5 Ways to Build Resilience When Your Career Takes an Unexpected Turn
Monique Farmer, APR, is the founder of Avant Solutions, a PR and communications consultancy that helps nonprofit organizations, government agencies, and small businesses elevate their messaging and build stronger connections with their audiences. She created Anvil Ready, an online communication strategy builder that aids the communication professional in creating communication plans.
For years, I dreamed of starting my own public relations firm. I'd built a successful career in communications, working in corporate and organizational leadership roles where I gained valuable experience, developed relationships, and established myself as a trusted professional. But even with that experience, the thought of leaving a predictable career path to build something of my own was intimidating.
What if I failed? What if I wasn't ready? What if the security I'd worked so hard to establish disappeared? Those questions kept me from pursuing my dream longer than I'd like to admit. Eventually, I realized that waiting until I felt comfortable with uncertainty meant I might never take that next step. With encouragement from mentors and a network of supportive professionals, I began moving toward my goal. Today, I'm grateful I took that leap and established Avant Solutions, my communications consultancy.
My experience taught me something valuable about professional resilience. We don't have to eliminate uncertainty to move forward. We have to learn how to navigate it.
Whether you're considering a career change, facing a restructuring, or dealing with an unexpected setback, professional uncertainty can shake your confidence. For women leaders, these challenges can be especially demanding. According to McKinsey & Company and LeanIn.Org's 2025 Women in the Workplace report, six in 10 senior-level women frequently experience burnout. That's a reminder that even accomplished leaders can struggle with the demands of their careers.
The good news? Resilience is something we can strengthen. Here are five ways to build resilience and stay grounded when your professional life takes an unexpected turn.
1. Give yourself permission to feel what you're feeling
Disappointment. Frustration. Fear. Maybe even a little anger. When professional circumstances change without warning, it's natural to experience a range of emotions. Yet, as leaders, we often feel pressure to put those feelings aside and immediately figure out our next move.
Pretending everything is fine doesn't make a difficult situation disappear. Before making an important decision, take time to acknowledge what you're experiencing. Write down what happened, what you're feeling, and what you actually know about the situation.
Then ask yourself, "Am I responding to the facts or to what I'm afraid might happen?" Giving yourself space to process your emotions can help you approach your next decision with greater clarity.
Research published in 2023 on compassion-based practices in the workplace found that these approaches can help reduce stress and burnout. It’s a reminder that how we treat ourselves matters, especially during challenging times.
2. Focus on what you can control
One of the hardest parts of professional uncertainty is feeling like someone else is holding the steering wheel. A leadership change, company restructuring, or missed promotion can leave you questioning what comes next. While you may have little influence over those decisions, you still have choices about how you prepare and respond.
Research on career adaptability, including a 2017 analysis of 90 studies, found connections between adaptability and positive career outcomes, including career planning and job satisfaction.
Start by identifying three things you can influence over the next 30 days. Maybe it's updating your résumé, strengthening a professional relationship, or developing a new skill. Perhaps it's finally exploring that business idea you've been putting off.
You don't need a complete plan for the next five years. Sometimes, you just need a coherent plan for the next five days. Small, intentional steps can help you regain a sense of direction.
3. Lean on the people who want to see you succeed
I've learned firsthand that professional growth isn't something we have to pursue alone. When I was preparing to launch my own business, mentors and supportive colleagues helped me see possibilities beyond the familiar path I'd followed for years. Their encouragement didn't eliminate my fears, but it helped me find the confidence to act.
The same was true when I pursued another longtime goal, writing my book, "Chart Your Path: A 9-Step Method to Getting Unstuck." Being part of a supportive community of women helped me turn that dream into a reality.
When you're navigating uncertainty, think about the people in your corner. Who can offer honest feedback? Who has experience navigating a similar challenge? Who will remind you of your strengths when you're struggling to see them?
Reach out. Schedule that conversation. Ask for guidance. Seeking support isn't a sign of weakness. It's a way to gain perspective, identify opportunities, and keep moving forward.
4. Remember what you bring to the table
A professional setback can make even the most accomplished leader question her abilities. Maybe you were passed over for a promotion. Maybe your position was eliminated. Or perhaps a difficult experience has left you wondering whether you're as capable as you once believed.
Here's something important to remember. Your professional value isn't determined by a single decision, organization, or disappointing experience.
Think about the knowledge you've gained, the relationships you've built, and the challenges you've already overcome. Take a few minutes to identify five professional accomplishments you're proud of. Consider the skills that helped you achieve them and how those abilities might serve you in a new role or opportunity.
Research on psychological capital, which includes confidence, hope, optimism, and resilience, suggests these personal resources can be strengthened through intentional development.
You've invested years in building your professional foundation. Don't allow one setback to convince you that the foundation has disappeared.
5. Be willing to rethink what success looks like
Sometimes, an unexpected professional change gives us an opportunity to reconsider what we really want. Early in our careers, success might mean earning the next promotion, managing a larger team, or securing an executive title. But as our lives evolve, our priorities can change too.
Maybe you're ready for more flexibility. Perhaps you want work that better reflects your values. Or maybe, like I once did, you're considering stepping away from a familiar career path to create something of your own. Reflect on what success looks like for you today.
What do you want more of in your professional life? Which responsibilities or expectations no longer serve you? What would you pursue if you gave yourself permission to consider a different path?
Remember, resilience doesn't mean accepting every challenge or remaining in an unhealthy workplace. Organizations also have a responsibility to provide fair opportunities, realistic expectations, and supportive environments. Sometimes, the most important step forward is recognizing when it's time to make a change.
Your next career chapter is still being written
Looking back on my decision to become an entrepreneur, I realize that uncertainty wasn't something I needed to overcome before taking action. I needed to learn to navigate it along the way. The same is true for many of the professional challenges we face.
You may not know what your next opportunity looks like or exactly how your career will unfold, and that's okay. Give yourself grace. Lean on the people who support you. Remember what you've accomplished and take the time to explore what's possible.
An unexpected change may alter the direction of your career, but it doesn't erase the experience, knowledge, and potential you've gained along the way. Sometimes, building resilience starts with believing that even when the road ahead looks different, you still have what it takes to keep moving forward.
Read more from Monique Farmer
Monique Farmer, PR & Communications Consultant
Monique Farmer, APR, runs a PR/Communication Consultancy, Avant Solutions, and is the creator of Anvil Ready, an online communication strategy builder that aids the communication professional in creating communication plans. She teaches at the University of Texas at Austin. Farmer spent 12 years working in the federal government prior to working in corporate communications for ConAgra Foods (now ConAgra Brands), then leading communication strategy for Nebraska’s largest school district. In March 2024, she published her first book, Chart Your Path: A 9-step Method to Getting Unstuck.
