You Are Advised.. (Fired).. to Resign!
I worked in one of the big 4 accounting firms. In mid 2008, the financial crisis had struck fear into and companies, most especially organizations that provided services like the place I worked, whose daily bread was dependent on clients giving them “jobs”. These “jobs” they canvassed for and won meant foods on the tables of all whom them employed. In addition to seeking out potential clients, they also had to contend with competitors who had similar skills and expertise; so, the ability to get these jobs hinged largely on relationships.
Like most consulting firms or service providers, bills are charged based on the number of hours spent on the job and the experience of those allocated to the assignment. It goes without saying that the lower the fees charged to a client, the less time the client gets with the experienced associates.
Hold on to your marbles! I am getting to the “you are fired” part. Patience….
As the year-end approached, performance evaluations were heating up and as is the case every half year, associates are evaluated by the managers they worked with on all the jobs they completed during the period. It is usually a fair assessment but like every other thing, objectivity is overrated. Never buy into the illusion of objective assessment because with everyone comes a healthy dose of bias. In all honesty, I didn’t work long unnecessary hours just to “manage perception” as others did because I didn’t see the need for it. I still don’t. If you worked in any of the big 4, you would know that stares like daggers come at you when you pack your bags to leave at 5pm. I had to have a life (I don’t regret it at all), and a life I did have.
With the scare of the uncertainty of the effect of the financial crisis on the business, the partners sought to let staff go. No cadre was spared. From Associate Directors, down to the new hires. It was ruthless as far as I am concerned because I also got the short end of the stick. Performance appraisals were brutal and minute details which you didn’t know people paid attention to surfaced. One particular guy was debated heavily, guess what for? He had a body odor and strategies and approaches were being plotted on who the unit will send to break the “good news to him”. Pardon me as I deviated from my train of thought to indulge in some backroom gossip.
I don’t know why people use “to cut the story short” like they are trying to advice themselves on the need to watch their talkativeness. Moving on. My “caretaker”, “handler”, whatever name they called them came to give me the news of the decision of the unit to cut me loose and absolve me of my duties (I am not the one with the body odor just in case you were thinking I am). But in their benevolence, they allowed me choose my last day of work and formally send in my resignation but emphasizing that I shouldn’t be in a hurry…like that will change the way anything.
I didn’t stay long after the news. I didn’t want to because the longer you stayed, the more people will confront you to ask what happened (Like I knew). I left determined to be better and excel, to study harder, take more professional exams, improve myself, add at least a feather to my cap every year all with the objective and intention of “sticking it to them” whenever we met again. Yes! We did meet on several occasions, in different places but I will always feel low and unwanted irrespective of my glowing accomplishment. Although I followed and completed every step, I still can’t achieve my goal. My confidence when I am around anyone I know associated with that coup remains in shambles. I still suffer from the effects of that separation because I wasn’t yet ready to let go yet.
My people say, “it is not the day a child spills the oil that he is reprimanded but the day breaks the calabash holding the oil”. As long as I still have the calabash, I will continue to seek that oil and with the hope of getting it home.
