Over the past 18 months, I’ve talked with 28 of the most successful people in America. You know what they all had in common? From the former head of the American Red Cross to the founder of The Home Depot . . . from the coach who won the last Super Bowl to the chief executive of Bank One – EVERY ONE OF THEM WAS FIRED some time in their career!
Even I, Harvey Mackay, got fired early on in my career. And, it truly was the best thing that ever happened to us.
The question in the title above is one of the most common I get asked while speaking and this is how I respond –
Finding a job is a matter of “direction and selection,” not “rejection and dejection.”
The best way to maintain a positive attitude is not to blow smoke. Instead, do things that will really improve your odds of finding a job.
I’ve listed seven strategies below that have stood the test of time:
- Understand exactly what went wrong in your last job and have a clear explanation of what happened. Don’t blame people. You are trying to find a job, not pin fault on others. Stress the positive things you are doing to make sure the same problem doesn’t happen again.
- Don’t burn bridges unless you’re a good swimmer. There’s little percentage in badmouthing your former employer.
- Rehearse your job interview pitch with a mentor or friend. This includes your answers to tough questions a new employer might ask you.
- Stay healthy and fit. You can’t project a positive attitude if you feel and look like you’ve been through the ringer.
- Network everyday. Keep your references fresh. Stay in touch with people in the industry. Keep contacts alive with people who are working. It’s too easy to commiserate with others who are out of work. Pity parties are the pits . . . and are surefire attitude killers.
- Go out and do volunteer work in the community. You’d be surprised how much talent is spotted by top execs who watch people who take on challenging community projects.
- Live your daily life against a well-planned schedule. Remember that getting a job IS a job. Now what you have to do is get a paycheck!
- Unless you’re a darn good swimmer, don’t burn bridges. Your last company may not be a sweetheart, but they can be a key gatekeeper to contacts and how you are seen in the marketplace. Don’t badmouth people. An employer may have let you go, but most don’t want enemies. Make the attitude mutual. After Dr. Bernadine Healy was cut loose as President of the American Red Cross, her viewpoint tested A+ Positive. She told me the people who ousted her were mostly well-meaning folks who didn’t have the full picture.
- Rehearse how you present yourself with a mentor or friend. This includes your answers to tough questions a new employer might ask you. I have friends who even videotape their sessions rehearsal sessions. That can be very instructive, because body language says a lot. I don’t recommend rehearsing with your spouse. Remember, you already lost your job. You don’t need to ruin your relationship with your spouse or your significant other, too.
- Prepare by planning your own firing. I’m dead serious. Jesse Ventura came from the world of professional wrestling and talk-show radio to become governor of Minnesota. Sandwiched in that earlier career, he had been mayor of a Twin Cities suburb. After a single term as governor, he hung up his belt undefeated. Why? “I don’t believe you should make careers out of elected public office,” Jesse told me. The key is having a plan in place: Quitting in a flash of rage is as bad as getting fired. The key is to know where you are headed next and plan your own landing.
- Stay healthy and fit. You can’t project a positive attitude if you feel and look like you’ve been through the ringer.
- Network everyday. Stay in touch with people in the industry. Keep contacts alive with people who are working. It’s too easy to commiserate with others who are out of work. Pity parties are the pits . . . and are surefire attitude killers.
- Go out and do volunteer work in the community. You’d be surprised how much talent is spotted by top execs who observe people take on challenging community projects.
- Visualize your own comeback. Michael Altshuler, one of the people I interviewed, built a firm that sold copy machines. He had been fired by one that did the same thing. He built his business in the Atlantic City market, a market where his former employer had a stake. I’m sure Michael savored his success. It’s wise not to burn bridges, but sometimes the bridges are already burnt. Then it’s time to think about how you’re going to rebuild. Lee Iacocca was fired by Ford and then revived Chrysler into a force that Ford couldn’t take lightly.
- Maybe you’re thinking of starting your own business. There could never be a better time. Take Tom Stemberg, the founder of Staples. He had superior training. He had a Harvard Business School degree. To, trained at Jewel in Chicago and became CEO of a grocery chain. He got fired. Out of work, he was trying to find a ribbon for his computer printer over a fourth of July weekend. Either all the office supply stores were closed . . . or, the places that were open didn’t have a ribbon for his printer. He put two and two together – his supermarket skills and the market’s need for a ‘big-box’ office supplies retailer. VOILÁ! Staples was born.
Remember this, the biggest winners will be the people who put these strategies to work. Give yourself an edge and be one of the first.
Harvey Mackay is the author of the #1 New York Times bestsellers, “Swim with the Sharks Without Being Eaten Alive” and “Beware the Naked Man Who Offers You His Shirt.” The information above was take from his newest book We Got Fired! … And It’s the Best Thing That Ever Happened to Us, which is available for purchase on Amazon.com. And when purchased by October 15th, comes with over $2,000 in career building bonus gifts. To hear an exciting 3 minute interview with Harvey, click this link: www.wegotfired.com/harvey
