time, once in a law firm, until telling the temp agency, "No more law. Please." I was somewhat notorious in the local legal profession at that point, so I think that was a good decision.

When I landed a job as a newspaper reporter, life turned much more pleasant. Since I was no longer arriving at work with simmering resentment & a feeling of not belonging, I suddenly belonged.

But anyway, that's now a colorful period of my life, in retrospect, and the only comfort I can offer you is that it may become like that for you one day, too. Just one story out of years of a long, productive work life.

[I wanted to write that I've never been fired since that last lawfirm firing ... but in this economic climate, I don't want to tempt the devil. Also I had a fairly lukewarm midyear review earlier this week. So I don't want to write anything on the Internet that could bring a lightning bolt down on my head.]

Brown: My mom is a wonderful woman, and has sent me links to every job that she knows I deserve. I've been doing it also (have sent my resume to 80+ companies. Have had 6 interviews in 2 days)

Saef: You have had an interesting work history! I have graduated with my BA, and rather than feeling better than everyone else, I feel stupider. I want my masters. I want to be the most educated, and be the boss;. :) Although, I'm only 21, graduated college in 3 years. I'm doing pretty well.

On the plus side, I tihnk I landed a job today. I had interviews with one company, at both of their sites. First I had it with site A, then site B. I went in to site A for a working interview and to turn in my transcripts, and she said "oooooh, brittany, site B reeeally wants you, and you will be paid more, so would you mind going over there..." then I went there, and she said "I will get in touch with you shortly" UGH! I hate not having a job. I reeeeally hope she calls today. I can't go into the weekend being unemployed.

I had about $11,000 in there.It was free to roll the 401k into an IRA after leaving your work place. Than you can draw out amounts without a penalty. They just let you take out the taxes and I took out a bit more so I wouldn't have to pay a fine during tax time. :D

Lord yes, sometimes places fire people to bring in lower paid new people, sometimes there are agendas higher up, sometimes co workers and supervisors have friends they want in the job, sometimes people get fired because the person directly above them are afraid the person fired appears more competent and is a threat. I have been fired for not wanting to be friends with the owner of the store, calling in sick (first time in a year), and let go from a temp position that was supposed to go to full time permanent because I was severely distracted by the crazy new supervisor (who kept telling the most horrific stories of her being abused, and raped, and well there were too many for them to be real), all while I was trying to input data. Life goes on, one door closes and all..... Oh, and got fired from a stupid bowling alley job because I was blond (didn't find out til later, the manager (who was also fired along with myself and three other people) was caught having sex in the building with a "blond") and they thought it was me! Was actually a butt kisser who kept her job, and her mouth shut and never owned up to her being the "one".