You’ve been fired. Now What?
Losing a job – it happens to the best of us. Maybe you’re angry that you’ve been fired or you’re worried about finding another job.
You might even be sad about the loss of your work environment. No matter what you’re feeling right now – you don’t have to feel powerless.
There are ways to cope with getting fired and important actions you must take. Getting fired doesn’t have to mean failure, it can mean opportunity.
What to Do When You Get Fired
Approach Unemployment like a Job
• The First Step – Any job, project, or situation begins with a first step. The first step you need to take when you’ve been fired is to find out if you qualify for unemployment benefits and apply for them. This is important because it will allow you to focus less on your financial situation and put the focus on looking for a new job.
• Think About It – This is your chance to steer your career in the direction you desire. What is it that you want to do? Perhaps you want to make a big change? Let’s say you’ve always worked in an office but have been interested in jobs in healthcare. This is the perfect time to do that! Look into necessary training and education. You’ve been given an opportunity to think about your goals. View your job loss in a positive way, rather than a negative way. Even if you aren’t pursuing a career change, a positive attitude will show through to potential employers. Wearing a good attitude to your interview is as vital as wearing professional attire.
• Talk About It – Right now you’re on the open market. You’re a product looking to be sold. The more people who know about you, the better your chances of getting scooped up. Don’t hide your unemployment status from family, friends, and business contacts. Your best chance for getting a job is through a personal recommendation!
Keep Working
Be sure to keep working every day. Looking for a job is a full-time job. Looking at unemployment this way is not only the best way to get back into the workforce quickly, but it is a necessary step for coping with being fired. Here are several tasks that should be on your project list:
• Update and perfect your resume (consider professional resume help).
• Customize your cover letter to potential jobs.
• Register with online job boards (search for jobs and post your resume).
• Update your social networking sites (such as LinkedIn) and connect with others.
• Read industry publications and stay current with industry news and topics.
• Prepare for interviews (research companies, anticipate questions, acquire proper attire).
• Make temporary/necessary adjustments to your lifestyle (keep your finances on track).
• Better your skills and knowledge with classes (online, seminars, on campus).
• get out and interact with others as much as possible (stay active, make connections, keep a positive attitude)
You’re Coping with Job Loss, but Not for Long
These important job-seeking tasks will not only help you cope with job loss, you may find that you barely have time to notice that you’re unemployed. The good news is, if you’re this dedicated to your job search, you won’t be unemployed for long.
Lynn Mattoon is a Content Editor & Career Writer for Healthcarejobsite.com, a Beyond.com career community.
You may be interested in reading other Lynn’s articles of this series:
