When I stopped working as an Army IT contractor in Germany, I went months with few interviews. Heck, I got rejected from a low-paid PC repair job, likely becaus

When I stopped working as an Army IT contractor in Germany, I went months with few interviews. Heck, I got rejected from a low-paid PC repair job, likely because the interviewer gave me a quizzical look when I replied that my husband was an engineer, and upon my asking why he wanted to know, he stated that “a family father of three needs more money than a single guy.” So I volunteered at an after-school program where I was essentially babysitting, just to be forced to leave the house for something other than grocery shopping. Then I took a part-time job as an English teacher at a big chain of language schools. That forced me to a) dress professionally, b) be places on a schedule and c) talk to the public. One fantastic skill I gained from those three months is a heightened ability to parse meaning out of any speakers who have gone to the trouble of learning some of my language. On the surface, this job was “beneath” me (CS degree from competitive American university, paid a princely 13 EUR/hr), but I really think it re-launched my career. Finally, I had a great interview with an IT temp agency, which soon placed me in the ok-paid role that was converted into the job I’ve now had for 11 years. Point of this anecdote? Along with getting the professional help you deserve, a “menial” job that makes you deal with people and follow a schedule will help keep you/get you back into shape for a job more suited to your skills and likes.