Hogan & Hartson: Job Termination

I worked at the law firm of Hogan & Hartson in Washington, DC from mid-September 1985 until late February 1988, about two-and-one-half years.

In late February 1988 my supervisor in the Computer Applications Department, Miriam T. Chilton, summoned me to her office. She told me that she had decided to end my long-term temporary assignment with the firm. She explained that there had been a backlog of work, but that the backlog had been cleared up. She offered no other reason. The termination decision was abrupt, as far as I could tell. After meeting with Miriam Chilton I went to see David Kikel, Esq., the senior attorney who worked for the client Chrysler Corporation. He spoke with Miriam Chilton by telephone and told me that the decision was irrevocable, but that it had nothing to do with the quality of my work. I said to David Kikel that I was at the firm to serve, or something like that.

I faced the news calmly. I remember saying to Miriam Chilton, quoting Voltaire's Candide, "all's for the best in this best of all possible worlds." Miriam Chilton smiled and said with an attitude like that, I would go far in life.

I face reality calmly. That's a characteristic of people with a high level of ego strength. I also tend to be hypervigilant and suspicious -- so I doubt that Miriam Chilton gave me the real reason for the termination. I'm independent-minded, and don't seek to go along with the crowd -- so I had some difficulties with my coworkers who organized a work slowdown in 1987. These are all characteristics of people with high ego strength.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/16_Personality_Factors