PARTING COMPANY: How to Survive the Loss of a Job and Find Another Successfully

Some solid advice--standard, but with a few personal twists--from the chairman and president, respectively, of an outplacement counseling firm. Morin and Cabrera advise handling the emotional side of termination by simply finding a sympathetic friend to listen: this will prevent negative feelings from surfacing in future interviews. They suggest you do nothing for the first 72 hours, to allow your system to absorb the shock. Then: throw yourself wholeheartedly into negotiating a fair severance deal (regular monthly payments are preferable to one lump sum)--and begin to list both skills and accomplishments as a prelude to the job-search period. This is also an opportune time to assess how well you're suited to your present career and industry. (The recommendation is to research fields thoroughly, in terms of your specific needs, before jumping into something new.) RÉsumÉs are handled fully, but not overemphasized; and the authors manage to come up with some pluses for the new style of ""marketing letter"" making the rounds (especially in fields where writing ability counts). Though most jobs are found through personal contacts (networking techniques are provided), mention is also made of executive placement firms, newspaper ads, etc. Interview questions are considered in detail, along with their purpose and how to handle them. The basic idea in negotiating after the job offer, we're told, is to ""Ink each negotiable item to the job itself."" Simple, straightforward, and effective.