I’ve heard from so many of you recently who have suffered a career setback in the midst of the global Covid-19 pandemic. So today, I wanted to feature someone whose career has also been hit hard by events. Commercial airline pilot turned heavy goods vehicle truck driver Aaron Leventhal shares his story of dealing with personal loss, managing career upheaval, and finding a way to pivot toward something else.

During the Mental Fuel segment, I also share some examples of setbacks I’ve been dealt in my own career along with my three strategies of dealing with setbacks.

If you’ve been dealt a blow in your own career for whatever reason, I hope you find this episode reassuring, inspiring, and most of all, a reminder that you’re not alone.

Key Career Insights

1. When you’re managing loss, all you can do is look ahead to the future and find a way to bounce back.
2. Having a plan B in place is a good idea even if you feel like you’ve “made it” or achieved your dream.
3. Setbacks are a normal part of any career. Your ability to manage them is a muscle you can develop and strengthen over time.

Related Resources

• Read Aaron’s LinkedIn post that describes how he shifted from flying airplanes for FlyBe to driving trucks for Tesco.
• Access job search resources to help you navigate the challenging hiring environment during the Covid-19 pandemic
• Unexpectedly laid off? These 6 Steps Will Get You Back on Your Feet, my Fast Company article, May 2020

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Listener Challenge

During this episode’s Mental Fuel segment, I talked about the importance of finding a way to manage the setbacks you’ll inevitably face in your own career.

My challenge to you, if you’ve had a major career setback recently, either because