“Your position has been terminated.”
“We’re making some cutbacks in the department.”
“Your skills are no longer needed.”
No matter how these words are said, no matter what the situation is or what lead up to hearing them, it’s not going to be a great day. A few years ago, these words were aimed at me. I can tell you that it was a bad day. Actually, it was a bad month.
Getting fired is a terrible experience. I can’t sugarcoat how I was feeling that day or several days after it happened. I felt like I would be damaged goods forever and no one in their right mind would ever hire me to do anything ever again. My professional world seemed to be ending at that very moment and I was scared that I would never recover.
That summer off work and on the job hunt I playfully referred to as the summer of Saturdays. I attended countless networking events and applied for any job that sounded like it could be a good fit. I had a lot of interviews, mostly bad ones for positions that didn’t make a whole lot of sense for me. The summer ended when I took a job at a family friend’s company.
It wasn’t a new career, but a stepping-stone. A role in an accounting department was not where I pictured myself long term. Not every thought or feeling during that time was positive. I had little confidence and it was tough to keep on applying and interviewing, only to be turned down. However, the normalcy of going to work every day, being a part of something bigger, and contributing to a team helped me get back to where I wanted to be.
You’ve probably been fired from somewhere at some point – and if you haven’t, I’m happy for you. But in all likelihood, you will. Looking back, I learned a lot and want to share with you 5 lessons for when that time comes:

1. Getting fired does not define who you are as an employee or a person. This is a difficult train of thought to break. Getting fired or let go feels like the universe is telling you that you aren’t good enough. No longer being a good fit at one company doesn’t mean that’s true for all companies.

2. Take responsibility and action. Admitting that a bad attitude, declining quality of work, or missed deadlines may have led to your termination doesn’t feel great. On the up side, once you take full responsibility, you can start to make positive changes to ensure that your professional future looks differently.

3. Reflect on what is gone. The position I lost was not one that I was happy in. At one point, I was so stressed out that I started getting a little bald spot. No job is worth losing your head – literally. Being asked to leave may have been the best thing for me, even though it felt like the worst thing ever.

4. Keep a sense of humor. Surrounding yourself with positive people makes getting over the tough stuff a little easier. One of the biggest lessons I learned was how lucky I was to have such great people in my life – and how important it is to keep them there.

5. Not working is a great time to get networking. I’ve said this before and I’ll say it again but with a twist. It’s what you know and who you know.

It took over a year for me to find a position that was a good fit and also at a company I wanted to grow with. But I wouldn’t be sitting in this exact chair had I not experienced one of my worst days – and recovered. Fortunately, I got fired. Yes, you read that correctly. It wasn’t immediate or overnight, but things got better. Over time, they got better than they ever were before.
photo credit:© iStock.com/Qvasimodo

Ever been fired? Girl Wonder has, too. This week, she shares why it was the worst, best day. Have something to add to Angie’s 5 lessons that helped at a time when you were let go? Comment below or get in touch with her directly!