August 2, 1994 was a black day for Chaya Srivatsa, then deputy general manager and chief of public relations, HMT. She was dismissed for indiscipline, misconduct and misappropriation of money and accused of working against the company's image. The blow was bitterly ironic: She had won three national awards in recognition of her work in the field.
But Chaya would not see it as a black day, unlike most in a similar situation. For her, it was the harbinger of a new dawn - the creation of the Guild of Women's Association, the birth of a new woman.
How did she handle the shock and come out stronger? No strange miracle or luck kept her going, but her quick thinking and self-confidence. You can pick up a few useful hints too.
Most importantly, one must equip oneself with a few tools and take on the challenge with a positive frame of mind. Here's how you can do it.
Get wind of it…
Getting dismissed from a job doesn't happen overnight and you get plenty of hints when you are facing the axe. So the first thing to do is keep your ears and eyes open and catch wind of it. And when you are sure of the indications, pack your bags. "Don't wait for them to dismiss you, just quit," advises Chaya.
Getting dismissed is not necessarily your fault.
There are a lot of factors involved in any company - power, politics, vested interests and a host of unnamable powers behind the scenes. So, don't blame yourself, unless of course you have done something wrong. It's most often a play of forces that are beyond your control. You might not have toed the line the authorities wanted you to; or you might have ruffled a few feathers at the top. So take stock of the situation, don't point fingers, save yourself and quit.
