If work isn’t going well or you’re just generally feeling unsettled, you should keep a watch out for some possible signs you’re about to be fired. If your gut instinct is telling you something, it might well be right. If you spot any of these signs you’re about to be fired, it’s time to make plans to find a new job.
One of the signs you’re about to be fired is that you will suddenly start receiving assignments with deadlines a little too tight to handle. In other words, your boss is setting you up to fail. They will keep a track of the assignments and failed deadlines and terminate you for failing to achieve your targets.
If your manager has put you on a performance-improvement plan, be ready to hear the big news in the next few months, or maybe in the coming weeks. This is one definite sign that you're cooked. You just cannot satisfy them no matter how hard you try after they've put you on a performance review. They have only one goal in mind – and you already know that, don't you?
If you hear this from people in your office, the chances are you're not getting the respect you need to survive in your workplace, and this is always one of more significant signs you might be about to be fired. You may take it as a joke, but you should take it seriously, especially when you see people recoil every time you want to share something. When someone says something like "You need to change your personality", you may take it as an advice and make changes to how you interact with people. You may be the person who says the first thing on your mind, but this lack of tact will land you in trouble. Keep inserting your foot into your mouth, and you will soon see your ship sink.
Be very careful when dealing with your seniors, especially when you say something annoying to the CEO in an all-company meeting. Those big guns will take it as an insult, and if you've committed the crime, someone might soon break the news that your services are no longer required.
Getting seriously tough assignments with short deadlines is definitely one of the indications you're about to be let go, but this can also be the other way round – they take important assignments and responsibilities from you and get you to do smaller jobs instead. This should be more alarming if you're a high-level employee and they no longer trust you with important tasks. If you're dealing with one such situation, start updating your resume, as you might be needing it soon.
You know you've been making some big mistakes recently, and if that's the case, this incompetence could make you pay. Remember, incompetence may have its place, but only in the world of Mr. Bean, and when you screw things up, you may end up losing your job.
Imagine you arrive at work one day only to discover that HR has sacked a number of your colleagues and hired a hotshot MBA from Stanford or Harvard. Be ready to hear the bad news, especially when the new employee has a real Midas touch. Things may take a nosedive if your VP is in love with the new guy. In this situation, the bell that rings in your mind could be your death knell. So, don't ignore this, as it's one of the potential indications you're about to be let go.
Losing your job is not easy – especially if it is undeserved. If you see any potential signs you’re about to be fired, act quickly. If you think your job is worth saving, work out an action plan to do so, otherwise, polish up your resume and see it as a shiny new opportunity. Have you ever been fired? Did you see it coming?