In the not-so-distant past, being laid off meant getting a nice severance package and taking a few months off to relax before stepping into a new opportunity. These days there is no guarantee that you will receive severance pay and landing a comparable position often takes much longer than expected. Just ask the 1.7 million Americans who are long-term unemployed, meaning they have been out of work for at least 99 weeks.

Long-term unemployment impacts workers of all ages but older workers, those over 55, have been hit hardest. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, older workers make up more than half of the long-term unemployed. To make matters worse, a multitude of surveys and reports indicate many employers are steering clear of candidates who have been out of work for extended periods.

We have two choices. We can give up (many have done just that) or we can take action to avoid becoming another grim statistic. We can all take hope from the fact that people find good jobs after extended unemployment.

Tom Gaul is an example of someone who made a comeback after a long, hard search.

He landed his new sales position through networking. He is working with a great group of people at Zila, a