Anyone ever been sacked before?

Did you manage to get a new role? Was it difficult?

Depends why you got sacked and how much you are able to control the situation. One key issue is what will a reference say.

First off, were you really sacked, ie there was a fault with you the employers didn't like and they told you to leave, or can you frame it as something else? Didn't pass Probation? Redundancy?

If you've been in the company for a long time and you are sacked with immediate effect for gross misconduct, then things can be tricky. You may have to change sector, or move down a level and look for employers that are more selective.

If there is any room for negotiation, ie it isn't gross misconduct, then you need to be clear what your reference will say. Most employers now, will only give a technical reference, but you need to know, if you can find out, if that reference will be explicit about why you left. And also, what it will say if they are specifically asked about the reason for leaving - will they say or will they refuse to answer. If there is an HR team, talk to them about company policy.

Also, consider whether there is another manager who is prepared to give you a reference, rather than the formal HR one, that might be 'softer' on the reason why you left.

If you haven't been working there long, and don't need the experience on your CV, then of course you can just forget it. If you are specifically asked in an application process if you have ever been in any disciplinary process, or been fired form a role, then you have a dilemma. Lying on a job application is, in itself, usually gross misconduct and a reason for immediate dismissal, so weigh up the risk. Being fired twice is more than twice as difficult to get around.

All of the above is also tempered by the type of job you are doing. If this is warehouse work, or fast-food service, then being fired once is almost a right of passage and easily circumvented. If you got fired from a highly regulated profession such as nursing or teaching, then your situation is very much trickier.