I don't live in Switzerland (yet ) so can't given specific advice about breaking into the Swiss IT industry. But I can give my 2c worth about the IT sector...

First of all I've been in IT on and off for 10 years and I think it's a great sector to be in! In my 20's I loved to travel and work in different countries and being an IT contractor made this easy. I've worked in sectors other than IT and, for me at least, IT has been the highest paid, lowest stress environment. Others may think differently but that has been my experience.

In terms of breaking into the industry I think the first thing to do, as Cantarell mentions above, is work out what you want to do. There are a huge range of potential careers within IT. Some of the obvious ones include network support, development, software testing, business anlaysis, project management, etc, etc. Of course you can always change once you're in the industry but I think you should have a rough idea of where you want to be in 5 years and work towards that.

Once you've worked out the area you want to be in certification can help you get your foot in the door. I've worked as a Business Analyst and Systems Tester and have found that, especially for getting that first job in a new market, it helps to have a recognised certification. Some certifications are very easy - I've done a couple in software testing that even someone with no experience could pass with a few days preparation. Even given that, they are still held in quite high regard by some organisations / recruitment agencies. So you may not learn much from doing them but it will help pad out your CV, especially when you have limited experience.

When it comes to actually finding a job my advice would be to get your CV looking very polished and professional and then start sending it out and making the calls. Dealing with agents can be difficult and I've been let down many times by dodgy recruitment agents. What I do now is try to get an impression of the agent. If they seem OK and seem to have integrity then I try and build up a bit of a relationship with them. i.e, rather than just e-mail call them to discuss possible roles, etc.

If you are finding it tough to find work in Switzerland, maybe you could consider trying some of the other european markets. I'm from New Zealand and started my european employment in London. I didn't particularly like living in London but it was definitely easy to find work there.

Anyway, that's enough of my ramblings .... good luck !

Corran