Fired to Hired: Bouncing Back from Job Loss to Get to Work Right Now

by Tory Johnson

If you want to get hired today, you must be a great candidate and an exceptional job seeker.

Tory Johnson's New York Times bestseller, Will Work from Home , was comprehensive and inspiring. Now, the Women For Hire CEO and Good Morning America workplace contributor returns with advice and real-life stories for finding the right job after being let go. Tory knows what it takes to get noticed and hired, and helps you create a concrete action plan--one that will help you come out stronger and more successful than ever.

Giving up is not an option. Now's the time to get the lay of the land, sharpen your skills, and energize your search. Here you'll learn how to:

*Get over the sting of being unemployed
*Develop a digital identity and dive into online social networking
*Ensure your resume does not get lost in a big black hole
*Build and leverage your "I Rock" file to master essential self-promotion
*Pitch and secure an effective externship and make volunteer experience count
*Launch a valuable job club that will yield strong support, job leads, and career success

Genres: Nonfiction, Self Help, Business

300 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2009

Reviews

[Ursula Shelton · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is awesome, she covered all of the bases concerning job searching. Having recently been laid off, I needed a catch all in a book. The book offered sound advice about job hunting, volunteer ring, Cobra. You name it, it is in the book. If you are currently seeking employment, give this book a try, you will not b dissappointed.

[Chris · Rating 4 out of 5]

The information through the application and resume was good advice. After that it was just a matter figuring out how to word your intentions properly after that.

[Brendan · Rating 3 out of 5]

The best part of this book is the philosophy, as exemplified by the title. Instead of a touchy-feely book about coping with job loss, it takes a matter-of-fact approach to the subject: you were fired, just like lots of people; it seems like a big deal to you, but it's not really a big deal, so get over it, start looking for a new job, and get back to work.

The book is strongest in its initial chapters that discuss dealing with job loss productively and effectively. It gets progressively weaker after that, moving from how to search for a job to collateral topics such as working from home and starting your own business (a topic on which many books have undoubtedly been written). The last full chapter, which is about work-life balance, has nothing to do with the main topic of the book. The advice Johnson gives in these chapters is fine, but nothing new or groundbreaking, and feels like filler for a book that only really contains 150 pages on the main topic.

Also, the book is highly self-promotional, and seems written primarily to generate interest in Johnson's company, Women for Hire, which is mentioned and discussed repeatedly in the book (ostensibly "by way of example" for a point Johnson is trying to make).

There is plenty of useful information, including references to a number of helpful job search-related sites. The book is encouraging while being sympathetic to real-world issues associated with job loss and the job search. But the significant parts relating to the main message could have been written into a book that was half as long, and because the scope of the book is general, you would be well-advised to get more tailored advice if you are looking to identify the best approach to find a job in a particular field or profession.

[Chris Munson · Rating 2 out of 5]

I originally picked up “Fired to Hired” during what I expected to be a prolonged period of unemployment. I was going to use this time to potentially build a business or at the very least take my time in selecting a new company. Conditions changed (I found out I was going to be a father) and I ended up taking a position more quickly than I probably should have. Long story short, I am again faced with the potential of being tossed around by the whims of corporate America, so I thought that it would be a good time to start reading through some career books again. This book is somewhat better than most job hunting books in that it provides examples to help underscore its concepts (instead of just saying "trust us...it will work"). Unfortunately, you won't find anything new or revolutionary in this book. And its advice leans very heavily towards helping women find work...so men will not find it as useful. Solid job seeking advice, but not balanced enough to be helpful to everyone

[Ali Kay · Rating 4 out of 5]

This author knows her stuff. She tells of her own struggles and explains how to pick up the pieces after losing a job. In detail she goes through how to write a great resume and gives a list of essential key words that help your resume stand out. She also shows you how to write a nice cover letter. This book goes in depth on how to find work. There is a list of resources that is especially helpful. It's a great book for those that are out of work and need help getting back to work.

[Tezlyn Reardon · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is a lot of common sense, but it's one of those things where you need someone to say it for you to get it. I read this at a time when I had just lost my job and had lost all hope and confidence. I would recommend it for nothing else then an empowerment tool that reminds you that you are in control of what happens next.

[Lawrence Stone · Rating 3 out of 5]

I enjoyed this book for the most part. As someone who recently quit his job to go back to school it has helped in my search for a new job that will work with my school schedule. This book has a lot of great advice. I wrote a review for it on my my blog @ mydaddythebassplayer.blogspot.com.

[Fatima]

Signed by Tory Johnson herself

[Melissa Lopes · Rating 4 out of 5]

Unfortunately had to read this book but it was very good. It covered all the exact emotions involved with job loss. Also gave good tips and a bit of inspiration.

[Michael · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wonderful book to help you find your own destiny