Date: August 18, 2003
Contact: Dolores G. Wix
801 W. El Camino Real, PMB 331
Mountain View, CA 94040-2511
dolores.fertilegroundpublishing.com
Phone: (650) 323-6939
Fax: (650) 292-2144
A BRIGHT SIDE TO LAYOFF?
Carla (not her real name), an Information Technology director for a 30-year old company, earned a little less than $100,000 per year. On February 15, 2002, not long after coming on board to fill her new position, she was laid off.
“It was a complete surprise. Wham!” Carla said. “At the time, I was the primary and sole breadwinner for my family. I was so worried about telling my husband. We had just bought a new house only a few months before.” What did she do to make ends meet?
“I am currently underemployed. I am not working in my field and still searching for an IT job. Now, I am working temp jobs as a legal secretary.”
Carla is just one of 4 people who share their layoff stories in the new book How to Survive and Thrive After a Layoff. “I included these up-close and personal experiences because it validates your own feelings,” says author Dolores G. Wix.
After being laid off, Carla said that she felt “completely devastated and crushed, depressed, betrayed, like I had failed somehow. As if employee/employer loyalty doesn’t matter anymore.” Whatever the reasons for a layoff, the reactions of the layoff victims, like Carla, are the same no matter where they live. Some of the reactions are anger, anxiety, fear, resentment, and shame.
In 2002, there were 2,244,631 initial claimant filings for unemployment. From January to May of 2003, 798,185 initial unemployment claims were filed, according to statistics from the U. S. Department of Labor’s Bureau of Labor Statistics.
What is the first thing someone should do after they’ve been laid off? “If it’s possible, take a couple of weeks to step back and evaluate your situation before leaping immediately into something else,” says Ms. Wix. She realizes, however, that that may not be possible for some because of the current state of the economy.
Self-employment is also an option to be considered since companies are currently slow about hiring. The 184-page book offers a comprehensive and realistic approach to starting a business, from creating a mission statement to managing time and stress. Practical matters, such as what bills to pay first if cash is short, and, what to do before, during, and after a job interview are also covered.
Perhaps the most unique aspects of How to Survive and Thrive After a Layoff are the motivational and inspirational sections, which encourage those laid off to stay focused on the future, rather than the past.
The author knows firsthand about the uncertainty that a layoff can bring. “I was laid off in December of 2001. It was one of the best things that ever happened to me.” Not everyone may feel the way she does, but Ms. Wix believes that being laid off can offer people an opportunity to look at their lives and see if they like how it’s been going up till now, particularly in the area of work.
“This is an excellent time for reflection,” says Ms. Wix. “A good question to ask yourself is: if I had it to do all over again, what kind of work would I do?”
Brian Tracy, one of America’s leading authorities on personal effectiveness and the development of human potential, says that How to Survive and Thrive After a Layoff “is a helpful, inspiring and completely practical book that shows you how to immediately take charge of your career and your future.”
How to Survive and Thrive After a Layoff is available from Amazon.com, barnesandnoble.com, and 1stBooks Library for $11.50 (paperback ISBN: 1-4033-9434-2) and $3.95 (electronic ISBN:1-4033-9433-4) and can be ordered by calling 1-888-280-7715 or by visiting http://www.1stBooks.com/bookview/14314.
A telephone interview with author Dolores G. Wix for newspaper or radio may be arranged by calling (650) 323-6939.
