Study: 53% of workers got a job in a new industry after firing

Getting fired creates a pivotal moment in your career.

A pink slip can certainly send you sideways, but fresh research from ResumeLab reveals that getting the boot can reboot your career in wonderful, unforeseen ways.

Let’s consider how workers navigate the fallout of a firing. Nearly 46% of ResumeLab’s 1,000 respondents said they did not admit to being previously fired during the interview process for a subsequent job. Despite 70.5% of respondents saying they did not receive recommendations from their former employer, “45% of people were hired at the first job they interviewed for.” ResumeLab also found that 28.4% of female employees (and 25.1% of males) found work within the first month of their job search.

You might rightfully be concerned about taking a significant hit to your salary and title in the wake of a firing, but you could stumble into a much more fortuitous situation. Nearly 38% of respondents said they landed a “higher ranking position” after being canned. However, female respondents did report a 34% percent dip in salary at the next gig compared with a 2% decrease for men.