Tips For Surviving Being Fired From Your Green Job

There are plenty of wonderful things about working for a green business. You can feel like you are part of an important social mission. You get to see your company’s day-to-day efforts to fight climate change, curb pollution and stop other social problems.

Unfortunately, all of that might come to an end one day. Even eco-friendly employers can fire you just like anybody else.

You may be surprised to know that going green could even hurt your chances of staying employed. Amazon recently fired some workers for speaking out about climate change. A major CEO was let go for trying to focus on sustainability, which backfired.

Sometimes, life presents unpleasant surprises and challenges. We don’t get to escape this harsh fate simply because we dedicate our lives to protecting the environment. Getting fired is one of the tough setbacks that requires you to muster when all of your courage and composure to face the problem and find the best way out.

Fortunately, if you have the right mindset, you can land on your feet. You can renew your commitment to saving the planet by finding another great job with a passionate green company.

Surviving Getting Fired from a Green Company

So, let’s examine this situation together. In this article, we will talk about how to behave during and after dismissal, when and how to start searching for a new job, and what conclusions we can make to prevent similar problems in the future.

You will find some specific tips on finding a green job. TreeHugger has some worth looking at. These tips will help you find another green employer and continue to pursue your passion of saving the environment.

Keep Calm and Behave Professionally 

Dismissal always creates a great deal of stress. It will be stressful even if you decide to write a letter of resignation yourself. You’ll have to look for a new position, enter a new team, change your habits, and so on. And in the case when the initiative doesn’t come from you, the stress is many times higher.

At the moment when you hear these unpleasant words, numerous disturbing thoughts will fill your head. However, despite the fact that you are feeling hopeless and upset and may hate the boss or yourself, you can’t afford to lose face. Professional behavior right to the end is very important. It will help you save the self-respect and respect of your colleagues. 

You can worry about your emotions later. Right now, do your best to get everything that is owed to you by law. Also, if the reason for your firing isn’t clear, don’t be afraid to ask for an explanation. It is important to understand your drawbacks and mistakes will help you later correct them. 

Do Not Start Job Searching The next Day You Got Fired

As they say: «The night brings counsel». Emotions will consume you for at least several days. In most circumstances, emotions are not the best advisor in serious questions. 

That’s why it’s better to take a couple of days for comprehension and consideration of your future steps. 

Make a List

Now you have some time for consideration. This means you can think over your previous working experience and realize that you’re waiting from a new position at another green business. So, to find another green job, which will perfectly suit you, and an employer who will appreciate you as an employee, specialists recommend making several lists.

The purpose of the first list should be to analyze any mistakes that you made at the previous job. It will help you improve yourself and realize whether this profession suits you or you’d better try something new.

Look for the companies and vacancies you’re interested in. Write them down and think about what you can offer to each other.

Also, make a list of employment agencies, job boards like Lensa, and other channels to help you find a new green job. This will help you improve your job search.

You can get benefits from any situation, but it requires some time and clear vision.

Resume Composing

So, you recovered and rested, and now it’s time to start searching for a new position. To find a new job, you’ll need a resume.

Even if you have a resume, the information presented there became outdated. You definitely have something to add to your experience, skills, and competences blocks. A new resume is especially important in the case when you decided to change your specialization. Your resume should emphasize your focus on environmental sustainability, since this is something that sets you apart from other employees.

You need to remember that a resume is nothing but a description of some product, i.e., a sales letter. Consequently, you should present and «sell» yourself in the most beneficial way. Mind that your resume should:

• not content criticism of the previous employers;
• not content outdated or false information;
• be brief yet informative;
• include a definite and precise description of your achievements;
• be relevant to the vacancy;
• etc.

Use All Resources

The more resources of job searching you use, the higher chances to find it fast and profitably. That’s why all HR experts do not recommend limiting yourself by one platform. Both traditional and modern ways are welcomed:

• Use acquaintances. Social connections can become an excellent way of searching for new green job opportunities. If you want to keep your career path in the same sphere, and have good relations with your ex-colleagues, ask for their help and advice. Relatives can also know something about vacant positions among their friends. This is a reliable search method, as it’s easier for employers to hire a person with recommendations than start a tedious search process on specialized platforms and look through the whole resume database.
• Recruitment agencies do not look for a job for applicants, but they take money from companies for staff recruitment. Thus, you can send them your resume and hope that it will be reviewed and suit some clients of the agency.
• Sometimes social networks and professional communities publish current vacancies and contacts of HR departments. You can connect to the company directly and don’t spend time on mediators. Besides, these sources allow you to make an account and publish a job search post.
• Specialized job search websites are one of the most popular sources. They contain a vast database with various vacancies with useful settings. Big corporations publish all their current positions on one site. So, if the one you looked for was occupied, you can look through other offers of the company. Besides, top job websites help users and advise on how to form a resume, how to attract the attention of hirers, how to get retraining, and so on.

All of these avenues can connect employees with green companies. They are great for anybody that is passionate about eco-friendly living.

Connect the Employers

Even if the company you want to work with doesn’t have vacant positions, it is useful to send your resume to its HR department. You can tell them about your experience with green workplaces, which will help immensely.

Surely, you shouldn’t be too intrusive, but sending a resume with a cover letter where you explain your motivations is a quite professional act of a resolute person. In the worst case, they will ignore you. But there is a great chance that they can save your resume and contact you when a suitable vacancy appears.

Be Ready for the Interview

If you were invited to an interview, you should be prepared for it as thoroughly as possible. Make a brief presentation of yourself. Tell about your experience and everything that may interest the employer. 

Also, it’s better to study the company, its specialization, structure, and other useful facts about its activity. Such an approach will show the hirer that you are serious about professional collaboration and want to work with them.

Try to behave naturally. Do not be shy or scared – remember it’s not the employer only who chooses right now.

And finally, after the interview, you’ll be able to ask your questions to the hirer. So, we recommend preparing them in advance in order not to forget anything and ask about salary, team, workplace, and other important moments.

Ultimately, dismissal is not the end of the world. The situation is unpleasant, it’s true, but you always have all the chances to use it to your advantage. It’s time to try a new profession, change your habits, improve everything you don’t like about yourself or your previous job. Besides, finding a new working place isn’t that difficult if you’re consistent and persistent.

Don’t Get Discouraged After Getting Terminated from a Green Employer

There are a lot of factors that you need to consider when you get fired from a green job. You need to do your best to find a new job with another passionate green employer. Fortunately, this will be much easier if you have the right mindset.