We Were Fired, and We're Embracing It – This Is How to Secure a New Job That Suits Your Needs
The beginning of a new year can be a time for reflection, and for a lot of us, that encompasses considering our professional paths.
Two publishing professionals who lost their jobs after corporate restructures at first believed it was catastrophic.
"I poured all my energy into that role... I believed in the ethos we stood for. But in my case, those values didn't apply," a former editor says.
The two opted to employ the word "let go" and argue that being honest about what happened can help you handle it.
"We use numerous alternative phrases for losing a job. However, the quicker you own it, the faster you're candid regarding it, the sooner you can advance.
"It's the fast track to whatever you wish to pursue next," she notes.
Today, they are thriving in new ventures, where one running her own media company and the other serving as top editor for a luxury magazine.
If you've been made redundant or are contemplating a change, consider these four methods that can help.
1. Reflect On The Past Year
It's typical to experience some unease regarding your job post-festive period.
A career expert emphasizes the necessity of introspection prior to launching a new job search.
She advises professionals to evaluate what they want to pursue more, what to decrease, and what inspires or drains them.
Examining your accomplishments to find common themes is useful too. "Try to avoid focusing solely on the recent past, since everyone exhibit to focus on the recent that can impede your judgment," she notes.
A former editor notes it is vital to establish what place your job occupies in your life.
This requires being truthful regarding the hours you devote to work and its effect on your social and social life.
After her own experience, she suggests preventing yourself be shaped solely by your job.
2. Implement Incremental Actions
The advisor states that individuals can make gradual progress towards a career shift without diving in headfirst.
She herself took several years to transition from a traditional job to managing her own business full-time, building the venture concurrently with her role, which enabled self-funding from the start.
"It took more time, however, that was how I did it without risk," she comments.
She recommends an experimental strategy.
This might involve volunteer work, participating in a professional project that captures your interest, or saying yes to a new challenge within your current team.
"If it fails, you discover it's not a fit, but it's preferable to find out now than after you've made the move," she adds.
She also encourages looking into short-term "bridging roles". These might not be the dream position, yet they function as progress in the right direction, such as a role with similarities to your target field, but in a different field.
"It's about granting yourself the leeway to say this is suitable temporarily, however, that is not the same as forever.
"That can be a very smart strategy for moving nearer to your desired transition."
3. Remember Your Accomplishments
For anyone who has recently been made redundant from your role, you are not the only one – layoff figures have risen markedly recently.
A former editor held a senior role for a fashion publication, previously she and her team lost their jobs following a decision to ceased print operations.
Realizing that this event was not indicative of her skills assisted her cope with the situation.
"What you've learned doesn't go away because you were dismissed.
"Don't relinquish your confidence, it's important for everyone to recognize their intrinsic value."
The other editor was let go following a long tenure at a financial magazine following a regime change at the top and the appointment of new leadership.
She stresses that a lot of the shame of job loss is in your head.
"With many individuals facing redundancy, it's not personal. It's likely very much not you, so avoid carrying that feeling unnecessarily."
4. Build a Professional Checklist
When you're actively hunting for employment or are utterly miserable at work, the temptation is to jump at for any vacancy – disregarding what suits you.
But this is a major error.
Alternatively, she proposes an exercise called "scanning" – narrowing your search to only job descriptions that seem appealing.
She advises searching sites like LinkedIn and gathering a selection of that you like.
"Look for {the words|the
