Let Go During Probation — And Feeling Blindsided
One of the hardest parts of taking career risks is that sometimes you can genuinely try your best and still lose the job.
Original Reddit post (tap to expand)
Husband suddenly let go from new job, feeling blindsided
A woman shared the story of her husband being let go less than three months into a new role, despite positive feedback and regular check-ins with management.
He had recently transitioned into a marketing role at an apartment complex, but leadership later shifted the position toward outreach and employer partnerships.
After asking for clarification, building systems to stay organized, and trying to adapt to the new expectations, he was unexpectedly terminated during probation because management felt he “wasn’t making changes quickly enough.”
What made the situation especially difficult was that no one had directly communicated serious concerns before the decision was made.
His manager appeared shocked by the decision, apologized afterward, and admitted she thought things were going well.
The wife’s main questions were:
- Does this situation sound strange?
- How do you emotionally recover from repeated job instability?
- How do you explain something like this professionally to others?
- How do you deal with the fear that people will quietly judge you as unreliable?
I'll answer your questions one by one cause I think it'll be helpful to break down what happened.
1 - Does this sound strange? No - it doesn't. The reason the 90 day probation period exists is so everyone has an opportunity to see if the person fits the role, the role fits the needs of the business, and the business fits the needs of the person. At any point in the mix people can change their minds and go in a different direction before everyone gets invested.
In John's case though it sounds like they didn't know what they wanted. They found a great guy, saw an opportunity based on his skill set, but it turns out no one wanted that skill. They wanted something else. Marketing is not outreach. It sucks, but it happens. A lot.
2 - You've got to be ok with this reality. John did everything he could do to make this work. They didn't give him a chance to pivot his strategy because he didn't know he had to do that. That's a failure of management just as much as anything else. Management has to communicate their needs to employees.
How do you cope emotionally? You've got to talk about it. I've been in John's shoes - Getting let go for no real reason is A BADGE OF HONOUR. Welcome to the real world and consequences of taking risks. Don't stop taking risks, don't stop telling people what you need and want.
3 - You talk about it. He doesn't need to be negative about it; he needs to develop a narrative around it.
For example:
“My skills weren't right for their needs. I understand what happened, they just didn't know what they wanted when they hired me. It sucks - I liked working with them, but I saw it too. My skills are in marketing, and they needed more of an outreach role. Marketing is a bit more complex than what they needed. I wish I had seen it before I started, but what can you do.”
4 - Your parents? If they don't understand, they've never taken a risk. You want to move forward in your career, you've got to take risks. Give them the opportunity to help.
Careers are messy now. Roles change. Companies change direction. Good people end up in the wrong environments all the time.
The important thing is not pretending it didn't happen. It's learning how to process it, talk about it honestly, and move forward without letting it define you.
I work with people who go through this — career instability, burnout, workplace confusion, and difficult transitions. Sometimes you just need help understanding what happened and figuring out what comes next.
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