Good advice needed

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Vikings1

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To make a long story short, I work at a job that I hate with people I dislike. Not to mention, they are not very happy with my performance. They have posted my job on various websites and it is obvious they are interviewing people to replace me. In addition, I am have one project to be completed by the end of this week (they have not given me any additional projects) and I am sure they will fire me at that point. So....am I better off getting fired or quiting?

Thanks,
 
Tough situation, but I think you have to quit and leave on your own volition. That way, if future employers ask what happened at your old firm, you can tell them that you were in a situation that wasn't optimal -- you weren't learning much, you didn't see much opportunity for upside, no mentorship or commitment to young professionals such as yourself. As such, you chose to leave so you'd actually have free time to assess your other options and to prepare for interviews at places that actually value someone such as yourself (assuming these places exist).

Good luck.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at Wednesday, September 6, 2006 at 12:11AM by numi.
 
you dont seem to have many options do u? i dont think there is any conflict that cant be resolved by talking or any mistake that cant be redeemed...why dont u talk to ur boss and settle things...
 
Depends on how long it would take you to find a job and wether or not you need the unemployment checks. Can you survive 3,4 months of job hunting/temping? What city's job market are you in? How employable are you? All else equal, it is probably better to quit, and you might get a better reference out of it down the road if you spare them unpleasantness and can make it look like an amicable split. But if you apply for jobs with very similar or identical duties to the ones you have now, it would beg the question of why this didn't work out for you.
 
pytheian, in my view, the opportunity cost of being FIRED and having that as a mark on your resume far outweighs the benefits of receiving unemployment checks. of course, you definitely bring up a bunch of good points, such as the job market in his area, his employability, etc. -- and getting another job can vary between several weeks and several months depending on the guy's ability. but leaving on his own volition is a much more explainable reason when he applies for future jobs, and if he can explain to his employer that he needs to leave for personal reasons without criticizing the employer, he might even get a respectable reference out of them (at least if they are doing background checks).
 
Well...I could handle being undemployed for 3-4 months and even if they don't fire me in the next couple of days, working there is making me really miserable. Also, there is no way I would be able to get a reference from anyone at the firm, even if i quit. After the previous responses I am strongly leaning towards quitting. Are there any more comments, anyone think it is better to wait and be fired?

Thanks for the great responses,
 
whatever u do, keep ur calm, remain professional
 
Or go to the doctors and get signed off as 'depressed' or develop a bad back or whatever and get a few week's sick-pay whilst you look for work.
 
If you can afford it or if you are sure you are going to get fired in few days, go for resigning in a very professional way. Preventing the stain of being fired on your resume is important. However, your mental health is even more important.

Make it short, crisp and with no drama. As for the reason, "I have decided to pursue other opportunities" will do.

Most firings happen on Friday morning or Monday morning, although Friday is more common. Decide accordingly.

Most probably you will get a termination/end of employment letter from the company. Make sure it says that you resigned - companies generally use a standard format that may not indicate this.

Now the question of can you afford it is not to be taken mildly. Do you have a family, esp. kids? How is the job market in your city? Can you relocate? Are your skills in demand? Can you afford not to get $1200 per month in unemployment benefits?
 
Why would being fired go on your resume? In this day and age, employers won't tell a prospective hirer that they fired somebody - and it's not like you're going to get a good reference even if you quit in a "professional" manner.
 
Yes, but they'll still ask you what happened at your last job when you interview with them, and what can you really say if you got fired?
 
It's not so much the reference issue as it is a pride/valid reason issue -- it's a much easier sell to say that you left on your own volition because things didn't work out for reasons such as the ones I stayed in an earlier post
 
I think Numi has a great point. Consider taking the initiative and move on, especially if you can afford 3 / 4 months without salary. There is a big difference between "ya, that kid, we canned him" and "he reailzed this just wasn't for him." Word does get around, to say nothing of your own personal attitude afterwards. Most people have been in a position that doesn't work out.
 
Any HR professional (in a "real" company, with employee manuals, formal procedures, etc.) will tell you that when someone calls for a reference check, the only things they are permitted to say is first day of employment, last day of employment, and confirmation of ending salary and last bonus if the reference checker gives a number.

If you quit and someone calls your old boss and he decides to violate company policy, he can just as easily say "vikings quit because he knew he was about to get fired".

Have you had poor performance appraisels in the past? Have they documented any issues with your performance? As much as people say employment is at will and anyone can be let go for any reason at any time, most companies are lawsuit-phobic.

If there is nothing written to document past problems, if they let you go it is more likely to be characterized as a layoff, and you might even be able to squeeze a nominal amount of severence out of it (if you worked there more than a couple of years). And even if they just unceremoniously fire you.. so what. Tell future employers you were laid off, left, it doesn't matter. I don't think there is any reason to jump the gun and resign. Just get your resume out there (if it isn't already) ASAP.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at Wednesday, September 6, 2006 at 01:09PM by Super I.
 
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