Was I just fired? Was I wrong?

[Plutonius]

Is that good enough reason to get rid of someone? I am an intern, not a full time employee.

In answer to your question, they didn't need a good enough reason. I'm sure they started looking for a new intern right after your email was sent out and they didn't want you to leave until they had a replacement.

As an employee, the only person who will really care about you, is yourself. I'm sorry you lost the job but, on the plus side, you learned a valuable life lesson.

 

[Neous]

Sorry to hear

you've got fired for being honest.
your honesty was that this place wasn't fulfilling your needs as a student in search of exposure (case in point you started looking for another internship)
this company relies on your "cheap" labor for the duration of the internship but you were going to leave, but stayed because they promised you a job for the school year.

 

[Tomorrow]

So this week I was pulled aside and was told they were "letting me go". They didn't really give me a reason, other than, there's not enough work

So officially it sounds like you were "laid off." This helps you when going to apply for unemployment benefits or another job.

but that doesn't make sense to me since another student, in my class, is taking my place.

It doesn't? Let's examine that:

...I was also keeping my options open to new experiences and opportunities....This was also nothing against the company, which I had told them. I consulted the head of my department and he agreed. So I told the company these were my intentions and would allow them enough time to find another intern if I was to leave.

So you wanted to keep your options open, you told the company you'd give them enough time to hire someone to replace you, then you got upset after they found someone to replace you?

As others have said, if you're working but looking, it's always best to keep the "looking" part to yourself. Put the shoe on the other foot for a moment - if the company told you "hey, in about a month we're going to let you go and replace you," would you stick around and hope it doesn't happen, or would you start looking for another job? The company took steps to move forward in light of what you told them. You shouldn't act so hurt and surprised that they did.

 

[killerrobot]

I don't see why you told your company that you were looking for other opportunities and keeping your options open, even if you weren't

I consulted the head of my department, and agreed this would be the best approach. Many other students have done the same. It would've made my school look really bad If had just left the company without notice for another company. This is a local company is known by our school. I was looking out for my school, and their company. The reprecussion of not telling them outweighed the effects if I had notified them.

Sorry they let you go.

As others have said, best not to voice that you're keeping your options open. Many employers take that as a sign that you are actively looking for other jobs, and can take that to mean you're giving them a two weeks notice. When you did that, they probably figured you were leaving so they just started looking for a replacement.

It's not a question of your ability nor your loyalty to the company, it's just business in their eyes (one intern is leaving so we need to find another). If you feel you've been slighted, the best thing you can do is talk to everyone in your department and let them know how you feel and maybe people will think twice about interning with them...

Word of advice for the future - emails never go away so it's best to talk about that stuff in person and even if you are working for a company and get a job at another company, a two week notice, instead of leaving immediately, is the unwritten protocol.

 

[Arran]

The employee-employer relationship can be like marriage.

Tell your wife you'd jump at a better offer and see how that works out

 

[notjustjay]

Word of advice for the future - emails never go away so it's best to talk about that stuff in person

Indeed. The OP sent an email to 2 people, but there's no telling who they may have forwarded or shown the email to. It's right there in black and white.

For stuff like this perhaps next time a personal conversation is in order; for bonus points, do it while on a lunch outing at a restaurant instead of within company premises.

The opposite holds true too: if you're talking to someone and a decision gets made, document it in an email or else you run the risk of "I never said that!" at some point in the future. Often after I have a conversation with someone in which they dictate a choice of some kind, I'll send them an email immediately afterward saying something like "Thanks for your help -- as per our earlier conversation, I'm going to follow your guidance and do _____". It sounds redundant but three months later when the person has changed their mind and angrily asks "why did you do it that way?!!" it's nice to have a record to throw back at them...

 

[KnightWRX]

For stuff like this perhaps next time a personal conversation is in order; for bonus points, do it while on a lunch outing at a restaurant instead of within company premises.

The safest course when "evaluating options" and "job shopping" is not to discuss it at all. Keep your mouth shut until you have a Plan B.

