Make Job Loss Work for You

Available as an e-book at oreilly.com and the iBookstore.

Hundreds of thousands of Americans over the past several months have found themselves on the wrong end of a layoff. The majority of them are facing a roller coaster of emotions associated with being unemployed—possibly for the first time in their lives. They are angry, scared, and having trouble figuring out what to do next.

The authors have seen it all too often and now offer the solution: A proven system for facing the emotions of a layoff head-on. Their sure-fire system teaches readers how to get past their emotions to look for a new job—possibly one that is a better fit than the one they left.

Make Job Loss Work for You teaches readers how to tackle their emotional reactions to job loss, including shock, anger, denial, self-doubt, and depression. This acceptance enables readers to move forward with their careers. Then, using the proven Deems JobGetting Skills System, readers can focus their career directions and make all the right moves toward landing a new job with the help of tips on resumes and cover letters, search strategy, offer negotiation, and success in the new job.

Chapter 1: What Can I Expect Now?
Chapter 2: What Do I Do Now?
Chapter 3: What Do I Have to Offer?
Chapter 4: What Are My Options?
Chapter 5: What About a Resume?
Chapter 6: How Do I Interview Successfully?
Chapter 7: How Do I Find and Respond to Job Openings?
Chapter 8: What Is the Deems JobGetting Skills™ System?
Chapter 9: How Do I Negotiate the Final Package?
Chapter 10: How Do I Get Started in My New Job?

Richard S. Deems, Ph.D., is a nationally recognized expert on organizational change and leadership. He founded Deems Associates Inc., also known as WorkLife Design, in 1982, providing services for leadership development, managing change, and career coaching. Before that, Deems was on the graduate faculties of Northern Illinois University and Iowa State University.

He is a past ASTD Chapter President and has presented at several ASTD International Conferences and the ASTD Leadership Conference. He has also presented at AJST conferences and was a board member for two years.

Together, he and his daughter, Terri Deems, co-authored Make Job Loss Work for You, Downsizing with Confidence (HRD Press), and Leading in Tough Times (HRD Press), which has been a strong-selling title and was featured on Microsoft's Recommended Reading list. The Deems’ clients include American Red Cross National Headquarters, City of Phoenix, Deere & Company, Dial Corporation, Equitable Assurance, Georgia Pacific, Inland Press Association, Moline Dispatch, State Farm, and the U.S. Department of Defense.

He has been quoted in the International Herald Tribune, the Wall Street Journal, Canadian Business Journal, New York Post, Executive Excellence, Federal Times, and even The Sporting News. He has co-authored several articles with the late John C. Crystal, the man whose insights formed the basis of career-book legend What Color Is Your Parachute?.

Terri S. Deems, Ph.D., directs the Iowa office of WorkLife Design, providing services for career coaching, leadership, and workplace culture. She received the Cutting Edge Award in 2000 for her research on the vital workplace, presented by the International Academy for Human Resource Development.

She has presented her expertise at numerous national and international conferences. She is an adjunct instructor for Drake University, teaching graduate courses in qualitative research, training and development, business ethics, critical thinking, and organizational development.

Together, she and her father, Richard Deems, co-authored Make Job Loss Work for You, Downsizing with Confidence, (HRD Press) and Leading in Tough Times (HRD Press), which has been a strong-selling title and was featured on Microsoft's Recommended Reading list. The Deems’ clients include American Red Cross National Headquarters, City of Phoenix, Deere & Company, Dial Corporation, Equitable Assurance, Georgia Pacific, Inland Press Association, Moline Dispatch, State Farm, and the U.S. Department of Defense.

For interview requests or questions about these authors, contact Selena Dehne at sdehne@jist.com or (651) 215-7548.