We Got Let Go, and We Accept It – This Is How to Secure a Fresh Position That Works for You
The start of a new year is frequently a moment for introspection, and for numerous people, that encompasses thinking about our professional paths.
Two editors who left their jobs after corporate restructures initially felt their world had ended.
"I invested my heart into the job... I had faith in the values we championed. However, regarding my situation, those principles were absent," one of them says.
Both individuals decided to employ the word "dismissed" and believe that being transparent about it can help you handle it.
"We use countless alternative phrases for losing a job. But the faster you accept it, the quicker you're honest regarding it, the quicker you can advance.
"It's the direct path to what you desire to pursue next," she continues.
Today, they are succeeding in new positions, where one running a media business and the other working as editor-in-chief for a high-end journal.
If you've been made redundant or are simply considering a shift, these are four approaches for guidance.
1. Reflect On The Past Year
It's common to feel some apprehension regarding your job after a holiday break.
A careers coach highlights the necessity of looking back prior to launching the search for a new role.
She suggests professionals to evaluate what they wish to increase, what they want less of, and which factors energizes or exhausts them.
Examining your past successes to find common themes can also help. "Avoid just looking at the most recent period, as people often exhibit to focus on the recent that can obstruct clear thinking," she states.
She also states it is crucial to determine where your work fits in your life.
This involves being candid regarding the hours you're working and the influence on your personal and family life.
After being let go, she advises not allowing your identity be shaped solely by your career.
2. Take Small Steps
The advisor says people can make gradual progress for a career transition without committing fully.
She herself required a long period to move from a corporate role to running her own company full-time, building her project while still employed, which meant self-funding from the start.
"It required additional time, but that represented how I did it sustainably," she explains.
She advocates for an experimental approach.
This can include volunteering, joining a work project that captures your interest, or accepting a different task at your present job.
"If it fails, you discover it's not a fit, but it's better to learn now instead of after you've made the move," she adds.
Additionally, she suggests exploring interim roles. These might not be the perfect role, but they serve as a move in the right direction, for example a position with parallels to the career you want, yet not in the same industry or sector.
"It involves giving yourself the leeway to say this is good for now, but that does not mean permanent.
"That represents an intelligent tactic for moving much closer to a career change."
3. Recall Your Accomplishments
Should you have recently been made redundant from your position, many are in the same boat – job cuts have risen to high levels in recent times.
A former editor was the top editor for a fashion publication, but a few years ago she and her team lost their jobs after the company closed the print version.
Realizing that this event did not reflect of her performance assisted her process the change.
"What you've learned doesn't disappear because you were dismissed.
"Don't give up your power, it's important for all individuals to recognize their own value."
The other editor lost her job after a decade at a financial magazine following a regime change in senior ranks and the hiring of a new editor.
She emphasizes that so much of the shame of dismissal is internal.
"Given that hundreds of thousands of professionals losing jobs, it's usually not about you. It's probably very much not you, so don't carry that burden of shame forward."
4. Develop a Professional Checklist
For those who are actively hunting for employment or are deeply dissatisfied in your current role, it can be tempting to dive straight into applying at any opportunity – ignoring what suits you.
However, this represents a major error.
Rather, she recommends an exercise called "reviewing" – filtering opportunities on role profiles that capture your interest.
She recommends searching job platforms and saving a selection of that you like.
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