You Could be Fired for These Reasons

Getting fired is a huge blow to your self-esteem, especially when it's unexpected. Most jobs are "at will" positions, and an employer can fire you without an explanation or advance notice. However, be prepared to accept responsibility if you exhibited a pattern of behavior that led to a termination of employment. Skip the blame game, and consider whether any of these common reasons for getting fired apply to you.

You Lack Essential Skills

Employers pay you to do a job. The cost of employing you becomes a burden if you continually underperform and fail to bring any value to the company. Try to see the situation from an employer's perspective. Have you received adequate training? Did your manager work with you to set performance goals? Did you listen to feedback and make improvements?

A qualified employee should be able to adapt to a new position in a reasonable amount of time. At some point, it's more cost-efficient to fire you than invest in further training. Ongoing performance issues are a sign that you misrepresented your skills when you applied. Getting fired may be a reality check that you need more experience or education to succeed in this type of job.

You're Unreliable

Do you frequently show up late, call out, ignore deadlines and make excuses for your mistakes? You might tell yourself these blunders are minor, but careless behavior costs your employer in lost productivity and poor customer service. Your team falls behind when they have to redistribute your work or wait for input on stalled projects. Employers depend on you to meet expectations, and getting fired is completely justified when you fail to deliver.

You Don't Fit In

Maybe, your performance is fine, but you don't project the qualities of an ideal employee. Every corporate culture is built upon shared values that influence how people work together and achieve results as a team. Employers want things to run smoothly in the workplace. If you don't fit in, your employer might let you go to preserve the team balance and productivity.

Sometimes, getting fired for a cultural fit issue isn't your fault. If your background and professional point of view are different from the status quo, you may repeatedly clash with co-workers on crucial decisions. But if you lied about your personality to get the job, don't be surprised when your employment doesn't work out. Selling yourself as a cooperative team player is a bad idea if you're an inflexible, methodical person who prefers solitary work.

You Demonstrate Poor Integrity

Poor conduct eventually catches up with you, whether it's lying on your resume, misusing company funds or harassing co-workers. Once you destroy trust with unethical behavior, employers are more critical of everything you do. Even if you never have a complaint filed against you, most HR departments keep track of black marks on your record. That way, the company has evidence to justify a termination of employment in case you threaten to take legal action.

Getting fired can have a negative impact on future job searches, but it doesn't have to. Take responsibility for your role in getting fired, so you can move on and develop better habits. When potential employers ask about the situation, stick to short, tactful answers and avoid making negative comments about your old workplace.

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