"You're fired!"Surviving the sack, and the benefits of a career break - a podcast by ABC Radio

Andrea Clarke thought she was doing the right thing when she warned a large US aid agency against misappropriating government funds. For her diligence, she was sacked.

Andrea Clarke is a former journalist who was working as Head of Communications for one of the world's largest and most influential aid agencies in the US.

She had been in Iraq during a very dangerous post-war rebuilding period when she witnessed fraud and misappropriation of government funds.

Her letter to the CEO, warning him of the huge reputational damage to the organisation if the practice continued and became public, got her fired.

What followed was immense stress, a frantic search for a new job and the realisation that we all have to future-proof ourselves for an era of unknowns. She's written a book called Future Fit with tips on how to make sure we stay employable, relevant and stand out from others when looking for a job.

And Chris Kent from Hays talks about the pros and cons of taking a career break, and how to keep upskilling even when you are not working.

Further episodes of This Working Life

Further podcasts by ABC Radio

Website of ABC Radio