Getting fired can be very traumatic even if you’re expecting it. It is an emotional gut-punch that will probably leave you reeling. In the minutes, hours and days soon after, it can be tempting to tell the world how unfair your former employer is — but it’s important to not do anything you’ll regret. Even though it’s painful to get fired, there are some things that you shouldn’t do, or you could make the situation worse. The following suggestions will help you to make the best of a bad situation by avoiding some common mistakes fired employees make.
Don’t lose control
Resist the urge to have an emotional outburst. You might want to curse and yell at anyone in your path, but it’s best to remain tight-lipped. If you take your dismissal personally and burn bridges, you may hurt yourself down the road when you need a reference or run into former colleagues at other organizations. Be professional throughout the process.
Do not go on a social media rant
It’s understandable if you’re angry after getting fired. However, it’s important for you to keep your cool. Going on a social media rant could negatively affect your chances of getting a new job. Remember, future employers may be able to see what you post. Negative posts about former employers or getting fired from a job are red flags for hiring managers.
Don’t take too much time off to mope
Getting fired is a highly emotional experience. You might want to stay in bed all day or mope around your house. However, the sooner you start looking for a new job, the better. Take advantage of the time you have to clean up your CV, take continuing education courses, and go on interviews. You can’t live off your savings forever, so get back out there as soon as you can. Each day you spend feeling sorry for yourself is a day you could be speaking with potential employers and getting one step closer to a new job.
Getting fired from a job may seem like the end of the world, but it doesn’t define who you are as a person. We are all human and make mistakes. Some mistakes just have more severe consequences. Use the experience to learn from your weaknesses. Develop strategies to prevent the same mistake from happening again during the course of you career. Take the time to regroup and find a job that is a better fit for you and your interests. It may be that this wasn’t the right job for you and a push to find a new one is just what you needed to move along your career. Each day is a new beginning; there are more jobs out there waiting for you to conquer.
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