10 Things to Do Immediately After You Lose Your Job to Get Yourself Back in the Game

Yesterday, they fired you. This morning, you’re numb. Six months ago you purchased your first house–you just laid new hardwood flooring and installed granite countertops–and there’s a new car in the driveway. Now, you have no income. Before you have a panic attack, realize that you certainly are not the first person to live through this scenario. Being fired could be the best thing that’s ever happened to your career, but you won’t know until you get yourself back in the game.

Assess the Damage
Set up triage so you can assess what this change means to your career. You can’t reverse your termination, but you might be able to lessen the scar on your career if you handle your exit properly.

• • • Have you been offered a severance package? If so, you might not want to rush to sign. You might be able to negotiate a better package. If you’re able, consult a lawyer to make sure you understand the terms and that nothing in the paperwork will impede your future employment.
    • How will your employer describe your departure from the company? If you wonder how you will explain being terminated, consider that you might not need to. It’s possible for you to negotiate a neutral explanation of the circumstances of your departure, especially if your previous reviews indicate you were an excellent employee.

Stay Calm
When one door closes, another opens. If you feel like the plane is going down, remember to put your oxygen mask on. Meditate, go for a long walk in the woods, or spend the afternoon fishing.

Touch Base with Your Employees
Your direct reports might be as terrified as you are right now. They might fear for their own jobs and they know they will have to break in a new supervisor. Let them hear the story from the horse’s mouth and answer their questions to the best of your ability.

Avoid Impetuosity
Despite the overwhelming desire to attack your former employer via social media, cooler heads must prevail. Don’t destroy your reputation by slandering your ex-boss. Avoid the temptation to disconnect from your ex-coworkers on social media. Unless something really ugly went down, keep your chin up and stay connected. One of those connections might lead to future employment.

Think Objectively 
Why were you terminated? Do you understand what the company was looking for that you did not provide? Did you master the items suggested in your reviews under development? If not, make a list of things that will improve your performance in your next role. What did you learn about the job or yourself? If you never felt like the boss was ethical in their business dealings, lying to customers and employees alike, now you can find a company with values closer to your own.

Reconnect
Don’t disconnect, reconnect. Have coffee or lunch with someone that you haven’t had time to see in ages. You will feel better from catching up with someone who hasn’t been following your career at Company X. Someone new can offer a fresh perspective, and more often than not, you will have “Ah ha!” moments about your previous job as you re-tell the story to someone objective. Besides being a refreshing break, that old friend might provide valuable insight, new connections, and renewed spirit.

Use Your (Free) Time Wisely
Now that you have your days to yourself, resist the urge to hide, binge-watch Netflix or lay around in your bathrobe feeling sorry for yourself. In addition to the necessary career search that will occupy some of your time, you can use the time to read those business books piled on your bookshelf or a certification or two that you’ve always wanted but didn’t have the hours to devote to.

Adjust your Budget
Of course you’re worried about paying your bills. Depending on your savings, how long can you comfortably go without an income? There might be expenses that will adjust automatically when you aren’t heading to the office each day. You could save money on dry cleaning expenses, lunches out, tolls, gas, and daycare if you aren’t working. Look for other areas where a little belt-tightening wouldn’t hurt. Can you put your gym or massage membership on hold for three months?

Update Your Resume
It’s time to update your resume for the job search ahead. Beyond listing your experience, does your resume reflect the person you are today? Does it immediately tempt a prospective employer to learn more about you?

Protect Your Brand
After you update your resume, go online and make sure your social media reflects your brand. You’re a product now, and you don’t want the wrong impression out there. Don’t forget to update your professional profile on LinkedIn so it corresponds with your resume.

The first few days after your termination will be terrifying, no doubt. In the words of Eleanor Roosevelt, “You gain strength, courage and confidence by every experience in which you really stop to look fear in the face. You are able to say to yourself, ‘I have lived through this horror. I can take the next thing that comes along.’ You must do the thing you think you cannot do.” You will live through it. You will prevail.