Being fired usually sets a person off on a gamut of emotions, beginning with surprise, even shock, and moving to chagrin, anger, and bitterness. A person feels guilty, unwanted, a failure. Unless you are different from most people, you've had those feelings descend on you. Just don't let them drive you to self pity and apathy.
Flip back and read that quote from Business Week again. If you've been fired, you belong to the most unexclusive club in the world. And because of sheer numbers, if for no other reason, there's little stigma attached to being fired.
One word of caution, though. Don't rush out and take any old job just to show your former boss and company. Contrary to myth, few people are fired for incompetency. And that makes sense, for to fire a person for that reason simply demonstrates a boss's own incompetency - faulty judgment for hiring that person or poor supervision.
A person is fired mainly because of a change in management or the fact that the company or one of its programs is doing badly. Sometimes a boss doesn't like a particular employee, for whatever reason. And that person probably doesn't like the boss, either.
So take heart. You're not incompetent. Simply put, you were in the wrong job at the wrong time. And now you have a chance to find one that's right.
Getting what's yours
If you're fired, the first thing to do is negotiate the best deal possible for yourself. You're in the strongest position to do this at the firing interview. The person conducting this interview is often inexperienced, feels guilty, and is unsure of him/her self. (Often they are as much to blame for the firing as you are.) If your company does not have clear-cut policies on separations, you can drive a harder bargain. The key things to negotiate are as follows:
- An outplacement service. Your first priority is to get another top job, and you should use the best resources possible to do this. If you are over 40, demand that the company sponsor you and pay for a top-flight service of this type (the name of the service to be approved by you). Such a service is commonly offered by many well-run companies. If the company will not pay the fee, make sure they will at least sponsor you.
- Severance pay. Many companies don't really know what they should pay. What constitutes a reasonable amount depends on your length of service, your position within the company, and its policy. Try to get at least one month's pay for every year of service, with a minimum of 3 months. Make sure that you will have the right to a reasonable extension, if necessary.
- Office space and a part-time secretary. This can be an extremely useful service.
- Unemployment insurance. Make sure that the arrangements are made so that you will qualify, if you choose.
- Group insurance coverage. Request that this coverage be extended to you (at the company's expense) until you get relocated.
- References. Get clear agreement on the reason the company will give for your leaving and the kind of reference they will give you. Now let's look at the traps that may be in your path.
A lot of people have been through a job search that ended well. Today it's your turn - tomorrow it will be somebody else's. What you are going through is temporary - several years from now it will seem like a dim memory. In terms of your whole career, a job search really is just a short, passing phase.
You've conquered lots of obstacles in the past. Many of the times which have given you the most satisfaction have been when you have faced a tough problem and hacked it. You will have a lot of satisfaction looking back at your job search after been fired five years from now, when you can say, "I licked that problem, too.
Being out of work might make you uncomfortable among people, both in your job search and socially. That's normal. Very likely though you're concentrating on what you consider the stigma of your current situation. If you conduct an effective job search and are optimistic about the outcome, your upset will amount to little.
