Transform Job Loss into a Launchpad for Success

So You Lost Your Job: What's Next? by William Alexandre

"... it’s as if William Alexandre was placed on this earth to go out and lose a job, only so he could be so well-equipped to help and guide others as they navigate through the experience."

“A cold-hearted system that doesn’t need you.”

Make you feel good? It wasn’t supposed to — yet.

A company, writes William Alexandre in his very informative new book So You Lost Your Job: What Next?, “does not have feelings, is never happy or sad, can’t lose or hate anyone, judges no one, and experiences no suffering.”

His point: Once you understand the realities of what companies are and realize they are not all lovely morning coffee breaks, hearty chuckles at brainstorming meetings, and after-hours bowling parties, the better your chances of getting past the stereotypical baggage associated with losing your job and being able to start a new exciting journey.

The Universal Experience of Job Loss

Who hasn’t experienced the act of being let go from a company or doesn’t know somebody who has? It’s a commonplace occurrence in the professional world. And it’s not something that goes away with a good night’s sleep. The average duration of unemployment can easily last a year, and two to three for people over the age of 50.

Alexandre is a master at articulating the meaning of losing your job and the very specific events and emotions associated with it. For that exact reason, he is totally qualified and convincing in positioning the situation in a positive light.

“Unemployment is a period of inactivity for a professional,” he writes. “What it isn’t is a fault, an illness, or the end of the world, and it most certainly is not something to be ashamed of…When I was unemployed, I had trouble understanding and accepting this simple fact. And I suffered for it.”

But he has written So You Lost Your Job so that others won’t endure that pain he went through.

Alexandre is not a spiritual mentor or a magician. What he is offering is a collection of lessons from his own experiences — subjective, naturally, in their point of view but coming from a mind of great intelligence in the field.

From Setbacks to Success Strategies

The book covers all the key topics involved with being out of a job, both process-wise and emotionally: having a financial plan, assessing the situation, planning your development, targeting opportunities, getting the most out of interviews, coping with family, friends and relationships, and more.

Sometimes, Alexandre’s checklists show common-sense practicality: prepare an emergency financial plan, eliminate debt, curtail any hint of extravagance. But more than that, work hard to keep a cool head and don’t panic while in the middle of this emotional rollercoaster.

The author reinforces readers with two essential points: (1) continue to invest in yourself and increase your value; and (2) learn what recruiters want to hear and tell it to them. These things will serve you well.

Wisdom and Practical Guidance for Your Career Comeback

There are advice books upon advice books to help people manage through the process of losing and then finding a job, enough to fill shelves and shelves. Sure, they all provide the X’s and the O’s. But it is rare that you will come across a book such as this one, written with so much understanding, perspective and wisdom that I ran out of Post-it notes to mark all the valuable nuggets. The author dissects every situation inside out, with passion and purpose.

So You Lost Your Job: What Next? is so good, it’s as if William Alexandre was placed on this earth to go out and lose a job, only so he could be so well-equipped to help and guide others as they navigate through the experience. All we can say, is “William, good job!”

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