Lost my Job Today - Absolutely Shattered and in Tears
Today was one of the toughest days of my life. I had dreamed of working in commercial real estate ever since college and got my dream job as an asset management analyst with a firm on the debt side. I was fired today after 3 and a half months on the job. I am absolutely gutted. 

Some background: I only had one CRE internship before this that wasn’t very fruitful and this was my first full time commercial real estate job so naturally I wasn’t very experienced or knowledgeable. I was, however, told from the beginning by my coworkers things such as “nobody expects you to be an expert” or “it could take several months to know what you are doing” or “there are no stupid questions” and the bar was generally set very low as I was considered to be in “training.” Nonetheless, I still worked my ass off every day and thought everything was perfectly fine.

  A month ago, when the rate hikes started, my manager called me for a meeting and all of a sudden told me that my team members didn’t trust me, I’ve been asking too many stupid questions, and I am not meeting expectations. I was very taken aback as nobody had given me this feedback before or set such high expectations so early on. Nevertheless, I worked twice as hard to prove myself and made it a rule to never ask a question unless absolutely necessary and after relying on my own intuition and research. I put in the hours, worked later nights, earlier mornings, and weekends.

 I was constantly receiving positive feedback from my teammates and was under the impression that I was doing well. It turns out members of my team were telling the manager a completely different story. 

One genuine weakness of mine, I admit, was that I wasn’t the most social person as I felt like the new kid in school but I truly felt I was finally coming out of my shell, adding value, and producing quality work.  

 Today came as an absolute shock to the system and at 25 years old, I don’t know how to process this or how to move forward. I’m never usually one to blame external forces but I can’t help but think the fed raising rates as fast as it is had something to do with their sudden shift in tone. I was hoping someone who’s been in a similar situation could give me some advice and guidance on what the hell I should do now. I still love commercial real estate but am completely shattered by this experience.
[{"id": "ipfrdze", "text": "I\u2019m really sorry that this happened to you\u2026 I haven\u2019t been in this position so I can\u2019t say I know how you feel, but I can imagine it hurts a lot. \n\nI\u2019m also an analyst, but on the brokerage side. From what I\u2019m hearing/seeing, hiring is freezing and companies are starting to downsize because of rate hikes and the impending recession. So don\u2019t be hard on yourself, it likely wasn\u2019t in your control anyways.\n\nI hope you have savings that can last a few months. If I were in your position, I would start applying broadly and seeing what sticks. And in the meantime, I would work on building the most marketable low-hanging skills I could. I would also be open to pivoting. You might not get another shot at asset management right now (though it\u2019s more stable than something like investment sales or brokerage). So you should be flexible and willing to take another type of role in CRE (if you\u2019re committed to the industry). FYI Commercial appraisal is a pretty stable line of business that has a labor shortage (at least here in California).\n\nAgain, I\u2019m sorry to hear you got fired only 3 months in. But what defines you is how you handle this setback. Keep your head down, stay focused on your goals, and you\u2019ll walk away from this a better person.", "replies": [{"id": "iph0nuc", "text": "I graduate in may and have been nervous about this down turn.  Do you believe entry lever job opportunities will be better or worse by that time?", "replies": [], "depth": 2}], "depth": 1}, {"id": "ipftiu1", "text": "My loan volume I'm handling is down fifty to sixty percent since May. Down 75% from the peak in 2021. You're the noob, the low person on the totem pole, so you get cut first. There'll be more CRE jobs, but it may be bumpy for some time .... branch out.", "replies": [{"id": "ipgeoqu", "text": "Yeah but are you on the production side? Typically Asset Mgmt is counter cyclical to production when it comes to hiring/layoffs.", "replies": [{"id": "iph1vcl", "text": "Counter cyclical is true over the longterm, not short. Market forces take time to shift into historical norms.", "replies": [{"id": "ipifcq0", "text": "Production will also be shifted to asset management for a while so the team is ready to ramp up again when tides change. My fortune 500 debt origination team is currently in the process of being 'restructured' to asset management and \"fat\" is being trimmed.  