22 signs you're about to be fired

Chris Pizzello/Invision/AP, File

Most people are at least somewhat surprised when they hear the words "you're fired." Some are even shocked.

But upon looking back on the situation, almost everyone realizes there were signs — they just chose to ignore them, says Robert Dilenschneider, author of "50 Plus!: Critical Career Decisions for the Rest of Your Life."

Lynn Taylor, a national workplace expert and the author of "Tame Your Terrible Office Tyrant: How to Manage Childish Boss Behavior and Thrive in Your Job," says the savviest professionals always keep an eye out for the classic signs that their job is in danger. This way, if and when they notice red flags popping up, they can attempt to turn the tides before it's too late.

Here are 22 signs you may be getting the boot:

You've got a (bad) gut feeling

If you feel like you're about to be fired, it could just be in your head. But it can also be true.

If you've got that gut feeling something is off, be aware and start looking for other signs.

You receive a bad performance review (or two, or three)

A negative evaluation is not always synonymous with being fired, but, in conjunction with other bad feedback, it can mean trouble, says Taylor. "Your employer needs to create a paper trail, so along with warnings, your employer will use a performance review to document the problem areas."

More than one poor performance review in a row is an especially bad sign, adds Michael Kerr, an international business speaker and author of "The Humor Advantage." "Depending on how bad your first performance review was, you may be given a chance to make corrections and improve, but a series of critical performance reviews could be a major sign that your job is in jeopardy."

If it's because of a lack of experience or lack of training in a certain area, then there's always a chance to fix it. But critical phrases to be mindful of during performance reviews include, "You're not a good fit for our culture," "You're not a team player," "Your personality or style doesn't seem to mesh with the team," or "You have a major attitude problem."

"If you hear any of these types of criticisms then it's time to break out your résumé, since it's often assumed that attitudinal issues are deeply engrained and unfixable," he says.

You're left out of the loop

If it's suddenly hard to access important data that would help you perform well in your job, or you're not invited to important meetings or included on key emails, a pink slip may be coming your way, says Taylor.

"There could be other reasons for this happening, but certainly one may be that your leadership has lost the trust or confidence in your abilities, making you vulnerable when and if layoffs happen," Kerr says.