You never consider that it might happen to you, but getting dismissed from your job is a real possibility. Sometimes, it’s not even your fault. There are all sorts of factors that go into a potential job dismissal.

Gross misconduct is one thing, but simply failing to perform to the required standard can be particularly difficult to deal with. It’s even harder when other factors come into play, such as wrongful termination.

After you get over the initial disappointment of being dismissed from your job, your thoughts turn to your future. Unfortunately, you’ll probably struggle to jump straight back into employment. It’s going to take time and effort to convince potential employers that you are able to do a good job for them. You’ve got to be willing to go that extra mile to secure employment again, or you could end up unemployed for a long time to come. Getting fired isn’t the end of the world, so here are some steps you can take to solve the problem.

Getting Fired

If you’re about to get fired, you can usually feel it coming. Whether it’s a direct fault of your own or a simple inkling that upper management isn’t happy, it’s not fun to deal with. When the day finally comes and you’re asked to pack your things and go, it’s time to start looking to the future. If you feel you’ve been wrongly dismissed, by all means you can contest the situation in court. Talk to an advisor about whether you’ve got the rights to dismiss the decision beforehand.

It’s natural to feel incredibly downhearted and sad in moments like this. However, you need to look at it as a positive as best you can. For whatever reason, this job clearly wasn’t right for you. Now, you can use it as valuable experience to help you find something more suitable in the future.

Allow yourself to take some time to recuperate for a few days. Dwell on it if you must, but set yourself a cut-off period in a few days time to stop feeling sorry for yourself. When you’re ready to move on, it’s time to start thinking about the future. Let’s be honest: you’re going to find it hard to jump back into employment straight away. By beginning to plan now, you’ll have the best chance of finding a job as quick as possible.

Remember; you won’t have to feel the effects of being dismissed forever. Once you’ve got over this hurdle and found yourself in new employment, you won’t have to think about it again. Use this to prepare you for the future and help you stay out of this situation. We all make mistakes from time to time, so go easy on yourself and see this as a valuable learning experience.

What You Can Do

Firstly, you need to start thinking about where to go from here. Do you have previous employers who would be willing to take you back? It may not be the best option in the long run, but it’ll at least help to pay the bills for now. Alternatively, you need to consider whether your current line of work is cut out for you. 

If you were dismissed for performance-related reasons, you could be in need of touching up your skills. There are apprentice programs out there which don’t pay a lot, but they’ll get you in on the ground floor and teach you skills to succeed. Additionally, workforce development training programs can prepare you for different lines of work. These programs are linked with all sorts of companies, leading to potential job opportunities down the line.

Of course, these types of programs are fantastic if you’re looking to a start a new career as well. This might be the chance you’ve been waiting for to pursue your passions. What’s your idea of a dream job? It might be worth doing a quick Google search or talking to a careers advisor about how you could pursue it if you’re not sure.

Being unemployed will probably result in sitting on your hands a lot. Instead of wasting your time at home when you’re not busy, consider getting involved in volunteer work. Volunteer work always looks impressive to potential employers. Even if you were fired for misconduct reasons, it shows them you’re dedicated to turning things around.

You’re going to experience rejection a lot during this period. Unfortunately, that’s a natural consequence of being dismissed. Don’t take it personally. You’ve found yourself in difficult circumstances, but you won’t be unemployed forever. By taking the right steps to improve yourself, you’ll find someone who’s willing to give you a shot. Make sure your emotions are kept in check during this time. This is especially important when talking to potential employers, but it’s also key to securing your overall health.

Your Resume

While it was once a proud representation of your skills and experience, your resume now has a big, nasty blotch on it. There are a number of ways you can handle this to ensure your dismissal doesn’t stand out too prominently.

Ideally, the best thing you can do is to get into some kind of volunteer work or education as soon as possible as mentioned above. In addition to improving your skills, they are a great way to explain the gap in employment since you were dismissed.

It isn’t a requirement to state why you left a job on your resume. It’s not a good idea to do that, either. Wait for your prospective employers to ask that question at the interview instead. Unfortunately, you might find that they jump to conclusions before you’ve had a chance to meet them if you put it on your resume.

Most people put the dates they worked at each company on there, too. In this case, you could choose to remove those dates if you wish, although that doesn’t look very professional. Instead, simply state the months or years you worked at the company, and say very little else. No matter the circumstances, you want to be in a position to explain your actions when you can talk in person rather than on your resume.

You may even have to do some rearranging to incorporate this information adequately. If you typically mention the circumstances of why you left each job, cut that information out. You could even push your education and volunteer work to the top of the resume, so it’s prominent. Put your job history a little lower down so it’s not the first thing an employer sees. Resumes are often skim-read, so you haven’t got a lot of time to make a good impression. By putting your strongest qualities at the top of the page, you’ll have a greater chance of grabbing their interest.

How To Handle Interviews

So, the hard work is over, and you’ve finally managed to land an interview. As you know, job interviews often come coupled with stress and difficult questions. The most difficult question of all in your circumstances is “why did you leave your last job?”

There’s no easy way to respond to this question. What you mustn’t do is attack your former employers. It doesn’t matter how aggrieved or upset you might feel with their decision; it won’t help you in the slightest. Prospective employers don’t want to employ someone who might say the same nasty things about their company in the future. You must discuss your former company in a professional, formal manner at all times.

But, should you acknowledge what happened? Although you may be tempted not to, it’s much better to simply get it out in the open now. Firstly, they’re going to need references from your previous employment, so it’s beneficial to tell them why you left. Secondly, if they found out that you lied in your interview, they’d probably terminate your employment anyway.

Whatever you do, try to put a positive spin on your dismissal. In the direst of circumstances, it might be best to simply admit your wrongdoing and showcase what you’ve been doing to make up for it. In cases like poor performance, highlight the educational and experienced-based training you’ve been undertaking. It might just be a case of telling them how you realized you were in the wrong career. If this is the case, inform them of your intention to pursue your dreams with this new opportunity. Give them a reason to consider your application above all others.

Above all, you need to look at the bigger picture. It’s incredibly disappointing that you’ve been dismissed from your job. Your financial worries are your biggest problem now, and you might need to ask family and friends for help if that’s a possibility. Before long, you’ll be back on your feet, and this will seem like a small blip in your career. As devastating as losing your job can feel, it can also be a positive thing, helping you to craft the perfect future. Get back on the horse, and start taking steps to improve your future. I wish you every success in finding a new job and putting this situation behind you!

This post has been contributed by Ryan Gatt, it contains affiliate links.