Authors of ‘All the Cool Girls Get Fired’ Share Tips for Coping with Job Loss

Losing your job doesn’t mean you’re bad.

That’s the message the co-authors of a new book — and the celebrities who contributed to it, like Oprah Winfrey and Lisa Kudrow — are trying to get across.

“All the Cool Girls Get Fired,” by Lauren Brown and Kristina O’Neill, former fashion magazine editors, is a survival guide for anyone who has lost their job, although it is particularly aimed at women.

They explained that this was because there are more well-known examples of high-profile men being fired, such as Steve Jobs and Michael Bloomberg.

“It took us a minute to figure out which women’s stories to include in the book,” O’Neill said. “Getting fired is not a tradition for many women.”

Brown lost her job as editor-in-chief of InStyle magazine in February 2022 when the fashion publication went entirely digital, while O’Neill was fired from the WSJ. Magazine in April 2023 as part of a Wall Street Journal restructuring.

In addition to famous people’s stories about coping with job loss, Brown and O’Neill offer expert human resources, legal and career advice for moving on in their book. They shared four tips with Business Insider on what to do after being laid off:

Don’t sign anything, just unzip.

During layoffs, employers typically require the workers they are laying off to promptly sign a severance package or other termination documents. It’s not necessary to comply right away, and it’s best not to, because getting started is an overwhelming experience, O’Neill said.

“You might be in shock,” she said.

Take the time to understand what’s going on, then review the documents you’ve been asked to sign, O’Neill added. You may want to negotiate extended health coverage or the ability to keep your work phone.

“Actually, you’re in control,” she says. “Because what are they going to do? Fire you? They already fired you.”

Hire a lawyer who only gets paid if you win.

People tend to be too vulnerable after a layoff to successfully negotiate a better severance deal for themselves, Brown said. She recommends seeking help from an expert.

“The lawyer is your fighter, your sword and your shield,” she said. “They write the difficult emails for you when you can’t.”

You don’t need to spend money up front for legal representation because many attorneys work on an emergency basis, Brown noted.

“You really have nothing to lose,” she says.

Take back control with spending hacks.

No longer having a stable income can cause anxiety. To regain a sense of financial security during your job search, look for small ways to reduce your expenses, like bringing cash to the grocery store instead of using a credit card.

“It makes you conscious of what you’re spending,” O’Neill said.

Use your newfound abundance of free time to negotiate lower fees for recurring expenses like Internet service, and to reevaluate whether monthly bills can be eliminated altogether, Brown added.

Also take advantage of your lighter schedule to see all the health care providers you usually see each year before your insurance runs out, O’Neill said. Likewise, if you have been reporting a medical problem, now is the time to get it checked out.

“Go to the doctor as quickly as possible,” she said.

Raise your periscope.

Not only is there nothing wrong with asking people in your network for help after a layoff, it’s also a smart way to move forward, the authors say.

“Fall flat on your back for a week if you want, then raise your periscope,” Brown said. “Ask for help. Women are especially ashamed of being fired, but people will help you if you ask.”

This is especially true today, she continued, given that there are more people looking for work than there are jobs available.

“There’s more empathy,” Brown said. “Thousands and thousands of people are experiencing this. You don’t have exclusivity.”

In the meantime, remember that your value doesn’t disappear when your work is done, O’Neill added. She pointed out that one of the experts she and Brown spoke with for “All the Cool Girls Get Fired” compared employees to library books.

“The company borrows from you, but doesn’t own you,” she said. “The knowledge is yours.”

The author of this article also previously worked at the Wall Street Journal.