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The start of a new year can be a time for reflection, and for a lot of us, that includes thinking about our professional paths.

Two publishing professionals who were made redundant from their jobs following company reorganizations at first believed their world had ended.

"I invested all my energy into the position... I had faith in the ethos we promoted. However, regarding my situation, that ethos were absent," she says.

They both chose to employ the word "fired" and argue that being honest about the situation can help you handle the experience.

"People rely on countless alternative phrases for job loss. However, the quicker you own it, the sooner you're honest about it, the faster you can move on.

"It's the quickest route to whatever you want next," she continues.

Now, they are excelling in new ventures, where one leading a media business and another holding the position of top editor for a high-end journal.

Whether you've been laid off or are looking for a new career, here are four methods to assist you.

1. Contemplate The Previous Year

It's common to have some apprehension regarding your job after a holiday break.

A careers coach highlights the necessity of reflection before embarking on a fresh job hunt.

She advises professionals to evaluate what they desire to pursue more, what to reduce, and what energizes or exhausts their drive.

Reviewing your past successes to spot recurring patterns is also beneficial. "Avoid considering only the last month, as people often have a tendency for recent-event bias that can impede clear thinking," she adds.

Another professional says it is important to establish where your work occupies in your life.

This requires being candid regarding the hours you're working and the influence on your social and family life.

After her own experience, she advises preventing your identity be shaped solely by your work.

2. Make Small Steps

The expert says people can take gradual progress towards changing careers without committing fully.

She required a long period to move from a corporate role to managing her own company completely, building her project alongside her job, which allowed self-funding from the start.

"It took additional time, however, that was the method I used in a sustainable way," she says.

She advocates for a "try before you buy" approach.

This might involve pro bono work, participating in a professional project you find appealing, or agreeing to a different task at your present job.

"If it fails, you discover you don't like, but it's preferable to learn now rather than after you've switched careers," she adds.

She also encourages considering interim roles. They are perhaps not the perfect role, yet they function as progress towards your goal, for example a position that shares traits to your target field, but in a different field.

"It's about giving yourself the leeway to say this is good for now, but that does not mean the same as forever.

"That can be a clever approach for moving nearer to your career change."

3. Remember Your Successes

For anyone who has recently lost your position, many are in the same boat – job cuts have surged markedly recently.

A former editor was the top editor in a magazine, previously she and her team were made redundant when the firm ceased print operations.

Understanding that this event did not reflect of her skills assisted her handle the transition.

"Your experience doesn't disappear because you were let go.

"Don't give up your confidence, it's crucial for everybody to recognize their intrinsic value."

Her colleague was fired following a long tenure with a finance publication after a change in senior ranks and the appointment of new leadership.

She stresses that so much of the embarrassment of dismissal is self-imposed.

"With many people being laid off, it's usually not about you. Chances are very much not you, so refrain from bearing that burden of shame unnecessarily."

4. Build a Job Search List

If you're desperately seeking a new job or feel deeply dissatisfied at work, the temptation is to dive straight into applying at any opportunity – disregarding your own happiness.

Yet, this can be a major error.

Alternatively, she proposes an exercise called "reviewing" – focusing your search down to position summaries that sound interesting.

She advises exploring job platforms and gathering a selection of that seem promising.

"Look for {the words|the