Book Review: Fired! Tales of the Canned, Canceled, Downsized, & Dismissed

Almost everyone has been fired from a job, and just about everyone has a story to go along with it. Annabelle Gurwitch, the actor and screen writer, decided to capitalize on this fact by compiling and editing a collection of humorous "down-sizing" stories in her book Fired! Tales of the Canned, Canceled, Downsized & Dismissed. After being fired by the media icon (and consequently her idol) Woody Allen, Annabelle decided to take her story to the publishers- along with several other tales from well known actors and media personal, including Bill Maher, Tim Allen, Tate Donovan (actor and director in The O.C.), Harry Shearer (actor in This is Spinal Tap), Dana Gould (writer for The Simpsons), Bob Saget and more.

The book is divided into five chapters: The Job So Terrible You Can Only Hope to Be Fired, The Firing You Didn't See Coming, The Time You Deserved to be Fired, The Time Getting Fired Leads You to Something Better, and The Time You Had to Fire Yourself. Each chapter is as witty as the last, and will keep you reading and laughing through till the next. And with over a dozen "tales of the canned" in each chapter, you will have plenty of laughing to enjoy.

Many of the true stories found in this book are so funny, they will have you laughing out loud. The story of Paul Feig (director of Arrested Development and The Office) losing his Ronald McDonald gig because of a magical comparison between a rubber chicken and Chicken McNuggets he made to a group of school kids while wearing the clown suit will probably remain with me for the rest of my life. In another favorite story, Jeff Garlin (actor in Curb Your Enthusiasm) explains how he was fired for throwing a bowl of Fruity-Pebbles at a hotel wall... and all just because they stuck. Larry Charles (writer for Senifeld) reminds us that Taxi companies should never offer employment to a teen-age kid who has just acquired his license that very day; wrecking his cab before he even got it out of the parking lot. Stories like these

are worth the price of this book alone. To round each story off, the book also includes "Fired Facts": brief and amusing factoids about being fired, and the workplace in general. .. sounds funny to us.

Leaving your job - don't burn those bridges! By Alan Howison

The time comes for everyone where their job isn't what it used to be(or perhaps it never was!). So you have to leave. Some people don't

understand that being unhappy in a job is more important than your income at the time.  You just have to do it.

So what's the best way to go about it?  How can you minimize the impact on both your career and your soon-to-be ex-employer?

Tie up loose ends!

You weren't thinking about just walking out were you?      

It's a move a lot of people make and can be a big mistake.  It could be argued that there are a lot of issues in the workplace that could mean just getting up and walking out would save a lot of hassle, but it could also be argued that you should at least try to resolve these issues first.If you have outstanding work, then try to get it finished.  If other departments are relying on you to do their jobs, then it is only professional courtesy to not let them down.  How would you feel if you couldn't hit the deadline because someone just up and left? 

Creating a list of pending tasks to complete for your replacement and going over them with your manager is a very simple task and should be the least you can do.  Ideally you want to make it easy as possible for someone to take over your work.      

Should you give notice? Well, yes - if you can.      

Nobody likes to be left in the lurch and no matter what you think of your boss or your colleagues, they are just people doing their job. 

Most employment contracts require that you give a certain amount of notice and you should try to adhere to that.  In a lot of cases, your employer may not want you to work your notice (but you should still get paid for it).      

Telling the boss.....

This can be the hardest part of leaving a job for most people and for many the response of your boss can be just as hard.  Whether they say, "Oh, OK then...bye" or "Nooooo!  Don't leave!", it is going to be an uncomfortable s situation.      

You should be prepared to discuss your reasons for leaving (it may not be necessary), but do not expect your boss to turn around and offer you a pay i increase and better package.  In 9 times out of 10, if you quit, then you quit.  Threatening to leave is not the way for you to get  pay rise! Why do all this?

Hey, you're leaving right?  What do you care if you rattle a few cages doing it?       

Well, for one thing, most jobs require a reference from your previous employer and if you can't offer one then you will find it very hard to get a new job.

Another good reason to keep things amicable is that most people will be moving on to another job in the same industry.  As years progress you will find out exactly how small a world it is we live in!  The person you tell to shove their stinking job where the sun don't shine could, in a few years, be the person you have to deal with for that new business contract. In the UK at least, employers cannot give you a bad reference.  They can however neglect to say certain things and it's the stuff they don't put on the reference that can speak volumes.  For example, if they don't say you were reliable and trustworthy, then your future employer may question why.      

As one door closes, another opens and all that....        

I would be surprised if you have not heard his famous line, "The definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results." Are you interviewing the same way over and over again? Using the same answers and style to present yourself? If so, you are ensuring the same results.

Job Interviews: Things To Avoid Article by Andre Bias.

As a young business owner it is my preference to work a part-time job when starting a new business venture. I like to have money coming in through

different sources at all times. My inability to obtain a job is the main reason my first business venture failed. After getting advice from an individual in human resources, I realized what mistakes I was making. I will share this information so that others do not have to deal with rejection form employers like I have had to in the past.

1. Wearing an earring. Many males wear earrings but it is considered unprofessional to wear an earring to a job interview, unless you are a female of course.

2. Talking too much. Believe it or not talking to much can hurt you at a job interview because you could get to a point where you get off the subject or say things that you shouldn’t say.

3. Not talking enough. Employers say they want to hire high energy, enthusiastic people so if you don’t talk enough they may think you are shy or quiet.

4. Getting to the interview late. If you arrive late then the potential employer will question your reliability.

5. Saying things that give them the impression that you don’t want to stay with the company long term. If they feel that you will only be with the company for a short time they won’t want to hire you.

Avoiding the 5 mistakes listed above will increase your chances of obtaining quality employment.