Blindsided: Surviving Career Meltdown
by Roger E. Hawkins, Ph.D.

book review by Wendy Thomas

Bats, bees, and buzzards–that's how being blindsided by unemployment is described: a bat cannot fly starting from the ground, a bee cannot fly away from the inside of a jar, or a buzzard fly without the necessary running room. Blindsided gives you that running room to catch your breath, plan, get time to take off, and begin again. Losing your career means more than just losing a job. There is emotional collateral damage as one struggles with the psychological fallout while trying to rediscover who they are and how they can reestablish themselves in the work world.

In this well written and nicely organized workbook, Roger E. Hawkins, Ph.D. uses his experience in executive development and career planning to guide the shell-shocked, displaced worker through the necessary steps to overcome the sudden life altering event of losing your job and identity. With authoritative sensitivity, Hawkins leads you through exercises including:

• Self-assessment: Who am I?

• Resume preparation

• Campaign planning

• How and where to search for jobs

• Effective job interview techniques

• Record keeping

Each step of the job search, interview, and eventual workforce reentry is broken down into separate tasks and given timelines. Although one might be overwhelmed at the enormity of trying to find a new job, this guide helps you can focus on the daily and weekly tasks reducing the overall anxiety.

Using the standard workbook question with fill-in answer, the reader is given plenty of opportunity to self-assess their goals and actions. Cover letter and resume examples are provided along with comprehensive checklists of common pitfalls while composing these documents. Each topic is peppered with plenty of suggestions and bits of advice all intended to move the reader forward to provide that much needed room (and confidence) to fly again.

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