Everyone at some point has a stagnation in their career path. While you may have been swiftly rising through the ranks of your company going from office lackey all the way up to middle management, you may now be finding that next rung on the job ladder a little out of reach.

This could be for a variety of reasons from not having the necessary skills and experience to there simply not being the job openings needed for you to make the next move in your career. Don’t worry, all is not lost. You simply need to think outside the box and try to overcome the barrier to your next move by developing Career Resiliency. Take a look at these three simple ways to overcome a career setback.

Be Proactive

If you are constantly being put on the rejection pile before you’ve even made it to interview, call up the company you’re applying to and ask for feedback. The chances are you may be underskilled or lack the necessary qualifications. With such a quantitative response, you can take action to rectify the situation. Look online and sign up for some professional development courses. The funding may need to come out of your own pocket but this could help your upwards career trajectory get back on course. You might also want to take on more responsibility in your current role, lead a team of people and take on more customer-facing tasks. By upskilling yourself, your application will be more impressive leading to interview invites.

Not Being In Control

Sometimes our work lives can be hugely rewarding, we are content with our jobs and we may have been offered a promotion. Life is good. But then something totally out of your control might happen; you may find yourself battling an illness or being involved in a vehicle accident. To ease such a stressful situation, it’s imperative that you secure the services of a respected law firm to represent your personal injury. This way your sole focus can be on returning to the job that you love so much. It’s vital that you take the necessary time out before you return to work. Although this will inevitably stunt your career, it’s way more important to concentrate on your health for the time being.

Lack Of Opportunities

Often there comes a point in your career when you have reached the throes of middle management only to find it difficult to make the final leap to director level. This is because as you climb the corporate ladder there are fewer jobs available at the top. Instead of sitting on your hands and waiting for a position to develop, consider diversifying your skills to open up more doors for you. If you work in HR, consider adding business change responsibilities to your repertoire. If you work with individual traders in an accountancy firm, expand your specialism to encompass limited companies as well. Opportunities are there, it’s up to you to make yourself a prime candidate for them.

While a career setback can be disheartening, you can overcome any barrier to your promotion prospects by thinking outside the box and being proactive.