Company scouts employee for role, fires them after only 2 days on the job: 'They pursued me'

Ally Perry • Writer and Editor

Jun 11, 2026 9:15 AM EDT

It is always confusing to be pushed away from something that chased you.

The professional world can prove to be odd and unpredictable sometimes. We have come to accept that a lot of those LinkedIn cold messages from recruiters will turn into nothing, and that a lot of the job postings you see online are likely to be fake. What we are often less prepared for, though, is dealing with a workplace that turns on us after seemingly accepting us with open arms.

With the 21st century workplace being what it is, we probably shouldn't be so surprised that companies can run hot and cold with their employees. Business plans change, profits fluctuate, and managers take a dislike to people. There are few industries in which your position is a truly secure one, and most workers get an uncomfortable reminder of that at least once in their careers.

That said, we usually expect some kind of grace period between starting a new job and facing the reality that you are not wanted there anymore. Probation periods exist for a reason. Getting rejected straight out of the gate is a rarer and more disorienting experience to deal with.

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_{^{A model representing a frustrated employee sitting behind a laptop, gesticulating at the screen}}
In this story, an employee who wasn't looking for a new job was chased by a nonprofit that was seeking to hire a business development manager. They offered them the job after they went through a multiple-interview application process, and were willing to let them have extra time to transition from their previous role into this one.
This made it all the more shocking when, after just two days in their new role, the employee was told that they would not be a good fit and they got fired. They did not feel that they had received a satisfactory answer as to why they had been rejected.
Fired on day 2 after leaving my previous job for them. No reason given.

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