Being laid off is a traumatic event. Downsized workers must face decisions about reorganizing their lives and their finances, while grappling with the emotional grief of losing a job. This book is a practical guide to dealing with the tough questions a layoff poses. Using a week-to-week timeline, the book offers advice on such topics as: coping with grief and anger after a downsizing; reorganizing life after a layoff; how to launch a job search; balancing the job search with family and personal time; explaining a layoff to family and friends; and more. This book will show downsized workers how to reorganize schedules, set financial and organizational priorities, and go for their next job with confidence and enthusiasm.

Peter Archer (Quincy, MA) is Associate Business Editor at Adams Media. He has been laid off three times and learned how to cope after undergoing the painful experience of a long bout of unemployment.