well it finally happened...

[jason-23]

I got "s" canned today at 4:30 from my dealership technician job in beautiful sunny Orlando.  I was totally shocked and caught off guard, speechless. I asked why and they said we don't have to give you a reason why. I worked there for 6 years ever since the doors opened. Never been written up or talked to about anything, my csi is 85%, i have maybe 1 recheck or come back a month, my only down fall is people always think im pissed off but that's not the case, I just got tired of working with idiots that make 2-3 time more than me and they dont even have a degree and yes I do have a degree, a bs in automotive engineering and technology. Now I have to make up my mind , do i want to go look for another dealership job or do i want to try and make my business run at a 100% instead of the 10-20% I work on it now..... I know God has a plan I just wish he would let me see. I was pretty bummed out but my wife is a  awesome woman and she didnt freak out or anything. She said "f@ck them, they dont deserve you and they have been treating you like crap for years!" I haven't heard her curse in a long time...thanks for reading.

[brandon]

Well, sorry to hear that but you know what they say - "When a door shuts a window opens." Not trying to sound cheesy but it can be true. Just put faith in yourself and be prepaired to work harder and way smarter than you ever have. Watch your cash and know when to say no to a customer and above all else charge what you are worth!

[Prosperi-Tees]

Yep,same thing happened to me in November and I am lovin it!

[Frog]

Jason, as Jerry just confirmed, you know that more than one of us here were fired or laid off from our "day job" and took our printing to the next level.

[mooseman]

I have been very fortunate in that i was never let go throughout my working years BUT i also never had the hidden opportunity that you now hold.
You are faced with a situation of distress and unknown that you most likely would have never created by yourself. the opprotunities are really endless but you have to use your head and not make you next move ina fantasy world that you talk yourself into.

screenprinting is a great way to go but also you have a talent and skill in the automotive trade don't waste that, remember you have a lot invested in you .

Lets say you were almost the perfect employee BUT some little part of you rubbed you former employer the wrong way, you kinda already know what that is based on you comments above. Understand what that is (personally) and strip it out of your personality / work image etc and you become a better you automatically. Then you will be better staged to greater success sooner in what ever you choose to do next.

don't tell yourself what you want to hear and you will do just great...best of luck
mooseman

[Sbrem]

The fact that they said they didn't have to give you a reason obviously lets you know they didn't care about you at all. It's tough, and you have 2 options; get another job doing the same thing, or take it all in your own hands, and get your printing business running full time. My partner and I got started part time, working nights and weekends, then graduating to full time. He left his full time job in a body shop, and I left my full time job running a screen dept. that I had worked at since I was the first employee hired 18 years earlier. Now we work about 60 hours a week, but it's our's. And by the way, it's not a job anymore, it's your life, 24/7/365. You can't walk out the door at the end of the day and leave it behind until the morning; no one is there to pick up your slack. Personally, from conversations and postings, I think you'll be fine either way.

Steve

[mk162]

Yeah, I wouldn't worry about it.  I know you are frustrated, but a piece of paper on the wall doesn't mean sh!t.  It sounds like they wanted to get rid of you to probably bring in some new blood.  I prefer to work with employees rather than replace.  It sounds like they operate differently.

You'll be fine...just don't sit on your butt for long.

[Itsa Little CrOoked]

<snip>...it's not a job anymore, it's your life, 24/7/365. You can't walk out the door at the end of the day and leave it behind until the morning; no one is there to pick up your slack...<snip> That is SOOOOO true Steve.

Self employment has some big pluses, I've done it over 20 years and I love it. But there are some huge minuses too. If you have kids at  home, a family guy, I'd sure think twice about it Jason.  If you punch a clock for someone else, you never know when the pink slip might come, but you can leave it all at work and go home to the wife and kids.

I'm not trashing self employment at all. Its a good "fit" for some, myself included. But it sure isn't for everybody.

Sorry you got canned....ESPECIALLY by someone who doesn't even care enough to tell you why.  THAT is beyond explanation, to me at least.

[JBLUE]

The fact that they did not tell him why is for a legal reason not a "they dont care" issue. As a company if your state has policy like this you need to use it. Giving someone a reason why they are being terminated opens up a door to litigation. Having experience working for a large corporation and having to do the firing I know from experience. Its not always easy to fire someone even when they deserve it. They handled it in the best interest of their business.

Sure he's bitter like any of us would be but he already knows why he got canned. Its right here:

my only down fall is people always think im pissed off but that's not the case, I just got tired of working with idiots that make 2-3 time more than me and they dont even have a degree and yes I do have a degree, a bs in automotive engineering and technology.

Any one of as a business owner would do the same thing. You cant keep people around like that. In this day and age of whack jobs coming back and blowing away their former employees they handled it the only way that they could. A simple your services are no longer needed is all you need to say. It sounds harsh but its just the way it is in todays business world.

I am not trying to kick when your down but you better wake and smell the ink. If you come off this way as a business owner you wont make it. You are going to deal with way more idiots in your daily business activities than you ever have before. Good luck and it sucks to get canned from any job but you can make it if you do it right.

[mk162]

I had an employee here that thought he was better than everybody else.  He's gone too.

Jblue is right, you are going to deal with more idiots in a week now than you did in a year before...this industry seems to attract them.  That reminds me, has anybody seen sonny in a while?   

[Prosperi-Tees]

I should clarify that after getting fired in November I have not been able to replace my salary with the business, as a matter of fact I have not taken a salary yet at all. I had savings and other income to get us thru. If it were not for that I would not have went ahead full time with the business. I would say if you have a family and no savings I would at least get a part time job. It is great that you have a skill in the automotive field. I had none. I'm a 6th grade dropout and I'm in it to win it, I don't have a choice like you with your automotive experience. Either way, especially if you have kids make the right choice to be certain to be able to care for them. And yes your business is 24/7/365 even though you leave the shop everything essentially comes with you in your mind.

[mk162]

How did you drop out in 6th grade?  I failed 6th, FYI.  Best thing that happened to me...made me work harder and take thing seriously.  Made it into the gifted program 2 years later.

[Prosperi-Tees]

Actually I should have said 7th grade. They took mercy on me and passed me thru to 7th but I really didn't earn it. After that I was so screwed up and depressed because of my family situation that I did not try at all in 7th grade. I enrolled in independent study where all I had to was show up once a week for 30 minutes and I got some credits. As soon as I hit 16 I quit altogether and got a job pumping gas. That was 20 years ago.

[Socalfmf]

Gerry

that is crap..get a part time job?  really?  how about go get one more order...that will more than replace any pay you would have made at a job.

but really dude...sorry you lost your job...but it is either time you sac up and make a go of the business or get back looking for a job...yeah it is 24/7 but it also offers a lot of flexibility...I have yet to miss anything at my kids school.  that makes it all worth it for me...i have never missed a game or a dance recital...

now it is up to you to see if you WANT to do this...but remember you cannot fire yourself...so live the dream and make it happen...

sam

[Prosperi-Tees]

Sam I have to disagree. If the man has no money to his name he needs to do something to secure that his family will eat but I will agree if he hustles and gets his print jobs going he can do it.