How to Get Hired After Getting Fired: My Story : Arunima Jha

Sometimes, no matter how hard you work, no matter how much you give to an organization, office politics will take over. And when that happens, you find yourself in a position where you are forced to resign—or worse, handed a termination letter for reasons that have nothing to do with your competence, your dedication, or your work ethic.

I’ve been there.

I have been in situations where I was asked to resign. When I didn’t, I was handed the termination letter instead. It’s a moment that makes you question everything—your abilities, your career, your future. But if there’s one thing I’ve learned from those moments, it’s this: You cannot be afraid of what comes next.

The first time it happened, I won’t lie—I was shaken. But I didn’t let it break me. Instead, I took that very termination letter, walked into interviews at bigger organizations, and laid it all out. I told them exactly what led to it—not from a place of weakness, but from a place of strength. I told them how politics had overpowered performance, how insecurity had overshadowed merit, how decisions were made not based on capability but on convenience.

And you know what? It worked.

Because real leaders—the ones who truly build organizations—don’t see a termination letter as a red flag. They see resilience. They see courage. They see someone who refused to compromise their values just to fit into a toxic ecosystem.

If you ever find yourself in this position—fired, discarded, made to feel small—remember this: You are not your termination letter. It is not your full stop; it’s just a comma before the next big thing. Use it. Own it. And most importantly, never be afraid of what’s next.

Because the right people? They’ll see you for who you truly are. And they’ll hire you for it.

follow me on Linkedin on this link :

https://www.linkedin.com/in/jharunima/