Many years ago I worked for three years in mentoring for young people, a bi-cantonal project to find apprenticeships for young people who have a difficult life. There I met the volunteer mentor Nicole Bertherin. And as is often the case, you cross paths now and then, even if you don't have regular contact.

I first became aware of Nicole Bertherin through another mentor, who I see on the tram every now and then. If possible, we exchange ideas while riding the tram. And by the way, he mentioned the project he and Nicole are working on together: "Impulse A job market for everyone."

Curious, I surfed the Impulse homepage. I would like to quote keywords from the website:

• "Our vision is to promote inclusion in the world of work and society: This means inclusion, inclusion, belonging. Every person must have the opportunity to participate equally and responsibly in all social processes."
• “Our mission is to promote equal opportunities: To this end, we support people with disabilities and job seekers over 50 years of age as well as employers and companies.”

Impulse was founded in 2011. Since 2018, the offer has been expanded to include job seekers over 50 years of age. Impulse is a non-profit organization.

Because I was very interested in all this, I contacted Nicole Bertherin. She sits on the board of the association. And in times of Corona, I asked her questions by email, which she answered below:

Dear Nicole, you are back from Japan. Did you get home safely or was it difficult?

Both. I was able to rebook my cancelled flight with another airline relatively easily and arrived safely in Zurich with only 14 (!) other passengers. Saying goodbye, however, was very difficult for me. I had a wonderful month with incredible encounters. I secretly almost wished I would end up stranded in Japan.

How do you assess the difference between older employees in Japan and here in Switzerland? Can the situation be compared at all?

Both the Swiss and the Japanese are born with work in the truest sense of the word. Both countries are at the top when it comes to the number of hours worked per year. Demographic change is a major challenge for both countries. For Japan, the bigger challenge is probably that: Japanese society is aging and shrinking at a rapid pace. The population has decreased for the seventh year in a row.

This of course also has consequences for the labor market. Three approaches are being pursued - keeping older employees employed for longer, involving more women in the workforce and opening the country to more immigrants. Japan is making the fastest progress in employing older people. It should be noted that in Japan, work in old age is traditionally given greater importance.

In contrast to us, politicians in Japan assume that people will not only earn their living in old age through their pension and private provisions, but also through work. It is therefore normal in Japan for people to still be working at the age of 68 or 70. 

Since when have you been on the board of Impulse?

As a co-founder, I have been working for Impulse since the beginning of 2011.

Is there a difference in how the situation is handled between mentoring for young people and impulses? Do young and old people approach their difficult situation differently?

Whether young or old: phases of transition can be very challenging. I think we all know this. The existential fears come across differently in older job seekers. In addition, not working somehow has no place in our culture. If you don't work for a long time, there's something wrong with you. At least that's how I often perceive the credo. What's particularly dangerous about this, in my view, is that this, combined with the collective mood in the media, can lead to self-stigmatization, which is not without its risks.

 In such a phase of uncertainty, it is important to recognize that the future is not fixed but can be shaped and that we can take responsibility and participate constructively in shaping it. Mentoring on an equal footing can offer valuable support here.

Everyone is talking about rising unemployment as a result of Corona. What do you think about that?

We are experiencing a lot of light and also shadows. Mentees who have just lost the job they started because of the worsening economic situation. Job seekers over 60 who have found their dream job right now. Program participants who can no longer find any vacancies in the areas where they think they have the greatest opportunities. And others who are now even finding more suitable job profiles than before the crisis because they have expanded their strategy during the Mentoring 50+ program.

Can you explain to us how you proceed when a job seeker contacts you?

There is always a non-binding introductory meeting. We present the mentoring and find out what the client's expectations are. If both parties think participation makes sense, we start. Together, we work out a roadmap for the next stage in individual meetings. Depending on the situation, the entire dossier needs to be revised or individual coaching is needed to process difficult experiences. Some people want training for job interviews or support with their social media strategy.

The application strategy is further developed together with mentors as sparring partners. Our "oracle sessions" are a particularly popular option. Here, the combined power of mentors and mentees is used to develop new ideas or identify concrete contacts in specific industries.

How do job seekers over fifty rate the program and its benefits?

In the final interviews, long-term support was mentioned as one of the most important aspects. The wide range of the network and the individual support were perceived as unique. Or as one mentee put it: "Here I always felt like a person and not a client. In the program I was able to benefit from offers that suited me and my situation."

You wrote to me in an email: “It (Seniors@Work) is also an interesting platform for us.” How is Seniors@Work interesting for you?

Work and seniority are our common and central point of contact. Many of our clients are close to retirement or are in early retirement and are developing a perspective beyond their retirement age through Mentoring 50+. Seniors@Work is a valuable platform to access further opportunities and possibilities.

And who knows, maybe one or the other will consider getting involved as a mentor. There are many exciting mentoring programs in Switzerland that would be very happy to have additional mentoring power!

Dear Nicole, thank you for this exciting email interview! It provided interesting insights into another meaningful organization for the benefit of older job seekers. You are doing great work. Congratulations! And: stay healthy!