Dear All

I randomly found this forum and it is quite interesting. Here's my story and I need some help!

Half year ago I met a guy in Switzerland when I was in a trip there. It was romantic! He fell in love with me and came to China to see me twice already. Now I have been trying to apply some jobs in Switzerland and move there. The thing I am struggling is the fancy job I can do in China but I probably can hardly find in Switzerland. I am 27 years old, and graduated from top medical school in China, majored in public health ( not in the clinical!), with a MD and Msci. So far I had 18 months work experience as a medical affairs specialist in Biopharmaceutical company. I can speak and write fluent English but no German!

I am thinking to get a Swiss degree maybe this could be more acceptable by the country, otherwise I may not find a job! But I had been in school so long time and I am really tired of that! Also the language is a problem for me.

The Swiss guy is working for government and his salary can't support 2 people. Plus I am kinda independent in my own country.

Anyone can give me suggestion that I can better manager my plan to Swizterland?

Many global pharmaceutical companies headquarters are located in Switzerland.
There is no need for German in those places, as everyone speaks English.
You might try and focus in finding a job in such a company.
Good luck!

That Roche/Novartis stuff, and the thread How did you find your job in Switzerland lists some job searching links that could be useful...

good luck.

I am throwing it out there...but as a "Plan B", how about him trying to come to China instead? You don't write where you are based, or exactly what type of work he does for the government (in what field/training), but perhaps there might be job opportunities for him where you are?

I say this because, for example, in my field of work China (and Russia, to a lesser extent) is the "hot spot" at the moment, and with increasing development potential.

Otherwise, good luck! (And happy upcoming Chinese New Year!)

I am current working in Shanghai. I lived and worked in Beijing before, so I am flexible to move around in China. He is doing some "paperwork" for government I would say, and he still wanna do accounting education later on in Switzerland. The better plan is I gain some global work experience and he get more decent education so in long term we can work around the world hopefully!

Thanks. I will keep looking!

Surely you mean you fell in love with each other?

haha, indeed!

It will be difficult.
You can of course marry and then you can be in Switzerland with him.
But it will be a only a bit less difficult to find a job.

Have you found job-adverts (jobs.ch, moster.ch) for jobs that you might qualify for? (Or have him find some).

Equally, what he currently does for the government might not be easily transferable in terms of skills to any other country or company.

By the time you get out of university in Switzerland, the other women you will compete with in the job-market will have at least 5 years more work-experience...

If his job is not high-paying, it might be easier for him to move - but in exchange for not high-paying, it might be a very secure job, which one does not like to give up easily.

Thank you! You are so practical!

;-)
Thanks.

I've got a non-EU GF, too - I know the situation...

Why have to classify into Swiss/ EU /The third world ?

This B work permit is also crazy! If it is a junior position then how can I beat up all the other Swiss and Eu-ers?! If it is a senior position then how can a person which is in his/her 20s to get that?!

In return for allowing EU workers into Switzerland, all Swiss citizens can go and work in the rest of (EU-) Europe.
Europe is closest, so it makes sense...
It's a long and complicate story.

In Germany, for a while there was a kind of loop-hole where people from China running Chinese restaurants claimed that some guy from China they wanted to hire (usually a relative) was very good at making some Chinese speciality - and that was enough to label him a "specialist" and secure the (German-) work-permit....

If you're in Shanghai it will most likely be much easier for your boyfriend to find a job there than for you in Switzerland. In you position i woulnt come to Switzerland quite frankly. You are most likely better off cementing your career in China at the moment.

What the both following posts say!

You should concentrate your efforts finding something local and then transfer to Switzerland when the time is right. I've seen too many Chinese (I'm one, so I can defnitely relate) come to Switzerland and other parts of Europe hoping to find something and in the end become frustrated and disenchanted. Of course there are a few that can make it but the majority had their hopes dashed. I was one of the fortunate ones and wish I can tell you the process was easy. It was not. In the end, I was transferred here by my company. My firm had to argue that only I was capable of doing the job and not anyone else in CH or Europe.

You're Chinese in China so you know having white skin is in the person's favour. Your boyfriend will have a much, much easier time finding a job in China than the other way around.

Thanks all. The decision will not be that easy!

wow, slow down there lady, you don't want to beat people up 'caus that's not very nice

joke aside, I think with job seeking, your skill level and how well you can sell yourself matter most, while stuff like age/gender/permits etc comes after these. So just try to focus on that, and you should be rewarded. Good luck!

You are right bulaohu. I just decided to move back to Beijing to develop my career because of a great work opportunity ( something I could die for it). So better he can follow me now.