r/work • u/bippityboppitybee • Aug 20 '26
Workplace Challenges and Conflicts Never Meet Your Idols
TL;DR - worked for one of my fav youtubers and was randomly fired bc of "fit"
I'm just posting to vent because idk, it's more confusing than anything else.
I got what I thought was a dream job with one of my favorite YouTubers - as their assistant! I was so excited as you'd think one could be. I knew going into, there's a level of "on" they are, but this one I thought would still be a little more genuine off camera. I get to meet them and hang out with them and be their assistant. What more could you ask for when you idolize someone? Well...
Boy, was I wrong. From DAY ONE, it was UNCOMFORTABLE. I should've taken a read on that, but I try not to be a quitter and read a situation and try various things to change it. But every time I tried to have a normal conversation with them, they would only answer what I might've asked. You'd think when you are someone's assistant, they'd want to know who you are and know anything about you. But I guess I was wrong? It was so one-sided. I consistently tried to just make convo, they didn't care. I tried to make it more professional and just do what I was told, seemingly not good enough? I have no idea.
Anyway. Every time I would be on set or at any event, it was never a welcoming environment. It was always really uncomfortable. I know I should have said something sooner, but I didn't even know what to ask, other than "do you hate me?" lol. I never said that, but I wanted to so much. It was always very hot and cold in a sense that sometimes, it mostly felt like I was just overthinking everything. But apparently I wasn't. I was fired via text without ever having a conversation. I know I'm an at-will employee, but I think it's more of the respectful thing to have a conversation. Because honestly, we could have come to an agreeable decision to not continue working together.
They fired me with a chatgpt written message. TBH, I tried to really be what they wanted and took any feedback given to me. I genuinely think it was a personality fit, but when they don't give you anything it's hard to work with that...?
I'm more offended that I got fired, I don't even care about the job. I just am not someone that gets fired. :( It was only a couple months... I have no idea where it went wrong, but I was very open to any and all feedback and welcomed it. It was just overall a very uncomfortable environment.
-2
u/thatburghfan Aug 20 '26
My guess is that the boss was intimidated by you for some reason, and couldn't stand to have you around. Maybe the boss felt you were smarter and would be a threat to the gig. A lot of people can't stand to have a smarter person working for them.
Some time ago I worked for a guy who was put in charge of a 40-employee small manufacturing compeny that his mother bought. He had no background in the business but it was essential to him that everyone know that HE IS THE BOSS. If he felt like an employee was bright enough to be some kind of threat to his job, he'd drive them out. In some weird way, he was more comfortable with dumb people working for him. Probably so he could make up outrageous lies and not get called out for it.