We Got Let Go, and We're Owning It – Here's How to Land a New Role That Fits for You
The start of a new year can be a period for contemplation, and for a lot of us, that includes considering our professional paths.
Two publishing professionals who lost their roles after corporate restructures initially felt it was a disaster.
"I invested my heart into the job... I trusted in the principles we stood for. However, regarding my situation, those values didn't apply," a former editor remarks.
They both decided to employ the word "dismissed" and argue that being transparent about what happened can aid you process the experience.
"We use so many soft terms for losing a job. However, the quicker you own it, the quicker you're truthful about it, the quicker you can advance.
"That is the quickest route to whatever you wish next," she notes.
Today, they are excelling in new ventures, where one running a media business and another working as editor-in-chief for a high-end journal.
If you've been laid off or are looking for a new career, here are four approaches that can help.
1. Contemplate The Previous Year
It's natural to experience a bit low concerning your career post-festive period.
A career expert stresses the importance of looking back before embarking on a new job search.
She advises professionals to evaluate what they want to increase, what they want less of, and what inspires or drains their drive.
Looking back at your achievements to identify underlying threads can also help. "Avoid considering only the recent past, as people often have a tendency to focus on the recent that can impede clear thinking," she adds.
A former editor notes it is important to establish where your work fits in your life.
This involves being truthful regarding the hours you spend working and its impact on your family life.
Following her job loss, she advises not allowing yourself be shaped solely by your work.
2. Take Small Steps
She says people can make gradual progress towards changing careers without a complete leap.
She herself took seven years to move from a corporate role to managing her own company full-time, working on her idea concurrently with her role, which enabled she could pay herself.
"It required more time, but that represented how I did it sustainably," she explains.
She advocates for an experimental strategy.
This might involve volunteering, getting involved in a work project that interests you, or accepting a different task in your existing role.
"If it fails, you discover you don't like, but it's preferable to find out now rather than after you've committed fully," she adds.
She also encourages exploring interim roles. They are perhaps not the ideal job, but they serve as progress towards your goal, like a job with parallels to your target field, but in a different area.
"It's about granting yourself the space to accept this is good for now, but that does not mean for all time.
"That represents an intelligent approach for getting nearer to that career change."
3. Remember Your Successes
Should you have just left your job, many are in the same boat – redundancy rates have surged to high levels recently.
A former editor was the top editor for a fashion publication, but a few years ago she and her team were made redundant when the firm discontinued the physical magazine.
Recognizing that this event was not a reflection of her ability allowed her to cope with the situation.
"The skills you've gained doesn't go away just because you were dismissed.
"Do not surrender your power, it's vital for all individuals to remember their own value."
The other editor was fired after a decade at a financial magazine after a change at the top and the hiring of a different editor.
She emphasizes that a lot of the embarrassment associated with being fired is self-imposed.
"Considering the vast numbers of people being laid off, it's rarely personal. Chances are very much not you, so avoid carrying that ball of shame unnecessarily."
4. Build a Career Checklist
When you're desperately seeking a new job or feel deeply dissatisfied in your current role, it can be tempting to apply hastily for any vacancy – disregarding your own happiness.
But this is a big misstep.
Instead, she suggests a method called "reviewing" – focusing your search to only role profiles that seem appealing.
She suggests exploring job platforms and collecting a selection of that seem promising.
"Identify {the words|the
