Page 95 - DENG101_Communication Skills-I

Communication Skills-I

Notes was let go by a leading automobile maker due to the economic downturn. “I felt so bad,” she
says. “I loved my job and being asked to leave for no fault of my own was one of the hardest
things I’ve ever experienced. I felt incompetent and unwanted.”
It’s how we deal with this anger that ultimately helps us move on. According to HR consultant
Shiv Nanda, “Getting fired is a bad experience for everyone. However, remaining angry will only

be a hindrance because you may carry that anger into your next interview. Stay calm and focused
and most importantly, never blame yourself.”
However, if you’ve chosen to quit your previous job yourself, he adds, it should be easier. “You
should focus on what’s ahead rather than what you’ve left behind,” Nanda says.

Prem Mukherjee was compelled to quit his job on his own terms: “I was working for a top
advertising agency, but I didn’t fi t in with my co-workers. I always felt like a fi sh out of water
and left before things got ugly. But I left with no regrets and I didn’t have trouble finding a job

soon after,” he says.
Straight talk

It’s great to quit on your own terms, but even so, you may quit because of anger with the
company and the need to vent becomes strong. But you must resist, says HR consultant Rashida
Kagalwala. “If you absolutely feel the need to vent, do so in the least vitriolic manner,” she says.

“Confide in a friend or in a loved one. Speak to a counsellor if you must. Being negative only
worsens things.”

Venting to a friend face to face is fine, Kagalwala adds, but never, never vent on the Internet.
“Whatever you post on the Net is out there for everybody to see, including your ex-employers,”
she explains. “You may face legal action such as libel, especially if your previous workplace has
a low tolerance policy.”
Still, if you were caught badmouthing your former employers, or even your current ones, fear

not. It’s not the end of the world! Finding another job may be difficult but not impossible.
“True, venting against your previous employers certainly doesn’t look good in your next job
interview. However, there is no reason why you may never work again, as some people feel,”
says headhunter Mohit Verma.

Sometimes, quitting is not the solution. Says Rustom Banaji, a senior manager at a BPO, “If an
employee is unhappy, he or she should approach his or her immediate boss first and foremost.

Even if the boss is part of the problem, it is imperative to have open communication. Only when
you confront the problem head on will there be a solution.”
And what if you find out that a former employee has been badmouthing you? According to

HR consultant Amit Vaidya, “Sometimes it is not worth the effort pursuing a former employee,
unless that person persists with insults and slander. Otherwise a simple phone call or an email
will suffi ce.”

Ranting

Do-s and Don’ts
So you’ve been let go or you’ve left on bad terms. You’re angry and that’s perfectly understandable.
HR consultant Kiran Sharma advises us to keep the following things in mind before going out on
an all-out rampage against ex-employers.
1. Do make your dissatisfaction clear at the time of leaving. Most workplaces have something
called an exit interview. This is an interview conducted by an employer with a departing

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