🔗 Share this article

The beginning of a new year can be a time for reflection, and for a lot of us, that involves considering our work lives.

Two editors who lost their positions due to organizational changes initially felt it was catastrophic.

"I poured all my energy into the position... I believed in the principles we stood for. However, regarding my situation, that ethos didn't apply," one of them remarks.

The two decided to say "let go" and suggest that being open about it can help you process the event.

"There are numerous euphemisms for losing a job. Yet, the sooner you acknowledge it, the sooner you're honest regarding it, the quicker you can move on.

"It's the quickest route to anything you want next," she continues.

Currently, they are excelling in different roles, where one owning her own media company and the other working as editor-in-chief for a luxury magazine.

If you've been made redundant or are simply looking for a new career, consider these four methods that can help.

1. Reflect On The Previous Year

It's natural to feel some apprehension concerning your career following time off.

A professional advisor emphasizes the necessity of introspection prior to launching a new job search.

She advises professionals to evaluate what they want to do more of, what to reduce, and the things that energizes or exhausts their drive.

Reviewing your past successes to identify recurring patterns can also help. "Try to avoid considering only the recent past, because we all exhibit to focus on the recent that can impede clear thinking," she states.

A former editor says it is vital to determine the role of work occupies in your life.

This involves being honest about the amount of time you're working and its effect on your social and social life.

After being let go, she recommends preventing yourself be dictated by your job.

2. Make Incremental Actions

The advisor notes that professionals can make incremental moves towards changing careers without diving in headfirst.

Her own journey took seven years to move from a traditional job to managing a company full-time, developing her idea alongside her job, which enabled self-funding from the start.

"It required more time, however, that was how I did it sustainably," she says.

She advocates for a "try before you buy" method.

This could be pro bono work, getting involved in an initiative that captures your interest, or saying yes to something different within your current team.

"Worst case scenario, you discover you don't like, however, it's wiser to find out now instead of after you've committed fully," she states.

She also advises looking into temporary "stepping-stone" positions. These may not be the ideal job, but they act as progress towards your goal, like a job with parallels to your target field, though not in the exact industry or sector.

"It involves granting yourself the space to acknowledge this works for now, but that does not mean the same as forever.

"This is an intelligent tactic for getting much closer to that career change."

3. Acknowledge Your Successes

If you've recently been made redundant from your position, many are in the same boat – redundancy rates have increased significantly lately.

A former editor was the top editor for a fashion publication, but in 2022 she and her team were laid off when the firm discontinued the physical magazine.

Recognizing that this was not indicative of her skills assisted her cope with the situation.

"Your experience doesn't go away simply due to were dismissed.

"Do not surrender your confidence, it's vital for everybody to remember their intrinsic value."

The other editor lost her job after a decade in a business journal after a change in management and the hiring of a different editor.

She emphasizes that so much of the shame associated with being fired is in your head.

"With many people being laid off, it's rarely personal. It's probably very much not you, so don't carry that feeling around with you."

4. Build a Job Search List

If you're actively hunting for work or are utterly miserable with your present job, you might be tempted to jump at for any job – overlooking personal fulfillment.

But this is a big misstep.

Instead, she suggests a technique known as "scanning" – filtering opportunities on job descriptions that seem appealing.

She advises searching professional networks and saving a selection of that appeal to you.

"Identify {the words|the