Help for the Fired

Many people will lose a job at some point in their lives. Here are some steps to take if you are one of them.

Examine why you were fired.
Hard as it may be, explore and understand the reasons why you were let go. This is your responsibility. Organizations aren’t always forthcoming with the reasons why they’re letting you go, so it may be up to you to figure it out. You need to know what to change and how to develop yourself for your next job. Learning why is a critical self-esteem building exercise.

Determine what you need to change.
This may be critical to achieving success in your next job. If it’s a personality issue, perhaps you need to learn to work with different personality styles. If it truly was a political move, maybe you don’t need to change anything. But, perhaps you do need to become more politically savvy and determine what type of organizational culture you fit in with best.

Set standards for your next job.
Then honestly compare yourself to those standards. Do you fit? Are there new skills you need to develop? While being fired is difficult, it also provides an opportunity to think about what you want in your career. It’s an opportunity to make a change.

Develop a marketing strategy.
Review your accomplishments and skills. This is important for rebuilding self-esteem. Determine what industries and companies are a good fit for your background and skills, and determine how you’ll communicate the ways you can benefit your target market.

Decide how you’ll answer the dreaded question.
“Why are you no longer at Company XYZ?” The question is likely to come up, so plan for it. What you say may vary depending on the situation. Sometimes, an honest, direct approach is best. But, no matter what your response, frame it positively. “It was mutually agreed that it was time for me to move on.” “I want my career to move in a different direction.” In the case of new management, “A new president came in and wanted to build her own team.”

SOURCE: Personnel Decisions, Minneapolis, March 10, 1999.