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The complete new guide for everyone who's been laid off, fired, or pushed out, and everyone who sees it coming!
So, you've been laid off. Or you see it coming. You're not alone. And it's not your fault: you're just one of millions of smart, high-quality people who are being shown the door. But none of that makes it feel any better! What can you do? What should you do? How do you cope with the havoc that losing your job can cause? This sympathetic, practical book brings together all the answers you need to empower yourself, and come back stronger than ever. Author Martha Finney is one of the nation's leading workplace experts: her research has been featured on CNN, NPR's Morning Edition, and in major newspapers across the country. Drawing on powerful insights and personal stories from an enormous network of experts, she brings together all the knowledge and resources you'll need to regain mastery over your life. Finney answers questions like: How can I keep getting laid off from wrecking my life? How can I protect my professional reputation and career path? How do I get past the anger? Why haven't I heard from my coworkers? How do I keep all my options open? How do I tell my family, without damaging their faith in their own futures? What are my rights? Can I sue? Should I? How do I keep this from happening again? From start to finish, this book will help you identify your best next steps: the steps that'll help you get past the trauma and move forward, emotionally, financially, in your career, and in every part of your life.
Acknowledgments xiii
About the Author xv
Preface xvii
Part I The Inner Game of Getting Laid Off 3
1 What to Expect When You’re No Longer Expected 4
2 New Career Realities and New Career Rules 10
3 You’re Still in Control 16
Part II Preparing for a Layoff 21
4 Are You on the Layoff List? 22
Voice of Experience: Rob 23
5 Financial: What to Do Before You Get Laid Off 28
6 Set the Tone for How You Leave 32
7 Plan Your Exit 38
Voice of Experience: Caroline 42
Part III Know Your Rights 47
8 What You Can Expect from a Severance Package 48
9 Stop! Just Say No 50
10 Ask for Special Treatment 56
11 A Word About Noncompete Agreements 60
12 Not That It Matters to You, but It Hurts for Them, Too 64
Part IV When You’ve Been Laid Off 69
13 Financial: Control Your Spending 70
14 What Do I Do with All This Rage? 76
Voice of Experience: Anna 82
15 The Kids Can Handle the Truth 86
16 Good Things to Remember 92
Voice of Experience: Charles 93
Voice of Experience: Simon 96
Part V Landing Your Next Job 101
17 The Importance of Having a Plan 102
18 Learn to Love Networking 108
19 Using Social Networking for Your Job Search 114
20 Build Your “A” Player Status Even Though You Are Not Employed 120
21 Talking About Your Job Loss in Interviews 126
22 How to Evaluate the Job You’ve Been Offered 132
23 Should You Take a Job with a Company That’s Laying People Off? 138
24 Go! Just Say Yes 142
Voice of Experience: Deborah 145
25 Start Your New Job with Confidence 148
Voice of Experience: Sarah 152
26 Never Be in This Situation Again 156
Part VI Appendixes 161
A Step Away from the Fridge! Reach for This Instead 162
B Greg and Martha’s List of Automatic No’s 170
Resources and Suggested Reading 174
Index 180