cover image Landing on the Right Side of Your Ass: A Survival Guide for the Recently Unemployed

Landing on the Right Side of Your Ass: A Survival Guide for the Recently Unemployed

Michael B. Laskoff. Three Rivers Press (CA), $14 (256pp) ISBN 978-1-4000-5114-4

This realistic look at dealing with getting downsized is written by an author who has""been through this crap so many times that I can rightly and truly call myself an expert."" Laskoff talks readers through the process of getting angry at those who laid them off, then through the necessity of owning up to the reasons why they themselves might be accountable. With tips on rallying support from friends and family, finding meaningful activities to pursue while job hunting and keeping up good relationships with those near and dear, this book covers just about all the issues unemployed people face. The second half of the book tackles the business of finding a new, better job, and Laskoff offers solid advice for resume writing, marketing one's skills, interviewing, networking and negotiating offers. And he reminds readers not to take the first job that comes along (e.g.""What's your gut telling you? If your tummy has you seeking the nearest bar not to celebrate but to dull the prospect of impending pain, maybe you should let this one pass""). With the down-to-earth advice in this book, searching for a new job might not hurt so much after all.