How a CIO rebounds from job loss

You're fired! Maybe it's never happened to you. Maybe it never will. But CIOs have very high stress jobs with plenty of risk. Just ask Stuart Scott, the former CIO at Microsoft who was recently fired. While it might have a devastating impact on your career, it doesn't have to be the end of it. With a good reputation and positive job skills, even getting thrown out the door might have had a net positive effect. "There's a long list of people who have had pretty terrible ousters and not recovered from them," says Martha Heller, managing director of ZRG's IT leadership practice. "But executives can recover if they play their cards right," she adds. (Heller is also a career columnist for CIO Magazine.) Scott has already been interviewed by three recruiters, and his name is up front and center on a long list of possible CIOs available for work. That's good news. But every CIO in this position still has to roll with the punches and figure out how to open his next act. Scott will still have to explain the reasons behind his termination. And it probably won't be enough to rely on a Microsoft statement that Scott was terminated because he had violated company policies. David Reff, president of executive recruitment firm David Reff & Co., says Scott's 17-year tenure at GE and his Vanderbilt MBA will be assets as he moves forward. "The future is still open for this guy because of his background and pedigree," he says. "He can write a book, join the boards of companies or he can get into consulting." Just what advice would you give Scott, and have you rebounded from a bad day at the office? Let us know in the comments.

For tips on picking up from termination:
- See this CIO Magazine article