When the dotcoms went dot bust a few years ago, employees celebrated their inclusion to the jobless ranks with pink-slip parties. Your entry ticket was showing your termination notice at the door. No notice, no party. Being fired became a badge of honor-if you hadn’t been, you merely weren’t in.
Fast forward to today. The workplace remains in transition. People still get fired. No-one is immune, no matter what how big is the organization. The word firing can be softened with the “laid-off” and “downsizing” words, nonetheless it doesn’t decrease the blow. You’ve been axed.
Whether you’ve given the sack, the pink slip, downsized, laid-off or fired, it’s not a picnic. With a firing, the twins of fear and failure escort you to the door. Negative self-talk beats you up. The ego is bruised. According to envelope king Harvey Mackay in his latest book, We Got Fired! (Ballantine Books), opportunity may be knocking.
Mackay says, “There’s no job security for anyone-the best thing to do when you yourself have employment would be to be prepared to be fired whenever you want and to be armed with information. And, being fired may just be the best thing that can have happened to you.”
We Got Fired! profiles 28 well-known successes-from actor Robert Redford to tennis star Billie Jean King to New York mayor Michael Bloomberg-all who got sacked along their way to fame and fortune. Hitting rock bottom, they found ways to re-invent themselves from determining what went wrong and what was learned. Even Donald Trumps weighs in. And why not? This is actually the guy who tried to trademark the words you’re fired.
So, you’ve got the news headlines (or your gut lets you know it’s coming), what in case you do? Mackay has gleamed several “must dos” to create the comeback kid and nail the next job. Included are:
o Know that getting a job is really a job. It takes work to start the paychecks flowing and a few of it’s pure drudgery. Create your routine-phoning, keeping visible, searching-consider it a temp job until the time one starts. Get out-networking is going to create far more contacts and probabilities than sending out reams of resumes.
Seek mentors-they can be the traditional (older and experienced); next-step (a few years before what you had been doing-or want to do); peer (equivalent to you in time and experienced but skilled in areas you aren’t); or reverse (younger to older). Their connections can become yours.
Go online and stay on top of news within the industries you’re seeking employment. While online, put your name right into a Google.com or Bing.com search and see what comes up. It always makes sense to find out if you’re listed anywhere and what’s being said about you.
o Forget blame. Bite your tongue and miss the blame game-yours or on others. What’s important is what you learned in your last job and so how exactly does it make you a much better employee.
o Don’t burn bridges. This is actually the “eat your words” part of the exit. Even although you think your boss, or the organization, is definitely an A1 jerk, button up. There is a constant know when you’re planning to reconnect with a former boss or employer-the reconnecting will come from employment or contacts. It’s a small world and people know people who know people.
o Don’t wing interviews. Try your pitch with people you trust and get their feedback. Companies hire individuals to fill a need-they just don’t go about creating jobs simply because they like to write payroll checks. Why are you great at what you do? What benefit would you bring in their mind? What problems would you address along with your skills?
Rarely is really a job wanted to an individual who needs it-it comes because you’ve something that’s needed/wanted. Today’s companies look for what creates revenue-sometimes it’s in the proper execution of increased sales; and sometimes it’s in the proper execution of eliminating losses. That may you do? Put together a sales presentation of YOU before heading out for just about any interview.
o Research, research, research the project. Do your homework-look closely at related business articles is this publication in addition to others in your area. See the headlines-the good news and the bad, there is a constant know where a concept can pop up. Even companies which can be having tough times may want you when you yourself have got the data and skills they need. The Internet makes a fantastic partner in probing what’s out there.