We Were Fired, and We're Embracing It – Learn How to Secure a Fresh Position That Suits for You
The beginning of a new year can be a time for reflection, and for numerous people, that involves evaluating our career trajectories.
Two publishing professionals who lost their roles following company reorganizations originally thought it was catastrophic.
"I poured my heart into the position... I had faith in the ethos we stood for. However, regarding my situation, that ethos were absent," one of them remarks.
Both individuals chose to say "dismissed" and argue that being honest about the situation can assist you handle the event.
"We use so many soft terms for job loss. Yet, the sooner you acknowledge it, the faster you're truthful about it, the faster you can progress.
"That's the fast track to anything you wish to do next," she adds.
Today, they are excelling in new ventures, with one leading her own firm and another serving as editor-in-chief for a high-end journal.
For those who have been laid off or are contemplating a change, consider these four methods to assist you.
1. Reflect On Last Year
It's common to feel some unease about work after a holiday break.
A career expert stresses the importance of looking back before starting a fresh job hunt.
She suggests professionals to evaluate what they want to pursue more, what to decrease, and what inspires or drains them.
Examining your past successes to find underlying threads is useful too. "Try to avoid considering only the recent past, as people often exhibit for recent-event bias that can impede clear thinking," she states.
She also notes it is vital to determine what place your job fits in your life.
This means being candid about the amount of time you spend working and its effect on your social and family life.
Following her job loss, she suggests against letting your identity be shaped solely by your career.
2. Make Gradual Moves
The advisor states that individuals can make incremental moves for a career transition without committing fully.
She herself took seven years to make the jump from her corporate career to running a company full-time, developing her project concurrently with her role, which meant financial stability.
"It needed a bit longer, but that represented my approach without risk," she explains.
She suggests an experimental method.
This can include volunteer work, getting involved in a work project that captures your interest, or accepting something different at your present job.
"If it fails, you discover that area isn't for you, however, it's wiser to learn now rather than after you've committed fully," she states.
She also encourages exploring temporary "stepping-stone" positions. They are perhaps not the perfect role, but they serve as a step in the right direction, for example a position with similarities to your target field, though not in the exact field.
"It involves allowing yourself the space to acknowledge this works for now, but that isn't for all time.
"That can be an intelligent approach for getting nearer to your desired transition."
3. Acknowledge Your Accomplishments
If you've recently lost your position, you are not the only one – job cuts have risen significantly recently.
A former editor was editor-in-chief at a style magazine, previously she and her team lost their jobs when the firm ceased print operations.
Recognizing that this was not indicative of her skills allowed her to process the change.
"What you've learned doesn't disappear because you lost your job.
"Do not surrender your confidence, it's vital for all individuals to remember their own worth."
Her colleague lost her job after ten years in a business journal after a change at the top and the hiring of a new editor.
She emphasizes that a lot of the shame of job loss is self-imposed.
"Given that hundreds of thousands of individuals facing redundancy, it's usually not about you. It's likely very much not you, so avoid carrying that ball of shame forward."
4. Create a Job Search List
For those who are actively hunting for a new job or feel utterly miserable with your present job, the temptation is to jump at for any job – disregarding what suits you.
But this is a significant mistake.
Rather, she recommends a technique known as "browsing" – narrowing your search to only position summaries that sound interesting.
She advises exploring professional networks and collecting a selection of that seem promising.
"Look for {the words|the
