I was fired from my company four months before my wedding,' wrote Get Ahead reader Debasish Ghosh, now area sales manager with a corporate in Kolkata, in an e-mail he recently sent to us.

• Have you been fired? Don't panic

'It was difficult to accept because I had worked with the company for six years. For a while, I didn't know what had hit me.'

Sounds familiar? 

Getting fired, and handling the days or months till you get your next job, is no easy task. But if you have it in you to stay positive, you could learn from your misfortune, like Debashish did.

'I began working as a freelance agent for our direct competitors. In no time, I was not only surviving in the marketplace but also causing indirect revenue losses to my company through good performance with the new company I was associated with.

'Things changed fast after the annual sales meet of my ex-company and I was offered my job back by the same company. This time I negotiated hard and got myself a promotion and a good raise.'

'I worked with the company for four more years, got myself promoted twice, and survived two mergers before moving on to my current job.'

'Getting fired changed me. I have become more optimistic and patient. Today, I don't fear another sacking since I have sailed over one. I have seen the lowest end of my career, life and finances, and now I believe in me.'

• Deal with getting fired

Have you ever lost a job, due to retrenchment or any other reason? And did you manage to survive the aftermath? What did you do next? What did you learn from the experience?

Share your survival tips and experiences with others.