Strategies For Recovering From A Career Setback

Everyone will experience at least one setback during their working life. It could be a minor setback such as being officially reprimanded or passed over for a promotion or a major setback such as losing your job during the pandemic and having to look for a whole new career.

The thing to remember is that they’re only speed bumps in your overall career path and you can get over them and move on with your life if you maintain a positive attitude and keep the following tips in mind.

Tips for recovering from a setback

Acknowledge your emotions – give yourself some time to feel bad about what has occurred and to accept your new reality. Rather than bottling your feelings up, which can make a problem seem larger than it is, give yourself permission to feel low for a while … and then dust yourself off and move on.

Analyse what went wrong – if the setback was a result of your personal performance, explore how you might have contributed to what went wrong and consider what you would do differently if given the chance again. Whatever you do, don’t waste time blaming others, as such negative energy will only hold you back.

Surround yourself with positive people – seek honest feedback from those who only want the best for you and will encourage you to get back on the horse. Avoid those who only have consolation to offer you.

Don’t take it personally – don’t let the setback define you. Rather than seeing it as a sign of inadequacy on your part, view it as a chance to grow in self-awareness. Identify your strengths and accomplishments and focus on them in future job applications, as potential employers will look favourably on someone who can stay positive despite a career setback.

Find ways to turn your loss into a win – reframe your loss as an opportunity; the chance to change jobs, switch industries or take on a challenge you’ve always wanted to do. Talk to a career counsellor to clarify possible goals, consider going back to school or do volunteer work to test drive a career interest.

Practise positive rituals – rather than worrying about the past and what’s happened, focus on the future and accomplish small things every day that contribute towards your goal of finding a new career (i.e. researching a company, honing a skill, making a new contact etc).

Cultivate a positive mindset – start looking at every challenge or obstacle as a stepping stone rather than an impediment. This wires your brain to look at every setback as a potential lesson to be learned and a way to improve yourself going forward.

Build resilience – work on building mental toughness, so you’ll be able to maintain your professionalism next time things aren’t going well. A resilient person will bounce back more quickly from a future setback than someone with a thin skin.

Develop a network – reach out to those you know in your industry or the industry you wish to move into. Make them aware of your availability and enlist their support in making connections, as many jobs are filled through referrals without being advertised.

Find a mentor – everyone needs someone they can confide in and be guided by, especially in a time of crisis. Find a colleague you trust and whose professional opinion you respect and ask them for their support during your recovery process.

Stay healthy – it’s important to keep your mind and body healthy after a career setback, as stress and negativity can have adverse effects on your wellbeing. Get plenty of fresh air and exercise and spend time enjoying activities not related to your work.

Develop new skills – identify the skills you already have that may need upgrading, as well as new skills you will need if changing careers. Then work on making them as good as they can be.

Work out your options – once you’ve worked through the reasons for the setback, decide what your options are going forward (i.e. stay with the company, move to another company, change careers etc).

Take a different path – rather than setting yourself up for similar setbacks in the future, realise that there are plenty of different options available to you and you can reignite your career without having to go down the exact same path as before.

Don’t look back - maintain your new positive outlook and use everything you've learned to build a new and better future for yourself, knowing that, rather than killing you, your setback has made you stronger.

Whether your career setback was out of your control (i.e. due to redundancy) or because of some failing on your part, the important takeout is that you’ll rebound faster from the experience if you focus on the positives rather than the negatives.

You’re not the only person who’s suffered a career setback, but you are the only one who can turn it into an opportunity. That’s because it’s only a setback if it sets you back and by developing the right attitude, you can emerge with a stronger belief in yourself and be much better equipped for future career opportunities.