So what are you supposed to do if you get fired suddenly? It happens to people somewhat often, especially during a downturn economy. Companies have to cut back and people can lose their jobs, sometimes it might come as a shock to the employees though. So what are you supposed to do?
1. Go home and freak out (just a little). It’s normal for someone to freak out a little when they realize that they no longer have a job. As long as you avoid doing anything extreme, like setting fires or something, it’s okay to go home and freak out. Avoid the Internet, your cell phone, or any other means of communication with your old job and coworkers though and just take a day off to recover. Go see a movie, like a comedy or fantasy, to give your mind time to recuperate and you’ll feel better once you get a good night’s sleep.
2. Update your resume. Make sure that your resume reflects your now available status. Contact old employers to make sure you have good references. Review everything that is listed on your resume and make sure that it is relevant to the job that are you trying to get, or that it is enough to intrigue the potential future employer. Take off things that are out of date or that just don’t fit in with the rest of your resume. If it doesn’t have to do with the career you are looking for, just remove it from your resume.
3. File for unemployment. There is so much unnecessary shame that is attached to unemployment. The purpose of unemployment is to help people who have suddenly found themselves without employment. File online, choose direct deposit and make sure you can survive until you see your next paycheck coming in. It is important that you keep your life going. Progress is essential and you don’t want to get too bogged down with stress and grief over losing your job. You just have to keep moving.
4. Get spruced up. You will be doing interviews soon so you should get a haircut or change your wardrobe a little bit. Looking good equates to confidence and confidence lands jobs a lot more often than people think. And it will help you feel good about yourself. A confidence boost is good after getting fired.
5. Don’t burn any bridges. Maintain relationships with as many people from your former job as possible. This is one of the most important things to do after you have been fired. It’s probably very tempting, but don’t go burning bridges. You never know when your name could come up in conversation and you want to make sure that only good things are being said.
Published by Conselium Executive Search, the global leader in compliance search.
