You likely felt a surge of excitement when you made the decision to switch careers. But what should you do if your job hunt starts to become a tedious and disheartening slog — and the gap on your resume is growing wider by the day? How can you address your extended absence from the workforce without making excuses? And how can you stay motivated and resolved in the face of setbacks?

What the Experts Say

Let’s be clear: Resume gaps shorter than a year typically don’t raise red flags. “Employers understand the volatility of the job market, especially since the pandemic,” says Tristan Layfield, a career coach and resume consultant. But given that skills require constant practice and refinement, employers tend to be more cautious about a lengthy gap — which poses a special challenge when you’re trying to break into a different field.

To successfully navigate this transition, focus on “becoming your new career,” advises Marlo Lyons, author of Wanted → New Career:The Definitive Playbook for Transitioning to a New Career or Finding Your Dream Job. This involves learning new skills, cultivating industry connections, and gaining relevant experience. These steps not only help reduce the visibility of your resume gap, they also make you a more appealing job candidate.

Here are strategies to try if your initial exhilaration is fading and a new career, let alone a job offer, is starting to feel distant.

Remember your initial motivation

Second-guessing your decision to switch careers during a drawn-out job search is normal, explains Layfield. “You wonder: ‘Am I ever going to get there?’” But it’s during these low moments when you need to think about what drove you to seek a change in the first place, he says. “Your motivation is your mindset.” Remember, adds Lyons, “you made an intentional, deliberate choice” to shift directions. Reflect on how your new field aligns with your skills and values. And consider how it will bring you genuine satisfaction and purpose. Your goal is to stay focused and determined — even when it feels like your job applications are being swallowed by a black hole. “Reminding yourself of your ‘why’ will help reignite your passion,” Lyons says.

‍

Read full article here