How to Survive When You Lose Your Job

When I was writing Fatal Impulse, I wanted to throw rocks at Andi Adams, really make things difficult for her. Like most writers, I draw upon my own experiences and emotions to make my characters fully fleshed out and dimensional. Andi is newly widowed, trying to make it on her own, trying to find her footing with her new life. She has to get a job, because her husband, who hadn’t let her work, is dead. She gets a job at a local tourism center. It’s not a high-paying job, but it’s a paycheck and it is experience to use as a stepping stone to a better job later. I’ve been in that position. When I was in college, I took a job at a University office. It wasn’t exactly glamorous (20 hours a week, plus evenings typing – yes, you read that right – the job openings newsletter that went out to alumni), but it was a paycheck and I knew it would look good on my resume after I graduated. But that isn’t enough stress for Andi. I needed to make things more difficult for her. So, I did to her what happened to me in real life. I fired her.

When you get let go, your heart drops into your stomach, and then all the way to the floor. If, like Andi, your independence hangs in the balance, what do you do?

Know this:

You found one job, you’ll find another.
That job wasn’t your dream job.
Realize that this is an opportunity: an opportunity to move, to try a different job, to take a step up on the ladder to your dream life.
Network and research and start applying for jobs that you do want.
Finally, be willing to settle. You may get a job offer that isn’t your dream job, but that position will pay the bills, add experience to your resume, and get you one step closer to seeing your dreams come true.

If you want to see how Andi handles being fired, reserve your copy of Fatal Impulse today!