Overcoming a Career Setback

Whether it is a missed promotion, unsatisfactory performance, difficulty with a manager or a job loss, setbacks are part of everyone’s career.   No one is immune, particularly when the pressure is high.   Even in the best of times you are bound to encounter unexpected detours, delays and disappointments along your career path. While you can’t necessarily prevent a career setback, you can develop positive ways to cope with adversity so that you rebound quickly.   The key is to cultivate an inner resilience and develop a solid plan of action for the future.   It is even possible to turn a negative experience around and use it as a gateway to new opportunities.  

Coming to terms with a setback

The first hours and days after a career crisis are the hardest.   Your responses are driven by emotion.   Your feelings may run the gamut from embarrassment over a negative performance review to shock, anger and sadness about being laid off. Obviously, this is not the time to start strategizing about your future.   You must first give yourself a chance to recover emotionally.   Acknowledge and accept that your reactions are normal.   This is the first step to being able to move on with your life.

When the initial emotional responses have subsided, try to look objectively at the situation.   Taking appropriate responsibility is hard, but it’s the only way to derive useful lessons from the experience.   Setbacks are a painful but valuable learning tool.   You can often use them to correct self-defeating behaviors or unproductive patterns.   Resist the tendency to blame other people or external forces and try to identify the role you played.   For example, if you were passed over for a promotion, how much control did you have over the factors critical to success?   What could you have done differently?   Are there any professional skills you can develop to increase your odds for a promotion next time?

In some instances there is little or nothing you could have done to prevent the setback.   Avoid dwelling on what might have been and instead consider the setback within the context of your overall career.   How significant is it?   How did you successfully handle similar situations in the past?   List your major achievements, along with your talents and skills.   Reviewing your strengths and accomplishments will help you keep a healthy perspective and shore up your self-confidence.

Planning your next move

Once you have started to rebound emotionally, develop a strategy for moving forward.   Take stock of the direction of your career and reassess your goals.   Given the turn of events, what are your objectives?   You may decide you’d like a more positive performance review next time.   Or perhaps you’ll conclude that it’s time to change jobs or explore a new career.   Whatever your goals, develop a detailed plan for achieving them.   Set specific targets and deadlines.   For example, you could plan to send out a certain number of resumes each week and meet with a career counselor.   If your goal is to improve your standing with your current employer, you could meet with your supervisor to discuss the proactive steps you’ll take to boost your performance.

Another important activity is to expand your professional network.   Involvement in industry associations or community groups will not only introduce you to new contacts but also boost your morale.   Talking with colleagues, your former mentor or a support group will build your self-esteem and provide fresh perspectives on your situation.  

You can also use the period after a setback for professional development.   You may decide to acquire new skills or strengthen current ones by taking a seminar or continuing education classes.

Bouncing back from a career crisis takes time, but don’t let this prevent you from setting goals and using your energies to attain them.   The process can give you new pride and confidence in your ability to meet adversity and ultimately come out ahead.

The article is written by Ken Harbourne of Robert Half International, the world's oldest and largest recruitment consultancy specialising in the placement of administrative professionals on a temporary and permanent basis.

www.roberthalf.ie