Four years ago (2010) I was fired from a job. It’s a very long and silly story. I had had zero issues and then all of a sudden I was chewed out some some minor issues then fired. But, honestly, I never liked that job. The timing for poor but it was the best thing that happened to me.
Shortly after I was fired, I posted this list of things to do when you lose your job. The tips are still valid so I thought I would share them with you again.
(Originally posted 7/11/10)
Friday was I was let go from my job. I will not go into details at this point but it was very sudden and unexpected. We were also just getting ahead financially. To be cut to a one income family is going to be a huge struggle for us. So, the question is, what do you when you have been terminated? The answer is not a simple one.
First, you freak out. You just can’t help it. Go home, cry it out, throw a tantrum, whatever you need to do. You need to get the anger and frustration and hurt out of your system before you can move on.
Second, apply for unemployment as soon as possible. It can take a few weeks to be approved and then to start receiving benefits. So the sooner you can get it taken care of, the better.
Third, take a look at your finances. Look to see where you can cut back and make changes. For me, it is my student loans. They are the most forgiving loan you can have. I will be putting them in deferment for a few months as well as cutting back on every expense I can.
Fourth, decide what you want to do. If you have been thinking about a career change, this is the time to do it. My word of caution is to make sure you really do want a career change and are not just doing it because that is where the jobs are right now. You don’t want to end up in a career that you hate and then be stuck for awhile.
Fifth, just find a job unless you have the savings to live on. Look for temp work while you are looking for permanent employment. You’re going to need it, especially if your field is seasonal and you are let go in the wrong season. This does seem to contradict my last point but it doesn’t. A job and a career are two very different things.
Sixth, know that it will be harder to find a job, especially if it was a termination. Some employers do not want to deal with someone that they think might have to be fired later. They will consider you a risk. Don’t let it get you down. Just be realistic when you are looked over a few times.
Seventh, be sure to word carefully the reason for termination. It is okay to say irreconcilable differences if that is what it was or it best describes the issue. But if you were fired for something such as stealing or frequent tardiness, you need to be truthful. You also don’t want to give excuses. You can say, “I was let go due to frequent tardiness. I admit that I was in the wrong but I have learned from this experience and am working on this behavior.” Or some similar such phrase. But you must mean it. If you just use the line to get the job and do not truly change your behavior, you will be let go again and most likely quicker than before. So be truthful, don’t give details unless asked and then do not go in to every detail and be careful not to bad mouth your previous employer. You need to accept blame for your actions and show that you are learning from them. Bad mouthing your former employer shows that you are immature and do not take responsibility for your actions.
What to do when you've lost your job Click To TweetThese are the things that I have learned reading online articles and through experience. It can be very difficult to go through a termination, especially if it was sudden or you feel that it was wrongful. But what has happened has happened you cannot just take it sitting down. You will need to be active in recovering from this event. Just remember, not every employer is like your previous one. Someone, somewhere will want to hire you and will think you are amazing.
Hopefully you have family and friends that can support you through your difficult time. I have some amazing friends and a husband that are being more supportive than I ever thought possible. This has gone a long way for me to feeling better about myself. Big confidence boost after being knocked flat on my butt.
Keep your chin up and go ahead and tackle the world! I can do it, you can do it too! 🙂
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