10 Things to do When You Get Fired

Being told "You are fired" or "We are terminating you" are two of the most stressful statements you can hear as an employee. Most employees count on their jobs to help them support themselves and/or their families. Maybe you have been saving to finish paying for debts, or saving to buy a house. Maybe your salary is the only way of keeping your house. This article will go over ten immediate steps you can take when you get fired in order to get you back on track with your career and life goals. The ten steps below are designed for you to minimize your time unemployed.

ASK FOR A TERMINATION REASON IN WRITING

The first thing you want to do when being notified of your termination is to ask for a termination letter. Please note that you are asking for a termination letter as opposed to a separation agreement. Most companies will offer a severance package along with a settlement during this time in order to prevent you from legally pursuing any cases against the company. Our advise is to avoid signing any separation agreements no matter how enticing the severance package may appear before exploring other options and speaking to an HR Professional or lawyer. If offered a severance package along with a separation agreement, you can always let the employer know that you have to think about the offer being presented and that you will have a response within 5 business days. This will help you build a case when filing for unemployment benefits in the future or build a case for wrongful termination (if applicable). It is very important for you to remain calm and professional during this time.

NEGOTIATE TO SEE IF THERE ARE OTHER OPPORTUNITIES WITHIN THE COMPANY

After fully understanding the reason for termination, you want to express your sincere desire to remain an employee with the company and try to negotiate different job opportunities in a different department. Often times, employees are terminated because their skills no longer align with the ones required of the job. During this time you want to convince your employer why you would be a good fit for a different role. You never know unless you ask!

LEAVE ON GOOD TERMS

If the company is not interested in keeping you as an employee, you want to leave on good terms and remain professional as this will only help you in the future. Future potential employers will need a good reference before extending an offer letter.

FILE FOR UNEMPLOYMENT AND/OR SEEK LEGAL ACTION

Now that you are officially out of a job, you will need to find a way to minimize your expenses and do everything possible to maintain income to get you through the dreadful process of being unemployed. A really good way to continue to receive income while being out of a job is to apply for unemployment benefits through your state sponsored program. You can find unemployment benefits information and application on your state's website. If after contacting a HR Professional or Lawyer, you have determined that you were wrongfully terminated, this would be the time to seek legal action in order for the company to make it right.

RELAX AND THINK OF YOUR CAREER AND FUTURE (THIS IS A GREAT OPPORTUNITY TO MAKE CHANGES)

After taking care of the financial aspect of being unemployed, you can take some time to relax and reflect on your experience working with the company that just fired you. Did you like the company? Did you like the industry? Did you like your role in the company? Once you have the answers you are looking, for you can investigate ways that you can pivot your current skills and experience to get you to a company you like and a role you would enjoy.

WORK ON YOUR SKILLS

You now want to work towards achieving the skills you need to land the job you desire. This could be a short or lengthy process depending on the degree of career change you have decided to make. For example if you were fired as a School Teacher and now want to go into Engineering, you will need to go through the education process and work your way up to the engineering role you desire. This would be a shorter and easier transition for someone who is already in the engineering field or education necessary to perform the job.

UPDATE YOUR RESUME

Once you've acquired the necessary skills and/or experience to transition into a different company, industry or role, it is now time to reflect it on your resume. Your resume is the first document potential employers will see and it will dictate whether or not you are a good fit to move forward with an interview. During this time, you may want to hire a professional resume writer.

PRACTICE INTERVIEWING SKILLS AND PREPARE TO ANSWER WHY YOU LEFT YOUR JOB

Once you have an attractive resume, you can start practicing interviewing skills. Nailing an interview is all about answering questions in the most favorable way. Think of the interview as the early dating stage during a romantic relationship. You want to make sure you say the right things with the right tone. You want to leave your potential boss with confidence in your skills and experience. During this time, you WILL have to prepare to explain why you left your previous job.

NETWORK AND APPLY

Now that you are ready for any interview that comes your way, you can start networking with people who can get you closer to the career or job you are looking to land. You will also need to go through every job agency and online platforms and apply for jobs that align with your goals. This should be the second most exciting time during the unemployment process.

INTERVIEW AND LAND THE JOB (ENJOY YOUR CAREER)

The last step is to follow through with the interview process and land the job of your dreams! It is important to remember to continue to grow in education for the filed you will be working in and enjoy your job. We encourage you to work to live a good quality of life!