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A new year's onset can be a time for reflection, and for a lot of us, that encompasses evaluating our professional paths.

Two editors who left their jobs due to organizational changes initially felt it was catastrophic.

"I invested everything into the position... I believed in the values we championed. But in my case, those values didn't apply," a former editor remarks.

They both opted to employ the word "fired" and suggest that being transparent about what happened can help you process the event.

"We use countless euphemisms for being dismissed. However, the quicker you own it, the sooner you're honest about it, the sooner you can move on.

"That's the fast track to what you wish next," she adds.

Now, they are excelling in new ventures, with one owning her own media company and the other holding the position of top editor for a luxury magazine.

Whether you've lost your job or are simply contemplating a change, consider these four strategies for guidance.

1. Contemplate The Previous Year

It's common to have some apprehension concerning your career after a holiday break.

A career expert highlights the importance of looking back before embarking on the search for a new role.

She encourages people to consider what they want to increase, what to decrease, and which factors inspires or drains their energy.

Reviewing your past successes to find recurring patterns can also help. "Avoid focusing solely on the most recent period, as people often exhibit to focus on the recent that can impede your judgment," she notes.

She also says it is vital to establish what place your job fits in your life.

This involves being truthful about how much time you spend working and its impact on your personal life.

Following her job loss, she recommends against letting your life be dictated by your career.

2. Take Incremental Actions

The expert notes that professionals can take small steps towards changing careers without committing fully.

She herself took several years to make the jump from her corporate career to running her own business completely, building her project concurrently with her role, which meant self-funding from the start.

"It required more time, but that was how I did it without risk," she explains.

She suggests an experimental strategy.

This could be pro bono work, participating in a professional project you find appealing, or accepting a new challenge within your current team.

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

She also advises exploring interim roles. These may not be the perfect role, but they act as a move towards your goal, for example a position that shares traits to the career you want, though not in the exact field.

"It means giving yourself the permission to accept this works for now, but that isn't for all time.

"That can be an intelligent strategy to get nearer to your new career."

3. Remember Your Accomplishments

For anyone who has just left your position, you aren't alone – redundancy rates have increased markedly lately.

A former editor held a senior role at a style magazine, but a few years ago she lost their jobs after the company ceased print operations.

Understanding that this situation did not reflect of her ability helped her handle the transition.

"What you've learned remains with you simply due to were let go.

"Do not surrender your power, it's important for all individuals to recall their own worth."

Her colleague lost her job after ten years in a business journal after a change in management and the hiring of new leadership.

She stresses that much of the embarrassment of job loss is in your head.

"Given that hundreds of thousands of individuals facing redundancy, it's not personal. It's likely not about you, so avoid carrying that feeling forward."

4. Develop a Career Checklist

If you're actively hunting for work or are deeply dissatisfied in your current role, you might be tempted to jump at for any job – ignoring what suits you.

Yet, this can be a significant mistake.

Rather, she recommends an exercise called "scanning" – narrowing your search down to position summaries that capture your interest.

She advises browsing professional networks and gathering around 10 to 15 that appeal to you.

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