A 25-year career as a banker
At 43, Nicolas Ludin can look back on a long career. At the turn of the millennium, the native Romand was working in Olten, where he specialized in e-banking systems. When asked whether it would be possible to talk to skillaware in Swiss German, he laughingly waves it off - "Maybe I could speak some German, but Swiss German - no chance". His return to the canton of Vaud went smoothly and he began his career as a private banker. A profession that still fascinates him today.
The world turns - and then comes Corona
Nicolas Ludin loves his job, his life and his family. He has built a beautiful life for himself, married a charming woman and had a little daughter. Everything is actually fine. Nevertheless, he notices how the changes in his everyday working life are irritating him. The banking sector has been shaken by crises and this is also having an impact on private banking. The cost pressure, the regulation, the constantly increasing performance targets: "Even though I love my job, it's not always easy". When the coronavirus pandemic hit in March 2020 and employees and clients alike were irritated and unsettled by the lockdown, Nicola's perspective on his profession changed abruptly. It was like a kind of negative spiral, with everyday working life becoming a rage-filled odyssey. "I was dissatisfied, angry, sometimes I just got upset for days on end. In the end, I asked myself whether that was it or whether there was another, better job out there."
Either you change something or you hit the wall
The dissatisfaction and anger dragged on for days and weeks. A state that Nicolas himself could hardly bear. But his colleagues also suffered, and perhaps the mood even made itself felt at home. In conversations with friends, he was advised to contact career counselling to find his way around the job market. No sooner said than done. Nicolas began personal coaching with the aim of changing small lifestyle habits so that he felt better and more energetic again. More sleep, better nutrition, a balanced lifestyle. That was the first step. Then came the search for a career counselling. Nicolas Ludin found Hélène Ducret on the internet and called her directly. "The conversation was actually scheduled for a few minutes and went on for over an hour," laughs Ludin. Nicolas had a good connection with Hélène right from the start. The conversation was easy, felt right and Nicolas Ludin was able to open up. Even the initial meeting gave him the strength to start this orientation phase at career counselling .
Who am I? - What can I do? - Where do I want to go?
The process of career counselling goes through various phases. The first consists of an assessment. Who am I? What can I do? Where do I want to go? For Nicolas Ludin, it was clear: "I have to get out of this job and find something that makes sense to me." He describes career counselling as a process of reflection in which he was able to focus not only on the development aspects, but above all on his strengths. "Talking to someone who is a professional, who shows you ways to get back on your feet, but above all reminds you what you are worth, what you can do, that was the key to ending the negative spiral." Hélène urges Nicolas to put the reorientation on hold for the time being and focus first on regaining calm and a positive attitude. Self-management training, which he pursued with determination, helped him to rediscover the positive aspects of his profession and his work. In the end, no reorientation was necessary at all. "It was in my head: the stress, the insecurity and all that negativity. With the training, I managed to calm down and focus on the positive aspects. Suddenly I didn't even realize why I thought I had to find happiness somewhere else.
Seeking help early is the best prevention
Nicolas has rediscovered his work and can now interact openly and happily with colleagues again, tackle problems in a solution-oriented way and experience his tasks as meaningful. "It was a big step with relatively little effort," he says with a smile. The initial orientation phase at career counselling was enough to get him back on track. "It's important to act early and not wait until you've been in such a state for months or years. If you wait too long, you risk becoming ill and may then have to make decisions that could have been avoided. The bigger you let the problem grow, the longer the process takes." When asked whether he can understand that many people also hesitate when it comes to taking the step to career counselling , Ludin waves it off. There is no reason to hesitate or be afraid, he says. "That's what the professionals are there for, to help you. Sometimes you can't do it yourself, that's normal, then you just need someone to get you back on track."
Advice at the end
Nicolas was able to solve his problem with open coaching discussions, but in his opinion there is no one right way. "Everyone has to find the path that suits them. But one thing I can advise everyone to do is to seek help early on and, above all, to focus on your own strengths. We can all do more than we think."
Listen to the entire Podcast interview with Nicolas Ludin.
