October 15, 2021
A debut business book offers recommendations for people--women in particular--who have been fired. In this guide, Merle focuses her attention on women but notes that the advice about grappling with and moving on from being fired is applicable to people of all genders. Using the stories of several women fired from jobs as executives at for-profit and nonprofit organizations as the core of the narrative, the author explains to readers how to react immediately and in the long term to a dismissal, how to process the related emotions, and how to position themselves for success in a new role when they are ready to move forward in their careers. The book combines hard-nosed practical advice ("Do not tie your value to the severance package. It's a negotiation, not a value statement") with a nuanced look at the psychology of organizational loyalty and the grief that results from the end of a professional relationship. Merle also discusses what she calls "being faux-fired," or pushed into a position in which resignation is the only option, and the challenges of sharing the news of being dismissed with relatives, friends, and colleagues. The concluding chapters address the logistical, professional, and personal aspects of applying for new jobs after being fired. The book is well written and fast-moving, treating a complex and emotionally charged subject with sensitivity. The anecdotes that make up the core of the volume are well chosen and compelling without becoming melodramatic. The manual is clearly written for an audience of high-achieving professionals ("You're the woman who worked fourteen-hour days, then went to the gym and answered emails while running on the treadmill"), but much of the counsel, particularly about coping with emotions in preparation for shifting to a new role, is applicable to less-privileged readers as well. Merle does a solid job of steering readers through a complex and challenging process, and the book is easy to digest, with a substantial amount of information presented in a relatively concise text. A useful and insightful guide to dealing with being fired from a job.
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