4 Things to Know So You Can Move Forward After Being Let Go  

In March, I was fired for the first time. I did not see it coming and, therefore, had no contingency plan for being unemployed. If you’ve been terminated or laid off from a position, you can probably relate to the trauma, and you know it’s definitely not pretty. If you haven’t, my hope is that you never have to experience it. However, there’s no guarantee that you won’t, so here are four ways you can prepare to move on to the next stage of your career on your own terms.

1. Familiarize yourself with company policy and guidelines.
The majority of employers in the United States have what is known as “at-will” employment, which means a company can hire and fire employees at any time, for any reason––barring anything considered discriminatory. Most companies have these terms outlined in both the offer letter you received upon your employment and the company handbooks used to direct operations. It is a necessity in your professional career to be familiar with your company’s policies and guidelines for both hiring and terminating employees.

2. Know your rights.
If the unfortunate event happens that you are let go from a job, there is one key thing to remember: you are not required to sign anything. Your employer will give you termination paperwork and it’s important to read it carefully. Getting fired is an emotional experience, but you must be sure that you do not put your signature on anything you do not agree with. For example, if you do not agree with your employer’s reason for letting you go, you do not have to sign any papers that state this reason. Your employers cannot force, threaten, or in any way coerce you into signing anything, so always make sure you know your rights in this situation to avoid getting the short end of the stick.

3. Take time to breathe and reset.
For many, remaining unemployed is not an option, so their only choice might be to accept the first offer that comes along. If that’s the case in your situation, don’t disregard an opportunity if it is the only thing you have on the table; but if you accept the position, you can, and should, continue your job search. Unless you’re 100 percent sure that the new job is the right fit for you, it’s smart to continue submitting your résumé for positions that interest you so you can find the career path you really want. On the other hand, if you can take time off from having a job, do it. Allow yourself to pause, breathe deep, and reset. You’ll need time to process what happened and to figure out where you want to go from there. Getting fired may seem like the worst thing in your world, but it can be a blessing in disguise if you use the experience to your advantage and take this opportunity to redefine your career goals.

4. Be honest with future employers.
Following a job termination, it can be difficult determining how to explain the situation to future employers. It’s a natural inclination to try and spin the story in your favor, but chances are––especially in “at-will” situations––you don’t have anything to hide, so why should you? Being honest when speaking with a potential new employer will take you further than misleading him or her about the circumstances around your termination, and it can also be a good way for you to see what kind of person the employer is. Someone who is blind to your career achievements because he or she can focus only on the fact that you were fired may not be someone you want to work for. An employer who can look past that and see the merit in what you have accomplished will most likely be the better fit.

In the moment, getting fired can feel like the end of your career. You feel ruined and wonder how on earth you’ll convince someone else to give you a chance. These are normal reactions, and you aren’t alone in feeling this way. But you can also learn from this experience and use it as a time to discover more about yourself. Even if you thought you really loved your job, hindsight is 20:20, and sometimes it takes an in-depth assessment to determine what went wrong and how you can move forward with a clean slate and a clear path.