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The beginning of a new year can be a moment for introspection, and for many, that involves thinking about our work lives.

Two publishing professionals who lost their roles following company reorganizations at first believed it was a disaster.

"I invested all my energy into the position... I believed in the principles we championed. Yet, when it came to me, those values were absent," she states.

Both individuals opted to say "let go" and believe that being transparent about what happened can aid you deal with the experience.

"There are countless euphemisms for being dismissed. However, the quicker you own it, the sooner you're candid regarding it, the faster you can progress.

"That's the direct path to whatever you want next," she adds.

Currently, they are excelling in new ventures, where one owning her own media company and another holding the position of editor-in-chief for a luxury magazine.

If you've been made redundant or are just contemplating a change, consider these four strategies for guidance.

1. Consider The Past Year

It's typical to feel some unease about work after a holiday break.

A career expert stresses the importance of reflection before embarking on a new job search.

She encourages professionals to evaluate what they wish to pursue more, what to decrease, and what energizes or exhausts them.

Reviewing your accomplishments to identify recurring patterns is useful too. "Try to avoid just looking at the last month, as people often suffer from for recency bias that can impede the process," she notes.

She also notes it is important to establish the role of work occupies in your life.

This means being candid about the amount of time you spend working and its impact on your social and social life.

Following her job loss, she advises not allowing yourself be dictated by your career.

2. Make Incremental Actions

The advisor says people can take small steps for a career transition without a complete leap.

She herself took seven years to move from a traditional job to managing a company entirely, working on her project concurrently with her role, which enabled self-funding from the start.

"It took a bit longer, but that was my approach in a sustainable way," she explains.

She recommends a test-run method.

This could be pro bono work, participating in an initiative that interests you, or agreeing to a new challenge within your current team.

"The worst outcome, you find out that area isn't for you, but it's preferable to know now instead of after you've switched careers," she states.

Additionally, she suggests considering interim roles. These might not be the perfect role, yet they function as a move forward, such as a role with similarities to your desired career, yet not in the same area.

"It means giving yourself the space to acknowledge this is suitable temporarily, but that does not mean for all time.

"That can be a very smart approach to get nearer to your desired transition."

3. Recall Your Accomplishments

If you've recently lost your role, you are not the only one – layoff figures have surged markedly recently.

One professional was the top editor for a fashion publication, but a few years ago her entire team were laid off after the company closed the print version.

Understanding that this event did not reflect of her skills helped her process the change.

"The skills you've gained doesn't go away just because you were let go.

"Don't give up your confidence, it's important for everyone to recognize their own value."

Her colleague was fired after ten years with a finance publication following a regime change in management and the arrival of a different editor.

She notes that much of the stigma of job loss is internal.

"With many people being laid off, it's usually not about you. It's probably very much not you, so don't carry that burden of shame forward."

4. Create a Career Checklist

If you're desperately seeking work or are utterly miserable in your current role, it can be tempting to dive straight into applying at any opportunity – disregarding personal fulfillment.

But this is a major error.

Rather, she recommends a technique known as "scanning" – filtering opportunities down to role profiles that seem appealing.

She recommends exploring professional networks and collecting around 10 to 15 that appeal to you.

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