The slowdown is real.", "replies": [], "depth": 4}], "depth": 3}], "depth": 2}, {"id": "iphomu3", "text": "&gt; Down 75% from the peak in 2021\n\nSo that means its back to normal.  Nothing to be concerned.  Huge correction is needed.", "replies": [], "depth": 2}], "depth": 1}, {"id": "ipftp3h", "text": "Man, that sucks! Especially because it's hard to know if you were actually catching on slower or if the company's pretending that people complained to disguise their own financial issues or to disguise that they expect to need a force reduction anyway.\n\nBut that doesn't really matter, does it? You were told it takes a few months and now, you've just gotten one more lesson. Keep on keeping on!", "replies": [], "depth": 1}, {"id": "ipgg08a", "text": "I got laid off from a job I loved at the exact same age and questioned my own ability for years after. In hindsight after I developed my own self respect again I was able to see clearly that A. I wasn\u2019t a perfect employee after reflecting on it, but also B. The company had two tough quarters in a row and was trimming fat, which included me as my role in the company wasn\u2019t as essential as the core positions. \n\nIf I could do it again, I\u2019d follow up with my boss and ask explicitly why you were let go so you don\u2019t have to constantly wonder.", "replies": [{"id": "ipgi3td", "text": "They won\u2019t tell her or him because of fear of liability. Otherwise, excellent encouragement. I also had my income plummet in my twenties due to a recession. It\u2019s tough.", "replies": [{"id": "ipgjdnf", "text": "Ugh, fuck corporate sometimes. Kid just needs some leader figure to take a minute and give him some guidance, but even that\u2019s a liability nowadays.", "replies": [], "depth": 3}, {"id": "ipikau1", "text": "The only way to find out is to ask.", "replies": [], "depth": 3}], "depth": 2}, {"id": "iph40r8", "text": "Can you explain why would be a liability? International student in the u.s here trying to make in CRE. Thanks", "replies": [{"id": "iph4o9x", "text": "They can fire you for all sorts of stuff, but there\u2019s also a lot they can\u2019t fire you for. If they misspeak they open themselves to wrongful termination lawsuit. Corporate will always play it safe with HR related matters like this.", "replies": [{"id": "iph5g8j", "text": "Got it!..I understand now why corporate in the U.S is so cold towards employee when firing them. Back home for whatever minor issue, you can get the company in trouble if they fire you!", "replies": [], "depth": 4}], "depth": 3}, {"id": "ipikcps", "text": "Because lawyers.", "replies": [], "depth": 3}], "depth": 2}, {"id": "ipik8pi", "text": "&gt;I\u2019d follow up with my boss and ask explicitly why you were let go so you don\u2019t have to constantly wonder.\n\nAnd make clear, you really absolutely 100% honestly want the truth, so you can correct your mistakes and grow.\n\nTrust me.....if you get nothing else out of that meeting (and you will), he'll take away from that meeting, when there's a need for new staff, \"*hey....remember Larry* (or Mary) *back in 2022?  I think they'd be perfect for this job......\"*\n\n**P.S.**, the only other post you have is from 9 months ago...about some gaming thing.  Pretty normal for a 25 year old.\n\nWanna grow in real estate?  Start spending every waking minute studying EVERYTHING you can find (in **actual** books) about real estate.  Put everything having to do with gaming in a closet.\n\n*What you seek, you will find.*\n\nStart seeking success.\n\n(One of the books you should read would be about grammar, another; proper punctuation and sentence structure).", "replies": [{"id": "ipirn6c", "text": "I appreciate the advice. This is like the second time in my life I\u2019ve used Reddit lol a friend suggested I post this on here", "replies": [], "depth": 3}], "depth": 2}], "depth": 1}, {"id": "ipggyzf", "text": "If this is what you really want to do, then absolutely do not let this stop you.  SOmetimes shxt happens, work on what you think you need to improve on and keep plugging away.", "replies": [], "depth": 1}, {"id": "ipgh038", "text": "I'm very sorry for what happened.  Real estate is a highly cyclical industry and the rate hikes along with construction cost increases have pitched us into what I believe is the beginning of a down cycle.  In such a situation there are going to be layoffs, and the most likely victims are younger, newer, less productive employees.  