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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

To ask if you know anyone who wrecked a promising career

169 replies

icecreamwithflake · 02/04/2016 17:59

And got their life together anyways?

OP posts:
incandescentalright · 02/04/2016 18:09

Boris Johnson (fired from his first journalism job for plagiarism).

You can usually bounce back - if the career was 'promising' then you've got something about you, and you'll be able to use that in other areas. What does 'wrecked' mean anyway? I'm sure it's not that bad...

Original poster
icecreamwithflake · 02/04/2016 18:10

It is, and I can't think of anything else at all I could do.

OP posts:
incandescentalright · 02/04/2016 18:24

Can you retrain?

incandescentalright · 02/04/2016 18:24

What was the first job?

iamtotallyserious · 02/04/2016 18:25

What happened?

pinocchiosnose · 02/04/2016 18:26

Yes someone very close to me lost their job due to a silly mistake . They will now qualify as a doctor next year . As pp have said is there any way you can retrain?

EastMidsMummy · 02/04/2016 18:26

Stan Collymore and Alan Patridge.

FellOutOfBedTwice · 02/04/2016 18:27

EastMids in the end Alan Partridge did have the last laugh.

RudeElf · 02/04/2016 18:28

Jeremy clarkson. Aka the turd that wont flush.

fastdaytears · 02/04/2016 18:30

If it helps, I've been very sure that my career was wrecked quite a few times and I'm still here.

Can you tell us anymore?

Also have some Wine

Original poster
icecreamwithflake · 02/04/2016 18:34

I wish I could retrain but just can't afford it so I'm stuck.

OP posts:
Original poster
icecreamwithflake · 02/04/2016 18:34

I wish I could tell you more - basically I was scapegoated

OP posts:
PastaLaFeasta · 02/04/2016 18:44

I didn't have a great time at work nor scaled great heights but five years being a SAHM isn't a good career move, so I'm trying to retrain and get a new job in that field, starting from the bottom. It's been relatively cheap to retrain - books off eBay so paying for exam fees and professional membership only. But even without the exams you can move into different fields and really focus on transferable skills. You are in a better position than people without good work experience.

Original poster
icecreamwithflake · 02/04/2016 18:47

I am struggling with references and this means it's tricky to move on.

OP posts:
foragogo · 02/04/2016 18:52

contract for 6 months then move on, using them as your reference. I know someone that was sacked from for gross misconduct - faking evidence to give to external auditors, contracted as a project manager for 6m, hired by , now a senior manager there.

Pancakeflipper · 02/04/2016 18:55

I did.

Nearly at the end of training. Doing great, in the top ten and working my arse off to get a fab report and loving it. Had an accident (not related to the training). Invalided out.
Heartbroken.

That's about 15 years ago.

I wish I'd have worked harder to fix myself physically and mentally after the accident and been bullish enough to get myself back into that area of work. Wish I'd not been so stubborn and let the training staff help me.

I didn't, I went into a different field and I know that I don't fulfil my potential in that role. But I'd have had a very different life so it's swings and roundabouts really.

PastaLaFeasta · 02/04/2016 18:55

References are often very basic and you could miss out that employer if you have others. Voluntary work is another option for references and filling in your CV. My references for volunteering were personal rather than professional. Temping is also a good and quick way to find work and bridge the gap.

thesandwich · 02/04/2016 18:58

I highly recommend the book SUMO- how to shut up and move on. Brilliant advice. You can- the story will soon be yesterday's trifle. Honest.

WeAllHaveWings · 02/04/2016 19:12

I know of a couple of people who have been sacked for gross misconduct (one selling unused company IT hardware on ebay, the other using her company credit card/entering overtime for herself and others fraudulently) and both moved on with their careers.

One I know took a couple of attempts, she got references from friends/colleagues at old workplace (again fraud) and got a job, but someone in new company knew who she was and the circumstances of leaving her old job and on day one she was asked to leave (friends/colleagues were also disciplined for providing "company" references). Second time she got a job ok, I believe friends took the risk and gave her references again, and she's been there for >7 years now.

The other person, a 19 year old, got references from colleagues at the workplace who would still vouch for him and he lied about why he left his previous job and is now a project manager at another company.

They both did things that were unexplainable and pretty much made them unemployable so had to cheat and lie. Not a path recommended for the faint hearted/honest amongst us.

Personal references should be easy enough if you knew people well in your old workplace who will vouch for you, official company ones are much harder to obtain.

I guess it all depends on whether you can explain the reasons behind the problems at your old company sufficiently, with the back up of personal references from colleagues, for them to understand the circumstances.

lavenderhoney · 02/04/2016 19:13

Sounds shit. Happened to me once. Even HR got on the wagon. Did the fuckers do it Friday? And then leave you to sweat over the weekend? They have a duty of care you know. It's unethical to do that.

It was a terrifying kangaroo court in huge global corporation. Friday at 5.00pm. Awesome way to start the weekend. Not:( Only I had some incriminating emails which I hadn't deleted. Plus HR were so excited and fired up they forgot to check if it was true and could be verified.

Manager of HR was furious at having to deal with a load of trumped up bullshit and they all had to apologise, several people demoted/ let go and I didn't leave despite the whispers. Fuck them. Also my boss was furious. It was an attempt to derail him to. Didn't work.

Can you say more? If you want to. Or post on employment or legal here. Depending on how big the company is and if you can get other references from senior managers etc.

EverySongbirdSays · 02/04/2016 19:22

Can you transfer your story as if it were happening in another profession like for like so as not to ID ??? So hypothetically you work in a bank but tell us the story as though you were a teacher in a high school ? iyswim ?

GertrudeBadger · 02/04/2016 19:29

I'm sure there's a way back, I think you have to keep applying for other jobs until you find one that's not too fussy about references or you can get a basic hr one/other colleague in the company etc. I contract and my recent employer didn't check references at all.

Original poster
icecreamwithflake · 02/04/2016 19:30

Unfortunately my work means I need reference from last workplace

OP posts:
thesandwich · 02/04/2016 19:32

Are you in a union or professional association who could advise?

BoatyMcBoat · 02/04/2016 19:32

Scapegoated and then 'let go' nicely due to illness (they knew I was on the point of being dx with a life-limiting illness and got me out before the actual dx).

I made use of lots of contacts, dropped myself down to a much lower level of experise and became self-employed for some years while I recovered physically and mentally, a bit, and figured out what I might be able to do long term given my new dx.

Eventually I went to Uni, then did an MA, then PhD and here I am!

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