Recently I worked with a client who had lost her job and was having difficulty finding a new one. While she often made it to second interviews, she was not the chosen one. Understandably frustrated, she was also convinced that she must have been doing something wrong.

After discussing her approach and reviewing her resume, I surmised that her strategies were sound and that she had a clear enough target and focus to her search.

I let her know that in this current job market, finding a job, even for well-qualified applicants, can take extraordinary effort and time, with no guarantee as to when the job offer will come.

I encouraged her to shift her notion about not being employable and recognize that her difficulty in landing a job was not necessarily about her.

I suggested that she take a look at the actions she’d taken that had generated positive results, such as second interviews, useful contacts and offers to provide introductions to key people.

Today, more than ever, it is important for job seekers to think broadly about their expectations for their job search. Having a solitary goal of receiving a job offer can discount other achievements resulting from a vigilant effort to find work.

If job seekers recognize the challenges they’ve overcome and the risks they’ve taken, they’re likely to feel more positive about their process and less hopeless about their prospects. A broader view about what they've accomplished should help to bridge the gap until the offer finally comes.