We Got Fired, and We're Owning It – Here's How to Secure a New Job That Works Your Needs
The start of a new year is frequently a time for reflection, and for numerous people, that includes thinking about our career trajectories.
Two editors who were made redundant from their jobs following company reorganizations originally thought their world had ended.
"I dedicated everything into the position... I had faith in the principles we championed. However, regarding my situation, those values were absent," she remarks.
The two opted to employ the word "fired" and suggest that being transparent about the situation can aid you handle the experience.
"We use so many alternative phrases for job loss. But the faster you accept it, the quicker you're truthful regarding it, the faster you can progress.
"It's the quickest route to whatever you want next," she continues.
Currently, they are excelling in new ventures, where one leading her own media company and the other holding the position of lead editor for a luxury magazine.
For those who have lost your job or are simply looking for a new career, consider these four strategies to assist you.
1. Contemplate The Past Year
It's typical to feel some apprehension regarding your job after a holiday break.
A professional advisor emphasizes the necessity of reflection prior to launching the search for a new role.
She advises professionals to evaluate what they wish to increase, what they want less of, and which factors energizes or exhausts their drive.
Reviewing your past successes to identify recurring patterns is useful too. "Avoid focusing solely on the recent past, since everyone have a tendency for recency bias that can impede the process," she adds.
A former editor states it is crucial to decide where your work plays in your life.
This requires being truthful regarding the hours you devote to work and its impact on your social and social life.
After being let go, she recommends against letting your identity be shaped solely by your work.
2. Make Small Steps
The advisor states that individuals can implement small steps towards a career shift without diving in headfirst.
She required a long period to move from a traditional job to managing her own business full-time, working on the venture alongside her job, which enabled she could pay herself.
"It took more time, but that represented the method I used without risk," she comments.
She suggests a test-run method.
This can include volunteer work, joining a work project that captures your interest, or agreeing to a different task in your existing role.
"The worst outcome, you learn it's not a fit, but it's preferable to learn now instead of after you've switched careers," she states.
She also encourages exploring temporary "stepping-stone" positions. They are perhaps not the dream position, but they serve as a move in the right direction, like a job with similarities to your desired career, but in a different field.
"It's about giving yourself the permission to acknowledge this works for now, but that does not mean permanent.
"That can be a very smart strategy for moving nearer to a new career."
3. Remember Your Accomplishments
Should you have recently been made redundant from your role, many are in the same boat – redundancy rates have increased to high levels recently.
She was editor-in-chief at a style magazine, but a few years ago she and her team were laid off following a decision to closed the print version.
Realizing that this event did not reflect of her skills assisted her process the change.
"Your experience doesn't go away just because you lost your job.
"Don't relinquish your confidence, it's important for everyone to remember their own worth."
The other editor was let go after ten years at a financial magazine due to leadership changes at the top and the appointment of new leadership.
She stresses that much of the shame of job loss is in your head.
"Given that hundreds of thousands of individuals facing redundancy, it's not personal. It's probably very much not you, so don't carry that ball of shame unnecessarily."
4. Build a Job Search List
For those who are desperately seeking employment or are deeply dissatisfied at work, the temptation is to dive straight into applying at any opportunity – ignoring what suits you.
However, this represents a major error.
Alternatively, she proposes an exercise called "reviewing" – filtering opportunities on job descriptions that seem appealing.
She suggests searching sites like LinkedIn and collecting a selection of that appeal to you.
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