The Fired Job Seeker’s Guide to Getting a Job in Kenya

The Fired Job Seeker’s Guide to Getting a Job in Kenya

Were you fired recently? Is being fired the reason you left your last job? Are you constantly wondering how employers will hire you based on your past history? If your answer to these three questions is yes, there is a reason to worry. It is harder for someone who got fired to get another job than it is for someone who voluntarily resigned.

The situation becomes especially hard during the interview when a recruiter wants to know why you left your last job. In such cases, some job seekers feel the need to lie about what happened while others feel it is not in the recruiter’s place to know what happened. This approach could not be more wrong.

Anyone can get fired from their daily jobs. It is how you choose to go about it later that matters. So if you are a fired job seeker, don’t lose hope or assume that all is lost in your job search. It is not. You cannot be judged forever based on a past mistake. Recruiters and potential employers value second chances, but only if you are honest about your situation.

Related: About To Lose Your Job? 5 Ways To Take Control 

Here Is the Fired Job Seeker’s Guide to Getting Hired

1. Start Your Journey By Handling Your Emotions

When one is fired from a job, they go through a myriad of emotions. You could be angered at your former boss or colleagues who you believe may have caused your demise. You could feel anxious and stressed about sharing the news with your family and friends. And the mother of all; you could be stressed about whether you’ll ever get another job.

All these emotions, when not carefully handled, can cause you to make mistakes in your job applications and lash out at recruiters and potential employers. For instance, a recruiter could insist on asking about why you got fired and because you haven’t appropriately handled your emotions, you could snap at the recruiter and miss out on the job.

So the first step for a fired job seeker is to learn to control the emotions you feel. Take some time off in a day or week to let go of your anger. Understand that you cannot change what happened and decide to only focus on the future. Yes, it is a hard thing to do, but it is the only way you can move forward. Otherwise, your anger will turn into frustration, your stress will lead you into depression and you will remain jobless for a much longer time.

2. Craft a Response to the Interview Question; why Were You Fired?

After deciding to move forward with your job search in step one, it is time to craft a response for when the interviewer asks; why were you fired? This question can be hard to answer if you are caught off guard, but because you are yet to make your applications, let’s go through an ideal response.

If you are a fired job seeker, before even coming up with a response, remember this about interviewers;

1. Interviewers expect you to be honest about why you were fired,
2. They don’t want you to blame your former employer,
3. They expect you to take responsibility, at least for your own part,
4. Interviewers want to know what you have learned from being fired, and
5. They also want to know how you plan to avoid a similar situation in the future.

By using these 5 things, you can then craft a satisfactory response that portrays you as the bigger person from the incident, shows your commitment to doing things differently and demonstrates your honesty, self-confidence, and maturity.

Here is a sample answer for someone who got fired because of subpar work.

“When I first got hired in my position, the organizational culture and work environment was everything I hoped for. I worked with a great team where constant support was encouraged. Later into the job, there was a restructure that led me into a different department where I worked with a completely different team.

I struggled to adapt to the changes, which directly affected my output and led to my being fired. I have since started training sessions where I am learning how to deal with changes in the workplace, and I believe I am now ready for my next job.”

3. Apply for jobs like any other job seeker

Just because you are a fired job seeker does not mean you go preaching this to every new position you come across. You are not required to state that you were fired in your job application, so don’t feel pressured to include it in your Cover Letter or CV. Let that information only come up during the job interview.

A recruiter should never know you were fired during the shortlisting stage. This may work against you to ruin your interview chances, especially if the job has many qualified applicants. Use a normal professional CV in your applications and a customized Cover Letter, and wait for those interview invites to start coming in.

Only then can you think about revisiting the fact that you got fired. And something else; recruiters will be more impressed if you bring up the issue yourself. Don’t wait until they have to ask you the reasons for leaving your previous job.

In the end

Getting fired from a job is normal. Many people have been fired and many others will get fired in the future. Don’t believe your case is unique or that you will never get another job. That is not true. By accepting the situation as it is, choosing to move past it and going back to your job search, you will have another job in no time.

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