To ask has anyone else been mortified after- not quite being sacked- but losing some work

[feelingploppy]

That. I feel really bad - mortified even. I was feeling reasonably competent but clearly not.

Oh we've all been there. Don't beat yourself up for having made a mistake. Do you know what you did wrong? Do you know why you did it wrong? Have you put steps in place not to do it again and a check to stop you doing it again? If so - give yourself a big high five. Most people blame others or evade responsibility. Will you be a better manager in the long run cos you've had the experience of messing up? Absolutely. I beat myself up for years about a mistake I made in my 20s. Please don't do that. Drink some vino, wallow a bit and then self manage. Are you usually shit? No - well there you go. If you didn't care, if you weren't mortified - then you should be worried. But don't self flagellate.

It's a horrible feeling. I was sort of sacked years ago when it was suggested that my temporary assignment finished earlier than it was due to, like how about, you know, now? I was nowhere near competent though and was miserable and hated it so wasn't really a surprise.

It is mortifying, and yes, many of us have been there either fairly or unfairly.

Don't be too hard on yourself though. It is all part of the learning curve, and of not becoming complacent.

Anyone who says they have never slipped up at work is probably not being entirely truthful.

As long as you didn't hurt someone it's all in a lifetime.

I have been sacked before but usually when my heart was no longer in it and it was not the right job for me, so I was therefore not trying.

Maybe this was just not the right job for you. I'm sure you're very competent when you're in the right role.

People are usually their own worst critic, so if you don't feel you have been incompetent, the chances are you weren't.
It is very common for employers to put people into the position where they feel they have to resign or face disciplinary action .My DH is a GP and sees loads of patients who have had this done to them.It makes his blood boil!

I used to be a freelance personal assistant.

I got some work and was told I'd done well but was never contacted again :(

It sucks

Thank you all. Feeling less rubbish now - just have to suck it up and learn.

Happened to me 25 years ago. I had been in a temporary contract for a couple of years when they suddenly needed someone permanent (but not me), they were very kind about it considering I had gone from being really good at my job to bored and uninterested and getting a bit crap at it. It made me sort myself out though because it was a kick up the arse and I was mortified. (Not saying any of this applies to you btw its rubbish this has happened to you).

Yes. I have always had a tendency to not be tactful and have worked hard at it throughout my adult life.

When I was quite young in a temp role, I joined in a conversation about the Oscars in which some US star had gone a bit OTT with the emotion (Gwyneth Paltrow?). I was pretty vitriolic, TBH looking back I was - albeit unintentionally - borderline racist, about this fairly common-in-US-actors personality trait.... and my boss was American. In my head I wasn't thinking about her at all as I spoke, so it came as a shock when I eventually realised why I was told I could finish my week's work that day.

Only time i was let go ever was a temp job where i was getting bullied by one female member of staff when she found out about the dyslexia. I left with my head held high and never looked back. Wish id had guts to have left before but at 19 you dont have the confidence. I still shudder if anyone has her name. Luckily i had friends (prevous boss who i still in contact on fb) alot higher up in company who stopped her doing it to anyone else and i believe she was shifted sidewards.

When jobs don't work out it is frequently not due to any sort of absolute wrongdoing or failure but just down to incompatibility. Put it behind you and look for a job where you fit in.

I once completely humiliated myself at work. I did in house PR for a large financial services company. I had to issue the annual press release stating how much our funds under management had increased. Unfortunately I felt off the "bn" from the press release so it read (can't remember the number now, so we'll say "2") "XXX Increases Funds Under Management in XXXYear by £2". Somehow Compliance had also missed it when they proofed the release.

Within a minute or so of faxing the press release to all the national press, my phone started going- The Times, FT, Telegraph etc all on the phone to laugh and laugh and laugh at me. Worse, their editors phoned the Chief Executive to laugh at him. The next day the Times ran it in their little "here's a funny story" diary column.

It was a loooong time before I was allowed to do work for that part of the company again.

It did, however, eventually pass.

I used to work part time in a garage (it did car sales, MoT's services etc.). During the week it was incredibly busy but dead on a Saturday morning. I had to go in from 8.30 to 12.30 every Saturday and sit there trying to find things to do. One week I noodled around on the internet for about 40 minutes and on the Monday morning the boss went mental at me and docked my Saturday wages (even though I'd been there for the whole 4 hours) for "abusing the internet". I was mortified and handed my notice in about 4 weeks later as I was so pissed off with the place. They had an incredibly high staff turnover and went out of business about a year after I left (schadenfreude alert!).

Awwwwwww, OP,

So many of us have been there.

Please try not to think of it as a reflection on your competence. I know it feels like a horrible rejection, but it's not necessarily like that.

A couple of times in my life I have failed to get a job that I was desperate for. Both times, I cried. But in both cases it honest to God turned out to be a good thing in the end. I don't think I was really suited to the work or the environment in either case. And something better (and better paid!) came along that wouldn't have done had I been committed.

I know in these situations it can feel like anyone who tries to offer consolation doesn't really understand. But you will bounce back from this and it will be OK! Give yourself a gentle weekend, gather your energies, and roar back like a tiger next week.

I've just finished a project and the client is apparently very chuffed with the whole turn out and told all the suppliers (I nominated) and they are now raking in the money but I have not had a single word of thanks or it looks great etc.
Its on FB and all the customers are singing its praises and saying it looks fab etc
Apparently they were a bit narked about one thing but this was in the early stages so should have said something then. I had no idea they were pissed off with me (more of a company oversight than my direct fault).
For the record their dumb site manager would have laid the floor upside down if I hadn't intervened at the right time!!
It really smarts and I feel lacking confidence now - I bowed out of another client meeting yesterday because i don't feel I would add anything to the mix.
Its shit. Luckily I'm still in work and still valued but it still hurts when a client makes it clear they think you are crap (even though the end result is a winner).