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The banking crisis has left its mark
Change of scene. The year is 2008 and the banking crisis is in full swing. Martin Benz has been a successful project manager at a Swiss bank for over 20 years, overseeing innovation processes and change projects. Then, in 2011: Benz is entrusted with a major regulatory project at the time and it is not long before he takes early retirement. At the same time, however, the crisis had clearly left its mark and he received news that would turn his subsequent years of work upside down. Cost savings and restructuring measures led to the termination of his employment contract. A big shock, news that comes as a surprise and triggers a lot of emotions, says Martin Benz.
What am I worth on the job market?
Motivating people, making changes changes to processes and ensuring that the new paths are followed are all skills that project managers have mastered "off the cuff". But now it was suddenly about a change that affected Martin Benz himself and the search for solutions to create added value from this situation. Above all, however, it was about the question: What happens now? Then came thoughts like: Why did this happen to me? And what am I worth on the job market anyway?
A phase of orientation
Martin Benz used these questions to start a phase of self-reflection and orientation. It quickly became clear to him that switching to another job within the banking sector was not an option. It was too insecure and not conducive to his field of activity. So he focused on other industries and looked around for possible job offers. One method that helped him at the time was to pause for a moment and feel where his own strengths lay. To think about what I really want to do, what subject area interests me and what skills do I still need to develop in order to gain a foothold there? During this phase of reflection, the need to want to work with and support people became increasingly important. And true to the motto "No sooner said than done!", Martin Benz embarked on the adventure of self-employment in 2012 with his many years of experience as a project manager and a newly completed coaching and Conflict management training course under his belt.
How can you leave the pain behind and turn to the opportunities?
According to Benz, it is very important in such a process that you talk about your situation, even if it sometimes takes a lot of effort. An intensive exchange with family members and friends, but also with professional contacts, is particularly important. Not only to be able to come to terms with such a fate and gain an external perspective, but also to make it known that you are looking for something new. After all, you can't expect help and support if nobody knows about your current situation.
Strengthen networking skills and expand your professional network
A particularly important tool in such a phase of reorientation is to tap into your professional network. For too long, Benz reported, he limited his contacts to people in his immediate professional environment. At the beginning of his self-employment, he noticed the lack of a network. It was therefore clear that he needed to expand and cultivate this in order to reach different customers and successfully lead his company into the future. So he mingled with people, took part in various events, exchanged ideas with employees from other industries, made new contacts, positioned himself with a new presence on social media and dealt with a wide range of different topics. In this way, he managed to successfully position his own companies on the market under his own steam and with a good ability to reflect.
Less perfectionism and more courage to tackle the unfinished
Change of scene. 2020, Martin Benz has already been on the market for eight years with his company PROCED and supports people and organizations in challenging phases and situations of reorientation. What he would like to pass on to everyone: In addition to all the challenges that the abrupt career change brought with it and the great emotions it triggered, one realization is particularly important: you would do well to leave your own perfectionism behind, trust your own intuition and tread the new path with a certain lightness and a portion of courage.
