Written by Jim McNerney Coaching Team
During these turbulent times, many people are losing their jobs due to store closings and the effects of the pandemic.
But some businesses like Amazon, CVS and Walmart are actually hiring tens of thousands of new employees to fill a surging need.
Granted, these are not normal times but either way, losing your job can be a traumatic and life-changing experience. But it doesn’t always have to be a negative thing. There’s a significant difference in how you might feel after losing your job due to the pandemic, your employer shutting down, relocation, or other circumstances beyond your control and being fired. When this happens and you’re faced with the worst-case scenario of losing your job, what do you do next?
Keep Calm and Think About the Future
Perhaps the most important thing to remember about losing your job is that it is not the end of the world. Getting firing offers some time to reflect on what happened and how it can be avoided later. While self-reflection is hard for anyone, taking this small step can mean more success and increased happiness later in life.
First, assess the reason for your firing. The circumstances of your firing will certainly come into play when it comes to your job prospects:
“If you were fired for some sort of gross negligence or heinous ethical lapse, that’s clearly going to be a bigger stain on your record that simply leading an initiative that didn’t quite succeed. But in cases where getting fired stemmed from a mismatch of skills and requirements at a given company or simple lack of results, the prognosis looks downright sunny.”
Inc.com
Getting fired is painful no matter what caused it. If you know you are completely to blame for losing your job, then your goal should be to determine how you caused this to happen and develop your professional skills, so it doesn’t happen again. If you were fired for reasons beyond your control, then losing your job might just be the best thing that ever happened for your career.
One Door Closes, Another Opens
You may have felt completely secure in your previous position, but was it truly right for you? Did it align with your personal values and goals? Was there something else you always wanted to do more than your job? These are essential questions to ask. The book The CEO Next Door evaluated 2,600 executives over a ten-year period and discovered that, of those who were fired at some point, 91% of them bounced back stronger than ever in the future.
Getting fired could have incredible potential for your life. Use the time you have now to update your resume, reevaluate your professional goals, and look for positions that are more in tune with your personal values. You could use this opportunity to migrate to an entirely new field or even go into business for yourself, using what you have learned from the experience of losing your job to fuel your future success.
Career Coaching Can Improve Your Options
After some reflection and time for yourself, you’ll probably feel better about the situation and inspired to try something new and exciting with your life. A little bit of guidance can be a great asset when you’re on the search for a new career. If you recently lost your job unexpectedly and don’t know where to turn next, consult a career coach, who can point you in the right direction and support you during this time of transition.
