How can you get a job after being fired?

To help you best position yourself for a new job after being fired, we asked career coaches, hiring managers, and recruiters this question for their best advice. From setting the record straight with your previous employer to making sure you have good references, there are several tips that may help you take the right steps to successfully secure new job roles after being fired.


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Here are nine tips these leaders offer those looking for new jobs after being fired:

  • Set the Record Straight With Your Previous Employer
  • Tap into Your Existing Network
  • Collect Testimonials for Posting on Your Social Media
  • Prepare to Discuss Your Firing When it Comes Up
  • Announce an Interest for Work On LinkedIn
  • Update Your Resume
  • Remain Productive to Enhance Your New Job Applications
  • Share What You’ve Learned From the Firing Experience
  • Make Sure You Have Good References
How To Get a Job After Being Fired
How To Get a Job After Being Fired

 

Set the Record Straight With Your Previous Employer

After you are fired, and especially when you realize you were at fault, the best way forward is to acknowledge and accept your shortcomings and set up negotiations with the appropriate personnel in your old company. The intention behind this is to revisit the matter one last time so that all parties involved can lay the matter to rest. This move has two distinct advantages. One, it enables you to bury the hatchet with your previous employer so that there is no bad blood going forward. Secondly, it enables you to give your next employer an honest overview of the situation without expecting any backlash from the old employer to affect your prospects at your new organization.

Riley Beam, Douglas R. Beam, P.A.

 

Tap into Your Existing Network

The best way to land a new job after getting fired is to tap into your existing network. Reach out to past employers, colleagues, friends, family, and even acquaintances. You never know who may know of an opportunity. If anyone in your network is a hiring manager, reach out to them first. You’ll have to be upfront about why you were fired, but don’t let that stop you from being proactive.

Melanie Edwards, Olipop

 

Collect Testimonials for Posting on Your Social Media

Getting hired in today’s digitally driven world is just as much about marketing as it is about resume building, and this is why you should be collecting recommendations and testimonials for your social media pages after being fired. Marketers are always looking for social proof to back their claims, and likewise, recruiters are looking for that same backing when it comes to candidates.

Compiling a list of people you think would provide recommendations and asking them for testimonials that you can attach to your social media profiles, can go a long way in adding the social proof you’ll need to boost the credibility of your qualifications. In collecting and posting recommendations and testimonials to your digital outlets, you can highlight your qualifications, provide confidence in your abilities to recruiters, and separate yourself from the crowd in order to get that next opportunity.

Adelle Archer, Eterneva

 

Prepare to Discuss Your Firing When it Comes Up

There is a more than likely chance that you will be asked about the circumstances of your firing as you apply to new positions, and in recognizing that likelihood you’ll need to have a plan in place to discuss it. Whether your firing comes up in the application process or during an interview, or both, if you do not prepare, you will sound disorganized and are much more likely to make mistakes that can turn off a potential employer.

Describing contentious points as a difference in opinion, highlighting the positives or your last job, and never disparaging your former employer, should be the outline you work from, and is practiced before an interview. In addition, recognizing your shortcomings and talking about what you have done to rectify them, can be a big plus. By having your story prepared prior to applying for a position, you will be ready to discuss anything openly, and in a manner that betters your chances.

Matt Miller, Embroker

 

Announce an Interest for Work On LinkedIn

Professional social networks aren’t only useful for sharing thought-leadership ideas. By nurturing your connections with others in your industry, you strengthen the odds of finding fallback opportunities during unemployment. Calls for opportunities have gotten popular on LinkedIn, especially since the wave of layoffs from the pandemic.

Losing a job can be a huge blow to your self-esteem, but there’s no need to mention getting fired in your post. The idea is to alert the attention of hiring managers that you are skilled and eager to work. Often, others in your network will notice your post and endorse you in the comments. As you know, that kind of social support can be invaluable for vetting your abilities to prospective employers. Don’t be afraid to put yourself out there on social media.

Stephan Baldwin, Assisted Living Center

 

Update Your Resume

If you’re fired and looking for a new job, the best thing you can do is productively look for your next opportunity. Being active in this process can help you look past the negative, so you don’t get stuck second-guessing what you did wrong. Working on your resume and focusing on bringing attention to your strengths can help you boost your self-esteem so you can present yourself in the best light during upcoming interviews. Think about the value you provided to your previous organization, and how you can use that to help boost another organization in the future.

Looking at your resume can also help you see what skills you need for a future job, so you can seek out potential development opportunities, giving you a chance to strengthen yourself as an employee and a candidate. Focus on your value, and you’ll feel better as you start your job search, giving you the best chance to wow future hiring managers.

Kyle Risley, Lift Vault

 

Remain Productive to Enhance Your New Job Applications

Being unemployed can be stressful; for example, financial obligations or the need to provide for loved ones may require you to look for a new job right away. Others may view being fired or laid off as an opportunity to be free of work for a short period of time. However, it is critical to recognize that even if you are not working, you should remain productive. When recruiters see long periods of unemployment on a job application, they are compelled to inquire as to why the applicant has not been working. You want to be able to demonstrate to these recruiters that, despite not having a formal job, you were dedicated to improving or learning new skills and gaining new experiences.

Samantha Odo, Precondo

 

Share What You’ve Learned From the Firing Experience

Share with the hiring manager that you’ve grown on both a personal and professional level after being fired. This bad experience is an opportunity to reflect on the positive lessons you’ve learned. Discovering a new skill or being able to volunteer with a worthy cause during your unemployment are great points to highlight while making your case. Show an employer that while your termination was a bad experience, you’ve managed to successfully leverage it into positives that will help make you a valuable asset to their company.

Natalia Morozova, Cohen, Tucker & Ades P.C.

 

Make Sure You Have Good References

Line up some positive references. Getting fired is never a good feeling, especially when time comes to interview for a new role and you’re asked if they can contact your employer. One way to head this discomfort off is to acquire references beforehand. If you were let go from your most recent role but still have a good relationship with a manager, that’s a great option to have in your pocket. Otherwise, focus on reaching out to potential references from past positions to see if they’ll provide you one. By working ahead to demonstrate that you have positive support, you can give potential new employers the comfort to invest in you.

Vimla Black Gupta, Ourself