How to save your job if you're about to be fired?

1. How to Save
Your Job If
You're About
to Be Fired

2. 1. Talk to your boss.
§ Your goal: open the lines of communication, without looking desperate or like
a stalker.
§ If there's a layoff coming, or you're about to be fired for another reason, your
manager has every incentive not to talk to you.
§ Your best way forward is look for opportunities to connect that aren't
associated with impending doom. In other words, talking about your day-to-
day work is good, while insisting on getting the lowdown on your future with
the company is very, very bad.
§ If your boss will talk to you, and you feel a certain level of comfort in the
conversation, it may be safe to ask how things are going. Let he/her know that
you're always interested in hearing constructive criticism on your
performance.
§ This is particularly useful if your relationship with your employer is only just
starting to sour. Make sure you're willing to practice what you preach, and take
seriously any feedback you receive, and take steps to show that you're
improving.
§ If your boss won't talk to you at all, you'll at least know that things are beyond
salvaging, and will be able to make other plans.
Dr. Magdy Abdelsattar
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3. 2. Join a new team.
§ Sometimes, managers and reports just don't connect, through
no fault of anyone involved. If you feel like you and your boss
no longer see eye to eye, it might be time to look for openings
on other teams in the company.
§ This is also a good approach if the issue is that your
department is on the chopping block, and you're facing a
layoff. Look for teams whose budgets and head count seem
to increase every quarter. That's the safest place to weather
any coming storms.
Dr. Magdy Abdelsattar
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4. 3. Look for essential projects.
§ Quick: what does your company do? If it's like most
organizations, it has a core product or products that is
the basis for its reputation and business. If you're
looking for a new home at the company, getting closer
to these projects will help you stay off the layoff list.
Dr. Magdy Abdelsattar
4

5. 4. Do some soul-searching.
§ Ask yourself whether you're still meeting your goals and
making progress on "needs-to-improve" areas.
§ If you come up short in own assessment, make a plan to
remedy the situation. Then, make sure that your boss
knows what you're working on.
§ On the other hand, if you feel like you're doing what you
should be doing, think about whether you're
communicating that to the right people.
§ Politics is perception, even on a small scale. It's not just
what you do, but what you're seen doing.
§ If you're someone who shies away from tooting your own
horn, remember that no one knows how hard you're
working unless you communicate that to them.
Dr. Magdy Abdelsattar
5

6. 5. Ask to be laid off instead.
§ If you've tried to fix things with your manager, improve
your performance, and/or ally yourself with another
department, and can't make it work, you have one last
card to play: ask to be laid off.
§ You're more likely to be eligible for unemployment if your
termination is considered a layoff rather than being fired
for cause or quitting.
§ From the employer's perspective, a layoff might be
preferable, too, even if it means paying out
unemployment, because they can require you to sign a
document stating that you won't pursue legal action for
wrongful termination – a cost savings for them, as well as
a better situation financially and professionally for you.
§ In any case, it can't hurt to ask.
Dr. Magdy Abdelsattar
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7. When it's Time to Go
§ If you get the sense that you're about to lose your job, whether
through a layoff or by being fired, now is the time to:
§ update your resume,
§ make coffee dates with former colleagues,
§ connect with old bosses on LinkedIn.
§ Start looking now, and maybe by the time your pink slip hits
the mail, you'll be well on your way to your next gig.
§ Whatever you do, keep it professional – and keep your chin up.
Some of the most successful people in the world have been fired
from jobs and gone on to great things.
§ One reversal isn't necessarily a judgment on your abilities today
or in the long run.
§ Take what you've learned, and move on to bigger and better
things.
Dr. Magdy Abdelsattar
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