I would say that from the sound of it that your firing had less to do with your performance, and more to do with industry changes that are created the need for layoffs. Keep your head up.", "replies": [], "depth": 1}, {"id": "ipgnrze", "text": "I can't bring too much to the table here except for this - I work for a small-ish (50-100 employees) multifamily developer based in a mid-sized city in the Midwest. A couple of months ago, my company let go nearly a third of our employees. As others have said, real estate is very cyclical and it's looking like we are headed downwards here, at least for a while. Keep your head up and keep at it - I can almost guarantee that you being fired was not entirely performance-based, but industry-based.", "replies": [], "depth": 1}, {"id": "ipgqc4t", "text": "Take anything you can get in RE right now i\nor switch industries.", "replies": [], "depth": 1}, {"id": "iph13m5", "text": "I read your post earlier today and cannot stop thinking about it. \n\nYour job loss is almost certainly related to the economic situation. If they were busy and having trouble filling positions, they would take more time to train you. They may be trying to fire you for cause to avoid you filing an unemployment claim, to keep other employees from getting nervous about layoffs, or to keep layoffs hidden from stockholders. \n\nHowever, it\u2019s possible you can also make some improvements. \n\nWhen I was a young woman, I used to ask too many questions due to lack of confidence in my own ability. I recall a boss once snapping at me to figure it out finish my project. \n\nMy spouse, who probably has undiagnosed ADHD, has some issues with listening carefully and impulse control. Sometimes this leads to him asking \u201cstupid\u201d questions, such as ones where the answer was just given or will become self evident as you perform a task. \n\nWhile it\u2019s very true that you should never proceed blindly on a work task when you aren\u2019t sure what to do, you also should give yourself time to think your question through carefully and try to answer it yourself. This keeps you from interrupting your supervisor and colleagues\u2019 work flow. \n\nWe are all told in school that there are no stupid questions, but that\u2019s not really true.\n\nMy spouse and I have been successful despite errors along the way. One setback during a time of uncertainty is just a blip in your career. Try to find a balance between realizing it\u2019s just bad timing or fit and realizing there are things you can improve on. It\u2019s both, not either. \n\nBest to you.", "replies": [{"id": "ipi7edb", "text": "Agreed. Coworkers would act encouraging to your questions but that's not what they really think...they think lowly of the person asking a lot of questions.", "replies": [], "depth": 2}], "depth": 1}, {"id": "iph9rp5", "text": "Life isn't easy, especially in the corporate side of CRE. Try &amp; turn the anger/ sadness you're feeling into motivation. If you're really determined in continuing a path in CRE, become obsessed with it... It's not the end of the world, you're young. Goodluck.", "replies": [], "depth": 1}, {"id": "iphdmxd", "text": "No doubt this sucks. Take the time to grieve and then it\u2019s \u201cchin up\u201d and \u201conwards and upwards\u201d. There are many different kinds of companies out there and you\u2019ve got to find one that is a good fit for your personality and style. \nBe blessed", "replies": [], "depth": 1}, {"id": "iphk7p3", "text": "Careers are marathons not sprints. You are bound to have some trip-ups along the way. They are just that. Don\u2019t let them end the marathon for you.", "replies": [], "depth": 1}, {"id": "iphl9xz", "text": "Commercial property manager and asset manager here, 13 years experience. Currently not working because my CEO wanted to date me and I said no and things did not go well for me afterwards.\n\nBeing the only woman in the CRE firm, and that personal dynamic made me the little person on the totem pole as well but I didn\u2019t want to stay in that toxic environment afterwards.\n\nApply for unemployment and take a deep breath. I have pursued real estate appraisal in my off time while I look for another position that might fit me better.\n\nCRE firms are coming off a transaction model where everything was about the acquisitions and refinances where the money was. Most people get into CRE as a passive income and pay a little attention to property management, asset management and operations. They just want to distribute distribute distribute.\n\nThe cycle that we are now entering is when you want to have your A team together in property management, Asset management and operations. But most CEOs and firms don\u2019t want to downsize on sales because they think that\u2019s where the real money is but when the wind is at your back and you have a great market things like flipping and occupancy are no issue. But now the next stage of this cycle is going to be ownership whoever is the best owner of these buildings is going to be who stays afloat. For the most part people with the money make the rules and the money comes from transactions and acquisitions everything else is just holding the ground and most people aren\u2019t ready for what\u2019s about to happen. This is a they problem not a you problem. \n\nBe sure to take some asset management classes revise your r\u00e9sum\u00e9 and yes with the market being as bad as it\u2019s going to be for the next two years maybe consider another line of work part-time or full-time. Acquisitions won\u2019t lose their job but they will lose their money and compensation and will naturally leave them as well. Acquisition people are not, or are rarely operations people.