Getting fired can feel isolating, but it’s actually a fairly common experience.
In an era of near-constant layoffs and companies raising the bar for efficiency and performance, it can feel easy to fall short.
LHH’s John Morgan told Business Insider that the biggest takeaway for job seekers is that changing jobs is “pretty normal.”
“People are leaving companies, whether it’s voluntarily or involuntarily, and are looking to do something different,” said Morgan, who is the talent firm’s president of career transition and mobility, and leadership development and coaching.
Whether you were laid off, fired, or chose to quit, you should approach the aftermath in pretty much the same way, experts say. The way your last job ended doesn’t have to define your career — or derail your chances of landing a new role.
Business Insider spoke with three job coaches and a labor attorney about the best steps to take after being fired:
Don’t act in the moment
Being fired often comes with strong emotions, and you don’t want to let them get the best of you in your initial conversation.
Alan Stein, the CEO of the career service Kadima Careers, has been let go a handful of times, some of which he said he handled poorly.
“I’ve been fired a lot, and I’ve said some stupid things,” Stein said.
Stein said that his general advice is to “leave on good terms, as pissed as you might be.”
“You don’t want to burn the bridges,” Stein said. “The industry is too small, and karma is real, so don’t let your emotions get the worst of you.”
Natalie Lemons, an executive search and career transition advisor, told Business Insider that people should take time to review documentation and understand severance agreements, especially if they’re in an emotional state.
Take time to process — but not too much
Before starting your next search, it’s important to process the job loss.
“A lot of times, whether it’s a layoff or firing, we’re going to go through almost the five stages of grief,” said Stacey Perkins, associate principal and career and leadership coach at Korn Ferry.
If you’ve gotten fired, Perkins told Business Insider, it’s important to reflect on what happened and what you can learn from it. If it was due to behavior issues, for example, you don’t want to take that with you to your next role.
However, Perkins warns about letting that reflection turn into getting too hung up on the termination.
“We don’t want to spin out,” Perkins said, adding that surrounding yourself with supportive people or a job coach is important.
Stein said that while it’s important to take time to process, job seekers should ensure it’s a “finite amount of time.”
Otherwise, “you will suffer indefinitely until you start making progress,” Stein said.
He suggested allowing yourself roughly 30 days to process what happened. In his view, taking month is better than six — or 45 minutes, which he said is how long he once allowed himself to pause before starting his job search.
Create a job search plan
After allowing yourself to grieve the job loss, you’ll want to create a plan, similar to how you might if you lost your job in a typical layoff. That includes researching new opportunities, updating your LinkedIn, and refining your résumé.
It’s also worth reaching out to your network. In an increasingly competitive market flooded with AI applications, networking has become a key part of the job-hunting process.
With AI already transforming the workforce, you may also decide that it’s a good opportunity to pivot. In that case, you may want to use the time to take up classes or certifications required to make that transition.
Prepare to talk about what happened
Being fired doesn’t mean you need to wear a scarlet letter in future interviews — but you should still rehearse how you’ll talk about why you left your last role.
The good news is that most of the time, your former employer won’t share too much. Amy Epstein Gluck, a founding partner and chair of employment, labor, and benefits at Pierson Ferdinand LLP, said HR may be asked to confirm an employee’s dates and position, and in some cases, whether they would rehire the employee.
She said many companies stick strictly to providing dates and titles, since sharing negative information can expose the company to defamation claims.
“You never know what a disgruntled former employee will do,” Epstein Gluck said, adding that she advises her clients not to answer those kinds of questions.
Even if it’s unlikely that your employer would reveal whether they would rehire you, you should still have a plan for how you’ll talk about your last job in interviews. It’s not a good idea to lie, but you also don’t need to provide a lengthy explanation on why you were fired.
Morgan, at LHH, said that candidates should look forward when it comes to speaking about why they left their last job.
“It’s generally a great idea to say, ‘well, I was just looking for something different. I was looking for something that was more aligned to my aspirations,'” Morgan said.
Perkins added that job seekers should refrain from speaking badly about their previous employer and avoid getting into too much detail about the reasons for leaving their previous role.
“The more detail you give, the more it sounds like you’re trying to cover something up,” Perkins said.
