Author: Janet Davies
Price: £10.99
Publisher: Arima Publishing
Pages: 220
ISBN: 1845491017
If you need a book that will put redundancy into perspective, give some sensible advice and guidance, provide follow-up resources and contacts and do all this without being patronising – this is it.
Davies presents information that is easy to read at all levels and puts the words “there is a future” back into the mindset, which is important when many of her readers will be feeling low and vulnerable.
The book gives a common-sense and structured approach to dealing with the many financial and social/emotional strands present before and during a redundancy situation.
What is more important, however, is that Davies doesn’t write only about the initial heavy impact of the short term. The book gets the reader to think in the longer term and also outside of the “this is what I do” approach. She introduces them to other options that can still use transferable skills for different career paths, or soften the gap between positions.
It is a good-value alternative to the sometimes overbearing world of outplacers, agencies and financial advisers. Its content can be digested at the pace and understanding level of the reader.
There is one layout issue that could possibly put readers off. The slightly heavier explanation of redundancy and the facts-at-a-glance parts are at the start of the book. It would have been better at the back as an appendix to which a slightly softer introduction could have referred.
The book is also useful if you want to change career or jump out of your box. Overall, it’s a good publication.
Useful? Four out of five stars
Well-written? Three out of five stars
Practical? Four out of five stars
Inspirational? Three out of five stars
Value for money? Four out of five stars
Overall? Four out of five stars
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Reviewed by Malcolm Houghton-le-Chapple, head of HR, Amersham & Wycombe College
