We Were Fired, and We're Embracing It – Here's How to Find a Fresh Position That Fits Your Needs
The beginning of a new year is frequently a time for reflection, and for many, that encompasses evaluating our professional paths.
Two publishing professionals who were made redundant from their roles due to organizational changes at first believed it was a disaster.
"I dedicated all my energy into that role... I had faith in the values we promoted. Yet, when it came to me, that ethos didn't apply," she states.
The two chose to use the term "let go" and believe that being transparent about the situation can assist you handle the event.
"We use numerous alternative phrases for losing a job. But the faster you accept it, the quicker you're honest about it, the quicker you can progress.
"That's the direct path to anything you want to pursue next," she adds.
Today, they are thriving in new ventures, where one running her own firm and the other serving as lead editor for a luxury magazine.
Whether you've been made redundant or are just considering a shift, these are four methods for guidance.
1. Consider The Previous Year
It's common to experience some apprehension regarding your job following time off.
A career expert highlights the necessity of looking back before starting a new job search.
She encourages professionals to evaluate what they wish to increase, what they want less of, and which factors motivates or depletes them.
Examining your past successes to find underlying threads can also help. "Avoid considering only the recent past, because we all exhibit for recency bias that can obstruct the process," she notes.
Another professional says it is crucial to decide the role of work fits in your life.
This means being honest regarding the hours you devote to work and the influence on your personal life.
Following her job loss, she recommends not allowing yourself be dictated by your career.
2. Make Incremental Actions
She states that individuals can make gradual progress towards a career shift without committing fully.
Her own journey took seven years to make the jump from a corporate role to operating a company entirely, working on her idea concurrently with her role, which meant she could pay herself.
"It needed a bit longer, but that represented my approach in a sustainable way," she says.
She advocates for an experimental strategy.
This can include volunteer work, participating in an initiative that interests you, or saying yes to a different task at your present job.
"If it fails, you find out you don't like, but it's preferable to learn now than after you've committed fully," she states.
She also advises considering temporary "stepping-stone" positions. They are perhaps not the ideal job, yet they function as a step in the right direction, such as a role that shares traits to your target field, but in a different industry or sector.
"It's about granting yourself the leeway to acknowledge this is suitable temporarily, but that isn't permanent.
"That represents a clever tactic for moving much closer to a desired transition."
3. Recall Your Achievements
For anyone who has recently lost your role, many are in the same boat – redundancy rates have risen significantly recently.
One professional was the top editor in a magazine, previously her entire team lost their jobs following a decision to closed the print version.
Understanding that this was not a reflection of her skills assisted her process the change.
"The skills you've gained remains with you because you were dismissed.
"Don't give up your confidence, it's important for all individuals to recall their own worth."
Another professional was let go after ten years in a business journal due to leadership changes in management and the arrival of a different editor.
She stresses that a lot of the stigma of dismissal is in your head.
"With many professionals losing jobs, it's usually not about you. It's probably not about you, so don't carry that ball of shame around with you."
4. Build a Professional Checklist
If you're urgently looking for a new job or feel deeply dissatisfied with your present job, the temptation is to jump at for any vacancy – overlooking what suits you.
But this is a major error.
Instead, she suggests a technique known as "browsing" – filtering opportunities on position summaries that sound interesting.
She suggests searching professional networks and collecting around 10 to 15 that you like.
"What are {the words|the
