I’ve been working my entire life and have been dedicated to my personal and professional success in my career. In mid 2015 life threw me a hell of a series of curve balls, ..one after another, starting with the loss of my husband, just after giving birth to our newborn daughter, some serious medical issues for myself, requiring multiple surgeries, my middle child diagnosed with autism, to name a few. All of these unfortunate circumstances made it absolutely impossible for me to maintain my work/life balance, so I took a sabbatical. When I decided to go back, I took 2 positions that but they were not right for me in the least, and I feel like that makes me look like a job hopper, however, Now that everything is settled and going smoothly as it’s possibly going to, I am ready to take on the challenge of reentering the workforce full time, I desperately need the income, but I’m feeling completely defeated. Although my history of 20+ years of dedication and success in my lifetime to a total of 2 employers, the longevity and growth I worked so hard for seems irrelevant in comparison to the last 4 years of time away. In my time off, I successfully completed my bachelors degree, and received three other advanced certifications, plus have consistently attended webinars and continuous learning opportunities to stay abreast or the industry. However, it’s been 3 months of searching and all of my previous efforts seem irrelevant when I try to explain away my gap. If anyone has any suggestions on how I can overcome this hurdle I would appreciate it. I have read all of the job boards, career advice, I do everything by the book, I write job specific cover letters, alter my resume for specific positions, follow up with thank you letters for interviews, and have made looking for a job my full-time job. What more can I do. I just need someone to take a Chance on me so I can begin to prove myself once again! Sincerely, Feeling Defeated