We Were Dismissed, and We Accept It – Here's How to Land a Fresh Position That Works for You
The start of a new year can be a moment for introspection, and for a lot of us, that includes thinking about our work lives.
Two editors who were made redundant from their jobs due to organizational changes initially felt it was a disaster.
"I invested my heart into the position... I believed in the values we stood for. Yet, when it came to me, those values didn't apply," one of them says.
The two decided to employ the word "dismissed" and argue that being honest about it can assist you handle the event.
"People rely on countless alternative phrases for being dismissed. Yet, the sooner you acknowledge it, the quicker you're honest regarding it, the quicker you can progress.
"That is the quickest route to anything you desire to pursue next," she continues.
Today, they are thriving in different roles, with one running a media business and the other serving as editor-in-chief for a luxury magazine.
Whether you've been laid off or are simply looking for a new career, these are four strategies to assist you.
1. Reflect On The Previous Year
It's common to feel a bit low about work post-festive period.
A professional advisor highlights the value of introspection before starting a fresh job hunt.
She advises professionals to evaluate what they want to pursue more, what to decrease, and what energizes or exhausts their energy.
Examining your achievements to identify underlying threads can also help. "Try to avoid focusing solely on the last month, as people often have a tendency for recency bias that can impede clear thinking," she notes.
A former editor says it is important to determine the role of work plays in your life.
This requires being honest about the amount of time you spend working and its effect on your family and family life.
After being let go, she recommends not allowing your life be defined by your career.
2. Take Small Steps
The expert says people can make gradual progress for a career transition without committing fully.
She herself required a long period to transition from her corporate career to operating a company completely, building the venture alongside her job, which allowed she could pay herself.
"It took additional time, however, that was how I did it without risk," she says.
She suggests a test-run strategy.
This might involve volunteering, joining a work project that captures your interest, or saying yes to a different task within your current team.
"The worst outcome, you learn you don't like, but it's better to know now rather than after you've committed fully," she states.
She also encourages looking into short-term "bridging roles". They are perhaps not the perfect role, yet they function as a move forward, like a job with parallels to the career you want, but in a different area.
"It involves granting yourself the space to acknowledge this is good for now, but that isn't permanent.
"This is a very smart approach to get closer to your desired transition."
3. Recall Your Achievements
Should you have recently lost your role, you are not the only one – job cuts have surged markedly in recent times.
A former editor was editor-in-chief for a fashion publication, but a few years ago she lost their jobs after the company ceased print operations.
Recognizing that this event was not indicative of her performance assisted her process the change.
"What you've learned remains with you simply due to lost your job.
"Do not surrender your power, it's vital for everybody to remember their intrinsic value."
Another professional lost her job after a decade in a business journal after a change in management and the arrival of a new editor.
She emphasizes that so much of the embarrassment associated with being fired is self-imposed.
"Given that hundreds of thousands of professionals losing jobs, it's usually not about you. Chances are not about you, so don't carry that burden of shame forward."
4. Build a Professional Checklist
When you're actively hunting for a new job or feel utterly miserable with your present job, the temptation is to jump at for any vacancy – overlooking what suits you.
Yet, this can be a big misstep.
Alternatively, she proposes a method called "reviewing" – focusing your search on position summaries that sound interesting.
She advises browsing job platforms and collecting a selection of that appeal to you.
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