Out of work, what next?

Local telecommunication company Rwandatel, recently laid off a third of their human resource base in what was explained as a ‘restructuring process’. According to the company’s management, a thorough assessment of the human resource base was done in a bid to offer better services to the growing number of subscribers and by the end of the process 120 employees had to be fired. “During our assessment process, we conducted oral interviews, written exams and skills audit. Every employee who did not meet the assessment average mark of 40 percent was laid off,” Cleophas Kabasiita, the company’s Public Relations Officer explained. The pain can be unbearable once you realise that you did not meet the set standards and for other employees in various companies it may not even be as a result of business transformation but rather in a way that may not at all be one’s fault. Experts estimate that at least 250,000 workers are illegally or unjustly fired each year. This is without counting those that were justifiably terminated. Whatever the circumstances may be, what should one do if at all they realise that they have been fired? What is the way forward? These are certainly the common questions that may arise but for starters it is not the end of the road. In spite of the agony of job searching all over again and a strange fear of facing interview questions about the sudden termination, experts still advise that knowing the appropriate way of dealing with the situation will help. Relax because the right preparation and attitude can help you handle the toughest interview questions. Here are some tips from Nimish Thakkar, a career management coach that has worked for thousands of clients all over the world. Stop playing the blame game but accept the situation and get on. The first thing you need to do is to stop blaming yourself and others. The job loss may have nothing to do with you or your abilities; often corporations, under extreme pressure from stakeholders and investors, resort to mass layoffs as an easy way to improve bottom line performance. It is therefore better to just accept the situation and make attempts to move further. Establish your value Thakkar also advises that any employer will be very reluctant to give up an applicant who has done their best to establish their value through the resume, cover letter, examples of previous results and accomplishments among others. Be honest Since companies can always check with your previous employers, it is very important to be honest. You could neutralize or minimize the impact of the situation but never lie. Build strong references It is very important to choose the right references as one goes to seek for another job. Generally, keeping the right attitude will help any one out of the situation. In most cases, employers also understand that in circumstances such as business transformation, it is quite easy to become a victim despite good qualification and excellent performance. Ends