#463 Career Setbacks: how to stay resilient which things go wrong
Mar 5, 2025
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Amy Schoenthal, author of "The Setback Cycle," and Ken Okoroafor share their insights on resilience in the face of career challenges. They discuss a four-phase setback model, emphasizing the need to reflect and embrace experiences. Amy provides strategies to combat self-doubt, while Ken recounts personal setbacks and the importance of community support. Together, they highlight how empathy and openness can navigate tough times, reassuring listeners that obstacles are a common part of professional growth.
Recognizing that career setbacks often arise from external organizational decisions helps individuals navigate their feelings of personal failure.
Following the four phases of the setback cycle—Establish, Embrace, Explore, and Emerge—provides a structured approach to regaining resilience after challenges.
Deep dives
Understanding Setbacks in Careers
Setbacks in careers often stem from a lack of control and choice, leading individuals to feel disempowered and lost. When unforeseen events such as redundancies or restructures occur, it can evoke feelings of personal failure even when the circumstances are external. Recognizing that these setbacks are typically organizational decisions rather than reflections of personal skill is crucial. Accepting the difficulty of these moments, while understanding their nature, aids in navigating through the emotional challenges associated with them.
The Setback Cycle Framework
Navigating through setbacks can be facilitated by following a structured framework, specifically the four phases of the setback cycle: Establish, Embrace, Explore, and Emerge. The first phase, Establish, pinpoints the setback's occurrence, while Embrace involves processing the emotions and learning from the situation. After this initial acknowledgment, the Explore phase encourages individuals to connect with their community, try new ideas, and identify their passions and strengths. Finally, the Emerge phase represents gaining clarity about future directions and taking proactive steps toward new opportunities.
Sharing Personal Experiences and Strategies
Personal stories of individuals who have faced setbacks highlight the importance of support systems and mindset shifts during challenging times. For example, one individual transitioned from a stable corporate environment to entrepreneurship during the pandemic, embracing new opportunities despite initial identity crises. Strategic financial planning, regular conversations with supportive peers, and reframing one’s self-identity can significantly bolster resilience during these transformations. Uniting with others experiencing similar challenges fosters empathy and insight, making it easier to navigate the emotional landscape of career setbacks.
Practical Advice for Overcoming Financial Pressures
When facing setbacks, financial security becomes paramount, and having a financial cushion is crucial for managing unexpected changes. Creating an emergency fund can alleviate stress while seeking new career opportunities or transitional roles. Additionally, leveraging a personal brand and networking can provide strategic advantages for future career paths. Emphasizing the importance of setting financial goals and making informed decisions about savings and investments can empower individuals to regain control over their finances in uncertain times.
This is the third episode of the Squiggly Career Stage Series – 5 days of podcast episodes and practical tools to help you succeed in your career.
We’ve focused on 5 stages where we know people need some extra squiggly support and in today’s episode we’re looking at Squiggly Career Setbacks, to help people stay resilient when things go wrong.
Sarah and Helen share their insights on career setbacks and interview three people to learn from their experience; Amy Schoenthal, author of The Setback Cycle and Mary & Ken Okoroafor who share their personal setback story.
You can download the free Career Stage Guide to support this episode at https://www.amazingif.com/listen/career-setbacks
For questions about Squiggly Careers or to share feedback, please email helenandsarah@squigglycareers.com