What do you do if you face a career setback and need to rebuild your confidence?

Self-Reflection: Understand the reasons behind the setback without dwelling on it. Set Realistic Goals: Break down larger goals into smaller, achievable steps. Learn from the Experience: Extract valuable lessons from the setback to avoid repeating mistakes. Build a Support System: Surround yourself with positive and encouraging people. Focus on Strengths: Highlight your accomplishments and skills to boost your self-esteem. Continuous Learning: Invest in personal and professional development. Take Calculated Risks: Step outside your comfort zone to regain confidence.

In any career, there are moments of both progress and setbacks. When you’re experiencing success and haven’t yet encountered challenges, hitting a career plateau can come as a surprise. Earlier in my career, I made a decision that resulted in a period of stalled growth. At the time, I didn’t consider seeking feedback. My communication skills were still developing, and while my confidence was growing, it was still somewhat fragile. In hindsight, I don’t have regrets, but I recognize that seeking advice from my first mentor would have been beneficial. At that point, I believed I had outgrown the need for his guidance. It was a mistake.

One thing that I think is really helpful when you are looking for a new position or making a change in your career is definitely by increasing your network because you never know where your next opportunity is going to come from. Quite often, I will ask people to connect with me on LinkedIn that are in my industry, because the more visibility you have the better. Also, I would comment on relevant posts and then look to see other’s comments and if that person was aligned with my industry or goals, I would ask those people to connect as well. I have been able to grow a very specific network of people on LinkedIn and it’s gotten me over a 1000 new connections!

Facing a career setback can be tough, but rebuilding confidence is possible. Start by reflecting on what happened and identifying areas for improvement. Set small, achievable goals to regain a sense of accomplishment. Seek constructive feedback from mentors or colleagues and work on developing new skills. Celebrate your successes, no matter how small, and stay connected with your professional network for support and opportunities. Maintain a positive mindset by focusing on your strengths and past achievements. If needed, consider consulting a career coach or counselor for personalized guidance.

At the wake of such a situation it’s paramount to find a strong foundation to analyse things. We need clarity first. It’s the tipping point of rash thinking. To avoid it hitting us hard, we need to find a balanced state of mind first. When I faced my first career set-back, it came up as a mountain to climb in terms of emotional complex and down syndrome. It did plague me with self-doubt. But one thing that helped me tide over it eventually was my faith in spirituality. It got me sail through as I meditated deeply to find a solution. Meditation helped me settle down and regain my mental balance. Once the balance was in place, I could do a better evaluation of the situation and self assessment.

One thing I found helpful through my career transition and deciding where I wanted to go next was really reflecting on my situation and understanding how I contributed to losing my position. Even though a lot of things were out of my control - I really took the time to think about what I had done well and what I could’ve done better. It also really helps you to gain clarity on what you want from a future job, company, industry and what you don’t want. I made a list of the of skills that I felt need improvement and then searched for resources such as courses, articles and books that would help me round out my weaker skills. I think this can be a valuable lesson on how to become a better version of yourself!