How to Deal with Getting Fired
Turning your life around after you've been let go
Getting fired may seem to be a terrible thing, but in truth it may be a great thing. It's all in the way you look at it. What can you think and do that will make that pink slip become a Golden slipper?
The first thing is to recognize that every setback is an opportunity. Every time you come to a crossroads, you have the power to choose an even better path. Getting fired from a job, as difficult as it may feel, can be an opportunity to find something much more fulfilling and rewarding. There are millions of stories like that.
A crucial aspect of surviving a dismissal is to not take it personally. Rejection is part of life, and almost all the time it has very little to do with you. In my line of work, the theatrical world, many actors are rejected at an audition. It's not because they're untalented. It's not because they are not attractive. Very often they are. It may be something as simple as them not fitting the costume. It may relate to them not fitting with the character they'll be playing opposite. It's very much like matchmaking. And what is important is that the good impression they make means we may call them back for a future project.
Rejection from a job or anything else can be because of a million different things that have nothing to do with you. Keep confidence in your skills and ability, and keep going. And if you were fired for personal reasons, be grateful! Remaining there would probably have been incredibly stressful and unhealthy.
First steps after firing.
When this happens, it is crucial to sit down and understand why. Sometimes, the answer is clear. If the company was downsizing, you know that's why they let you go. If they fired you and told you why, so it's all in the open. As we said, most often the cause has little to do with you and your abilities.
But if it does, if the reasons were indeed personal, you will only grow by asking yourself some difficult questions. They are questions such as, "Could I have done things differently?" There may be something in your attitude or professionalism that needs adjusting. Take stock, make a brutally honest self evaluation. You may discover important things that you need to fix. Doing so will only be to your benefit, so look into your self with gusto!
Make yourself almost un-fireable.
Champions have an attitude that empowers them. It is what makes them the model employee. It's not about the hours, and it's certainly not about kissing up to anyone. That may work in the short term, but it's not an insurance policy for keeping your job. If you've been fired, you are going to be looking for a new job. Now is the time to prepare yourself to keep that new job. How do you do it?
Simply, focus on what your employer wants and needs. Understand how their business works, and make the business's success your goal. You don't need to impress someone by staying till midnight, or by appearing very busy. You want to impress them by showing how much you care about the business. This is done by studying the business, knowing its history, and thinking through ways that you can make it better. It's not about working hard, it's about working smart.
When you do that, you will truly be an asset to the company. Smart companies do not fire employees who bring them devotion, creativity, and success. Put your self second and the business first.
An incredibly powerful attitude.
In sales, rejection can break many a person's spirit. That's if they view "no" as a failure. If they choose to view "no" as a success, they will feel very good about themselves! You're probably asking yourself why I'm writing this, if they're not making any sales. The answer is, by embracing "no", they will get to make lots of sales and lots of yeses. How so?
I heard a lecture once where the person spoke of having a "no" quota. They had to get 10 "nos" in the course of a couple of days. So if they made the sale, they didn't get any further in their quota. Thus, they had to keep calling more people. As a result, more sales would keep coming in. Now if they had made a "yes" quota, and had the three "yeses" right off the bat, they would have felt no need to call anymore. Embracing the "no" kept them going to get even more yeses.
Persistence is a crucial value. Persistence alone is not enough, though. Combine it with flexibility and you have an incredibly powerful mix. Keeping at it, while learning and growing in the process will bring you to ever greater success.
So if you've lost your job, do not despair. Rejoice! You now have an opportunity to examine yourself and gain new attitudes that will grant you success in the future. You can aim for a more fulfilling career, for a more rewarding job. You can come with an attitude of helping your future employer that will give you long-term security. And you can embrace whatever rejection you have faced as the fuel of your future success.
Getting fired means getting an even better job opportunity. Use it to your best advantage for wealth and success!