Fired after 40? Here’s how to move forward.

By Claire Sakaoka, Owner, Chief Strategist

Let’s be real. Career transition at any age is challenging. This article is for the professional who just had the carpet jerked out from under their feet when they were “let go” from what should have been a secure job. Likely, you were just hitting your career stride and could see a clear path for where you wanted your career to go, and (to your credit) you’d worked your “you-know-what” off to get there.

But today’s workplace is changing - and fast. Many point to 2020 and Covid as a trigger for rapid workplace change, and that most certainly is a component.

While we could discuss and debate “how we got here” and “why this is happening,” I was inspired to create this article to talk through how to recover from being abruptly dismissed and help you create a plan to move forward with as little career gap as possible.

I have over 10 years of experience working with 200+ executives in career transition, helping them discover their brand superpower (what makes them different) and create a solid personal brand with their resume, LinkedIn profile, and executive bio. I also work with them to verbalize their story to ensure they can speak to their career highlights confidently and succinctly.

If you are like me, you like a good timeline and action plan.

Here’s a quick rundown of what to do in the coming weeks:

(Note: This timeline is different for each person and often depends on how traumatic your exit was from your organization. Remember: Time can be your friend— be kind to yourself and give yourself permission to take the time to heal.)

Step 1 (minimum 2 weeks): Rest and process. Spend time with your friends and family. Consider professional therapy. If you already see a therapist, book some extra sessions to download all your feelings and begin working through the stages of grief.

Step 2: Prepare your documents (resume, exec bio, and LinkedIn profile) and talk to your references. Do NOT use your references as a substitute for therapy. If you find yourself unloading on your references, return to step one and keep working through your grief. There is no shame in this. If you move forward too soon, you will self-sabotage.

Step 3: With polished visuals and queued-up references, you are now ready to work on verbalizing your story and confidently answer those hard recruiter and interview questions.

Step 4: You are now ready to target, apply, and interview for positions. This is also the phase where you network, network, network. Rinse and repeat.

A successful career transition process is not unlike painting a room. Preparation is the key to success. By spending a little extra time preparing yourself for the search, the process takes less time and renders a better result.

If you know someone this message might help, please share it with them. If you’d like to chat, contact me at claire@engage5w.com.