\n\nRejection is hard especially if you\u2019re a high performer, when I left they hired two property management companies and one of their children to fill my role three times my salary in total, but it was very clear I wasn\u2019t wanted there. If I had stayed long enough they would have fired me for some reason like performance or market\u2026 even my best cost effective strategies were being shot down as clueless, but when my friend. In acquisitions presented the same plan for me because my buildings needed to keep their reserves, he was given the go ahead and a bonus. I didn\u2019t really care as long as my buildings were okay. \n\nI\u2019m speaking this here, because these conversations can\u2019t be had with out defense and liability as a concern but it also can\u2019t stay the same environment for women to be successful here. I know I almost cut and ran to another industry I have former experience in but it would be a shame to leave something I\u2019m good at, and I love because of a bad work environment. \n\nYou can\u2019t stay where you\u2019re not wanted the market created this, not you. Get licensure\u2018s. Learn a skill that will make you independent and then somehow later in life by your own commercial buildings so you can do asset management if that\u2019s what you like and be secure. That\u2019s why I\u2019m getting into real estate appraisal. Eventually I\u2019ll own my own buildings, do my own asset management and operations which makes me happy and also collect the money for me. Good luck out there", "replies": [{"id": "ipis3b8", "text": "I came back to take this down, because I\u2019m so paranoid about other peoples reactions to the truth of my experience\u2026.and an audience I assume is mostly male. \n\nThanks for the upvotes. It was hard to share anonymously. Let alone to work through in real life.", "replies": [], "depth": 2}], "depth": 1}, {"id": "iphlkth", "text": "This doesn\u2019t define you. We all get punched in the gut. Knocked down.  There are no losses, it\u2019s all a learning experience or a win. It\u2019s hard, but use this moment as motivation!", "replies": [], "depth": 1}, {"id": "iphq9cw", "text": "I lost my first job in CRE at 25 myself. I wasn\u2019t fired directly but our small team was basically liquidated. \n\nThis right was at the beginning of Covid and I ended up jobless for 4 months. I felt hopeless but in the end we all find out where we are going eventually.", "replies": [], "depth": 1}, {"id": "iphqo9g", "text": "Feel that sting, use it later as motivation. You\u2019re 25, you have time to recover and it\u2019ll be ok. It sucks, but it\u2019ll be ok.", "replies": [], "depth": 1}, {"id": "ipi0q2l", "text": "Aw that sucks OP. I feel for ya. It\u2019s happened to the best of us. Are you on LinkedIn? If so, start farming some contacts from people in jobs/companies you\u2019d be interested in doing and conduct some outreach. No matter what, you\u2019ll find something soon. Hang in there.", "replies": [], "depth": 1}, {"id": "ipi0st5", "text": "There is some great insight from the community here and I wanted to add some some thoughts from my experience as an analyst, and now a manager of a handful of analysts (CRE Capital Markets).\n\nThe manager/company may have realized it does not have the resources to train a VERY GREEN analyst. I feel it generally takes up to a year to train an analyst straight out of school. Yes analysts are cheap but they require a good amount of oversight.\n\nManagers who are seeking to mentor analysts want analysts who are good students. Teaching something helps reinforce/expand ones knowledge in the subject matter. \n\nWhat does this mean for an analyst \n\n1) Learn from your mistakes. If you\u2019re called out on a mistake, take this as an opportunity to learn from it. When someone takes the time to help you understand your mistake, make sure you really comprehend it. If you tell someone you get it then you subsequently make the mistake again, you\u2019ll look sloppy\n\n2) Parlay your understanding of one concept into other concepts. Do your best to connect the dots. Ask others to help you connect the dots. Drill these concepts down and apply them in your work\n\n3) \u201cI don\u2019t know\u201d is a very acceptable answer. Do not try to make things up.\n\n4) Group cohesion is very important, real estate is a team sport.