Getting started again after being fired can be hard — from picking up the pieces, to regaining your confidence and getting a new job.
The negative experience, regardless to the reasons and causes, could remain a hurdle for longer than you wish.
The good news is having a dark spot on your professional record doesn’t necessarily mean that you’re doomed.
If you handle the critical times that follow appropriately and get more positive experiences and references, losing a job at a certain point in your career can be glossed over by future employers.
Here are a few tips that could help you navigate this critical situation.
Employer relationship
Getting fired is a hit to your ego and it is not surprising if you find yourself looking for answers and justifications. In this process, it might be comforting to push the blame to someone else or think of conspiracy theories, office enemies or any other factor — beyond yourself — that led to your firing.
Regardless to what you think, this is time when you need to mitigate the long-term damage.
You may have no bridges left to burn, but you may have some allies on the inside, who might support you if needed.
Keep those relationships, and don’t be carried away with your need to get back at your employer.
For example, don’t vent online or in emails and forums where you won’t be able to take back your comments. These records can come back to haunt you later.
mployer relationshipIn addition, if you’re being fired for some sort of misconduct, you also should care about what your employer would say about you.
So keep things as civil as possible is the best way to limit the damage to your professional brand.
Applying for jobs
Getting the first job after being fired is tough. Employers want to hire people who are successful and wanted. So in addition to you being unemployed, you also may have to explain how you left you last job.
If you can avoid the topic altogether, you certainly should do that. If not, be honest but brief, and focus on how you have learnt lessons from that situation.
You might bring in your view into perspective. For example, if you were fired for productivity or errors, you could mention personal circumstances that influenced or led to this fallout.
You also could always ask for not diving into the details of this situation.
Have a scripted answer, stick with it and don’t be tempted to drag this answer. Remember, job interviews are not therapy sessions.
Opening up about your feelings, fears and concerns can only backfire.
Referencing past jobs
The fact that you were fired doesn’t take away from the knowledge and experience you gained during your years of working with this particular employer.
Do go ahead and reference that job, brag about your accomplishments and everything you learnt.
Going beyond the job interview, and if you land a new job, you can still talk about a job that you ended up losing.
Just focus on the positive and avoid the entire ending. Remember, many industries have small circles and some of your coworkers might be or become aware of your history, so stay honest if the topic comes up.
Similar to job interviews, however, avoid badmouthing your past employer.
Removing the job altogether
Yes, that can be done. Were you fired from a job 10 years ago after working for just six months? You really can drop this off your resume.
The reason is it is irrelevant at this point. Unless your next employer as you to list each and every job you have held, you’re not really required to list a short, unsuccessful job experience and run the risk of having this come up in a job interview.
That is why it become more and more critical to build success after a negative experience. As tough as this might sound immediately after losing a job, it is not impossible.
In fact, in the right environment and with the right motivation, you might eventually find out that getting fired has put you on a much better path that can help you build a more rewarding career.
Just keep the lesson learnt alive and well along the way.
The writer, a former Gulf News Business Features Editor, is a Seattle-based editor.
Key points
- Keep former work relationships as positive as it could be
- Tell a consistent, honest, yet concise, story to future employers
- Don’t be tempted to badmouth your former employer
- Build better experiences until this incident becomes insignificant
