October brings apple cider, chilly air, fall leaves and, for many, celebrations of ghosts and goblins with costumed children yelling “Trick or Treat” around the neighborhood.  Yet, if you are one of the many staring down a hole in your resume, you might worry that your own professional tale is the spookiest things going this Halloween. 

Don’t worry, you are not alone.  More than half of all employees will, at some point in their lives, get fired.  It’s a haunting statistic, and one that doesn’t even include the many that choose to exit on their own terms before they’re officially handed their pink slips. And, while getting fired might very well be the most frightening thing that’s ever happened to you, it could, in fact, turn out to be the best thing that’s ever happened to you if you muster your authenticity, creativity, courage, and energy to land an even better position.  

Ask any person who’s been fired for advice, and they usually talk about the danger of being too reactive or not proactive enough in their next job search.  The first step, then, is to take a breath and figure out what happened.  The sooner you’re able to understand why you were fired, laid off, or reduced in staff and then plan for recovery, the faster you’ll land your next job. 

The following strategies will help you navigate through the undeniably tough work that is ahead:

Schedule a party.  Yes, a party.  Call your friends and family to celebrate your loss.  You probably want to yell and scream “it’s just not fair!”  If so, you aren’t alone, and nor should you be.  Remember that it’s normal to feel overwhelmed, undervalued, and scared during this time especially if the news was unexpected (and really, even if it wasn’t a surprise).

Many people think they can move on immediately without talking about or dealing with a loss, but denial isn’t an effective, long-term strategy. Call your closest friend, family member or a trusted colleague to talk about what happened.  Chances are good that you’ll need more than an hour or two, and use it wisely.  Once you’ve dealt with the emotional fall-out, you’ll be poised for a successful job search.

Tell your own story.   Hopefully the party healed your spirit, along with giving you the gift of “time” to fully assess what you learned from the experience.  Next, make sure you know how to answer with confidence and honesty the toughest question you’ll be asked: “Why were fired?”  There are a whole host of reasonable answers that, at once, tell the truth without badmouthing the parties involved; the most important thing, however, is that you should never, ever lie.  You’ll want your potential employer to hear the story from you, not someone else, and if they are good, they will eventually hear another version of the story from someone else. By getting ahead of everyone else, and telling your version first, you get to frame the issue exactly the way you want it framed, and avoid having to look like you are backpedaling after the fact.

If it’s a complicated situation—and it usually is – make your answer short and sweet. Answering with “it wasn’t a good match for my long-term goals” or “we worked together for a long time, but in the end we didn’t share the same philosophy” are both acceptable answers.  You never want to tell the interviewer how awful your former boss was (even if it’s true!), nor do you want to talk badly about anyone else in the organization. After all, if you are talking poorly about your former boss, you are showing your next one that you might do the same to her one day.  

Once you’ve given an overview of the situation, tell the interviewers how much you learned from the experience, what you’ve done since, and how this current/new position is a match to your strengths and expertise.  Experienced hiring managers and recruiters can detect defensiveness and aren’t likely to invite you back if there seems to be more to the story.  But, they also will appreciate your ability to turn the lens back on yourself and accept some of the blame.

Maximize your references.  Don’t burn your bridges with a former boss or colleagues, as they can be strategic references moving forward.  If you haven’t thought about this, it’s essential that you think carefully about your references and who they are. You need to convince your potential employer that you aren’t totally flawed and that your departure happened on the best terms possible. References from your previous employer are central to making this happen.

Give your former boss a little time before you approach the subject. Once you’ve got the courage, remind her of all the good work you’ve done and point towards your strengths instead of the weaknesses. Accept some of the blame by telling her what you’ve learned from the experience, and what you’ll do differently in this new job. Educate her about your possibilities and the opportunity, and hopefully, she’ll support you.  But, also remember that there were other witnesses to your demise at that last job, and a reference that can also give some context, i.e. “in the end, the boss had to choose between a political play and keeping this staff member” or “yes, they would argue about this issue, but that was only because none of the rest of us were willing to take on the boss,” can work in your favor.

While it is true that we don’t all get along, most employers still want their employees (even former ones) to be successful.  If it was more than just a “bad match” you’ll need to mend fences before moving forward. Also, develop other references.  You’ll need to think outside of the organization chart, reaching out to former colleagues, clients, or others that know your work well; consider, too, those who have seen you effectively manage volunteer projects or pro-bono consulting work.   Make sure they are familiar with your story, scary parts and all. It’s important that all your references know what happened, and can speak honestly to provide consistency to your new boss.  Remember, even the kindest of references won’t matter if they can’t explain what happened or aren’t familiar with the circumstances.

Press Rewind.  If you haven't been in your position for long, go back to those who knew you before you hit this bump and reaffirm your relationship.  Former colleagues are an amazing asset during a job search, even those from three or four jobs past. It’s important to foster key relationships again as you launch your new job search. These people can also speak to your strengths, and may fill a “cheerleading” role for you as you embark on another job search. Keep in mind that everyone is entitled to a hiccup or pause along their career path and a good hiring manager takes this into account when meeting with candidates. 

Be prepared for starts and stops.  The reality of the current job market is that it’s difficult for all job seekers but, unfortunately, worse for those with a complicated past. If you’ve got a story to tell, you’ll need to be doubly prepared for a bumpy search.  Many employers may not feel comfortable hiring someone that’s been fired or has separated suddenly from their previous job. By following the strategies outlined above, you should be able to minimize or even neutralize those negatives, and make your job search starts and stops a bit less intense.

While you are waiting them out, use this time to learn new skills, explore other nonprofit career opportunities, and expand your network. You should continue working or volunteering, even if it’s part-time, to build your employment history so that you don’t pile an extended employment gap on top of a termination.   Most importantly, think positive.  The scariest part of any job search (recently fired or not) is wondering if anyone will ever hire you.  Trust me, they will.