Florian Puschmann: "Now I feel fit and have a plan for how I want to find a new job."

You completed the ETH Alumni career positioning program. Why did you decide to do that?

At the end of September 2020, my employer announced that the research and development department would be moving abroad. So I was made redundant at the end of June 2021. I was really surprised by this.

I started to consider what I was going to do. I had a relatively decent amount of time. I didn't want to rush into finding a new job, but to first really think about things and appraise my situation instead.

I didn’t want to lose my job and end up where I was, but the situation did also have a positive side. After ten years with my current employer, it was a good time to take a break and to consider the direction in which I wanted to head. I still believed that I enjoyed a good education and therefore would still be a key player in the professional field. Given these thoughts, I used the new situation to take a step back and look at my career to date. Only then could I decide how I wanted to proceed. What’s more, I had always wanted to build up a longer term relationship with a career coach to help me with career progression. And that was when I saw the new ETH Alumni offer, and thought it could be just what I was looking for.

Did the Covid pandemic influence your decision in any way?

My former employer had moved its research department abroad as part of a global and company-wide cost-saving program in response to the economic situation. So my current career change is certainly as a result of the Covid pandemic.

How did you find the coaching? What did you gain from it?

The advice I received was very useful. I gained the most from preparing for the discussions; the homework you could say. I received various documents, which got me thinking about useful things. I spent a lot of time reflecting on what I want and where my strengths lie. I also obtained feedback from my colleagues on how they view me.

One valuable finding was that one of my main strengths lies in managing complex projects. During the coaching we talked about whether I could formalise this experience. I spent a lot of time looking for ways to do this. As a consequence, I decided to embark on an intense advanced part-time training course, which lasted a good two months. Not only did this teach me many things, but I now also hold a globally recognised PMP® certificate in project management from the "Project Management Institute" PMI.

The coaching gave me inner peace and structure. I feel fit and have a plan for how I want to find a new job. For example, I found the AIDA Framework very useful. It helped me to position myself correctly when applying for vacant positions. I was also very interested in the insight into Applicant Tracking Systems (ATS), which helped me understand how today’s application process works. An awful lot has changed in the last ten years. Candidates are often initially evaluated using artificial intelligence. This made the coaching program hugely valuable for me: I really got to see what goes on behind the scenes of recruitment.

Did it meet your expectations?

On the one hand, I wanted some external feedback on my documents. By and large, the documents I submit when applying for jobs are always up-to-date. But thanks to the coaching, they are certainly vastly improved because I learnt a lot from the program. But that wasn’t my main reason for signing up.

I really wanted to stop and take stock of where I’m at, what I want and how to progress. I didn’t expect all my problems to be solved overnight. It was important for me to start reflecting and to take a close look at myself with a coach who doesn’t know me and therefore views me with fresh eyes. That was the most important thing for me, and I achieved it.

Would you recommend the service?

Definitely. You simply need to be aware of the fact that no-one else is going to solve your problems. You yourself have to do the thinking. The coaching was very specific, and in my situation perfect to help me take charge. However, I hope to see the option of coaching support in the long-term, as I think it would certainly be a useful addition to the program in the future.