TV’s "The Donald" seems to have patented the line "You're fired!" but unfortunately, most firings are not on reality television; they are in your office, and you might be next. Today's expert offers tips on using the situation to position yourself for your next job.

If you work in business long enough, at some point, you're probably going to get fired, says Lauryn Franzoni, blogging on the website, safetyxchange.org. Franzoni is vice president and executive editor of ExecuNet's Center for Executive Careers (www.execunet.com). She shares practical tips for "firees" from I Didn't See It Coming: The Only Book You'll Ever Need to Avoid Being Blindsided in Business (John Wiley and Sons, Inc., 2007), co-authored by Nancy Widmann, Elaine J. Eisenman, and Amy Dorn Kopelan.

Here are some of these expert’s tips, and a few of our own.

  • Don't surrender your chair. That is, try to keep your office. You want to keep coming in to work while you work out your deal.

  • Don't take the first offer. You don't have to accept the first severance package offer. There is usually room for negotiation, and your company can probably do better.

    Use knowledge to fight that fear at our April 23, 90-minute webinar, Wrongful Termination: The 7 Rules You Must Follow. Learn what to do, and what not to do. Click for more info

  • Don't be bullied. Don't let someone try to steamroller you into signing a severance agreement immediately—there's always time.

  • Call a lawyer. Call an attorney who specializes in employment agreements. Don't sign anything until your attorney has seen it. (In fact, that's a good reason to give for not signing right away.)

  • Stay cool. Try your hardest to stay poised and confident.

    And here are a few added tips from our own BLR editors:

  • Think ahead to your job search. You'd like to not have to say "I was fired," so can you all agree that you "left to explore other opportunities?” Or that it was a "mutual agreement." Make sure that you, your boss, and HR agree on why you are leaving, and what information will be released to those who call for references.

  • Don't burn any bridges. There's no upside to it. Take your leave in a dignified way, and genially add your soon-to-be-former bosses and colleagues to your professional network. You never can tell when you will want their help, or perhaps be able to help them. (You might not think so now, but, yes, you might want to do that.)

  • Ask for outplacement assistance. Outplacement counselors won't get you a job, but they will help you prepare résumé materials and stay focused, and they offer a businesslike communications setup for you to use.

  • Turn toward the future as soon as possible. Focus your attention on how to leave the best impression as you are leaving, and how to use that goodwill as you look for something new.

    Find out together at BLR's 90-minute, April 16 webinar, Wrongful Terminations: The 7 Rules You Must Follow to Avoid Bias Claims and Stay Out of Court. Click for more info

  • Don't panic. You want to get going on a search, but not from a position of weakness or desperation. No one wants to hire someone who is frantic. Think through what you are looking for, how you are qualified for it, and how to find it. Getting fired may not be the best feeling, but it is a chance to make a change—and it may turn out to be a blessing in disguise.

  • Take heart. One speaker asked a crowd of HR pros, "What happens to people that you fire?" As one, the audience shouted, "They get a better job."

    In the next Advisor, we'll share some tips about firing from the other side of the desk, and talk about a training resource for all managers and supervisors who may have to fire someone someday.