So, how does it feel to get fired?

Anybody a fan of the movie Big?  I love it when Tom Hanks sings “Feelings, nothing more than feelings …” to his mom to prove that he is really her missing little boy.

So, how does it feel to get fired?  Simple – it sucks.  It’s like getting punched in the stomach. Even when you know it’s coming it is an awful feeling.  I’ve been blindsided a couple of times. The boss calls you in.  You think everything is going great.  Then she says, “I’m sorry but we’ve decided to make a change.  We’re eliminating your position.  Your last day will be …”

You don’t really hear much after that. Your head starts to swim.  You feel a little nauseated.  Depending on how quickly you move through the stages of grief you may get angry. You may try to plead.  Your fight-or-flight instincts kick in and you just want to get the heck out of there.

You’re probably reading this because you’ve already been fired and know what I’m talking about. If so, then you may be wondering why I’m wasting your time recalling bad memories.

Here’s why.  You need to remember what that feels like.  I don’t know if you got fired yesterday, last week, or 10 years ago, but look at where you are today.  You’re alive.  The world continues to revolve, the sun rises and sets.  Life goes on, and no matter how badly you felt when that happened, you survived. 

It might have been difficult to talk about – maybe it still is.  It’s always hard to tell your family – believe me I know that – but you’ll go on.  Follow this blog. Read the book.  Build a network. There are people who can and will help you.

Now let’s get busy and find you that next job. If you are struggling with your job search, this might help https://im-fired.com/about-the-book/.