Let’s be frank. Getting fired sucks because with it comes the loss of your paycheck. There are cases where you might even lose yourself if you don’t find a way to deal with it.
Such times, however, present you with an opportunity to test your resilience. For instance, rather than sulking, you could explore other means of making money outside your 9–5. Alternatively, you could begin hunting for another job immediately.
According to the Bureau of Labour Statistics, today, the average person changes jobs 12 times over the course of a career. As expected, it is possible that at least one of these changes won’t be by choice. If you ever lose your job, here’s what you need to do next.
Ask Why You Were Fired
You need to know why you were fired. Even if this has been communicated to you already, you need to ask this question on a one-on-one basis. You should also find out what you could have done differently. The goal is to learn from your mistakes as you move forward in your career. Acknowledge the fact that sometimes, your job loss can be born from factors beyond your control. According to the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS), 20% of the full-time workforce in Nigeria lost their jobs due to the COVID-19 in 2020.
Don’t Fight the Grief Stage
You are entitled to a grieving period and no one should ever deny you of that. For the first few days after you get fired, don’t rush into contacting anyone for a new job because there’s a chance that you might begin to feel rejected. Worse still, you might sound desperate to those you end up contacting.
Give yourself a few days to fully regain your confidence but this doesn’t mean you should wallow in self pity. This won’t get you far
Say Goodbye and Discuss Your Severance Package
This is strongly dependent on the company you work with. Some companies have a decent severance package while we have those that have none at all.
If you are entitled to a severance package, ensure you discuss this with the HR manager before you walk out of the door.
Embrace Your New Budget
This one shouldn’t come as a surprise to you because you will need to adjust your daily, weekly and monthly budget in line with the pause in your monthly paycheck.
The new budget will be a temporary one pending when you get another job or business to replace the source of income you lost along with the job.
In other words, after saying goodbye to your job and your paycheck, it’s important to revisit your budget and make changes accordingly.
Consider Getting a Side Gig
While you hunt for another job, consider getting a side gig to cushion the impact of the vacuum left behind by the job loss as well as the salary that comes with it.
Don’t Lie to Your Next Employer About Getting Fired
When you begin to attend job interviews, you will be asked about your previous job. Never lie about getting fired. It’s not worth the stress of your potential employer finding out that your story doesn’t add up.
Be confident enough to stick with the facts and don’t let your emotions get in the way of your next opportunity.
If you find explaining why you were sacked a tough nut to crack, you can go with statements like “It wasn’t the ideal cultural fit for me” or “my boss and I had differing opinions that got in the way of expectations and targets.
Get Your Elevator Pitch Ready
Your elevator pitch is a brief, persuasive speech that you use to spark interest in your skillset, experience and employability as a potential employee.
Remember to keep it short, persuasive and straight to the point. Most potential employees don’t have all the time in the world to listen to your life’s story.
Final Thoughts on What to Do If You Ever Get Sacked
Don’t forget to update your profile on professional platforms like LinkedIn. You’ll need to update your resume and LinedIn profile as well to reflect the changes.
If you realise that getting sacked will make things extremely rough for you; perhaps because you like from paycheck to paycheck, consider making major adjustments. For instance, you could move to a more affordable apartment or even drive less so that you spend less money on fuel. If you have a car, you could downgrade it to one with a lower maintenance cost.
