We Were Let Go, and We're Embracing It – This Is How to Land a New Job That Works for You
The start of a new year is frequently a moment for introspection, and for a lot of us, that includes thinking about our professional paths.
Two publishing professionals who left their jobs due to organizational changes at first believed their world had ended.
"I poured all my energy into the position... I believed in the values we stood for. But in my case, those principles were absent," a former editor remarks.
They both opted to say "let go" and suggest that being open about it can assist you handle it.
"We use so many alternative phrases for job loss. But the faster you acknowledge it, the sooner you're honest regarding it, the sooner you can move on.
"It's the direct path to what you desire to do next," she continues.
Today, they are excelling in new positions, with one leading her own media company and the other working as lead editor for a luxury magazine.
Whether you've lost your job or are just looking for a new career, here are four methods to assist you.
1. Consider Last Year
It's common to experience a bit low about work following time off.
A careers coach highlights the necessity of introspection before embarking on a new job search.
She encourages professionals to evaluate what they want to do more of, what they want less of, and what energizes or exhausts their energy.
Examining your accomplishments to find recurring patterns is useful too. "Try to avoid just looking at the recent past, because we all suffer from to focus on the recent that can impede your judgment," she notes.
She also notes it is vital to decide where your work fits in your life.
This requires being honest about how much time you're working and its impact on your personal and family life.
Following her job loss, she suggests against letting your life be shaped solely by your career.
2. Take Gradual Moves
She states that individuals can make incremental moves for a career transition without a complete leap.
She took seven years to move from a corporate role to operating a company completely, building the venture while still employed, which allowed self-funding from the start.
"It required additional time, but that was how I did it in a sustainable way," she says.
She advocates for an experimental strategy.
This might involve pro bono work, participating in a professional project you find appealing, or accepting a new challenge within your current team.
"The worst outcome, you learn that area isn't for you, but it's preferable to learn now than after you've switched careers," she adds.
She also advises exploring short-term "bridging roles". These might not be the ideal job, but they act as a step in the right direction, like a job with similarities to your target field, though not in the exact field.
"It involves allowing yourself the leeway to acknowledge this is good for now, but that does not mean for all time.
"This is an intelligent approach to get much closer to that career change."
3. Remember Your Successes
If you've recently been made redundant from your job, many are in the same boat – job cuts have risen to high levels recently.
She was editor-in-chief in a magazine, but in 2022 her entire team were made redundant following a decision to discontinued the physical magazine.
Realizing that this event was not a reflection of her ability allowed her to process the change.
"Your experience doesn't go away just because you were let go.
"Don't relinquish your power, it's crucial for everybody to recall their own value."
Another professional was let go following a long tenure with a finance publication following a regime change in management and the arrival of a different editor.
She stresses that so much of the stigma associated with being fired is internal.
"Considering the vast numbers of individuals facing redundancy, it's usually not about you. Chances are very much not you, so refrain from bearing that ball of shame unnecessarily."
4. Develop a Career Checklist
For those who are actively hunting for a new job or feel profoundly unhappy in your current role, it can be tempting to jump at for any job – disregarding personal fulfillment.
But this is a significant mistake.
Rather, she recommends an exercise called "browsing" – focusing your search on job descriptions that seem appealing.
She recommends searching professional networks and saving around 10 to 15 that appeal to you.
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