5 things to do if you’ve been fired

Whatever your employer’s reasons are for firing you, you’re likely in a very frustrating and confusing frame of mind at the moment. The experience of being fired from a job is high on the list of stressful life events that can happen to anyone over the course of their employment.

So how do you deal with the fact that you have lost your job, while also gearing yourself up to look for another one? Here are a few tips to help:

Don’t burn bridges

How you leave can affect your success further down the line. It’s very easy to take your frustration out on others during this time, especially the person firing you. You must maintain all dignity during this process, as it could go against you in your references. Dignified responses must be used at all times – hold your tongue. If you do veer off from the high road, it is likely colleagues will lose respect for you, and negative references will likely be issued.

If you’ve been given an end date, you should continue showing up for work as usual, and maintain a high standard of professionalism. Fight the urge to be lazy and do your job as normal. Never bad mouth a former employee, or use social media for a rant – it will reflect badly on you.

Don’t let your job define you

It might seem like the end of the world right now, but your job does not reflect you as a individual…you are your own person, separate from this job. We are all human and make mistakes – some mistakes just have more severe consequences unfortunately. Think about how you can avoid these mistakes in future, and use this experience to learn from your weaknesses.

Prepare for “why are you leaving your current job?”

A lie in an interview could cost you one job. Potential employers will likely ask why you are leaving your previous job – tell them the truth. Keep in mind that most new companies ask your immediate past manager for a reference. This might seem like a scary thing to admit, but you’ll get more points for being honest.

• Explain your side of the story, and don’t place blame
• Be honest about your mistake, acknowledge ownership
• You might be asked what you could have done to avoid the mistake, think of a solution to prevent it from happening again
• Seek a positive reference from your past company to remove any negative references

Stay positive

As you start preparing for interviews etc. try to keep yourself in a positive frame of mind, no matter how hard it might seem. Remember all the good things you have accomplished in your career and life. Being fired is merely a speed bump in your career – and it’s happened to plenty more people than you think.

Turn termination in to a learning curve and in a few months time you can look back with pride that you persevered through such a challenging situation.

Upload your CV to job sites

Getting fired is never as horrible as it actually seems at first. The initial shock is the biggest blow. Use the time to pursue a new chapter in your career. If you need some help getting your foot back in the door of the marketing industry, register with Simply Marketing Jobs today and start sending your CV to employers. Recruiters search our website every day to fill top jobs with qualified candidates, and the same can happen to you. Okay, so this job wasn’t for you – now it’s time for your next challenge and to move on with your career.  

Our blog site can give you plenty of advice to prepare for your jobhunt.