Rebound: A Proven Plan for Starting Over After Job Loss

Been laid off? Fired? Pushed out? See it coming? This book will help you get back on your feet, develop a plan of action, and find your next great job!

 

Real answers from real experts:

• What to do first…and what never to do
• How to cope with the havoc, trauma, and anger
• How to protect your professional reputation
• How to keep your options open
• Know your rights
• What to do while you’re out of work
• How to safeguard your finances
• What to tell your family
• How to keep it from happening again
• How to come back stronger and better than ever!

You’ve just lost your job. (Or you’re expecting to.) You know you’re not alone: Millions of great people are losing their jobs these days. But this is you we’re talking about. Losing your job can turn your life upside down. It can mess with your mind, your heart, your health, your family life...not to mention your financial security. Losing your job is just plain painful. This practical book will help you get through the trauma-–and come out stronger, smarter, better. Top workplace expert Martha Finney brings together all the answers you need to empower yourself and regain mastery over your own life. Drawing on powerful insights and personal stories from an enormous network of experts, she answers questions like:

• How do I protect my finances?
• How do I get past the anger, alienation, and isolation?
• Why haven’t I heard from my coworkers?
• What are my rights?
• Can I get a better severance package?
• Can I sue? Should I?
• How do I stay on my career path and keep my options open?
• How can I objectively evaluate a new job offer?

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.

 

The 29 first, best, and worst things to do after a layoff or firing

    What to do right now–-and what you should never do

How to protect yourself, one step at a time

    Practical solutions for safeguarding your finances, your health, and your family

Build your status as an “A” player

    Enhancing your visibility, skills, and even your prestige while you’re out of work

Learn to love networking

    It’s not as bad as you think–-really!

Keep it from happening again

Rethinking the whole way you look at employment

Online Sample Chapter

Are You on the Layoff List?

Sample Pages

Download the sample pages

Table of Contents

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