After getting fired, how do you get hired for a new position? Will losing your job make it more difficult to get employment? For a variety of reasons, leaving your job is stressful, and the worry that it would be difficult to find another career frequently makes it worse. There are several steps you may take to lessen the effects a termination will have on your job search, though.
Although receiving a pink slip is undoubtedly unpleasant, you won’t find it to be as difficult as it may appear if you organize your response into manageable phases.
Here are some tips on how to get a job after being fired.
Think about resigning first
Consider resigning and bring it up with your employer if a termination has not yet been finalized. If you leave quietly, you might be able to trade that for a letter of recommendation.
Another option is to put off your resignation in order to give yourself more time to look for work while still employed. Verify the effect a resignation can have on your unemployment benefits by speaking with your unemployment office. You might not be able to get unemployment benefits if you resign.
Consider This for a Second
In the event that your employment is terminated, you ought to use the time to consider your career route. Were the factors that led to your termination specific to that company and that boss or did they point to a profession that didn’t suit your skills and personality?
If the latter is true, it might be simpler to convince an employer to hire you in a different industry. For instance, if you were dismissed from a sales position because you failed to bring in enough new clients but still had a strong customer service background, you might now focus on inside sales or customer service positions.
On the other hand, it’s possible that the position wasn’t a good fit for you personally, the environment was toxic, the business needed to make budget cuts or your manager was the issue and not you. Employees lose their jobs for a variety of reasons, and frequently they are not at fault.
Get Your Story Straight
Get the facts straight regarding how you performed at your previous employment and the events leading up to your termination. Then, practice telling it to friends, family members, trusted confidantes or counselors.Â
When you talk about it:Â
- Do not criticize your former employer or any of the employees.Â
- Describe your unique professional accomplishments and the abilities that allowed you to attain them.
- Be prepared to briefly describe the specific performance areas where you fell short.
If you can, draw attention to aspects that are not crucial for your desired position or ones that you have strengthened since being fired.
Think about changing careers
Remember that getting fired can mean it’s time to change careers, which might necessitate getting more education or training. The employment may not have been the best fit for you and you would prefer to look into other career choices.
If you enroll in classes, seminars, complete an internship or work as a freelancer in a different industry, employers may place greater emphasis on this new experience than your most recent unsuccessful employment when evaluating your background.
Identify Promising References
Gather your supporters, or people who can attest favorably to your efficacy and worth as an employee. Ask former bosses and other coworkers to provide recommendations for you if you had successful job experiences with other companies before being fired.
Find those at your most recent employer who can highlight the important contributions you made despite being let go. When identifying potential references, take into account coworkers in your department, managers of departments with which you interface, clients, vendors and other stakeholders.
Gather Recommendations
Request written or LinkedIn endorsements from your references. You can lessen some of the negative perceptions of your termination by bringing up this kind of positive information to companies. When networking or when a potential employer asks for references, mention these online or in writing.
Freshen Up Your Portfolio
If you operate in a field that requires you to show off your writing, reports, spreadsheets, PowerPoint presentations, grant proposals, graphic designs, websites, or computer programmes, you should create or update your portfolio.
NetworkingÂ
After a termination, networking with friends, fellows, neighbors, coworkers and college graduates will be more essential than ever. Compared to employers as a whole, these connections will be more receptive to the details and justifications for your termination.
They might be prepared to promote you at their job or among their contacts if they still think you can be a valuable employee. Review advice on how to start using your network effectively.
Update your CV or resume
Being productive includes updating your CV or resume. Frequently, people wait until they are considering or have experienced a job move before updating their resume or CV.
Consequently, you ought to have a tone of information about your prior employment to provide in your resume or CV. Additionally, be sure to make room for any new abilities or experiences you may have acquired while looking for work.
Finally, you need to be aware of how best practices for resumes, cover letters, and CVs may have changed since the last time you applied for a job to ensure that your resume and CV will be beneficial for your job search.
By doing this, you improve your chances of offering recruiters just what they need.
As you put up your job application documents, keep in mind that you shouldn’t draw attention to the fact that you were fired or laid off. If the employer thinks it’s important, they may bring it up during the interview.
Conducting job interviews
Most people are frightened of being asked, “Why did you leave your former job?” when they are applying for jobs after being fired or laid off from prior work.
The concern is that your chances of being employed may drop as soon as the recruiter learns that you were fired or laid off. Not to worry. This is not a life-or-death issue.
Contrary to what you might believe, recruiters will be sympathetic to your situation. The most crucial thing is that you have a well-thought-out response to this query that demonstrates to recruiters how you have developed as a result of losing your job.
If you were fired from your previous work as a result of downsizing or restructuring, describe the circumstances and how you turned the unfortunate situation around. For instance, mention how you used the time between employment to pick up new skills, volunteer, etc.
Conclusion
If you have the unfortunate situation of getting fired or laid off, don’t give up. Over the course of their careers, the majority of people experience it.
It’s crucial that you approach the circumstance professionally and recognise the potential it presents. You’ll quickly find a job again with the help of a strong résumé and a good outlook.