I'm out of work and need help finding a job.

Q: I lost my job during the period of massive layoffs and have been looking for work since. I’ve had a few interviews, but I haven’t come close to landing anything. It’s been a year and I’m starting to feel hopeless. What should I do?

-Unemployed and unhappy about it

Dear Unemployed,

I’m sorry that you’re in this situation. Looking for a job for this amount of time can be very frustrating and stressful.

The good news is things are looking better than they were a year ago. Companies had massive layoffs, but they are hiring again. And while unemployment has stayed relatively the same, there have been job gains in industries like hospitality, health care, and technical and professional services, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics . The BLS projects that employment will increase over the next decade with the health care and social assistance sectors growing the most rapidly.

It would be helpful to know more specifics about your career experience, industry, and search. Are you finding relevant positions, but not hearing back? Or, are there not enough opportunities that demand your skills and experience? This will help determine if it has something to do with you and what you’re putting out there or if there’s something more systemic going on.

First, let’s look focus on the external factors. We need to take a deeper look at the market in which you're seeking work and explore whether demand for your skillset is growing or shrinking.

• What’s the projection for your industry 3-5 years out?
• If demand is shrinking, you need to broaden what you’re looking at or think about a career change.
• If there is work but your resume isn’t generating attention, maybe your skills and experiences aren’t in high demand. What are you missing that employers are looking for? How can you go about gaining these skills? And, is this where you want to double down and invest?

Now let’s move on to more internal factors, the things in your control. Taking action will help alleviate feelings of hopelessness. Here’s what you can do to help improve your situation and increase your opportunities:

• Polish your resume. That means honing it for each opportunity to show you are a clear fit.
• Expand your skillset and know where you fit in the ecosystem. Some people position themselves as being great at executing and others are super strategic. When I was building my career, I wanted to show that I could solve big problems and make it look easy. (It wasn’t.) I ultimately built a reputation as a person who could deliver strategic projects on time and on budget. Where do you fit in and what will make you stand out?
• Build your network. Do peers and colleagues help you and make introductions? If so, continue to leverage that (and show appreciation). If not, work on your networking skills and increase ways to meet new people.
• Explore industries and areas that are more in demand. Pay attention to the space you are in or want to be in. Is it changing with AI and is that something you can leverage or something that may diminish your opportunities?
• Finally, and most significantly, give yourself a break and reflect on what you really want to do in this next chapter. Look for something that will sustain you.

Every week I respond to a new question. Ask me your question in the comments section.