Getting fired from your job is not something that many people have much choice over today with the state of economic affairs as they are but it can happen to the best of us so don't dwell on it too much. Instead, focus on what you are going to do next and how you are going to find another job. Bear in mind though, that the difficulty of explaining why you were fired has just been added to your job search.

Some people say that getting fired, laid off or being made redundant is nature's way of telling you that you were in the wrong job in the first place; that may be so, but getting the sack is never fun, especially in these uncertain economic times.

Employees often see warning signs that their jobs may be at risk - many of the signs are more obvious currently and signs to look out for could include poor company performance, earlier rounds of layoffs, personal conflicts with their manager, increased manager intervention and involvement, and poor employee performance reviews. Remember that getting laid off merely implies a subjective judgment of you, not an absolute, objective one.

However, especially in these times, getting laid off is as much a part of the employment process as getting hired and, believe it or not, sometimes the impact of losing that job can be a very positive one. It may be the start of a new phase in your life!

Regardless of the economic conditions, the fact is that getting fired is something that will almost certainly happen to you one day and it is an unsettling and upsetting experience. Getting fired stimulates a lot of emotions that can leave you struggling emotionally when you get to an interview for a new job.

Someone else putting the brakes on a career you have worked on for years is a bad experience but most of today's workers will be fired once or twice in their careers. It doesn't mean that you're no good - someone may be forced into the decision for financial reasons, or maybe the skills you have are becoming 'old technology'. More often people are 'made redundant' because the hiring process was inadequate in the first place, or the promotion decision was flawed.

Even if the decision to fire you was clearly your own fault, don't just give up; pick yourself up and get out there again, but do your best to establish exactly the firing decision was made. Don't be too quick to blame your boss or your co-workers, it may have been no more than a cost cutting exercise and prospective employers know that a lot of good people are unemployed, so it isn't necessarily a stigma.

So, getting fired is not something most people take too much pleasure from - it can engender massive feelings of loss - but it is a more common occurrence today and the key is to stay positive, work out what to say to your next employer, then make a fresh start, get on with your job search and get on with your LIFE!