How to Handle Looking for New Employment after Being Fired Chicago IL
How to Handle Looking for New Employment after Being Fired
Being fired from a job is not pretty – especially if you have a stellar work ethic. But sometimes it happens to the best of us. We may have been matched with a difficult co-worker or manager, or maybe just caught up in extenuating circumstances that resulted in our release.
Unfortunately, no matter why we were let go, the act alone can be viewed upon negatively by prospective employers. So to help you, let’s look at some ideas to think about when trying to approach a new job for employment.
Know What Your Employer is Saying About You
You may not be able to control what your previous employer is going to say if a prospective employer calls for a reference, but at least you can be armed with what they’re going to say. The more you know about what’s in that record, the better.
A great way to find out what they might say about you is by just placing a call to the Human Resources department to find out what was reported about your dismissal in your personnel file. If you have a somewhat negative review in that record, it’s good to make sure that your references are from people in the same company who can vouch for your good performances before you had problems.
Take Charge in the Interview
If you have been called in for an interview with your prospective employer, you can anticipate a multitude of interesting questions to come your way, one of which being, “Why did you leave your last employer?” Of course, you don’t want to lie about why you left. However, you don’t have to give them the “E True Hollywood” version either. The less drama you inject into the story, the better.
For example, if you began having problems with a new manager after having a great working relationship with everyone else in the company, you can simply state that you and the new manager did not mesh well and so you left the company – all of which is true. However, it’s important that you not put your previous employer in a negative light. Remember, you are attempting to work for another employer, so you don’t want to be an employer basher.
Take It As a Learning Experience
It’s very easy to view being fired as a negative experience, but in all honesty, it usually results in something very positive. Whether your firing was the result of your heightened temper that you now can get in check, or just a way for you to now focus on your true passion, you can always get something out of it. So when approaching a prospective employer, keep the positives in mind to help you approach new opportunities with a great attitude.
It’s never fun having to think getting a new job after being fired. But you can handle it. You have to. The good news is that many people have been hired to a new position rather quickly after being released from an old one, so don’t let being fired act as your badge of shame. Instead, remember the skills and experiences learned at that employer then confidently make yo...