Can Being Fired Haunt Me for Years to Come - CareerAlley

Can Being Fired Haunt Me for Years to Come - CareerAlley We may receive compensation when you click on links to products from our partners. One of the most stressful events in anyones life, being fired can bring a host of anxieties and fears. Chief among these is the possibility of not being able to find another position to keep the bills paid. Heres some information on how a firing affects your job prospects, and how you can put a more positive spin on it for future prospective employers: Termination from Your Point of View First, lets address the effect that being fired has on your mental health. Youll likely go through different stages as you come to terms with the job loss. At first, youll probably be in shock, and then panic may set in. Breathe. Try to get some perspective on the situation. How can you use it as a learning experience? How will you turn this into an opportunity to find a new perhaps better career? Staying positive and coming up with a plan for finding new work will not only keep you out of the clutches of panic, but will also help you in your job search. Termination from Prospective Employers Point of View First, know that a firing is not an automatic black mark on your reputation. Prospective employers will take several things into account, including: The reason for the termination: The circumstances that led to you being fired have weight when youre applying for a new job. For example, an employer is likely to be more forgiving if you were fired for personality clashes or underperformance than if you were caught stealing; How circumstances have changed: A hiring manager will want to know whether youre likely to have a repeat performance of whatever led to your being fired from the previous job. Try to show that it was a unique event, or that youve learned from the experience and wont make the same mistakes again; Your attitude toward the firing: You can affect your potential bosss perception of your previous firing through your own outlook on the event. If you use the opportunity to badmouth your previous boss or go on a bitter tirade about the troublesome manager who had it out for you, you probably wont land this new job; Your sense of personal responsibility: Its fairly rare for people to take responsibility for their own part in a firing or other unpleasant event. Its human nature to want to place the blame on someone else so if you own your mistakes and acknowledge that you could have done things differently, your potential employer will likely be more impressed.. Overcoming a Firing and Finding New Work Give yourself an honest appraisal and pinpoint the mistakes you made that led to your termination. Again, its easy for us to put the blame on others, but if you can do some self-analysis you may find ways you can improve your performance in the future. Identifying your wrong moves gives you a chance to learn from them and take steps to prevent them in the future. If you didnt fully understand your job duties, you might consider taking continuing education courses to brush up on your skills, for instance. Getting fired doesnt have to be a permanent problem. By checking your perspective and attitude about the termination, you have a good chance of convincing prospective employers you wont make the same mistakes. About the Author: Angie Mansfield is a freelance writer covering topics and people of interest to consumers and small business owners, such as employment information and Steve Wynn. This is a Guest post. If you would like to submit a guest post to CareerAlley, please follow these guest post guidelines. Good luck in your search. Joey Trebif