Business Etiquette
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Responding To A Pink Slip
November 19, 2008
In the face of a major economic downturn, employers around the country are slashing jobs left and right. If you have just received a pink slip, get back on your feet quickly by taking the following actions:
- Don’t beat yourself up
It’s pretty hard to hear that you are suddenly no longer needed or wanted by a particular employer. Just understand that the employment rate has now climbed to a 14-year high. Lots of workers are losing positions, and their dismissals have nothing to do with their work performance. Assuming that you have not done something foolish at work that gave your employer cause for firing you, the sooner you accept that your termination is tied to the economy, the sooner you will psychologically be prepared to move on.
- Your résumé and cover letter
If you have not already dusted off and updated your résumé, do so immediately. Do list the start and end dates of your last employment. Do not feel impelled, however, to explain that you were terminated from this position. Be prepared to customize your résumé and cover letter for each position for which you apply. When submitting your résumé and cover letter electronically, do not send photographs or other images unless the prospective employer requests them.
- Job application
If you are asked to complete a job application, odds are you will be asked to describe your most recent work experience. When describing your previous employer and your termination, do not go negative. Describe the nature of the work that you performed and indicate that your “job ended.” Whatever you do, never lie on a job application. An inaccurate statement on a job application may result in a future dismissal.
- At the interview
If you have been dismissed from a job, during the course of an interview, raise this fact early and then quickly move on. Don’t dwell on it. Instead, focus on the contributions you can make to the new employer’s enterprise and your genuine interest in getting started right away.
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