Bluffing is always dangerous and even if you aren't bluffing, you're just being honest, you never know how your boss/co-workers can interpret it.

 

[GfPQqmcRKUvP]

Too be honest, I can't believe anyone is faulting the boss. The OP learned his lesson, but I don't see how ANYONE could think telling their boss they're "keeping their options open" is a good idea. The boss is not in the wrong here.

 

[Melrose]

There are certain things a boss should know only in a Need To Know situation - I personally wouldn't have told him what you did initially. You are, sadly, seldom better off by being open and up front about things to your workmates and managers. It's too bad you have to play the cards close, but it happens. It's not about personal skills so much as a form of haggling.

Even though it only works one way (you're expected to give two weeks notice, but they can fire you on the spot), I can sort of see where they're coming from - they may have perceived it as a lack of appreciation for the company.

 

[d0ster]

Sucks that you got laid off but don't take it personally. It's just business.
Yes it's cliche and a broad statement but it makes sense if you really think about it, emotions aside.

 

[iJohnHenry]

The safest course when "evaluating options" and "job shopping" is not to discuss it at all. Keep your mouth shut until you have a Plan B.

True, but if you are intrinsically an honest person, this works against you.

Before you kids were born, I ran into the same problem.

I requested an afternoon off, and did not just go home 'sick'.

I was subsequently asked if it was for a job interview, and I replied "Yes.".

Later, I was denied permission. I went.

Next day, after some office drama, I was told that I had essentially quit, by leaving anyway.

NP, I scored the other job right away, and never went employed.

They were heart-struck, "after all they had done for me". HA!! They did not suffer from our association. It was my first job, and I had gone as far as I could there. I was 24, and ready to move on.

 

[chrono1081]

Unfortunately OP this is the way the real world works. At any sign of leaving, or keeping options open, companies will usually try and get rid of you since they need someone who will stay awhile, not someone who hops at every new opportunity.

Another life lesson is there is usually no such thing as an "open door policy". I remember when I worked at Circuit City long ago I said that same statement in a store meeting, one of the managers told me I was wrong, and three weeks later she was fired over something she brought up using the same "open door policy".

Basically in the real world companies expect this:

1. No complaining

2. Loyalty (don't ever let anyone know you are looking or even thinking of another job).

3. If you see a problem and you bring it to a managers attention you better have a solution to back it up otherwise its seen as complaining.

4. Always be happy and enthusiastic about your work, if you aren't it will come back and bite you in the ass someday.

Yes, the above sound awful, but its true. I've worked at tons of places and the above 4 rules always apply.

 

[likemyorbs]

OP, hope you really learned a lesson. You can never be honest with a company. Honesty is NOT always the best policy. Sometimes it's better when your employer doesn't know certain things, searching for a new internship being one of those things. Be as fake as possible, lie a lot, and you will succeed in the corporate world. They don't look at employees as people, they look at you as a computer. When you know a computer might crap out soon, you replace it. Sad but true. Also, why did you even tell them you were looking for other opportunities, did they ask you? If not i dont see why you would voluntarily disclose that.

 

[SamIchi]

OP, hope you really learned a lesson. You can never be honest with a company. Honesty is NOT always the best policy. Sometimes it's better when your employer doesn't know certain things, searching for a new internship being one of those things. Be as fake as possible, lie a lot, and you will succeed in the corporate world. They don't look at employees as people, they look at you as a computer. When you know a computer might crap out soon, you replace it. Sad but true. Also, why did you even tell them you were looking for other opportunities, did they ask you? If not i dont see why you would voluntarily disclose that.

I hate to repeat myself, but lesson learned, I got it, office social structure is nothing like the school studio. And I told them because I didn't want to leave them stranded, and it is the norm to have multiple internships, one semester you're at one, next you're at another. There was never a defined time for how long my internship would last. Under guidance of my department head (former hiring manager of a large design firm) said that was fine. It's a local company that knows and hires student from our school. If I left without telling them it would look bad on me, my department head, and my school. I weighed my options and took advice from experience. I wouldn't have done it any other way.

