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This book tells the story of how Dan Holt became unemployed; and what he is doing to change that situation. Dan gives an insider view on the world of unemployment, and tips for surviving and coming out of unemployment intact and in a better place. From starting a job search to managing money to federal unemployment legislation, this book covers all of the most important topics on the minds of those who have been laid off.
In today’s turbulent economy, companies are downsizing and undergoing layoffs on a seemingly daily basis. In fact, the unemployment rate is the highest it has been in over 25 years, with over 14.5 million people living on unemployment benefits. In addition to relaying his own struggles and obstacles, Dan provides insightful advice for job seekers to distinguish themselves to companies and get hired quickly.
Whether you have been let go or are trying to avoid a layoff, this book will help you be informed and prepared; entertaining you along the way.

Scroll down for book excerpts.


Table of Contents 

Introduction
Part One: The Elimination of a Career
            The Call
               my layoff story
            How Did it Come to This?
               the events leading up to my layoff
            Advice for Employers and Employees
               have a heart
            Coping
               stages of grief; my coping story
            A Graceful Exit
               leave on a good note; my last hoorah
Part Two: Money—The First Concern
            I Don’t Want a Million Dollars
               what is money; how to get a million dollars
            Determining What You do Want
               your ideal life; needs and wants
            Emergency Funds, Budgets, and Debt
               emergency funds are necessary; budgets aren’t
               fun; priority based budgeting; debt is a trap
            Am I Going to Lose My Home?
               rent or own; the effect of unemployment
            Insurance
               bad but good; losing my insurance along with
               my job; COBRA: yes, it bites
Part Three: Up Next—Getting a New Job
            What is My Career?
               should I change careers?
            Going to College (or Going Back)
               student loans; effect on unemployment benefits
            Searching for a Job
               job hunting; resumes; marketing; recruiters
            Interviewing
               preparation; unconventional interviews trick
               questions; handling rejection; negotiate your
               salary
            Should I Start a Business?
               what's your motive; blogging for money
Part Four: Final Words
            To Sue or Not to Sue
               can I sue? should I?
            The Lottery and Other Scams
               lottery tax; scam jobs; career coaches-some
               are scams, others aren’t
            Don’t Let Money Run Your Life
               have fun now and later
            The Happy Ending
               where am I now?; the dream job

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Introduction 

    Before I delve into the subject matter of this book, there are some items I want to address that have become the most frequently asked questions about my book. I want you to know exactly how I came about writing this book; and explain my reasons for doing so.
    This book is meant to entertain and inform both the unemployed and employed members of the U.S. workforce. But it didn’t start as a book. Initially, I began writing down the events surrounding my job elimination, and my thoughts and feelings I experienced, as a way of understanding and coping with the loss of my job. It was also a great way to spend time when I was burned out on looking at online job boards.
    I definitely did not write this book out of spite or resentment or anger at my former employers. Although the tone of the book may show these emotions, they are shown because I experienced those emotions—most laid off people do. My story in the book is meant to be read as a first-hand commentary of what I experienced and when I experienced it. I do not harbor anything more than the normal amount of resentment a laid off employee retains long after the dirty deed is done. I absolutely do not wish future harm on my former employers. I do not want my former company to decline, because that would mean my friends would end up on the unemployment line with me—which I wouldn’t wish that on anyone in this economy.
    Finally, I wanted to write a note specifically for my most recent employer (the one who helped me write this book by eliminating my position—thanks) should the remote chance that anyone in a leadership or human resources position reads this book and incorrectly views it as slander:

Dear Former Employer, This writing is in no way meant to be disparaging to the Company or any of its employees. I do not intend to cause humiliation or embarrassment to the Company or its employees; nor do I aim to question the business condition, integrity, competence, or good character of the Company or its employees. To the contrary, my intent is to present a factual representation of the events, thoughts, and feelings that occurred—all the while providing anonymity to the Company and all of its employees. Regards, Dan

