January 30th, 2012

Categorized under: Career Crisis, Discover your strengths, Tips, Transition

What To Do If You Get Fired

You're Fired!Losing a job can really feel like a punch in the stomach, especially if you were in the job for a long time. If you have suddenly found yourself unemployed, whether you were fired or laid off, you are probably feeling a flood of emotions, anger, embarrassment, disbelief or shame.

It is indeed a grief situation and you need to give yourself time to grieve and get over the loss. There is no shame involved in today’s workplace environment. Smart recruiters know that successfully weathering a job loss creates resiliency and maturity.

The old cliché “when one door closes and another opens” is still true. Changing jobs can give you the opportunity to re-evaluate your occupation. Could this be the opportunity you needed to take that course or try a new career?

Once you have taken a week or two to come to terms with the emotional shock, be sure to check in with an employment lawyer if you think you were wrongfully dismissed or you want the severance package reviewed.

If counseling support was not included in the package, find a reliable outplacement counselor. This is the time to reflect with a professional on your self-assessment, strengths and attributes, to develop a new work objective, to work on your resume, and polish your networking skills.

It will help to develop a leaving story to explain to network contacts and potential employers why you left, and get permission from your former employer to agree about your leaving story when a potential employer calls them for a reference check ( a lawyer can help you with this negotiation if necessary).

No matter how angry you may feel, take the high road, and do not bad-mouth your previous employer. It will only make you feel and look bad. Talking about your anger and moving on is a good use of your career counselor.

Before you start your job search, be sure you have completed a self-assessment. Consider your objective for the next job, re-write your resume, and spend some time networking, so you can convey your image of the positive, competent employee, now ready to take on the world.

Valerie Elliott Hyman is a Toronto career consultant for Hyman Associates Learn more about Valerie.

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  • Marcia Evans

    Wish I had read this 5 years ago. Very good points and in the right order. One certainly needs to take some time to grieve and talk to an expert. Keeping it to yourself is not good for your physical or emotional Health.