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A new year's onset is often a period for contemplation, and for many, that includes considering our work lives.

A pair of editors who left their positions after corporate restructures at first believed their world had ended.

"I invested all my energy into the position... I trusted in the values we stood for. Yet, when it came to me, those principles were absent," one of them remarks.

The two chose to say "fired" and suggest that being honest about what happened can assist you deal with it.

"There are numerous soft terms for being dismissed. But the faster you acknowledge it, the sooner you're candid regarding it, the sooner you can move on.

"It's the direct path to anything you want next," she adds.

Now, they are thriving in different roles, where one owning her own media company and another serving as lead editor for a high-end journal.

Whether you've lost your job or are considering a shift, these are four methods to assist you.

1. Consider Last Year

It's typical to have some apprehension concerning your career following time off.

A professional advisor stresses the value of introspection before embarking on the search for a new role.

She encourages individuals to think about what they want to do more of, what they want less of, and the things that inspires or drains their drive.

Examining your accomplishments to find recurring patterns can also help. "Avoid considering only the recent past, since everyone suffer from for recent-event bias that can obstruct clear thinking," she notes.

A former editor notes it is vital to establish what place your job occupies in your life.

This involves being truthful about the amount of time you're working and its effect on your social life.

After being let go, she suggests not allowing your identity be dictated by your career.

2. Implement Gradual Moves

She notes that professionals can make incremental moves towards a career shift without committing fully.

She took several years to transition from her corporate career to managing a company full-time, developing her project concurrently with her role, which enabled she could pay herself.

"It took more time, but that was my approach without risk," she says.

She recommends a "try before you buy" approach.

This can include pro bono work, getting involved in a work project you find appealing, or saying yes to a new challenge in your existing role.

"The worst outcome, you learn that area isn't for you, but it's better to learn now instead of after you've committed fully," she remarks.

Additionally, she suggests exploring interim roles. These might not be the dream position, yet they function as a move in the right direction, like a job with similarities to the career you want, but in a different field.

"It's about giving yourself the leeway to say this is suitable temporarily, however, that is not the same as forever.

"That can be an intelligent strategy for getting much closer to a desired transition."

3. Recall Your Successes

If you've recently been made redundant from your role, you are not the only one – layoff figures have increased significantly lately.

She was the top editor in a magazine, but a few years ago she and her team were laid off following a decision to discontinued the physical magazine.

Recognizing that this was not indicative of her ability allowed her to handle the transition.

"Your experience doesn't disappear simply due to were dismissed.

"Don't give up your confidence, it's vital for everybody to remember their own worth."

Her colleague was fired after ten years with a finance publication due to leadership changes in senior ranks and the hiring of a different editor.

She notes that so much of the shame associated with being fired is self-imposed.

"Given that hundreds of thousands of professionals losing jobs, it's rarely personal. Chances are not about you, so avoid carrying that ball of shame forward."

4. Build a Career Checklist

If you're actively hunting for work or are utterly miserable with your present job, it can be tempting to jump at for any vacancy – overlooking your own happiness.

However, this represents a major error.

Instead, she suggests an exercise called "reviewing" – focusing your search to only position summaries that capture your interest.

She suggests browsing job platforms and saving several that seem promising.

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