In the same boat as Jose Mourinho? How to bounce back from being fired

Updated
Soccer - Jose Mourinho File Photo
Soccer - Jose Mourinho File Photo



Chelsea manager Jose Mourinho will have a quieter Christmas than expected, after being sacked by Chelsea just seven months after he led them to the Premier League title.

Following nine defeats, he's leaving 'by mutual consent', says the club. He's expected to be paid until the end of the season.

Despite Mourinho's abrupt departure - which BBC Match of the Day presenter Alan Shearer has said 'will tarnish him' - he's unlikely to be out of work for long, thanks to his impressive track record.

Not everybody, though, finds it so easy to move on. So how best can you bounce back from being fired?

Don't hang around

It's tempting to retire for a while to lick your wounds - but don't let it last too long.

"It's going to take some time to recover from the shock of being fired. You'll probably spend a few days asking yourself, 'Why me?' and 'Where did I go wrong?'," says Heather Huhman of jobs website Glassdoor.

"It's OK to do this. Just don't let those days turn into months of unemployment. Getting fired can happen to anyone, so do what you need to do."
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Learn your lessons

If you've been fired unfairly, you can consider taking your case to an employment tribunal. If not, think about the reasons you lost your job: what should you have done differently?

"Was it a personality clash? Did you hate the job and show little enthusiasm for it? Were you just out of your depth? Reassuring yourself of the reasons and coming to terms with that is a key part of bouncing back," advises job site Monster.

"Put your resentment in the sock drawer for the time being, and look closely at what went wrong."

Work out how to explain it

If you hadn't been in the position for long, you may be able to simply omit it from your CV and pass off the gap as travel, caring responsibilities or something else.

Otherwise, you'll have to come clean. You don't need to say that you were fired on your CV or in your covering letter - but you will have to let prospective employers know at the interview stage.

Be honest, but try and avoid going into too much detail, and above all try to be positive. Don't slag your ex-employer off - it won't make you look like like an appealing employee - and try and focus on the lessons you've learned.

Jose Mourinho's Downfall
Jose Mourinho's Downfall



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