 

[iJohnHenry]

I wouldn't have done it any other way.

Just because they have no scruples, that is no reason to abandon your own.

You have to live with yourself for quite a while.

 

[SandynJosh]

I hate to repeat myself, but lesson learned, I got it, office social structure is nothing like the school studio.

Yeah, the two are very much unalike. Additionally, the work environment of today is nothing like it was 20 or 30 years ago.

First, there is no more loyalty. A company will throw anyone out the door if it's for the benefit of the company. No matter how good a job you were doing, if your department get's outsourced, you're history. Years ago the company would see if they could retrain you for a different department, or help you find a job at a different company. A few companies even paid their employees to do community service work during a down time. No more. You are a commodity, highly replaceable, and a dozen like you sitting in the HR reception room.

The old idea was to find a good company and work your way up the ladder. The ladder is gone from most places. If there's a merger, you may find you were on the wrong ladder. Today, the ladder is gone, welcome to the jungle gym.

I once went to work for a company and two and a half years later there were only two people that had been there longer then me. I didn't need a brick wall to fall on me to tell me that no matter what kind of good job I did, I'd soon be gone. Before I could leave, one of the two with seniority was also gone.

Finally, full time with benefits is becoming a rarer thing. Furthermore, a company will decree a 10% cut in employees. If you make the cut and keep your job, you can expect a 10% increase in what they want out of you. Once you get up to speed on that higher workload, there comes another 10% cut, etc.

I went totally freelance a few years ago. I make less money, but I work less too. There is no stress, other then what I want to impose on myself, the working hours are great and when a nice day comes along, I don't have to ask anyone's opinion to go enjoy it.

One last thing. Write the email you want to send to your old employer, but don't send it. File it away and look at it in a year or two. Then you'll know why you were advised to not send it. Nothing good ever comes from spilling your guts or emptying your spleen. You'll see.

 

[Macky-Mac]

.... And I told them because I didn't want to leave them stranded.....

.....If I left without telling them it would look bad on me, my department head, and my school. I weighed my options and took advice from experience. I wouldn't have done it any other way.

Of course you wouldn't leave without telling them in advance, that would be bad form.

But the thing is, you don't give them notice until you've decided when you want to leave, THEN you let them know. As an intern, a couple of weeks advance notice would have been fine.

 

[avro707]

This is probably normal that you were let go.

The best plan is to keep your cards close to your chest, and only tell the company when you've got the move ready to go and completely finalised.

Otherwise, the company will pre-empt your planned move, as they did in this case. Unfortunately - honesty is good and bad.

Today, it's all too easy to end up thrown under the bus. Quality of your work is maybe of lesser importance than your ability to play the proverbial game of chess the right way.

 

[KnightWRX]

Even though it only works one way (you're expected to give two weeks notice, but they can fire you on the spot)

Here in Quebec, it's the opposite. The law states that an employer has to give you 2 weeks notice (or failing that, 2 weeks pay) but the employee can just up and leave at any time without any notice.

 

[MacBoobsPro]

Don't ever tell people at work (even your closest work mates) your intentions. People are greedy, if they have something on you they will use it to their advantage. If the bosses need a reason to get rid of someone they can use it as an excuse. At least you have now learnt this early on. It took me a few years to figure it out, because I'm too honest for my own good.

Pick yourself up, and get back out there and make use of your new found knowledge. Its what its all about.

 

[Melrose]

Here in Quebec, it's the opposite. The law states that an employer has to give you 2 weeks notice (or failing that, 2 weeks pay) but the employee can just up and leave at any time without any notice.

I should move to Canada. It depends here, of course, if you're Union. If you're in a Union you can't just be up and fired that I know of. I'm not.

 

[TPadden]

Is that good enough reason to get rid of someone?.......

..... and how much of a reason would you have needed to leave voluntarily when you already were looking for another place to go .

Burning bridges ......

http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_detailpage&v=zCjWQHpu3bY