#8 Thank you, next
Lately, I've seen people posting videos online showing how they were fired via video conferences or filmed themselves while quitting their jobs. Based on the number of comments, posts, TikTok and YouTube videos, and the respective reactions to all those, we could argue that it is entertaining, as those drama docuseries about serial murderers were so popular some time ago. For some reason, people feel attracted to those stories as if they were bees to honey. We are in a free world (mostly), so that is ok: neither can we stop people from posting, nor can we avoid people from watching. As with the crime shows, everyone can choose their guilty (or not) pleasures.
I read an article that said these videos are helping people by changing the companies' layoff processes, using letters instead of calls, and improving severance packages, for example. I also read that these videos are no more than a trend and a way to boost social media visibility. Call me old-fashioned, but I don't think anyone needs a video to know that being fired sucks. On the other hand, quitting and taping yourself while doing it seems more like the action of someone trying to stick it to their boss than a fight against the system. I am not saying you cannot do it (please use your freedom if you have it), but be aware of the consequences-- because there are. Is it really worth telling the world how angry, dissatisfied, and sad you are? Maybe it is... let me give it a try...
I've worked for over twenty years and consider my professional balance reasonable. So far, I've never been fired, but I've quit three jobs, which makes me think that I lost my opportunity to gain some "likes" with spicy emails or secret tapings, but I was more worried about something else. I left three jobs because I reached the point where I knew I could do something else that was better for me. I would love everyone to be able to do so when feeling the same, but I know it is not always easy.
The first time I left my job was after eleven years of working for the same company. I learned a lot about business, life, and myself in that place. It was a great life experience, without any doubt. Still, the salary was not incredible, my career progression seemed stagnated, and my life partner had a good job opportunity in another country. So, I decided I wanted to keep my family together, and we all moved. I also trusted that my experience and training would bring me opportunities, and after many applications, I got a new job in a new country. I could have complained because no one fought to keep me, valued my skills, or liked me. Instead, I decided and did what I thought best: use my experience and skills elsewhere.
The second time I quit was painful because I was completely overwhelmed with my life—which was not good. I had two kids at home (after daycare and school), ages four and two, while I traveled around Europe weekly. My partner took care of them after his full-time job, and instead of feeling free and happy with a job I really enjoyed, I felt guilty every day I couldn't see a school piece, meet a teacher, or have dinner with my family. The hotel staff in some cities recognized me and asked about my kids, while my work colleagues praised the children's father for coping with that situation. After some months, I left my job because it was killing me slowly. I couldn't have it all, but I accepted it. I decided, again, what I wanted to do. I wanted to be successful and have dinner with my family.
The third time was slightly different. I worked there for almost ten years. During that period, I grew professionally, weathered a couple of professional storms, and had a third child as a little extra something. I reached a position with a certain degree of responsibility in the organization and enjoyed a good reputation among most who worked with me. I was able to show results, and I was proud of it. I really liked my job. I know it can seem contradictory, but I knew I had to leave it because of it, because of how much I liked it. I reached a point where I asked myself if I would do the same for the following years. I asked myself how high I wanted to go and how much I wanted to endure to reach it. For once, I did not think about my partner or children; instead, I focused on myself before deciding what I wanted to do with my life, and then I asked them to support me. I decided to allow myself to do something I'd never dared to. I cannot blame others for that.
I've never been fired, so I cannot blame anyone for my decisions. I could say someone forced me to go, but the truth is that the changes were for good. Maybe I should thank them for pushing me to take the next step in my career. If any of them is reading, "Thank you."
