I hear you. It sucks. They shouldn’t have fired you. You were probably one of the best developers working there! There there. There there. The important thing to remember is that it’s not the end of the world. We’re not our jobs. What’s more, we can find new ones.

Yeah, I know, it’s hard to believe right now, but that doesn’t make it less true. There are new opportunities out there. In fact, it’s very possible that in six months to a year from now you’ll be grateful that you got kicked out. Sometimes we need to be violently moved out of the rut we were in.

Of course, for that to be true you, you’ll have to actually find a new IT job. So how do you do that? Here’s how:

Start looking right now

It might feel very appealing to just sit there for a while and let the reality sink in. The thing is, the faster you start looking and working again, the faster you’ll be able to move past this blow. Emotions do not become weaker by indulging in them. The theory of catharsis has been debunked.

Instead, the best way to get past an emotion is to recognize it, deal with it by accepting it, and then try to move on from it.

So, start looking for a new IT job. That will also make the hole you’ve got in your CV smaller and will require less explanation. What’s more, you’ll hopefully, you’ll get some good feedback and this feeling will start to abate.

Find out what is out there

You might think that the best way forward is to apply to any position that is out there. That might not be the best path. Two things might happen.

1. You get offered an IT job that you don’t want and you turn it down – thereby wasting your time and the company’s.
2. You get offered an IT job that you don’t want and you accept it – thereby running the risk of end up unhappy and not being where you want to be.

Both of these paths are not very appetizing. For that reason, instead of leaping in like some sort of kamikaze pilot, take some time to actually research the market and find companies and IT jobs that are actually interesting to you.

Don’t just stop there, but also read up on some blogs that contain interesting information about how to apply and where to look. The more you understand about what you’re supposed to do and where you’re supposed to do it, the more effectively your actual job hunt will be.

Fill the Void

If this is starting to take more time than you imagine, then start filling the void. Perhaps start volunteering, take classes or in other ways find ways to improve your developer’s or SEO skills and create something that you can put into the gap that your recent firing created.

What’s more, this will give you the opportunity to socialize, network and in other ways start getting over any of the residual anger or disappointment you might be feeling for having the world pull out the carpet from under you.

That will help, as a positive attitude will get you more opportunities and will serve you well when those interviews do start coming in.

Watch out for the F-word

‘Fired’ does not sound good. So try to stay away from that word as much as possible. This does not mean that you should lie. Lying might get discovered (at best immediately, at worst years from now when you’re well established and it costs you your job).

The trick is an euphemism. For example, my company ‘reduced the headcount’, my department ‘was downsized’, or your role ‘was eliminated’. Those all say the same thing, but neatly step around the elephant in the room.

You understand that writing such a resume isn’t as easy as writing a custom research paper and you don’t exactly know how to do that? Fortunately, there are plenty of people out there that do. Consider contacting resume writing experts to help you formulate your IT resume and your cover letter in such a way that it puts you in the best light possible, without lighting your pants on fire.

Keep going

It will take you a little while to find an IT job. Even if you hadn’t been fired that would be true. Don’t sweat the rejections. I know, it’s hard not to. We’re not very good at rejection as a species. At the same time, when you do get that developer job offer to your dream IT job somewhere down the way, you won’t see these rejections as that. Instead you’ll see them as stepping stones towards the ultimately IT job offer that came your way.

The thing is, if you look long enough, then you’ll get that offer. It will happen.

So why not start by looking at things that way before you’ve got it? See those rejections as the necessary steps to get you where you want to go – namely reemployed and happy at your new developer’s position. Then that positivity will carry through into your job hunting, your applications and your interviews.

And that will bring success all the sooner.