"Why me?," you ask yourself. "And how am I going to find another job now?"
You likely have a lot of questions. How much detail should you give about why you were fired -- and to whom? How can you answer the dreaded interview question, "Why did you leave your last job?" And how will you handle references?
Don't panic.
You CAN find a new job when you've been fired from your last one. Let Yahoo! HotJobs show you how to minimize the impact of being fired and conduct a successful job search.
The Blame Game
"Whose fault is it?"
It's natural to want to blame someone when you've been fired, whether you blame yourself, your boss or a colleague.
But it's not productive.
It'll be difficult, but try to look at the situation objectively. Likely no one person is solely to blame.
Take some responsibility for what happened, but don't beat yourself up. Instead, learn from the experience and plan how you can prevent this from happening at your next job.
Try not to dwell on anger or bitterness, but channel that energy into your search for a new -- and even better -- job.
Handling Your Ex
It's generally not a good idea to ask your former boss for a reference if you've been fired from a job -- especially if it was your boss who fired you.
That said, in certain cases, you CAN sometimes get a good reference.
If you left the job on amicable terms with your former boss, she might be willing to give you a reference. Or, perhaps your former boss has offered to help you get back on your feet and find a job.
The bottom line: Try to be objective and see your performance through her eyes. Ask yourself: Does your boss truly have a positive opinion of your performance?
If you have even the slightest doubt that the reference won't be a good one, don't ask.
An Alternate Route
You were fired from your last job, and now you need a reference from it. Where can you turn?
You need to find someone who will share a positive opinion of your performance -- and your former boss often isn't an option.
Don't despair.
Make a list of former coworkers, colleagues and managers in other departments whom you think would be willing to give you a strong reference. You can even consider consultants or vendors with whom you've worked closely.
A reference from any of these people can be an acceptable substitute for one from a former manager -- especially if the reference is a very good one.
The Straight Story
It's inevitable.
Sooner or later, an interviewer will ask you why you left your last job. And you should have a response ready.
Keep your explanation short. Be calm and objective, and never assign blame. End your explanation on a positive note by emphasizing some of your accomplishments and what the experience taught you.
Before your next interview, practice explaining why you left your job. Keep practicing until you can answering comfortably and confidently.
