A very polite HR lady adviced me the other day that they would not be taking my application for the role any further because they had decided they wanted somebody who spoke fluent German. OK. She then advised me to slow down on the job search and learn German.

Now I am sorry but it needs to be said if you are competing with native German speakers learning German (starting from zero here feels like mission impossible).

Has anybody in EF actually come here with No German language skills, not married a local and successfully picked up enough of the lingo to land a job as a professional ?

I agreed all what you've said. Anyway you are still in a better position than me, because English may be your native language, so you have a bit better plus. I have a BA in hotel and tourism management by Swiss and UK university, but I will have to apply for a job as a housekeeper in a hotel, as English is not my mother tongue, and I am just taking an intensive German course now.

The lack of replies to this question an answer in itself.

Sorry to hear that. I guess it depends on which area you are applying for. I've never had any job where I needed the German (well I need a little bit now, but manageable)
But I can tell you that if you follow the HR lady's advice you will be jobless for ages. I live here since 2003 and still my German is nowhere near as fluent...and I can tell you that I speak fluently 3 other languages... so it's not that I'm crap at languages... It's just that German it is difficult and honestly, quoting my first german teacher, " don't expect to learn german as mother tongue level, because you can only achieve that until you're 7 years old"... after that is very difficult.
sorry for not being more positive.

You have a BA from a UK University and struggle with English? You also say that you have the BA by Swiss university. In which of Swiss languages did you study hotel and tourism management?
I honestly do not understand you. Having a BA in hotel and tourism and working as housekeeper? Does not make sense

Learning a language & mastering it takes years of practice. The mission is not impossible but will take time. So don't lose hope & set realistic expectations for yourself.

I have met quite a few expats who came here with no German language skills & speak perfect High German(and some even Swiss German). The overall process is time consuming & takes effort but there are people who have done it.

Mastering the language first & then looking for a job may take a lot of time(read years). Also consider the time that you will be off the market & may be in your line of work, you may have to undergo new trainings once you decide to work again after mastering the language.

The approach that most of us have taken here is to look for a job which doesn't require German as a pre-requisite for the job. A lot of mutlinational companies operate out of Switzerland & quite a few jobs don't require German. In short, get the job first & then master the language.

I came to Germany in 2004 as a student, with absolutely no knowledge of the language. The first few years, I always found that not knowing German was a BIG disadvantage (internships, theses, looking for job). After two years of studying German, including 9 months of working as a student at a company (great way to learn German quickly btw!), I landed a job, even though my German skills left a bit to be desired. Mostly colleagues spoke in German, and after working 1-2 years in a German-speaking environment, I today feel mostly comfortable with using the language professionally.
So, my suggestion would be to continue searching for jobs (hopefully you will land one that does not require fluent German presently), but continue to learn the language. Work and take evening language classes when possible. If you are lucky, you will land a job in a German-speaking environment, but with colleagues who are flexible. Working in a German-speaking environment would be painful in the beginning, but it's actually also the best way to learn the language quickly. After a year, I am sure, you will be much more comfortable speaking the language.
Like a famous military proverb says, "When faced with war, pray like hell, but keep your gunpowder dry"!

All the best for landing your first job!

I did, but I did have 2 advantages over most. First off my girlfriend is swiss, so the living situation was already sorted. Second I had enough money that I didn't need to work for the first year I was here, and used this time to do really nothing other than intensive German courses (apart from 2 months where I had a temporary job).

I've been here 3 years now, and despite working in a totally German speaking environment I could never describe myself as even approaching fluency, but within the area of my work I have absolutely no problem understanding, or being understood. It's the smalltalk outside of work that I have the most problems with.

Depending on profession I'd say that at the top level its probably easier to get away with just speaking English. It's at the lower levels that German is more likely to be a requirement.

I'm not answering your question with this but if it's any consolation (which I know it won't be...),

I'm in the same position as you - many jobs out there for which I have the required skills... except German. I continuously ponder over whether I should just cut my losses and return home/move somewhere else. There's only the small matter of my partner here. Even though she speaks German fluently I won't even kid myself and expect to land a job easily even after I've taken a few intensive courses because I'll still be up against the Germans/Austrians/Dutch if not the locals. And let's not forget the German-speaking foreigners not already mentioned. And also take into account that the volume of jobs matching my skillset is far fewer here than in the UK.

So yeah, I have to say that if I didn't have any ties here I would've left ages ago

Plus, CH is such a small place that if you don't have a good network you are double screwed

i live in the french speaking part of switzerland. when i came here i knew a bit of french from high school. but over the years i was able to learn the language as well as if not better than many of the locals. french is a complex language and many locals make grammar mistakes in writing although their verbal skills are acceptable. i'm a trainer and i teach communication skills (in french) to the unemployed. cv's cover letters, interview techniques etc. i am often amazed to see the errors made in french by native french speakers.
as for german, i'm not aware about the level of locals in the german speaking area, but......however well you learn "schrifft deutch" you will never master the swiss german dialect, which,sad to say is really baby talk ( i mean no disrespect, but this is the language used by infants and youngsters in primary school ) and now, even carried in to the board room! the good news, is that you can never make spelling mistakes in schwyzerdeutch, because there are no rules, you can write it any way you want. a bit like texting in english

Yup indeedy!

IMO, in a case of "applicant must have fluent German" then you are indeed
stuffed. No way round that.

If, however, it's a case of "have several possible applicants with varying
strengths and weaknesses, how to narrow the choice down?" then the
ability to speak some (not necessarily fluent) German could very well tip
the balance in your favour.

And, believe it or not, with a good teacher and a motivated bunch of
classmates, it can be good fun learning
.

I didn't say that I struggle with English, but with German. I am an international student here, both English and German are neither my mother tongue. Yes, having a BA in hotel and tourism studies and start to work as a housekeeper sounds strange, but if you think deeply, can a non EU student just with a degree jump to high position in a hotel in Switzerland at fist time? Hope it makes sense now.

Hi there,

I came here with no german although I worked in various sectors and can speak 3 other languages fluently. I have been looking for a job for almost a year- The HR lady is telling the truth, without German I guess we won't have much chance here especially now. I am following an intensive German course now and hope it helps. Can't stay without a job much longer

Libelulla,
Good luck to you on your
German Courses,i hope you will
be able to find quickly a job