Why Getting Fired Was the Best Thing That Ever Happened to Me

Getting fired was the real key to finding my post-grad success.

There I was at 5:03 PM on a Thursday — sitting across from my supervisor and the HR manager in a secluded office, heart nearly pumping out of my chest.

I knew what was coming next.

My heart wasn’t beating a mile a minute because I was nervous.

It was beating so rapidly because I was excited for what came next. I’d go so far as to say that the anticipation was killing me.

“At the time we had originally hired you, we had different expectations for the position you were filling. We don’t have the same need for your position anymore, so today will be your last day — you don’t have to return to work tomorrow. Do you have any questions?” my supervisor said nonchalantly, hiding behind a subtle smirk. He had been waiting for this moment since my interview.

Meanwhile, the HR manager stared at me, looking discomforted by the fact that he’d asked me to join his indoor soccer team the week prior.

“Nope. No questions,” I said, trying to hide a glowing smile.

“Great. I’ll walk you to the door.”

The true seal of the deal: I just got fired.

But…I was totally happy about it?

That’s where my corporate story ends, but it begins about 10 months prior.

In May of 2018, I graduated from the University of Central Florida (Go Knights!) with my Bachelor’s Degree in…*drumroll please*

Political Science…accompanied by a minor in history…

…let’s backtrack a bit.

The First Wave of Post-Graduation Depression Hits

I spent the 2 weeks after graduating college in a blissful, drunken state of pure excitement.

I was getting the royal treatment! Fancy graduation dinners, alcohol-infused parties, a trip to Miami during Cinco de Mayo, and ending with an eye-opening vacation to New York City.

The day after I got home from New York City was the day I started my first salaried job in my field. It was the perfect setup!

I was working on a political campaign. Job in my field? Check.

I was making a decent salary. Check.

Receiving benefits. Check, check, check.

The job checked all of the boxes. It was going to be the first and necessary step in achieving post-grad job success. Except..when I returned from that New York trip, my plans blew up in my face.

After 3 short days of training at my big-girl gig, I realized that once I had walked across that stage on commencement day, the steps on the other side transported me smack dab into “the real world” — and the real world didn’t seem all that fun.

See, when I was in New York, I felt so alive. Everything was new to me, and something interesting seemed to be happening in every crevice of the city, at all hours. Not to mention, the food was incredible.

There were so many different people living in such a seemingly condensed city, pursuing all sorts of careers and living (what seemed to me as) a vibrant, beautiful life.

While walking the busy streets and passing so many faces, I inquired quietly among the noise: “What do they do for work? Whereabouts do they live? What are their family and friends like?

“What are their stories?”

This is when I realized that there was more out there than the life plans I had originally created for myself.

Quitting Job #1

After 2 short months, I called it quits on the campaign and opted to go back to working at the job I had for much of college — a legal assistant at a law firm — while I was figuring “things” out.

Admittedly, I felt disappointed in myself. I had only graduated 2 months ago, and in my self-critical eyes — I was already failing. Was I really that unhappy at the job, to give up a reliable salary and benefits? That resume booster that would (somehow) catapult me to Capitol Hill?

The short answer to that question is yes, I was.

Regardless, I drowned in disappointment and misery with no life jacket in sight. I was applying to politically-focused jobs all over the country, daily. I was also receiving rejection after rejection, daily.

I started to think… “maybe this whole political game isn’t for me after all.”

Getting Hired at Job #2

After a few months of sending job applications every day, I finally saw a light at the end of the tunnel! I was finally hired to work at a court reporting firm. Sure, it wasn’t necessarily politics. But, it was in the legal field, and law school still seemed like it could serve as a viable option.

A new wave of confidence swept over me. Maybe that first job wasn’t the stepping stone to career success — because this was! I just knew I was meant to be a lawyer.

Except, no, I wasn’t.

After a week of reading Florida Statutes and a 300+ page book about the legalities of court reporting, I found myself feeling even more drained than I did at Job #1.

This job was different. A true corporate structure, office drama reeked in the air, small talk with exhausting coworkers was inevitable, and Goddammit — why can’t I get the copy machine to work?

Not only that, but my supervisor disliked me…strongly.

My workspace was at a random desk that crowded the middle of a walkway. With no cubicle, I had no barricade to defend me from the outside world. And shortly after my first day, my supervisor conveniently switched his working space from a first-floor office, to right next to me.

Each passing day felt like it lasted longer and longer. Nearly 4 months of working at this place, yet I still was learning my coworker’s names and barely exchanging more than a few sentences with these people at a time.

I spent those days staring out a large window in the break room, wishing I could just get out of that place. I spent my lunch hour in my car, by myself. I worked through the day, headphones in both ears, listening to podcasts about side hustles, freelancing, starting an online business, and digital nomads.

The Day of Reckoning

I knew the end was near when I started having serious trouble getting out of bed in the mornings. I didn’t want to get out of bed, because it meant I had to go there. I even thought about no-call-no-showing a few times, but let the commandeering advice of Google searches answering the question, “Is it bad to no-call-no-show?” convince me otherwise.

Finally, during one particularly awful workday in early March, I decided that I was working my final week there. My plan? Make it through the rest of the week and quit on Friday.

Apparently, management was reading my mind because they decided to put me out of my misery and fire me on that very day.

The Happy Ending

The initial aftermath of the firing was financially stressful and completely overwhelming. But despite the overwhelm, this is also when I discovered I had the power to create my dreams and live my life by my own rules.

I tried my hand at experimenting with freelance writing and social media management for small businesses. I got my indoor cycling instructor certification and began teaching classes. I coached youth soccer on the side.

Working these seemingly unconventional jobs gave me the push to keep driving forward to discover what I really wanted to do for work. In the meanwhile, they were supplementing my income and giving me freedom in my schedule — something that I realized is extremely important to me.

And while my work life started to ease, my everyday life followed suit. I switched to a vegan diet and began working out regularly, which resulted in losing 40 pounds in just a year. I started meditating every day and every night. I ended draining friendships and gained harmonious ones. I began reading again. All in all, I started taking self-care to new levels, and I was feeling that same fire I felt on that first trip to New York City.

The Moral of the Story…

…is that getting fired was one of the best things to ever happen to me.

It taught me a lot about myself, the critical voice in my mind, and the toxic habits & behaviors I was repeating.

I learned the importance of self-awareness and what it means to live mindfully.

It led me down two unlikely career paths that I would have never thought I’d get paid to do — fitness and writing.

It benefited my physical and mental health and granted me the ability to build better habits.

But above all, getting fired brought me to a state in which I thrive — a constant resting state of self-resilience. I now give myself permission to rely on my own powers, resources, and skills rather than someone else’s.

And let me tell you — this state of self-resilience is one of pure joy.