by Tim Johnston
First published 2003
Tim Johnston gets the news on January 8 at 3:35 PM. He has lost his job. Three weeks later, after firing off updated resumes into the digital abyss, he discovers a harsh reality. He competes against eight thousand other candidates for nearly every position. The job market has transformed since his last search, leaving him to navigate unfamiliar terrain during a brutal recession. For eight months, Tim chronicles his experience in a monthly column on CareerJournal.com, The Wall Street Journal's executive career website. More than 300,000 readers follow his journey, sharing their own struggles on a discussion board. Tim faces the shock of unemployment, redefines his career goals, and learns to craft compelling resumes. His story becomes a guide for weathering the emotional turbulence of joblessness and transforming economic hardship into opportunity.
Genres: business, self-help, contemporary, non-fiction, 21st-century
Vibes: emotional, intimate, thought-provoking
Tropes: personal-journey, transformation
Period: 2000s, Great Recession
208 pages · Paperback · Ten Speed Press