Out Of Work For Over A Year? How To Bounce Back

It happens to the best of us. You hit a bump in the rocky road of your career and find yourself out of work for longer than you'd like.Being out of work for an extended period of time does more damage than just a gap in your resume. It affects your self esteem, how you view yourself, and what you believe you can bring to the table. 

Everyone has doubts at some point in their career; this is your time. Know that you can and will get past this bump. 

So How Do You Bounce Back? Follow These 5 Steps Below.

1. Remind Yourself That This Is A Moment In Time. Your career runs for multiple decades. That's a long period of time. What this means is sooner or later a setback will happen in your career. It's just the way things happen. All cycles have up's and down's and this is your down. The good news is it's all up from here. Remind yourself that a job will be there, and is waiting for you, right around the corner.
   
   
2. Reacquaint Yourself With Your Accomplishments. When was the last time you looked at your resume? And when you do, does it seem like your accomplishments were achieved by someone else? Just because you have not performed a function in a while doesn't mean you can't perform it anymore. It's like riding a bicycle; you never forget how. Spend quality time with your resume. Read the bullets slowly. Remember the projects you worked on and the people you worked with to obtain these results. Remind yourself that these are your accomplishments, which are something to be proud of. Just because it's been a while, doesn't mean it didn't happen.
   
   
3. Create In Your Mind What You Want To Happen Next. I believe that people get stuck in the day-to-day doldrums of life when they don't have something to look forward to. You may not know when your next job is coming, but you can get ready for it. Ask yourself what you want next. Where do you want to work? What location? What type of people? How much do you want to be making? When you can see what you want, clearly and powerfully, you can get it. I find that when people are out of work for a while, they can't see themselves in their jobs anymore. The amount of time that has passed only matters to you. Visualize what you want so you can get back to work again quickly.
   
   
4. Don't Give Up. Most people don't take discouragement well. When they first lost their jobs, they had vigor and excitement. They got up everyday and had people to call and job search related activities to work on. Over time, the momentum and activities diminished. That caused them to stop or slow down. Don't let this happen to you. You only need one job and one person to give it to you. The work you put in now will bring results; you just haven't seen them yet. A job search is not an instant gratification pursuit. It's a process that brings results over time, on its timetable and not yours. So, you have to keep going.
   
   
5. Believe In Yourself. Most of the time, we are our own worst enemy. We tell ourselves why something cannot be done before someone tells it to us first. This approach keeps you safe from rejection and failure, but it also holds you back. This economy may be forcing you to get out of your comfort zone and into new territory, all great for your personal growth. (Even though it does not feel so great most of the time.) Many people who come to me want to be challenged in their career. It's what's missing in their jobs and their lives. Well, this is your challenge. Will you rise to the occasion or let it get the best of you? You already have a track record of achieving great things. This will be another one to add to your list.

So, what do you say? You only have one life to live, so it might as well be a life you love!
- Deborah Brown-Volkman

Deborah Brown-Volkman, PCC, is the President of Surpass Your Dreams, Inc. a successful career, life, and mentor coaching company that works with Senior Executives, Vice Presidents, and Managers who are looking for new career opportunities or seek to become more productive in their current role. She is the author of "Coach Yourself To A New Career", "Don't Blow It! The Right Words For The Right Job" and "How To Feel Great At Work Everyday."