Written by Agnes Pakozdi, Founder of Refined Career
The Swiss job market is one of the most competitive in the world. I found out myself when I moved from Canada to Switzerland in 2012 as an expat, equipped with professional expertise in the banking sector and the motivation to find a job. I was very excited about this new opportunity, envisioning a wonderful career ahead in banking.
After many ups and downs – and learning which of my capabilities spoke to the needs of the Swiss market – I landed my dream job at a Swiss consulting company. My experiences, along with those of the hundreds of job seekers I have since met, can be distilled into five guidelines which have proved vital to a successful job search strategy and career transition, and ultimately the achievement of career goals.
Understand the needs of the Swiss market
Before you start the job search process, it is very important to understand the Swiss job market as a whole. There are many insightful reports published by the State Secretariat for Economic Affairs (SECO), for example the monthly Die Lage auf dem Arbeitsmarkt report, or the quarterly job indexes and yearly skills shortage reports from the Adecco Group. You can also research local job platforms, such as jobs.ch or indeed.ch, to see the number of openings in your profession and industry sector. Based on these resources, you can then determine if your expertise is highly sought after or in lower demand due to an oversupply of people with similar know-how.
Identify your strengths and job requirements
After you get an overview of the market situation, think about how your skills and strengths could support the Swiss market – and how Switzerland could benefit most from your expertise. It is also important to assess your own requirements regarding your preferred job, for example the main language(s) used at the company, your willingness to travel or relocate, and expectations around on-site versus remote work.
Find the hidden market and proactively approach them
Once you understand the market, your skills in the context of market needs, and which industry/industries would potentially benefit from your skills, you can start looking for companies that are hiring. Apart from big companies, small and medium-sized enterprises also need experts – not to mention the wonderful startup ecosystem with many university spin-offs, offering excellent opportunities to learn, contribute and grow. As an example, a Google search for “all Swiss MedTech companies” could provide you with a list of hundreds of companies to research and approach. How you get in touch with these companies is important and requires a special attitude and mindset to increase your chances.
Highlight your personal brand while respecting the rules
When it comes to building trust with Swiss employers, showing your professionalism, interest, and offering your expertise, support could be a good start. It is also advantageous to formulate and design your CV in a standard Swiss way, write a motivation (cover) letter that clarifies your unique selling point, and reinforce your LinkedIn presence, using the right connection process and engagement level for the Swiss market.
Keep your motivation and maintain your sanity
Looking for a job can be very lonely and daunting. Because the process can be long and a real rollercoaster, you will want to find ways to keep your morale and motivation high. It will be vital to gather the resources that can support you on your journey. In addition, having a positive mindset and spending 15 minutes every day repeating self-affirmations could increase your chances, as shown by the latest research from Pfrombeck et al.*
A job search consultant and career coach could further accelerate the job search process by helping you pinpoint specific challenges, navigate some of the unwritten Swiss codes and practices, and effectively refine your strategy.
If you would like to hear more about how you can work with me to sharpen your job search, visit my website and book a free 30-minute online discovery call to discuss your needs and how I could best support you.
Feel free to connect or follow me on LinkedIn for more insights and events.
*J. Pfrombeck, A.Galinsky, N.Nagy et al. (2023) Self-affirmation increases reemployment success for the unemployed, Journal of Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences [online], Volume 120, Issue 37, Pages e2301532120, available from https://www.pnas.org/doi/abs/10.1073/pnas.2301532120 [14.03.2024]
