4 Reasons You Lost Your Job Despite Working Hard - The Muse

4 Reasons You Lost Your Job Despite Working Hard - The Muse4 Reasons You Lost Your Job Despite Working HardAsk anyone in your former office, and he or she would say you were a hard worker. No question. You leid only physically showed up for the job every day, but you were passionate about your work (some parts more than others), and you downloaded all the new tools and apps your company asked you to. But none of it seemed to matter the day you got called into HR and were slapped with a termination agreement package.It burns, doesnt it? All that hard effort, and wheres the payoff? Heres a secret Its possible to work your butt off and still be seen as notlage worth keeping around in your companys eyes. Here are some reasons you may have been let go, despite all that toil and sweat.1. You Werent Working on the Right ThingsAnyone can do long and late hours. Ive known people who regularly put time in on weekends, who never take lunch. None of that means a thing if you werent focused on th e things that mattered to your employer. It sounds counterintuitive to say you need to tend to the issues at the top of your organizations agenda. Talk about stating the obvious. And yet, not everyone manages it. Most likely, you enjoy some parts of your job more than others. If you unknowingly or even unintentionally begin to neglect the tasks you arent crazy about, its going to be a problem.If youre not sure what this looks like, heres an example Joe was hired to conduct market research and help produce marketing materials. Joe loves and spends most of his time on the writing and graphic design part of his job, but he does very little with the actual market research project thats of utmost importance to the higher-ups. The research is necessary for informing the companys outreach efforts, and if its not being managed, then Joes designed materials are kind of pointless. And if Joe cant validate why those materials are being produced, well, you can guess what happens.Although its im portant to build on your natural interests and strengths, its imperative that you balance that with meeting your employers requirements, even if you dont find them stimulating. 2. You Suffered From StagnationIts an intense, complicated, and ever-changing world we live in. So if you fail to make an effort to keep pace, you risk becoming irrelevant. Be aware of- if not heavily invested in- current trends in your industry, new technology, and even internal changes within your organization.Sometimes, though, even that wont suffice. It may not be enough to have a thirst for learning more if you find that youre not retaining information quickly enough, or getting a grasp of recently implemented tools and systems in a reasonable amount of time. An acquaintance of mine recently fired a pleasant and hard-working intern because he kept making the exact same mistake. By the third time, his good attitude and hard work werent enough to make him a valuable kollektiv player. Staying current is cha llenging but necessary. Take a class if you need to, work with a career coach, and dont underestimate the importance of asking questions. 3. You Didnt Get Along With Your Co-workersYour ability to produce results is obviously critical to your viability with an organization, but its certainly not the only thing that matters. The CEO of an organization I worked for right out of college once said, Anyone can be replaced, even me. Shes not wrong. Unless you possess a highly unique skill set, there are others who can do your job. They may not have your charisma or emotional intelligence, but they can do the work. This becomes an issue if you come across as cocky or abrasive rather than charming and thoughtful. If youre part of an industry thats dependent on your ability to build rapport and communicate effectively with colleagues, then youd better get along with your co-workers. You dont go to the office to make friends you go to work to do your job, but that doesnt mean you cant treat e veryone well. Building and maintaining professional relationships is a part of your 9-to-5, and in order to be successful, youve got to figure out how to work cordially with others and show respect for their ideas. 4. You Worked Past the Point of ProductivityIn season three of Inside Amy Schumer, the episode titled Cool With It features Amy working herself into a coma to kooperation her rapper boyfriend. Of course, the guy decides to check out of the relationship when he makes it big as a result of Amys efforts, while Amy is left in the cold, unrecognized and devalued. While working diligently and producing solid results should ideally be recognized and rewarded by your boss and company, its not always the case. And, believe it or not, there is a fine line between hard work and obsessive work- the latter doesnt usually help you get ahead. In fact, over-working could lead to careless mistakes, sloppy results, or just plain, old burnout.Taking time away from the office- either during the workday (coffee break, walk around the block), or on weekends, or going on a vacation- is really important for your well-being. Ever hear of cognitive exhaustion? It taxes your mental and physical strength and could eventually lead to decreased productivity no matter how many hours youre glued to your computer. Could this be the reason your services were no longer needed?If you recognize yourself in any of the above situations, thats great- thats clarity Coming to terms about why you got let go means you can think about what you want to do differently in your next position. Learning Keynote or Photoshop is a class away. Talking to a mentor or coach about how to stay focused on tedious tasks is something you can do as early as tomorrow. Addressing an inability to maintain healthy work relationships may require a larger investment, but its one worth making. As the most significant factor in your career, you are worth all the time, money, and energy required to be your best self.Bu t also keep in mind that, sometimes, being cut loose has nothing to do with what you were working on, how well you played with others, your comfort with current trends, or the quality of work you produced. It may be a simple matter of a companys bottom line. Its unfair and unfortunate, but it happens. If a company has decided that your role isnt worth investing in, no amount of goal-exceeding is going to keep you on staff. Read MoreHow to Tell an Interviewer Youve Been Fired5 Strategies Resilient People Use to Overcome Rejection (No Matter How Much it Stings)Just Laid Off? Your 3-Step Action PlanPhoto of upset man courtesy of Shutterstock.