Setbacks are a natural part of life. Even the most successful people in the world have failed before advancing in life. One of the most talented basketball players in the world, Michael Jordan, has famously admitted to missing more than 9,000 shots in his career and losing almost 300 games. Walt Disney, another example, was fired from his job at a newspaper early in his career because they felt he lacked imagination. Still, Michael Jordan went on to win six championships and to be known as one of the greatest basketball players of all time, and Disney went on to create one of the most powerful companies, winning 135 Academy Awards, 26 of which were awarded to Walt himself.
While setbacks can be overwhelming, stressful and emotional, especially ones in the workforce, there’s almost always an opportunity to learn a new lesson and become even better than you were before. Setbacks don’t have to be the end of the road, but instead can lead you to a new path to start a more exciting journey.
Workforce Setbacks
Unfortunately, setbacks in the workforce are all too common. From smaller setbacks like receiving difficult feedback to more impactful setbacks like being laid off, everyone has experienced a setback one time or another within their career — whether major or minor.
Many companies are currently experiencing major setbacks when it comes to hiring and employee retention. According to a survey from The Harris Poll commissioned by Express Employment Professionals, 45% of hiring managers say they have open positions they cannot fill. This sort of setback not only impacts the company, but also the employees that are, as a result, given heavier workloads and more likely to experience burnout and potentially leave their position. These obstacles ultimately lead to a spiral effect of even fewer employees with an even larger workload.
Setbacks often indicate a good time to reevaluate goals. Employers struggling to hire or retain employees can learn from their employees’ exit interviews and use their knowledge to create a better culture that makes employees want to stay. Employees who aren’t getting what they want from their employer, whether that be more flexibility or a promotion, might want to take a step back to understand why this setback is happening and create a new approach that will help guide them to their goals, whether that be seeking new opportunities more aligned with their needs, or having an open and honest conversation with their manager on their workload and next steps needed to reach a new level. And sometimes, there are setbacks with goals that simply aren’t panning out altogether. In this case, it’s likely time to reevaluate these goals to see what is and isn’t within reach.
The Positive Side of Setbacks
While setbacks may be discouraging, they aren’t always bad. Rather than letting setbacks get the best of you, use setbacks as an opportunity to reframe your mindset and to learn and improve. To properly manage a setback, zoom out and analyze the situation to better understand why the setback happened. For example, if you’re continuously getting “ghosted” after job interviews, there’s likely a reason why. Perhaps you’re applying to jobs you’re underqualified for and need to readjust your goals, or maybe you need to improve your interviewing skills. Also, a simple thank you note sent to the interviewer afterwards, whether via email or snail mail, goes a long way. Evaluating setbacks can help give clarity on the next steps needed for improvement.
When possible, ask for feedback on the mistakes you’ve made along the way. A growth mindset is key to achieving any long-tern goals, whether career oriented or not. Sometimes, setbacks don’t always seem like a learning opportunity, but if you’re able to move forward without allowing one hindrance to result in missed opportunities, you’ll come to find setbacks to be a necessary factor that got you to where you needed to be.
Even if setbacks are overwhelming, they’re often necessary to help people grow and become better versions of themselves. Instead of sulking over setbacks, try to celebrate them. View them as confirmation that you’re trying and get excited that you’ve just been given an opportunity to work on yourself so that you can do better next time.
Turning Setbacks into Opportunities
Setbacks in your career shouldn’t be viewed as the end of the road; they could be an opportunity for something better. Journaling can be a great tool to look at a situation objectively. This tool will allow you to share your honest emotions, describe the situation at hand, and reflect on it. Writing the situation down in detail, including the specific timeline of events and what led you to this setback, can be a helpful approach to help you better understand the situation and why it happened. It will also help guide you to a different perspective and help you understand how you can pivot to achieve your goal, if you find that this is a goal you still want to achieve.
Along with journaling, talking to friends, families and other business professionals can help give you a new perspective and can help you see how others have learned and grown from their setbacks. Everyone you know has experienced a setback, and listening to others about situations they’ve encountered and how they’ve overcome them is a great motivation boost to help you plan on how to move forward. Remember that tomorrow is another day!
Careers are a big part of our lives and it’s important to do something you love. If your career isn’t working for you, you’ve been laid off or are having difficulties finding new opportunities, it might be time to step away from your computer and begin a new strategy. Online applications are great and should definitely be a part of any jobseeker’s strategy, but often in today’s day and age, we forget about the value of in-person meetings. If online applications haven’t been working, try physically going to offices of companies that interest you to share your resume. Networking face-to-face can be life-changing and a great way to unlock new, incredible opportunities. Some of the best opportunities arise from stepping out of your comfort zone. Express Employment Professionals has reported 60% of hiring managers plan to increase the number of employees in the first half of 2023, meaning this is the perfect time to put yourself out there.
Another great resource when going through a career setback is to connect with a staffing firm. Whether you’re a company struggling to hire and retain employees or a jobseeker who can’t find a position, staffing firms like Express Employment Professionals are full of expert recruiters that can be a huge help on your journey.
Many people who go to staffing firms have experienced significant setbacks in their lives and work with the staffing firms to get back on track. Staffing firms can listen and offer compassionate advice, as well as create a roadmap to get their clients where they need to be. Professional recruiters work with people and companies in similar situations every day and can share their advice and perspective. The responsibility of a staffing firm is to connect companies and people, so if hiring or finding new opportunities has been a challenge for you, don’t be afraid to seek help from the professionals.
Setbacks happen to the best of us, but self-reflection is key to move on to new opportunities. Everyone faces setbacks sometimes, experiencing hopelessness and frustration, but these are emotions that we need to leave behind us as we take action and move forward.
Daria Orozco, CSP, is franchise owner of Express Employment Professionals, the top staffing firm in the U.S.