\n\n5) find opportunities to grow professionally in and out of work. Bad at excel, take an online class. Bad a writing? There are Lots of courses available at your local community college. Join a CRE network group (CFREC young leaders for debt)\n\n\nFinally, this stuff happens to the best of us, its the nature of the beast. Do yourself a favor and read the book \u201cmindset\u201d by Carol Dweck. If you put yourself in the right headspace this can be a blessing in disguise.", "replies": [], "depth": 1}, {"id": "ipi3d5y", "text": "Sounds more like you were laid off rather than fired. It's macro-driven. Don't beat yourself up over this. You will bounce back and everything will be OK.", "replies": [], "depth": 1}, {"id": "ipi76vs", "text": "Just for the future,  I have learned not to be honest with my coworkers. I would rather Google it than ask them. Once coworkers see you asking a lot of questions, they assume incompetence even when they tell you otherwise. Don't trust what coworkers say. Avoid coworkers knowing your weaknesses or fears.", "replies": [{"id": "ipj9hpp", "text": "This has been one of my biggest takeaways from this experience.", "replies": [], "depth": 2}], "depth": 1}, {"id": "ipi977k", "text": "you're 25.  you have more than enough time to accomplish your goals.", "replies": [], "depth": 1}, {"id": "ipid24f", "text": "&gt;A month ago, when the rate hikes started, my manager called me for a meeting and all of a sudden told me that my team members didn\u2019t trust me, I\u2019ve been asking too many stupid questions, and I am not meeting expectations. I was very taken aback as nobody had given me this feedback before or set such high expectations so early on.\n\nThey are 100% covering their butts and manifesting a reason for letting you go.  I guarantee that you were let go because of the current economic environment.  Chin up and keep chugging along!", "replies": [], "depth": 1}, {"id": "ipigm2f", "text": "Couple of things to take away from your post.\n\n1) \u201cThere are no stupid questions\u201d \u2014 this is a lie. In literally every job, this is a lie. There are plenty of stupid questions. While you aren\u2019t expected to be an expert in an entry level job, you ARE expected to think about the question before you ask. Ideally, you even have a suggestion on how to answer the question. If you can do a Google search to answer the question, you shouldn\u2019t ask a team member before you at least try to answer it yourself. Yes, this results in duplicative effort, late nights, and poor work life balance \u2014 do it anyway.\n\n2) Instead of asking the open ended question to your team \u2014 if you need to ask one \u2014 you need to ask people outside of your shop. This works best if you are on the client side, as people get paid to answer your questions. But even in this case, you want to have thought about the issue and have follow up questions to ask.\n\n3) Being social is how you keep jobs. It just is. People like to work with people they enjoy being around.\n\nThe way I read this post:\n\n-You asked dumb questions that could have been answered by Google.\n\n-You asked team members rather than external parties.\n\n-You did not think about how to solve problems before asking questions.\n\n-You sat at your desk and worked long hours, but people didn\u2019t think your work product was improving, judging by the questions you were asking.\n\nSure, the economy may have something to do with it. But three months isn\u2019t that long \u2014 your former employer probably concluded that the rest of the team had to do the thinking for you. Once people reach that conclusion\u2026 that\u2019s when people lose jobs. Quickly.", "replies": [{"id": "ipiqvfp", "text": "After that first meeting, which by the way I still consider to be very late in the game to be giving that kind of feedback, I completely broke that habit and spent several extra hours each day relying more on my own intuition and research. I made it a rule to ask one question a day, if that. I guess they had already made up their minds. It was my first full time corporate job so I wasn\u2019t acquainted with their double speak bullshit. Lesson learned.", "replies": [{"id": "ipizbe2", "text": "This is the correct approach. Most people get canned over the course of a career; it\u2019s happened to me twice \u2014 once because of COVID, shit happens. The other time it was because\u2026 well, I deserved to be fired. I wasn\u2019t put in a position to succeed by my employer \u2014 at all \u2014 but deep in my heart of hearts, I don\u2019t think I was ready to do the job even if I thought I was when I originally accepted the role.\n\nThe further removed I get from that role, the more I understand just how little I knew about how to operate in a role like that.\n\nAlways remember \u2014 if the company is making money and you got fired, you didn\u2019t get fired because the company ran out of money. You got fired because the company didn\u2019t think you were a good investment.\n\nIt\u2019s good that you learned this lesson early; 25 is a good time to learn it. But don\u2019t start talking about \u201ccorporate doublespeak bullshit\u201d and blame the employer.