The day after my birthday, I was asked to take a “graceful exit" from my first job

Last Friday, I was asked to take a “graceful exit.”

Let’s be real, there’s nothing graceful about being told you’re “not fit” without proper evaluation, especially when the decision didn’t even come from someone I directly report to.

It hurt.
It shocked me.
And yes, for a moment, it made me question myself.

But after sitting with it, I realized something important: Her personal issues are not my career responsibility. I deserved a fair evaluation, as does every employee. Professional assessments should be based on performance, not bias or favoritism, and I am unwilling to compromise on this principle. If there were concerns, they should have been documented. Addressed. Communicated properly. That’s how growth works. That’s how leadership works.

Being labeled “unfit” without due process doesn’t define my capability, my credentials, or the work I’ve put in. And if anything, I believe I may have been considered “unfit” because I was overqualified bringing credentials, perspective, and standards that perhaps did not align with what was expected.

One person’s opinion will not erase that.

Sometimes “graceful exit” is just a polished term for politics.

But I’m walking out with my dignity intact.