“I was dismissed”. “They felt the need to let me go”. “My contract was terminated”. Whichever way you try to explain yourself for getting fired, it can never come across that well however you try to phrase it. Then, you find yourself dwelling on worrying thoughts about whether you’ll ever be hired again. The thing is, you should refrain from doing just that because you’re not the only one who’s been in the same position. How you react from the firing is what’s most important and it’s definitely not the end of the world. Accept the situation that you’re in, own it and get yourself back on the job market. Just ensure you do with honesty and in the right way. Here’s how.
Dive Into Your Network
The first step on getting back on the market is gathering up a network. Although the mood between you and your former boss may be a bit sour, it won’t necessarily be the same with your work colleagues. In fact, they may end up being your best friend in your road back to recovery, especially if you expressed your good skills and attitude towards working. Regardless of the situation from your firing, your former colleagues can help to paint a bigger picture for potential suitors who may just focus on the one blip on your resume.
Get A Reference
This can be a sticky one depending on the situation and how you left your previous job, but you may still be able to get a positive kind of reference from your old boss if you strike the right tone. During your request, you can outline that you appreciated the opportunity that was provided to you and the experience that you gained whilst being an employer. You will still need to take responsibility for your firing, even if the situation escalated to bringing in dispute resolution lawyers which may not be appreciated, but if you go about it the right way, you may still get a positive reference from your employer that won’t be as harsh when it comes to clarifying reasons why you were fired.
Avoid Slacking Off
One of the biggest mistakes you can make when getting fired is feeling sorry for yourself and having a Netflix binge that lasts around 3 months. Doing this can leave a gap on your CV and leave you with something to explain to your next potential employer. You don’t necessarily have to use up the time applying for jobs, but show some enthusiasm and be productive whilst you’re out of a job. Sign up to courses or classes that will help to develop your skills and make you stand out with employers.
If you’re keen on social media, rather than using it for enjoyment purposes, make the most of the content that it produces and follow influencers and leaders in your industry to keep up to date with the latest news in your industry. Being active will get you noticed and have your network considering you for any job openings.
Frame Your Circumstances In A Positive Way
So, let’s say you’ve used your time looking for jobs and now you’ve got the opportunity for an interview. Great stuff, but whether you like it or not, your firing is sure to come up in an interview and you need to take great care in how you explain yourself in the interview room. Whatever you do don’t avoid the questions surrounding it and definitely don’t lie. The interviewer will have more respect for you if you own up to what you did but at the same time, you can word it in a way that won’t appear negative. Phrases and terms such as “differences of opinion” can help to address the situation without revealing too much.
Self-Reflect
The time that’s taken between being fired from your previous job and eventually finding a new one is a great time for self-reflection. It’ll allow you to question what went wrong, focus on your strengths and weaknesses and how you can move forward with the mistakes that you made. Just don’t mistake this for feeling sorry for yourself and wallowing in sorrow. It’s about understanding what went wrong and then learning from the experience to be stronger in your future career path.
Final Thoughts
Getting fired from a job never leaves you in an ideal situation and it can reflect badly on you as a potential employee. The truth is though, plenty of people get fired in jobs. This doesn’t mean that you’ll be left to your own resources without a job. Instead, you need to grasp the situation and begin the process to get back on the job market.
Guest post courtesy of Jamie Costello