Clients´ views

After 20 years’ with an international technology company in various senior management functions, continually gaining promotion, with positions in group headquarters and several overseas postings of a more operational nature, and having gained first rate performance appraisals, the news came out of the blue: replacement of the complete board of directors, setting of new priorities and, as a consequence, restructuring of the whole organization. A large number of managers at business unit level were replaced immediately. I too felt the effects of the reorganization when a CFO colleague took over my duties.

It was clear to me that it would be impossible to go on working for this company. I had no real alternative, other than terminating my employment. The termination of contract package promised me, among other things, professional support in finding a new direction for my career.

They offered me a choice of three outplacement companies. After detailed discussions and getting-to-know-you meetings with the potential advisors, I chose KONITZER & TAFEL Managementberatung GmbH. In my view the decisive factors were, in particular, the personal orientation on my requirements in their approach and in the arrangement of my forthcoming activities concerning the change in my career. 

In the previous months, I had already updated my CV and, in my opinion, had put it in a modern format, both in German and English. Even close colleagues thought my drafts were good. My first trial runs with the top 10 personnel consultancies in Germany were somewhat disillusioning and I received hardly any feedback or heard nothing at all. Am I, as a senior executive, really of no interest to the market? 

In the first meetings with Mr. Tafel we completely restructured my CV and brought it into the appropriate, easy to read format preferred by headhunters. On top of that, we worked out a communications strategy. Suddenly it all took off, from zero to one hundred! All at once I received‚ ‘phone calls, appointments for initial meetings and the attention from headhunters that I had expected in my first attempts, and then the first enquiries concerning jobs.

Thanks to perfect preparation, together with Mr. Tafel, for the coming meetings I had the right attitude, ease and confidence to cope with the demanding discussions. Even in the event of short-term issues or questions, Mr. Tafel was always available, either by telephone or by TeamViewer. 

The analysis of job specifications sent to me, and afterwards of job offers, led to positive discussions and preparation work, and this formed an excellent basis for the next steps. While doing this, there developed between Mr. Tafel and myself a very close bond of trust.

Through structured working up of my internal and external networks and targeted preparation of my interviews, together with Mr. Tafel, and following seven months of intensive research, I now have a comparable job again as international CFO, which is exactly as I had hoped. Naturally, luck played a part too, but I never had the feeling that the search process was not going to be successful.

My thanks go to KONITZER & TAFEL – particularly Mr. Tafel – for the professional, supportive and confidence inspiring teamwork.