Coronavirus: bouncing back!

? Every cloud has a silver lining!” What a politically incorrect catchphrase to use in these times of pandemic! And yet. There are 25, 35, 45, 55 years old and more, for whom 2020 was the best year of their professional career.

A student looking for an internship to complete a university program. A 30-year-old returning from maternity leave and looking for a new employer. A 40-year-old woman joining her expatriate husband in Switzerland or having stopped working to raise her children and wanting to re-enter the job market. A 50-year-old in transition following a layoff...

What are the ingredients of their success? Here's a look at some of the women we met last year.

Determination

Covid-19 or not, they decided to invest in themselves, to take their professional future in hand. They saw in the infinite variety of training courses suddenly available online an opportunity to acquire new skills, expand their network, or even offer themselves a prestigious diploma that they would not have even dreamed of (certifications in languages, in project management, CAS at IHEID, MBA at the University of St. Gallen or at IMD…)

Focus

From the moment they decided to make the most of this unprecedented year, nothing stopped them. They had this amazing ability to stay the course, not to let themselves be invaded by the present or to dwell on the past. They knew how to silence their fears and control their anxiety. As the American coach Tony Robbins puts it so well, they could “stand guard at the door of their mind”.

Humility

They got help. Skills assessment, support from a coach, job search initiatives. They accepted the discomfort of introspection (reflecting on their purpose, their mission, their values, exploring all their talents, even the most hidden ones), of self-questioning, and sometimes of reorientation.

Courage

During this review exercise, they accepted their responsibilities, admitted their weaknesses, recognized their mistakes or unfortunate choices, looked their failures in the face and decided to transform them into strengths.

Mental conditioning

They talked to themselves "Alice, this is not you, you can do much better than that!", "Jasmine, this job is for you!", "Marie, this MBA will be on your CV!" and thus leveraged the power of mental conditioning. They also helped themselves by visualizing their professional ideal.

Flexibility

Knowing full well what they wanted to achieve, they developed a particularly open mindset, "planting seeds" everywhere, leaving all doors open, considering every new opportunity.

Gratitude

Whether this aptitude was innate or recently acquired, they knew how to appreciate all that they had already achieved and obtained and to be grateful for it daily. They understood that this was the key to attracting even more good things into their lives.