Discovering new opportunities: How branch manager Tobias Meier secured his career with networking & personal branding

The challenge: the secure job is suddenly no longer secure

Tobias has been working as a branch manager at a bank for over 20 years. He knows the business, his customers appreciate him and he has built up a stable team. However, increasing digitalization and branch closures have made him realize that he needs to change:

🔹 His job could disappear or change drastically in the next few years.
🔹 He has never actively looked after a network - all contacts are purely operational.
🔹 His online presence? Non-existent. No LinkedIn, no portfolio, no clear profile.

He suddenly feels disoriented: "What will I do if my position is eliminated? Who am I professionally outside of this company?"

Emotional level: uncertainty, but also an opportunity for reorientation

😓 Self-doubt: "Am I too old to reposition myself? Can I even gain a foothold somewhere else?"
🤯 Overwhelmed: "LinkedIn, personal branding, networking - it all sounds so foreign to me."
💡 Insight: "If I don't make myself visible, I'll be overlooked - it's time to actively shape my professional identity."

He realizes that his experience is valuable - he just has to learn how to present it correctly.

3 strategies with which Tobias is slowly approaching networking & personal branding

1. build LinkedIn as a business card - without perfectionism

Tobias starts with a simple first step: he creates a LinkedIn profile.

✅ Upload a professional profile picture - not a glossy one, but friendly & serious
✅ Enter your professional experience & skills - without perfection, just get started
✅ A short profile text: What drives you, where you create added value

📌 The most important insight: perfection is not necessary - the main thing is that it is visible.

2. recognize your own strengths and expertise - and learn to formulate them

Tobias finds it difficult to talk about himself. That's why he starts with a strengths analysis:

✅ What successes has he achieved in recent years?
✅ What do colleagues say about him? What makes him special?
✅ What skills has he acquired over the years?

💡 Result: Tobias realizes that he has excellent leadership skills, change management experience and customer orientation - skills that go far beyond the branch business.

📌 Next step: He starts to incorporate these strengths into his LinkedIn profile.

3. use offline networks: Visit regulars' tables & industry events

Tobias realizes that he should not only make himself visible online, but also offline. But the thought of "cold calling" strangers puts him off. He therefore opts for a low-threshold approach:

✅ Participation in specialist events and industry meetings. For example, he attends meet-ups for bankers in transformation, digitalization events and networking events organized by organizations such as loopings.ch.
✅ HR get-togethers and career get-togethers in his region. This is where he meets like-minded people who are also looking for new opportunities.
✅ Alumni meetings or contacting former colleagues. Tobias recognizes that many former colleagues are already working in new areas - and can provide valuable insights.

📌 The most important insight: networking doesn't mean wildly handing out business cards - it means building real connections.

Happy ending: from invisible store manager to recognized expert voice

🚀 After six months, Tobias has completely repositioned himself:
✅ His LinkedIn profile is professional and he is actively contacted by recruiters.
✅ He has a clear understanding of his strengths and can communicate them confidently.
✅ He regularly attends specialist events and has already received his first job options through contacts.

🔹 His learning?
💡 Visibility creates opportunities - if you can't be found, you remain invisible.
💡 Networking & personal branding can be learned - step by step.

Conclusion: What you can learn from Tobias' story

🔹 A LinkedIn profile is a must today - but perfection is not necessary, the main thing is that you get started.
🔹 Recognizing your strengths helps you to develop in a targeted manner and become visible.
🔹 Networking is a long-term investment - offline is just as important as online.

Get started now

🔎 Do you recognize yourself in Tobias' story? Do you find it difficult to talk about your strengths or actively network?

📌 O n our platform, you will find the right training courses, input and inspiration to strengthen these skills. Whether it's personal branding, using LinkedIn or networking strategies - with the right skills, you can take the next step in your career with confidence. Take a look and find the training that will take you to the next level! 🚀

This version now focuses more on offline networks & events as a concrete introduction to networking and mentions specific platforms such as loopings.ch to show Tobias a realistic way forward. If you want any further adjustments, let me know! 😊 🚀