Emsworth author says losing your job might be the best thing to ever happen

Using her own experiences, Eleanor Tweddell, from Emsworth, has written a book – called Why losing your job could be the best thing that ever happened to you – to help people who are currently going through redundancy.

Eleanor was made redundant from her communications job at Vodafone due to a company restructure.

She said: ‘I was 42. We had plans to grow our family. I was working on some great projects, and actually loved my job. And then, a few days before Christmas, a call. “I’m sorry we are letting you go”.

‘It was part of a bigger organisational restructure, but it didn’t mean it was less painful. Overnight my plans, my life had changed. Now what? I was lost. For a long time. I had to find strength to make this ok .

‘When you first lose your job you probably aren’t thinking it’s the best thing that’s happened. Far from it.

‘But it is a moment in your life when you can decide how to move forward. And you will move forward. So make it work for you. Get brave. Get inventive. And make it a good thing to happen for you.’

Eleanor was unemployed for six months, while stationed in Emsworth with her Royal Artillery husband.

During this time she started a community blog about her experience, which saw her idea grow.

SEE ALSO: Full list of businesses which will be allowed to open in Portsmouth during coronavirus lockdown

She then rented a desk at Innovation Space, a coworking space in Hampshire Terrace, Southsea, which is part of the University of Portsmouth, in order to put her blogs together and create the framework of her new book.

Here she wrote her book, and said she is delighted to finally see it published this month.

She said: ‘It's a book of hope. I wrote it when I wasn't in a great place. I was out of work for six months, which didn't feel great, but the book helped me, so I hope it's going to help other people.'

'Why losing your job could be the best thing that ever happened to you', published by Penguin, is available to buy from November 5 from Amazon, Waterstones and anotherdoor.co.uk

A message from the Editor, Mark Waldron

The News is more reliant than ever on you taking out a digital subscription to support our journalism.

You can subscribe here for unlimited access to Portsmouth news online - as well as our new Puzzles section.