 My Downsizing Story 

It’s Tuesday at 12:30 and I’m eating lunch with my 4 year old son. I hear my cell phone ring. The caller ID says it’s Calvin. I always take a few seconds to compose myself before I speak to my boss, so I let the phone ring two more times. I answer: “This is Dan.” There is a slight pause of two to three seconds (uh-oh.) Calvin starts talking: “Hi Dan. There’s really no good way to say this so I’m just going to say it. Your position has been eliminated.” There is more talk after that but it’s kind of blurry to me. Mostly I was thinking about what I now wouldn’t be working on and how I was going to feed and house myself and my three other family members. I had to sit down on the floor when I heard it. I was in my garage looking at the garbage can and thinking I might as well just open it and throw my career in. After three years of hard work, long hours, and lots of phone calls (my ear still feels as though it has a wireless headset attached to it)—now it’s all gone. The computer in my office, my cell phone, even my car is gone. Calvin tells me I am going to receive a package in the mail tomorrow that explains my benefits and severance package. I keep thinking: “if only I worked in a traditional office and not at home he wouldn’t do this to me.” It’s all very cold and impersonal. I ask a few questions and Calvin ends the call. I’m unemployed.

They can call it let go, downsized, laid off, or position eliminated, but it all feels the same. Those words are only used to make the manager feel better, not the employee being let go…

Advice for Employers 

I view the notification of my job elimination as less than stellar. I realize that it is tough for a manager to lay someone off. I figure it is much easier to fire someone for cause, because you can list the reasons why; and the employee pretty much knew it was coming sooner or later. But a downsizing comes with no better reason than the company wants to reduce its overhead so that it can report better profits this quarter. Of course, that is not what Calvin told me, it is just what I know. That is the downside of working for a public company—the leadership makes decisions based on the short-term consequences and rewards. In a small business, the owner may keep his staff and accept lower profits for several months because he knows he will need all of those employees when things pick up again. However, in a publicly-traded company, the management team are not the owners of the company and therefore, they make decisions that will keep them from being laid off—mainly, maximize short-term profits at all costs and regardless of the long-term ramifications. That’s why we see companies laying off large numbers of employees only to go on huge hiring sprees a year or two later. But I digress. Regardless of the reasoning behind the company’s (and Calvin’s) decision to eliminate my job, I think it could have been handled much better.

Employers: have a heart 

The “it’s just business” line is indelicate and out-dated. Sure, I was in a business, but my relationship with Calvin was more personal than that (I think; he could have just been lying to me for two years and faking interest in my life and career development.) Regardless of how true it is, telling someone “it’s just business” when you lay her off is downright rude and insensitive. Avoid saying it. Since this was what I heard, I also advise you to avoid starting the conversation by saying “there’s no good way to say this so I’ll just say it.” I know there is no good way to say it, you don’t have to tell me. Calvin, if you happen to read this, sorry, but you are much better at managing people than laying them off (that’s a compliment really.) In fact, that’s why so many managers are bad at laying people off. They rose to the rank of manager by being good at dealing with people, not because of their firing skills.

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Should I Change Careers? 

When I talk to my four year old son about my not having a job and my search for a new one, I receive much support and understanding. This is partly due to the fact that he doesn’t know about the working world yet and part due to the fact that he looks at this the way he looks at every challenge presented to him: a situation with endless possibilities, each magnificent in its own way. When I first told my son that I would be getting a new job and that I probably wouldn’t work from home anymore and hopefully wouldn’t travel as much, he didn’t feel the fear and uncertainty I did. He said: “You could be a fireman, or a policeman, or just be away from home and do whatever you did.” I have long questioned my choice of career. Was this where I could best use my skills and talents? Were the sixty to eighty nights spent in a hotel room every year worth the benefits of higher pay and working from home when I wasn’t traveling? Was I just doing this because it paid more than other jobs? The elimination of my job consolidated these questions into one: should I use this negative event as an opportunity to switch careers for something better?



Copyright © 2009 Dan Holt. All Rights Reserved. Media may contact Dan for limited online reproduction.