I was offered and accepted a a copywriting role at a large corporation that started March 1. There was a month-long probation period. I was hired based on my writing, even though there is a large marketing component. They said they were confident I would learn/and that they would teach me the marketing stuff as we went along. But that they really wanted me for my writing, because it far exceeded that of the other candidates.
When I started, they gave me literally two full weeks to do nothing but read the website/previous content (and have hour-long meetings with my team members, in which they explained their roles). I asked repeatedly to be given small tasks to do, so I could have an idea of what was expected of me, and if I was doing it in a satisfactory way. This was not provided, my requests brushed aside.
Then there was a week of onboarding training, with other new hires. It was literally a full week of PPT presentations. At the end, they asked for suggestions. I said that it would be great if there could be more presentations around my role in the company. They said yes, but this week was more for client director and sales. So that was a week of probation eaten up that really had nothing to do with me.
I then had a week of actual writing. I was assigned and produced, in my time as this company, a total of five pieces of writing. They were assigned to me at once, in a lump, the moment the last onboarding session ended. That is not an exaggeration. Two of those pieces received good feedback, with minor changes. Two were copyediting pieces--no writing involved. The others I had scheduled feedback meetings for next week. Regardless, I spent a lot of time on them, asked a lot of questions, then sent everything in early, in hopes of feedback. I told my bosses again and again that I was new at this, and that I know the writing part, but there was going to be a learning curve, and I wanted to make sure they were OK with that. They said yes, yes, of course, we know. It's not a problem. You're here to learn. Again, I swear to God, this is not an exaggeration.
Yesterday, I was told that they would not be continuing with contract after my probation. This came as a huge shock. Honestly out of left field.
I got along extremely well with everyone. My team, my bosses, the other departments. I was a great fit. All feedback I had received was positive. There had been no signs of trouble at all. Really, no exaggeration here.
My boss had even personally asked me to attend a conference with him the day after my probation ended. There were meetings scheduled for after my probation ended.
When he called, the boss said they weren't confident in my marketing skills. They said my writing was excellent. But that they needed someone with more marketing ability (which they told me they were going to help me learn). In all, I've been able to do "real" work for six days. So I'm being judged on less than a week of work.
I told him that I'd done everything they'd asked. I'd even worked weekends to catch up (on my own accord), signed up for SEO courses, signed up for Google Analytics courses, asked questions, had all my writing turned in early. I have emails from both bosses telling me I was doing a great job, and not to worry, and that I had the full team's support. It was all smiles, all the time. This is no exaggeration.
When they fired me, they also offered me a two-month contract. Why would they, if they were this unhappy with my work? By the time this contract ends, I'll have learned everything they had wanted me to learn. Something doesn't add up.
I asked if I could work remotely during this time. My boss said he would get back to me. He did, and said that was fine. Which is great for me, but him having to get back to me makes me feel like this isn't his decision. He even told me he knew it wasn't fair. I told him he'd looked me in the eye and lied about being willing to help me learn. I said I'd received no help on that front. Just stacks of papers to read. He said that yes, that was probably true, and that this was a learning experience for him.
My only idea is that there is restructuring/cost-cutting going on. We recently had a new director take over the office, whose job is to oversee the financial performance. I'm thinking he must have looked at each department and seen that I was new, easy to get rid of, and my work could be merged with the "internal" copywriter's job -- I am (or was) the external copywriter -- thus saving the company money and making waves in his first few weeks on the job. There is a meeting scheduled for everyone late next week in which he will introduce his new plan. I obviously won't be there.
My question is, does anyone have any idea what could have happened? I understand I'm not a great marketer, but it seems crazy to judge someone off five pieces of work (two of which were copyediting stuff). So really three pieces of writing (which they said were excellent from a writing standpoint).
I'm not even angry, just confused as all hell and trying to wrap my brain around this. I did everything I could, yet was really only able to work for six full days (this last week, plus a Friday). I'm completely dumbfounded. Again, the only thing that makes sense is they are restructuring and can't tell me because of confidentiality stuff, or I've done something to anger someone and they aren't being forthcoming about it. But knowing I'm new to the marketing game and firing me based on five pieces, some of which remain unreviewed (and some of which involve only copyediting -- work for which I was deeply praised), seems bizarre. And why keep me for two months if my work isn't up to par? That seems like my boss going up to bat for me in an attempt to help me out, which would be great of him. But I don't know what to think, as my head is spinning.
Any thoughts to help calm my nerves would be appreciated. Again, this is a crazy, long post, but I swear on my life this is exactly how things went down. This is honestly the strangest, most unexpected thing to happen to me in a professional sense.
EDIT: To those saying I lacked confidence and was "bombarding" them with questions -- this is absolutely not the case. I was receiving daily check-up emails from my superiors, just asking how I was doing. I asked questions when they came up. But 85-90% of our communication was them coming to me. Sure, you can come off as needy by asking too many questions. Believe me, I know what being needy is. I was absolutely not needy in this role. I turned in good content, on time, and they told me they knew I was a risk and were fine with and willing to give me time to help me learn upon my hire. I was given six real days of work. That's the point here. I never had time to bombard anyone with questions. The first three weeks of the job I spent alone or in meetings. I offered help when other departments needed it and was told by my managers that it was great I was being so proactive. This is a guy with a ton of confidence, but who needed time to learn a skill he did not yet have. And a skill is something you learn by doing (as well as reading, yes). But DOING is a huge part of it.
EDIT 2: That said, I'm not taking this terribly. I think being fired is a quintessential human experience (like heartbreak), and it's something everyone should experience at least once. And I've never experienced this before in 10 years in the workforce. It's shitty, but also important and a great thing to have gone through at the end of the day.
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