From Fired to Hired: How to Bounce Back After You're Terminated
Tory Johnson gives tips on getting over the pink slip and securing a new job.
Aug. 6, 2009 — -- You may know me as the show's workplace contributor, traveling the country with "GMA," producing job fairs and launching job clubs to help people who have lost their jobs get back in the game.
What you might not know about me is that I've got a scar to prove I've been there, too. After learning the hard way how to recover from a pink slip, I've written a new book to lessen the pain for others.
"Fired to Hired: Bouncing Back From Job Loss to Get Work Right Now" is designed to help anyone go from out-of-work to on-the-job.
Click here to read an excerpt of "From Fired to Hired."
First step, party. As in pity party. As much as I encourage everyone to focus on the positive, we all know that losing a job is devastating. It's absurd to think you'll get the pink slip one minute and start sending out your resume the next. You have a free pass to open the floodgates on your emotions -- mope, drive everyone crazy. But there's a catch: a time limit. One to two weeks tops, then it's time to buckle down. My mistake was a pity party that lasted for more months than I'd like to admit. I don't want that to happen to you.
The hard truth is that all of our jobs are temporary and whether by choice or circumstance, at some point we all must move on. This is your time to take control of your life.
Face the music about money. The next step is to face the reality of your finances. How much you have and how much you need to get by. First, file for unemployment immediately. Then sit down with a legal pad and list your monthly expenses -- rent or mortgage, utilities, credit cards, food -- all of your expenses. Then list how much money you have saved and how much will be coming in. Those numbers probably won't balance out, so you'll have to cut costs -- kissing all the extras goodbye. Then figure out how long you can go before you won't be able to meet your monthly obligations. You can't hide from this information; it will help you make smart choices in the job hunt ahead.
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