\n\nTake it as a chance to get better, and you will be much better the next time around.", "replies": [{"id": "ipj63yu", "text": "I\u2019m not trying to absolve myself of blame but don\u2019t you think it would be nice if they would set expectations from Day 1 or be honest about their willingness to answer questions instead of stringing me along and then dropping a bomb on me 2 months into my job? I think it would\u2019ve been nice, to say the least. I would\u2019ve been more than happy to take this approach from the day I started. I love solving problems and grinding until I can get to a solution. But if you\u2019re going to tell me one thing to my face and explicitly say things like \u201cit\u2019ll take 6 months\u201d or \u201cwe will approach this in baby steps\u201d or \u201cAsk questions. That\u2019s how you learn!\u201d Or \u201cDon\u2019t feel bad! It\u2019s like learning a different language, be a sponge!\u201d (Yes, they said these things) then why wouldn\u2019t I feel like I can ask anything? If you want me to perform at a high level from the first day then by God, I will work until midnight every day if that\u2019s necessary. The problem is they EXPLICITLY gave me information contrary to what they were actually supposedly expecting.", "replies": [{"id": "ipj6qsq", "text": "I didn\u2019t say you worked for good or bad people \u2014 I said you should operate as if you can\u2019t trust them until proven otherwise. That takes time.\n\nIt sounds like you were given a raw deal. I was too, when I was shit canned. But that doesn\u2019t change the fact that neither of us could do the job well enough to stick, right?", "replies": [{"id": "ipjcp9e", "text": "That\u2019s definitely a lesson, along with many others I\u2019ve learned. Thanks for the feedback.", "replies": [], "depth": 6}], "depth": 5}], "depth": 4}], "depth": 3}], "depth": 2}], "depth": 1}, {"id": "ipihjcf", "text": "I think you got fired because you're 25 and don't know how to use paragraphs.", "replies": [], "depth": 1}, {"id": "ipiv82c", "text": "Heads up: My post turned out longer than I wanted, but here's the gist of it: I know it feels bad, what you're just going through, but you're really not in a bad spot (it's hard to see, but trust me).  Take some time, get your feelings sorted out and get it all out (don't hide the emotions, but go through them and actually feel it all).  Then, when that's done, send me a PM and I'll send you a massive collection of books on CRE, organize by topic and get to reading.  They are PDFs and ePUBs and I have thousands of them, by every possible topic.  You want asset management? I got it.  You want equity and financing books? Development? Construction, accounting...brokerage and sales?  Whatever it is, I have it.  Read read read and then apply to jobs at the same time.  Before you know it, you'll have a new job and you'll knowledge of CRE will be expanding.  What's even better though, is I have a folder of my favorite best books of real estate, and if you start there, I have a PDF that's a book on careers in CRE.  You can look at all the possible opportunities in CRE, their job descriptions, resources, career ladders, etc.  The book is a little dated but it's still relevant overall.  Let me know you're interested in these books and I'll send them all with an emphasis on the career book. \n\nNow onto my long reply to your post...\n\nOP -- From what you've shared, it seems like external forces did impact the company and they (short sightedly) decided to come up with \"reasons\" to fire you.  The reality is that they have shown their true colors and the type of people they are.  Though you thought you had your dream job, I think that their handling of your employment shows that they weren't quality people and it was better to find this out sooner than later.  You want to work for someone who is going to actually care about helping you learn, someone who understands that it is in their best interest to actually look after your interests, to be a mentor.  Your co-workers and the management seem shady, didn't care about you, and I would say you should see the silver lining in that now you can find a place that is a better fit (otherwise, you would have spent so much time there when you could have been somewhere better). \n\nSometime in the future, when you're a big-shot developer or an asset manager, director, or a VP, you will have realized that there are three things you look for when you consider adding someone to your team. Whether it is an employee you're hiring or you're looking to bring on architects, engineers, brokers, equity partners, a general contractor...it doesn't matter.  Here are the three things that you will be evaluating them on:\n\n1. Skillset &amp; Aptitude - can this person do the work that needs to be done?\n2. Experience &amp; Track Record - does this person have a proven history of performance?