We Got Let Go, and We're Embracing It – Here's How to Find a New Role That Suits for You
The start of a new year is frequently a moment for introspection, and for a lot of us, that involves considering our professional paths.
Two publishing professionals who lost their jobs after corporate restructures originally thought it was catastrophic.
"I dedicated my heart into the position... I had faith in the ethos we promoted. But in my case, those values were absent," she says.
Both individuals opted to say "let go" and argue that being honest about it can assist you handle it.
"We use numerous alternative phrases for losing a job. But the faster you acknowledge it, the quicker you're truthful regarding it, the sooner you can move on.
"That's the direct path to whatever you wish next," she notes.
Currently, they are thriving in new positions, where one owning her own firm and another working as lead editor for a luxury magazine.
If you've been made redundant or are simply considering a shift, these are four methods for guidance.
1. Reflect On Last Year
It's common to have some unease about work following time off.
A career expert emphasizes the necessity of looking back before starting the search for a new role.
She encourages professionals to evaluate what they want to pursue more, what to reduce, and the things that energizes or exhausts their drive.
Reviewing your accomplishments to spot recurring patterns is useful too. "Try not to just looking at the recent past, as people often have a tendency for recency bias that can impede the process," she states.
A former editor notes it is crucial to decide the role of work occupies in your life.
This involves being honest regarding the hours you're working and its impact on your family life.
After her own experience, she recommends against letting yourself be shaped solely by your career.
2. Take Small Steps
The advisor states that individuals can make gradual progress towards a career shift without committing fully.
Her own journey took seven years to transition from a corporate role to managing a company completely, building her project while still employed, which allowed she could pay herself.
"It needed a bit longer, but that was my approach sustainably," she explains.
She suggests a test-run strategy.
This can include volunteering, participating in an initiative that interests you, or agreeing to a different task in your existing role.
"Worst case scenario, you learn it's not a fit, however, it's wiser to find out now instead of after you've switched careers," she remarks.
She also encourages exploring interim roles. They are perhaps not the perfect role, but they act as a move in the right direction, like a job with parallels to your target field, though not in the exact field.
"It involves allowing yourself the permission to acknowledge this is good for now, however, that is not the same as forever.
"This is an intelligent strategy for getting nearer to a career change."
3. Acknowledge Your Achievements
If you've recently been made redundant from your job, many are in the same boat – redundancy rates have increased markedly recently.
She was the top editor for a fashion publication, but in 2022 she and her team were laid off following a decision to ceased print operations.
Recognizing that this did not reflect of her skills allowed her to handle the transition.
"What you've learned doesn't disappear just because you were let go.
"Do not surrender your confidence, it's crucial for everybody to recall their own value."
Her colleague was fired following a long tenure in a business journal following a regime change in senior ranks and the hiring of new leadership.
She notes that so much of the stigma of dismissal is self-imposed.
"With many professionals losing jobs, it's usually not about you. It's probably not your fault, so avoid carrying that feeling unnecessarily."
4. Develop a Professional Checklist
For those who are desperately seeking employment or are profoundly unhappy in your current role, the temptation is to dive straight into applying for any vacancy – disregarding what suits you.
However, this represents a big misstep.
Instead, she suggests a technique known as "scanning" – filtering opportunities on role profiles that sound interesting.
She recommends browsing job platforms and gathering a selection of that appeal to you.
"Look for {the words|the