Being fired is not the end of the world
Oprah Winfrey, J.K. Rowling, Anna Wintour, Sallie Krawcheck, Lady Gaga and Kathryn Minshew. What do all these women have in common? Each of them bounced back from being fired and eventually became the successful woman the world knows them as today. Their stories are inspirational and will help you bounce back from being fired.
Yes, that’s right. [tweet_quote hashtags=”#fired #retrenched” ]Oprah Winfrey wasn’t always as universally acclaimed as she is no[/tweet_quote]w. In fact, at one point she was fired from her job as an evening news reporter. They said she wasn’t “cut out for the job”. Talk about bouncing back. There was no stopping Winfrey after that, and she continued on her journey to become a successful business woman and stellar celebrity.
Sallie Krawcheck, described as being, ‘One of the most powerful women on Wall Street’ is another who before she ‘made it’ was fired, being booted in 2011 when she was the head of Merrill Lynch’s global wealth management division. When discussing the situation, Krawcheck says ‘Over time, I recognized I had been given a gift…on the professional front, it taught me to look at business opportunities through the lens of the broader positive impact they can have, given the trade-offs we are forced to make in pursuing them.’
On realizing this, [tweet_quote hashtags=”#survivingbeingfired @businesswomantv” ]Krawcheck wasted no time in bouncing back from her termination[/tweet_quote], and in 2013 she bought women’s organization 85 Broads and helped to increase its revenue by more than 100%.
Along with Winfrey and Krawcheck, author J.K. Rowling, Vogue editor Anna Wintour, singer Lady Gaga and CEO of The Muse Kathryn Minshew were all at one point fired before they reached the high levels of success they enjoy today.
Minshew even stated that [tweet_quote hashtags=”#beingfired” ]being terminated sparked new determination[/tweet_quote] in her, recalling, ‘In that failure there was also an edge – the desire to start over, and to do things better the second time around.’
Each of these women, no matter what industry they work in, have had to face people who didn’t believe they were capable of being a success. However, these women are also living proof that getting fired from a job is not the be all and end all.
Here are a few pointers by Strategic Connector Amanda Rose to help you bounce back
1. Don’t React: it is very important you [tweet_quote hashtags=”#retrenched #unemployment” ]stay true to your brand at all times[/tweet_quote]. Don’t burn bridges. Stay professional.
2. Re-evaluate: now is the perfect time to ask yourself “what do I really want in life and in my career?” You are free to start a new journey and follow your passion
3. Prepare: if you haven’t been fired yet, prepare for it. Start a special account for back up. This is great if you have been let go and decide to start your own business.
4. Stay Connected: make sure you remain connected with clients, contacts and colleagues. LinkedIn and regular emails is great for this. You don’t want to lose valuable relationships because of one hiccup.
You CAN bounce back and be the successful businesswoman you initially set out to be. You just can’t give up.