\n3. Cultural Fit &amp; Ambition - are they going to play nice with others and will they actually be able to put their skillset to use?\n\nIf they don't have all three, then it doesn't matter how great they are, you're likely not going to want to hire them (the exception is if you're interested in taking someone under your wing and mentor them, then sure...).  Now, keeping these things in mind, and considering where you are in your life, my guess is that #3 isn't an issue for you: you sound like a team player and you sound like you bust your ass, so good for you for work ethic. Now you have to work on your knowledge of CRE and build a track record.  As you learn more and more, you will also be able to speak more intelligently about those 3 months that you spent at this company.  You could tell future employers that there was a bad cultural fit at the company with them but at the same time, you'll be able to speak about the work that was being done there.  \n\nSo the bottom line is don't give up, learn learn learn, read read read, and apply apply apply.  PM me if you'd like those resources and I'll even help you out.  I'm not in traditional asset management though.  I do development and commercial real estate finance, then oversee the developments in a portfolio and sell them from time to time.  But it isn't the same as asset management companies. \n\nLastly: sorry for the disconnected writing.  I've been working on this comment for two days, in-between meetings and calls.  Hopefully some of it made sense!  Good luck OP!!!", "replies": [], "depth": 1}, {"id": "ipiyfa3", "text": "Prove them wrong- use the anger as the fuel to push you further- it happened to me 21 years ago- after Sept 11, but hey i am still in the business while the majority of those ppl changed careers", "replies": [], "depth": 1}, {"id": "ipj105i", "text": "There are no stupid questions until your coworkers don\u2019t feel like answering or explaining things anymore. Sounds kinda harsh but honestly the tables turned in this niche and I wouldn\u2019t take it so personal. If no one had the balls to point anything out to you prior to being let go, other things were brewing. Walk away with pride and take all the knowledge &amp; experience you learned elsewhere.", "replies": [], "depth": 1}, {"id": "ipjeiri", "text": "Now you know that most people in CRE are assholes who will talk shit behind your back and throw you under the bus. \n\nThey are playing mind games with you because you are young and still take things seriously and believe that \"arbeit macht frei\". It doesn't, it's all network and connections and being \"likable\" ie, having the same douchebag personality as them and laughing at the same sophomoric humor. \n\nI can guarantee you were burning more calories than many in that shop. \n\nI would use your downtime to gain some better software skills and get into a different environment where it's not a bunch of wolves and bronze age pervert wannabes.", "replies": [], "depth": 1}, {"id": "ipjj0nd", "text": "You\u2019re still a kid. Don\u2019t worry about it. You have all the time in the world.", "replies": [], "depth": 1}, {"id": "ipjovcd", "text": "If you will cold call. I can get you a job in NYC.", "replies": [], "depth": 1}, {"id": "ipt8m32", "text": "Lot of nuanced points on this thread. I want to offer a new take..\n\n\\&gt; so you lost your job at the debt asset manager right when rates started blowing out. People who made a ton of low interest rate loans are sitting on low low yield right now. Some lenders who made construction/bridge loan during the pandemic are now finding it impossible to get a takeout loan. Times are tough in the debt capital markets. Makes perfect sense they cut the last person that came in through the door. That right there is your sales pitch for the next job.....\n\n\"Yeah Jerome Powell raised rates and I got cut. Tough luck.\" That says nothing about you plus most people in this industry will get it. It wasn't your fault. \n\nMy first job was to pursue an investment thesis that eventually proved to be impossible, so I had to get a new job. The story sells itself. Just be honest and show that you are willing to work hard and that you are competent. \n\nThe real story is that the managers at your old firm were cunts. There's no shortage of great companies and great people in commercial real estate, so you're lucky you don't have to work for the assholes anymore. You have a long career ahead of you. Everyone has hiccups. Now go make some calls.", "replies": [{"id": "ipuydn7", "text": "Thank you, I was actually trying to work on how the hell to sell this so that helps", "replies": [], "depth": 2}], "depth": 1}, {"id": "iqa9asm", "text": "Please send me a message. Reading your post MIRRORS an experience I had at 25 and I want to share my story as well as next steps. I have a lot of empathy for you right now and can understand how you are feeling.", "replies": [], "depth": 1}]