Getting fired from a job can be an embarrassing and terrifying experience. But does getting fired affect future employment? No, it does not.
Regardless of the cause of your termination, you may feel that you let the business and yourself down. Even the thought that you may never find another job could eat you up so badly that you lose your ability and confidence.
The fact is, people, get fired all the time, and it has never stopped them from getting another job. However, a terrible work history that includes one termination after another could be a stumbling block to getting a new job if your employer finds out.
This article explains what getting fired from your job means, what to do after getting fired, and the lessons you could learn from such an experience.
What does “getting fired” mean?
Simply put, getting fired means that an employer terminates employment against the employee’s will. And there are different reasons why most organizations fire their employees.
The truth is, the vast majority of firings are classified as “termination for cause,” which means an employee was fired because they were at fault.
Why do employees get fired?
1. Stealing the company’s property
As an employee, stealing from your company is one of the fastest ways to get fired or terminated if caught. Regardless of how minor such violations seem, they can have serious consequences, including termination.
2. Not doing the job for which you were hired
As a general rule, poor performance is a common basis for firing. This may include making too many mistakes, missing deadlines, lacking initiative, being too slow, asking too many irrelevant questions, etc.
3. Taking excessive vacations
The stress associated with a job is well known. It is one thing that makes it challenging to get out of bed in the morning. Therefore, it is understandable if an employee calls in sick or requests a break.
However, employees can be fired if they take too many sick days or breaks at the wrong times.
4. Faking work experience on resume
Most people strengthen their resumes and probably think what they did to earn the job is no longer relevant.
However, that is not the case. If an employee’s performance starts to slip, the HR department may decide to look at their resume again.
This could lead to firing if the boss is always unhappy with an employee’s work and later finds out that the person lied on the job application.
5. Falsifying company records
Falsifying company records is unethical, illegal, and a surefire way to get fired.
6. Making personal use of office equipment
Using company resources for personal purposes is a sure way to get fired. For instance, playing games, surfing the internet, or watching a movie during work hours.
What do you do after getting fired?
While job termination can be devastating, it is extremely common in the corporate world.
There are several reasons for your firing, such as setting reasonable standards in a chaotic workplace, doing a great job that embarrasses your boss, and so on.
And if you did deserve to be fired, you have nothing to worry about. It is an opportunity to learn. Hence, it’s time to carefully plan your next steps in getting a new job.
Here’s what you should do after getting fired:
1. Ask the right questions
A good first question to ask after getting fired is “Why?” Even though it hurts to have your flaws pointed out, learning about them will help you improve in the long run.
So, you will not be as likely to make the same mistakes at your next job and risk getting fired again.
It could also be a great answer to the always-popular interview question, “What is your biggest weakness?”
2. Find out if you are qualified for unemployment benefits
You need to know if you have been fired or laid off. If you were fired for doing something wrong, like failing a drug test, stealing, or lying, you probably would not be able to get unemployment benefits.
However, if you get laid off due to company cutbacks, not being a good fit for the job, or not having the right skills, it is likely that you will get unemployment benefits.
3. Learn from your termination
Depending on the circumstances behind your firing, you should work on it.
For instance, if you were fired due to poor performance, you should evaluate what went wrong and what you could have done differently and learn from it.
4. Reach out to your network
While you can find jobs on platforms like LinkedIn, Indeed, and Glassdoor, reaching out to your network is also a great place to start looking for opportunities.
You can start by sending messages to former coworkers and setting up informational interviews with companies or industries you are interested in working for.
You should notify your network that you are job-hunting, but you do not have to say you were fired unless they ask.
5. Evaluate your skills
Another cogent reason for being fired can be an assessment based on your work. So, it’s important to review your CV and evaluate where you need improvements, before starting your new job hunt.
You can engage a career counselor if you want an honest evaluation of your skills.
6. Rewrite your resume
Everyone worries about what to write on their resumes after getting fired.
In fact, you do not need to put that on your resume at all. All you need are the start and end dates and descriptions of the jobs.
The purpose of a resume is to help you land an interview, and questions will be asked, probably due to a gap in your resume dates, or the interviewer might just be curious about why you left your last job.
Does getting fired negatively affect your future employment?
No. Getting fired does not affect your future employment in any way.
However, speaking ill of your former employer or disclosing to a recruiter that you are taking legal action against your former employer might limit your chances of getting a new role.
FAQs
What is the difference between getting fired and being laid off?
Being fired means that your employer terminated your employment for specific reasons while being laid off means that the company decided to cut off some position due to business or financial reasons.
What are the signs that an employee is about to get fired?
Constantly receiving negative feedback on performance, having his or her responsibilities reduced, and being assigned impossible tasks.
What happens if an employee is illegally fired?
The employee can send a legal notice to the employer or turn to the Labor Court for vindication.
Conclusion
Getting fired can be a terrifying experience, but it’s not the end of the world, and it does not affect future employment opportunities, in any way.
However, you should learn from the reasons behind your firing and approach your job search with a constructive mindset.
I hope you found this article helpful. You can also read about the top qualities of a good employee.
Thank you for reading.
