Rebound: A Proven Plan for Starting Over After Job Loss

209 Pages·2009·0.73 MB·English

by  Martha I. Finney

REBOUND
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REBOUND
A Proven Plan for Starting Over
After Job Loss
Martha I. Finney
Vice President, Publisher: Tim Moore
Associate Publisher and Director of Marketing: Amy Neidlinger
Acquisitions Editor: Jennifer Simon
Editorial Assistant: Pamela Boland
Operations Manager: Gina Kanouse
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Managing Editor: Kristy Hart
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Copy Editor: Keith Cline
Proofreader: San Dee Phillips
Indexer: Erika Millen
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Manufacturing Buyer: Dan Uhrig
© 2009 by Pearson Education, Inc.
Publishing as FT Press
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Printed in the United States of America
First Printing January 2009
ISBN-10: 0-13-702114-3
ISBN-13: 978-0-13-702114-7
Pearson Education LTD.
Pearson Education Australia PTY, Limited.
Pearson Education Singapore, Pte. Ltd.
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To the memory of my father, Richard Anson Finney, and
his passionate devotion to his work.
“It’s the detours that help us remember who we are.”
—Sheryl Crow
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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
Mixed Feelings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .6
Bewilderment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .7
Crisis in Self-Worth . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .7
Alienation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .7
Isolation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .8
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
Accept the News Gracefully . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .32
Mourn Authentically . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .33
Regroup Strategically . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .34
CONTENTS vii
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
Show No Emotion . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .51
Gather Data . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .51
Make No Commitments . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .51
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
Food . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .71
Insurance . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .72
Telecommunications . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .73
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
viii CONTENTS
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
Be a Thought Leader . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .121
Be Googlable . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .121
Be Expansive . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .121
Be Opinionated . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .122
Be Generous with Your Connections . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .122
Be Generous with Your Talents and Skills . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .122
Be a Consultant . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .123
Remember That Your Former Employer Might Also Value
Your Skills and Abilities . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .123
Be Curious . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .123
Be Willing to Be a “B” Player . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .123
Be There . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .124
21 Talking About Your Job Loss in Interviews . . . . . . . . . . .126
22 How to Evaluate the Job You’ve Been Offered . . . . . . . . .132
Organizational Confidence/Internal . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .133
Organizational Confidence/External . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .134
Personal Confidence/Internal . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .134
Personal Confidence/External . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .135
CONTENTS ix