b"Many families will include a severance clause While this is a chance for you to view your jobor a notice period to compensate you for 1-4 performancethroughanewlens,focusonweeksofpayifyourjobisterminated specific,actionableitems.Everythingisunexpectedlyandwithoutcause.Ifyour trainableexceptattitude,andasmanyUnderstand employment agreement does not have such a parents are first-time employers, they are notclause, your employer may not be responsible always as adept at training new employeestheforpayinganyseverance,asnanniesare andprovidingfeedbackasbossesinaconsidered at-will employees in most states corporateenvironment.Ifyouareabletowhocanlegallyleavetheirpositionorbe identify specific things you would like to doterms of terminatedatanytimeforanynon- differentlyinyournextpositionratherthandiscriminatory reason. Even if you do not have falling into patterns of negative self-talk, youthe any severance language in your contract, if willsetyourselfupforsuccessandyou were being paid legally (which, again, is confidence as you begin your job search.separation strongly recommended due to situations such MAINTAIN A POSITIVEasthis,)youmaybeeligibletoreceiveunemployment benefits through your state. RELATIONSHIP WITH YOUR PASTproperly. EMPLOYERSONT BEAT YOURSELF UPD Conversely,manypeoplewhoarefiredorGetting fired is a vulnerable time, and it is laid off walk away with an intensely negativecommonforsomeonetobehardon reaction to their former employers, often withthemselves.It'sparticularlyeasytocycle goodreason.However,particularlyforthroughtheinevitablelistofwhatcouldI nannying positions, references are key. If youhave done wrong? feeltheneedtovent,dosotoatrustedfriendortherapist.Refrainfrompostinganything online or on social media, even inprivate groups, where content can be andisoftenscreen-shotandsharedwithpotential future employers, agencies, or evenyourpastemployer.Whateverthecircumstances of leaving your position, thereis a good chance that a future employer oragency will need to reach out to your formeremployer, at the very least to confirm detailsof employment or to ask for their feedback onthe employment relationship. Ask for a letterof recommendation if possible, and let yourformeremployersknowwhentheymaybecontacted to give a reference and by whom.If appropriate, ask your former employer whatthey may say about you in a reference. Mostreferences are not 100% positive (in fact, theones that are often seem suspicious since noone is perfect), but knowing what feedbackthefamilymaysharewithafuturefamily(particularly regarding punctuality, reliability,screen-timewhileworking,drivingsafety,honesty,andprofessionalism)willallowyoutosharereferenceinformationwithconfidence and let the person collecting thereference know what to expect in advance.10Spring 2020|NannyMag.com"