“I got fired from my job.” It happens. One day you find yourself suddenly without a job.

If it was not because of a blatant act like stealing, lying, abuse, or sexual accusation, it might feel like a violation to you. You might have not expected it to happen so suddenly, or even at all.

Getting fired from your job is shocking

“I got fired from my job.” As the shock sets in, it might feel paralyzing and very upsetting to you. It might feel like the biggest rejection in the world paired with a heavy fear around money and how you are going to sustain your current level of living.

The process to fully recover from an experience like this takes a little time, but is completely possible.

Here are some tips and suggestions for you if you get fired from your job

• Call a trusted friend. Don’t keep this news inside yourself. It is important to acknowledge that you have experienced an energetic “shock” to your system, which needs to be dissipated. Talk it out. Cry it out. Shake it out. Punch it out (on a pillow, of course).
• Detach from the drama of it. It might feel like you are a victim in this situation, but I want to challenge that idea. Chances are you had already found many problems with the job and/or people with which you work. You may have already been in a state of just “tolerating” the job while you secretly were dreaming of leaving someday.
• Don’t take it personally. Business relationships are very complicated and personalities/desires often clash. Being on the same page as your boss is very rare, unfortunately. Instead of working on building the relationship, bosses often give up and decide just to try someone new. It’s not just you.
• Sometimes it’s best to end the relationship. As a business owner myself, I know that sometimes a person is not the perfect fit for the job. When that happens, it feels like trying to get a square peg in a round hole, and managing the situation is difficult for everyone. The employee’s strengths are not being utilized in the job properly because the role requires other talents which are not best suited for the employee. It’s a lose-lose situation, even though both people are strong and talented.
• File for unemployment. You have been paying into the unemployment pool since you started your job, and this is one case in which you may qualify. Reach out to your local office and ask. Don’t leave money on the table if it’s yours.

Watch out if your mindset drops

It is important at this time to stay positive about yourself. Chances are you do not have the luxury to take a few months off and sulk. Don’t get stuck. Staying on your feet and opening your eyes to new opportunities is crucial.

Where do you start?

What did you like about your job?

This is a good time to take inventory of yourself and your life up until now.

• What did you really enjoy doing in your job? Make a LIST with all the tasks and aspects that you “rocked” while working at your job. These could be as simple as “smiling at customers” or “taking notes in a meeting”.
• Use that list as clues for your next job. Wouldn’t it be great to find a perfect match for your next job? Often, we need to find out what we DON’T want to do before we land the job that we DO love to do.
• Make a note of the things you didn’t like about your job. This list might seem easy to create, but I am going to challenge you to look a little deeper at the issues. Did you just accept things as they were? Could you have spoken up more and asked for a better situation?

You need to be an advocate for yourself

At a job, there is always a two-way street between you and your boss. Both of you will naturally have strengths and weaknesses, and the relationship will often take twists and turns depending on who is influencing the journey the most at the moment.

Your boss’s job is to help you thrive and succeed at your job. It is ALSO your job to do your best to thrive and succeed at your job. When it feels like there are problems, it usually means there are growing pains. Someone needs to grow. Is it your boss who needs to grow, or you?

Either way, it is important for you to learn how to be an advocate for yourself. You deserve to feel supported and valued at your job. If you are not feeling that, think about what you would need to feel that way. More training? More feedback? More guidelines? More handholding? More trust? More money?

“I got fired from my job.” Lessons learned this time around

It is very common these days to work at many different jobs in a career lifetime. Each one provides a wonderful learning experience for you–things you LIKE to do, and things you DO NOT LIKE to do. There is a great opportunity to grow into the next best version of yourself, and I highly recommend you take advantage of it!

You might want to journal about how you are feeling, what you would like to change about yourself, and any other reflections you can see from the other side of the fence. I suggest you make an action list for yourself, if some ideas for improvement come up.

Take inventory of your strengths and skills

Now would be a good time to affirm how wonderful you are by reminding yourself of your natural talents and learned skills.

It is also helpful to review any assessments you have taken in the past that can provide clues and data about yourself for future endeavors. Creating a mind map can be a great way to see all that you are!

Review and Update Your Resume and Social Profiles

Don’t feel bad about moving on from this experience. In a few years, you will hardly remember how painful it felt at this time. Start anew with hopeful thoughts and expect great new opportunities to appear.

When one door closes, another one opens.

Have faith that the universe has your back. It always does.

You have the strength, smarts, talent, and courage to “pull up your big girl pants”, and keep your head high. I believe in you!

Get help, if you need it.

I am always here to help you. Schedule a free 30-minute ASK ME ANYTHING call, or book at coaching session with me.

YOU CAN DO IT!

PHOTO CREDIT: iStockPhoto/psisa