Getting Fired During Your Probation Period

'With his ten strand comb-over he reaches over the cherry wood table and grunts; 'YOU'RE FIRED!'

Getting fired from your job is both humiliating and degrading. Never did you ever think you would get fired during your probation period. Getting sacked is a tough affair to have to deal with. Not only do you have to face this embarrassment but finding another job is not easy.

While it may be a little more difficult to get fired in South Africa's job market, in some countries employees are not protected by written warnings and second chances. In many other countries, as standard policy, employers may fire whomever they deem necessary without any warnings or counsel. Fortunately South African's are protected by Act 66 of 1995 in respect of dismissals; however that's if we survive our probation period.

Probation periods are what employers use in South Africa's job market to ensure the correct candidate is placed in the relevant role. Usually during a probation period an employer is entitled to fire a new employee (within the bounds stated in your probation contract), should they deem it to be necessary. During a probation period many a job seeker has been sacked. No need to be ashamed, there are a lot of us out there who may have one of these little black marks on our CV's.

How can you make a dismissal work to your advantage? Believe it or not, getting fired during your probation period may actually help your employment situation. Sure, you have to find another new job but by using smart techniques you might be able to turn this negative into a positive.

So you got fired, what now? You can either wither up into a mess of disgrace, or...how about learning from your mistake? That's right; it's time to learn innovative ways to turn a negative CV demerit into a positive attribute that you can be proud of. Try not to beat yourself up if you get fired from your job. It happens to the best of us, the important thing is to keep trying until you get it right.

Steps to Follow After Getting Fired.

Step One: Learn from Your Mistake.

The thing to remember when making any mistake in life is that although you may mess up, there is

value in your blunder. The beauty about admitting we are wrong today, means we are smarter than

we were before. Be honest with yourself and come to terms with why you got fired. Did you make a mistake? Was it because of a personality clash or were you retrenched? Maybe you just didn't fit in with the company culture, in which case you're probably better off leaving their employ anyway so that you can find another company that can offer you a ‘home'. Whatever the reason, you need to deal with why you got fired in order to learn and move on.

Step Two: Applying for another Job.

One thing is for certain, your sacking will get your CV noticed during the application process but for all the wrong reasons. Remember that your CV is a marketing tool, the more attractive the information, the more you stand out. That's not to say that you should omit unattractive information from your CV. With positive use of words and clever articulation instead of listing a reason for leaving as saying your got fired try this approach; rather stipulate that that the job ended or that the employment contract ended. It's easier to explain in person why you got fired and express positively what you have learnt and how you have grown from the experience. Trying to explain a sacking in writing is a lot trickier.

Step Three: Explaining a Dismissal during a Job Interview.

The first thing to mention here is that if you lie during a job interview, if found out, is grounds for immediate dismissal. Lying about your credentials is not something you want to play around with. Always be as transparent as possible during a job interview. There is no way to avoid questions and requests for clarification regarding your dismissal. Regardless of whom you are, the truth is bound to catch up with you. If you were fired for a fair and relevant reason, explain your situation. Express how you have learnt from this mistake and how you plan on avoiding it from occurring in future. Demerits on a CV are not great but try to spin this in a positive way. Use mistakes such are these to display your maturity and accountability. These are positive attributes for any employee to have regardless of mistakes that were made in the past.

Your job application was relevant, your interview went well and all the while you remained transparent and honest. If this is the case there is absolutely no reason why an employer would not and should not consider you as a possible candidate for the job. By learning from our career and employment mistakes we become equipped to be better employees is future. Don't become disheartened if you get fired during your probation period; take the lesson and move on to bigger and better things.

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