"Getting back into work"

After a long and stable career in the public sector, I took the decision to leave and set up my own business.  Whilst I enjoyed the work, my deteriorating mobility made some aspects of the work difficult, which impacted on my income.  So I decided to return to an office job and thought it would be easy to find.  After about 6 months being unemployed I was referred to Working Win.  At this stage, I'd lost all my confidence and my physical and mental health were getting worse.  Having a work coach gave me reassurance that I was doing the right things.  I was making lots of applications, they were all tailored to what the employer said they were looking for - so I could not understand why there was such a black hole!  When I did get interviews, the feedback was always positive and I'd just been "pipped to the post" by an outstanding candidate!  This gave me nothing to work with!  So again just having someone to talk to and to provide a reassuring word helped me plough on.  Also that extra pair of eyes to spot suitable opportunities that I may have missed.  Eventually my resilience and perseverance paid off.  I found a job that's ideal for me.  Staring work again has helped build my confidence and give me a purpose.  So next steps are to focus on improving my health so I can start to enjoy my spare time again.  :)