We were fired, and we're owning it – here's how to find a new job that works for you

The new year is a natural time to reflect, and for many of us, that involves thinking about our careers.

Kristina O'Neill and Laura Brown are both editors who lost their jobs after restructures, and they initially thought it was the end of the world.

"I poured my heart into the role... I believed in the values we promoted. Yet, when it came to me, those values weren't there," says Laura.

They both chose to use the word fired after they lost their roles and say being open about it can help you deal with what's happened.

"There are so many euphemisms that we all use for losing our jobs. But the faster you own it, the faster you're honest about it, the faster you can move on.

"That's the fast track to whatever you want to do next," adds Laura.

Now, they are thriving in new jobs, with Laura owning her own media company and Kristina editor in chief for Sotheby's magazine.

If you've lost your job or are simply looking for a new career, here are four ways to help.

1. Reflect on the past year

It's natural to feel a bit low about work if you've had a break over the festive period.

Sarah Ellis, co-founder of careers website, Squiggly Careers and Amazing If, says it is important to reflect on the past year before diving into a new job search.

She encourages people to think about what they want to do more or less of, and what inspires or drains their energy.

Looking back through your successes to find common themes can help too. "Try not to just look at the last month, because we all have a bit of recency bias that can get in the way," she adds.

Laura says it is also important to decide where your work sits in your life.

This involves being honest about how much time you're working and its impact on your social and family life.

After losing her role, she advises not letting your life be defined by your work.

2. Take small steps

Sarah says people can make small steps towards a career change without diving in head first.

She took seven years to make the jump from her corporate career to running her own company full time, working on her project alongside her job, which meant she could pay herself from the start.

"It took a bit longer, but that was how I did it in a sustainable way", she says.

Sarah recommends a "try before you buy" approach.

This could be volunteer work, getting involved in a work project that interests you, or saying yes to something different within your existing team.

"Worst case scenario, you don't like that area, but it's better to know now than to know when you've made the move," she says.

Sarah also encourages looking into small "bridging roles". These may not be ideal, but serve as a step in the right direction, such as a role which has similarities to the career you want, but not in the exact industry.

"It's giving yourself space to say this is good for now, but that isn't the same as forever.

"That can be a really smart strategy for getting much closer to that career change."

3. Remember your achievements

If you've recently lost your job, you aren't alone - redundancies have surged to their highest rate since 2021, official figures indicate.

Laura was editor in chief of a style magazine, but in 2022 herself and her team were laid off after her firm closed the print version of the magazine.

Understanding this did not mean she wasn't good at her job helped her process the change.

"What you've learned doesn't go away because you lost your job.

"Don't give your power up, it's important for everybody to remember their own value."

Kristina was fired after a 10-year spell at a financial magazine after a regime change at the top and the arrival of a new editor.

She stresses that so much of the shame of being fired is "in your head".

"In the US, especially hundreds of thousands of people being laid off, it's not personal. It's likely very much not you, so don't take that ball of shame and carry it around."

4. Create a career check-list

If you're desperately looking for work or utterly miserable in your current role, it can be tempting to dive straight into applying for any job - ignoring personal happiness.

But Sarah says this is a big mistake.

Instead, she suggests an exercise called "scanning" - narrowing your search down to job descriptions that sound interesting to you.

She recommends going through websites like LinkedIn, and gathering around 10 to 15 that you like the look of.

"What are the words that keep coming up?" she says. "Because [these] will give you some clues as to the things that matter most to you.

Through this, you can create your own career check list, and avoid wasting time on ill-fitting applications.

Laura stresses it's also important to think about what has made you happy and unhappy over the course of your career.

"It may not be what you can do all the time, but it could be something that's lit up in you, that you've forgotten," she says.