Andrew Taylor 
Burning the Suit 
Fighting Back Against the Aftershock of Redundancy

For most people, a fear of redundancy hangs over them like a dark
cloud. In Andrew Taylor’s case, it was a sudden, brutal push
in the back. Building on his contribution to the Aftershock
series on dealing with redundancy in The Sunday Times and
his own personal experiences, Burning the Suit shows how it
can be used as an opportunity to take control of your life. This is
for anyone who is looking for more in life than a 9-5 job,
featuring:

* Disaster or Opportunity?

* What am I going to do?

* Taking stock, taking control, and taking a new
opportunity

* Outplacement agencies, counsellors, and career coaches

* Selling yourself

* Being your own boss

* Networking

* Making it happen

Table of Content

Acknowledgements.

Introduction: To Mr. Andrew.

Chapter One. Thrown Off the Treadmill.

Finding out what sort of friends I’d got, and how useful the
lawyers could be. Hearing how other people had coped-and deciding
to burn the suit.

Chapter Two. What Am I Going to Do?

How was I supposed to be feeling? And had I been thrown off the
treadmill or set free from prison?

Chapter Three. Always Look on the…

…Bright Side of Life, they say – but it’s not that easy. There’s
always the duck-pond – and the gym. Taking stock, taking control,
and taking a new opportunity.

Chapter Four. Looking for Help.

The biggest question of all, and the professionals who say they can
help you answer it – outplacement agencies, counselors, and career
coaches.

Chapter Five. Aftershock.

The Aftershock column, the caller from hell, and the Aftershock
generation. There is a life outside.

Chapter Six. Grabbing at Logs.

Tinker, tailor, soldier, sailor – not to mention fireman, plumber,
and teacher.

Chapter Seven. Becoming Gordon Ramsay.

The most important lesson of all – and it involves white wine
and shallots. And just look who is on your side.

Chapter Eight. Selling Yourself.

What is it about interviews? And Ian Botham and the myth of
experience.

Chapter Nine. Being Your Own Boss.

Scary statistics for would-be businessmen – have you got what it
takes? Freelances and franchises.

Chapter Ten. A Brief Stopover in Hell.

Networking parties – the Spanish Inquisition of the 21st century.
How to handle them and how to avoid them.

Chapter Eleven. The Money Man.

A surprisingly good friend in need. Another big question, and the
five-point plan to security.

Chapter Twelve. Rattling a Tin.

Becoming Mr. Nice – finding out about how charities work, and what
they can do for you.

Chapter Thirteen. So What Did I Want?

A few good examples – and the biggest decision so far.

Chapter Fourteen. Making It Happen.

One nightmare and half a dozen dreams – how people take their
second chances.

Afterword. Why Have You Been Reading This Book?

Dogs eating dogs, and a few other thoughts.

About the author

Over the last 30 years, Andrew Taylor has worked as a journalist in senior positions in television, newspapers, and magazines in Britain and the Middle East.
He has broadcast regularly on a wide range of subjects for BBC Television’s national and international news programmes; revamped and re-launched the national television news service for Dubai, in the United Arab Emirates; and written articles and reports in several Fleet Street newspapers, as well as in magazines in the United Kingdom, Dubai and throughout the pan-Arab world. He is a former political correspondent for the Daily Express.
He has also produced videos on the rebuilding of Lebanon, on the conflict in Palestine and on air shows and other events in Dubai.
For the last ten years, Andrew has been Media Consultant for the National Playing Fields Association in London, helping to raise the organisation’s profile, run campaigns and co-ordinate press coverage.