Feel stuck in your job in Switzerland? How to navigate expat career transitions

It was 2014, and Dominic Junghänel had lived in Tokyo for four years when a restructuring at his company left him without a job.

Losing a job is difficult enough. Losing one thousands of kilometres from home added another layer of uncertainty. Should he stay in Japan or return to Switzerland? What did he actually want to do next? And what was the best way to find a new job in Japan as a foreigner?

“I remember feeling completely stuck,” Dominic recalls. “I missed having my family and old friends nearby, I wasn't sure whether I even wanted to stay in Japan, and at the same time I had to figure out what came next professionally.”

When uncertainty affects more than just your career

Career uncertainty can affect anyone, wherever they live. Whether it's because you've lost your job, no longer feel fulfilled in your current role or simply aren't sure what you want next. But when you're living abroad, this uncertainty can easily become intertwined with questions that go far beyond work.

Should you stay or go home? Would changing countries make things easier? What does a career change mean for your partner or family? International professionals often also face more practical obstacles, including navigating a job market that may work very differently from the one they're used to.

“For me, it was mainly the lack of inner clarity that made it so difficult to decide what to do next. What am I good at? What do I enjoy? I had never really thought about these questions. And then there was the issue of confidence: What am I capable of? How far outside of my comfort zone am I willing to go, and what if I fail?”

Things eventually took a positive turn. Dominic found a job at an international marketing agency and ended up staying in Japan for another seven years before eventually returning to Switzerland.

From personal experience to career coaching in Zurich

Fast-forward to today. After establishing Mindful Career in Zurich in 2021, Dominic has spent several years helping international professionals navigate career change, uncertainty and figuring out the question of what they really want from their working lives.

His own experience abroad, combined with what he has learned from working with coaching clients, inspired him to create the kind of resources he wishes he'd had during that period of uncertainty.

This is how the Career Change Starter Kit came to be. It is designed for anyone who feels stuck in their career and knows something needs to change, but simply doesn't know where to start.

Free Career Change Starter Kit for international professionals

The free Career Change Starter Kit from Mindful Career includes three practical resources:

• Skills and Energy Matrix: A simple but eye-opening exercise to explore what you're good at, what gives you energy and where your strengths and interests align.
• Overcoming Career Change Anxiety: A guided reflection to understand the fears that may be holding you back and find practical ways to move forward despite uncertainty.
• Mindful Career Change Guide: Six practical strategies for looking after your mental wellbeing during a career change.

Together, the resources are designed to help you gain clarity, manage the uncertainty that comes with change and make more confident career decisions. The download is free and Mindful Career subscribers also receive regular emails from Dominic with practical insights on career change, confidence and navigating the Swiss job market.

Feeling stuck doesn't have to become your new normal. Often, moving forward starts simply by asking yourself the right questions.

Get your free Career Change Starter Kit and take the first step towards finding your direction.