[boo516]

Hi guys. I have a question for some of you who've been out in the working world much longer than I have and know more than I do. However a little back story.

I graduated from a top 20 university with a BBA in Finance (Bachelors in Business Administration) in May with a 3.2 GPA. As soon as I graduated I went to work for the Home Depot as a Merchandising Assistant. While I loved the company and many of the people. I got fired after a month because my manager thought my attitude was bad and I wasn't paying attention to her and even went far to say I didn't respect her because she was a women. I felt that this was incredibly untrue because I really respected her for what she does for the company and tried to reassure her that I wasn't trying to disrespect her whatsoever and that I genuinely had no problems with her. I even consulted with another guy on the team who was good friends with her and a manager in a different department. He assured me it was just a communication issue and that I just needed to reassure her that I wasn't and work on it. But ultimately it was her decision and I was canned after a month on the job. I thought to myself, ok maybe this is a one off and I'll definitely work on my attitude if that is a real problem.

After a month of unemployment, I found another job as an investment analyst at a regional real estate investment firm. I loved the job, it was everything that I wanted in an entry level job in finance. I told myself going in I wasn't going to have any attitude problems and really put myself out there. I came in every morning with a smile and was a courteous as possible to everyone and stayed later than 7pm almost everyday just to learn and go over models. I also wanted to make sure I was doing a good job and always asked for feedback on how I was progressing. Each time they told me good job you're doing great! I thought, this is turning out to be great. I'm in a good job and I love my work. However, after five weeks (this monday), the firm terminated me by activating the right in my 90 day probational period and said I was, "No longer a good fit." I pressed on it further and asked why to which they said I just wasn't a fit. This really confused me as I don't see how every time I was told good job and no one criticized my work. Even on Sunday (night before I was terminated), I got a good job email from the other associates who said that the model I sent them was good. At the end, I even offered to work for free to show them that I could be a good fit for the job to which they responded no.

Thus, I'm very confused as to what's wrong with me. I did well in school, I think I'm a pretty personable guy cause I get a lot of interviews and offers. However, I just can't seem to manage to hold a job. Does anyone have any suggestions on how I can better myself? All I want to do is be successful and I think I have the tools, but I'm beginning to lose any idea of where I should go anymore. If anyone has any tips or suggestions hit me. Thanks!

[Laura Knotek]

I'm sorry that you've been so unlucky in your jobs.

Is it possible that the real estate investment firm just wasn't busy enough to need additional employees? They might not have had any issues with you, but they might not have needed you if business was slow.

Did you get references from the real estate investment firm? If they really liked you and it was simply a business decision, then you should be able to use those references in your job search.

Are there any professional organizations in your field? Joining those organizations and going to their meetings would be a great networking opportunity.

[boo516]

Laura,

Thanks for the reply. The reason I don't think they weren't busy is that money wasn't an issue so I don't think it was a business issue. During my interview, they said that the reason they were hiring was because they just raised a $200MM fund and needed more analysts.

As for whether they liked me. I'm starting to question it because of the way they did it. If it wasn't performance and it wasn't because the firm was running out of money, what else could it be?

Luckily, I have a group of great friends and a great network who are always willing to help me but I don't feel mentally ready for another job if I'm just going to fail in another month.

[Laura Knotek]

Perhaps it would be a good idea for you to try to meet a man or woman who works in your field and has a lot of experience and could be a mentor to you. A professional organization would probably be a good place to meet him/her. That person would be able to offer advice on how to get started and establish yourself in your career.