Losing a job can be devastating. However, that is not the end of your career. Going to a job interview after being fired can be difficult. You have to show strong determination for the job. Cited from CNN Success, here is how to handle a job interview after being fired.
Also read: 5 Ways to Recover from Bad Job Interviews (Part 1)
1. Make Peace With It
The first step of moving on from termination is coming to terms with it. You have to know the situation. Besides, understanding why it happened will help you better explain it in a job interview.
Was it a performance issue? Personality conflict? New management? Or was it a downsizing that unavoidable?
During the interview do not define yourself by a mistake or a setback.
2. Prepare for it to come up
You should not be the one to bring it up. Yet, you should still prepare for the interviewer to ask why you’re no longer at your previous job.
The key is to be confident with your response. In other words, you need to maintain good posture and eye contact. Besides, you need to also watch your tone and don’t become fidgety or look uncomfortable. The way you explain it will affect the interviewer’s perspective about you.
Also read: How Do I Get Job As Fresh Graduate?
3. Keep it Positive
The bad feelings about being fired will not just go away. However, you need to stay positive and keep the discussion forward-focused. Try to avoid using words like “fired” or “terminated,” since they can sound harsh. Instead, you can use words like “separated,” “an involuntary reduction in workforce,” or “my position was eliminated”.
Badmouthing and blaming your former boss only makes you look bad.
4. Be Brief and Honest
You have to keep your answer short, concise, and factual. Explain what you learned from the experience and talk about the value you could offer based on your competencies.
If the interviewer continues to push to learn more about the situation, stay on a positive path.
If the firing was related to performance issues, say that you’ve always been a high performer. Yet, add that you were thrown into a situation where you didn’t have the right toolkit.
