hi!
i've been stalking the forum for sometime now and i've been searching for jobs in switzerland for a few months. i just noticed that it's not very easy to get in switzerland and get settled.

but my question is (especially to those who lived there for a long time) is life there worth the difficulty to get into switzerland?
or should i look in other places in europe?

i'm head graphic designer of a marketing communications agency.
i just want to live where it's safe, organized and close to nature. i'm single 26 years old.

please share your thoughts, experiences and daily life. i'm aching for a new country and i'm very ready for change. i'm currently in haiti.

it's better than Haiti.

i'm living a very good life here though, enjoying. i just want a new country to live in.

but true. anything else is better than haiti.

But I've heard they do at least have brown sugar in Haiti. But, most importantly, could I live comfortably in Haiti on 155,000.00 Haitian Gourde?

Is that for just you?

Why switzerland specifically? US & Canada are in the neighborhood and are also good places to work and live.

North America and UK are the places to be for marketing.

I think that depends on the person, there is no way I would move to either the US or the UK. Not because I find them bad places to live, but I do not want to bring up my children there, just as much as I do not want to bring them up back home in Peru.
Plus in the kind of job that I do, I would be a slave in the US, only two week holidays, nah...I am fine in CH thank you

Is that per week or per month?

^that's why!

Canada's got all that plus a lot more nature!

I grew up in Canada and I would say that CH and CA are are both great places to live and work. I was just curious why the op is targeting switzerland specifically. Canada's immigration policy is definitely easier than Switzerland's.
A safe, organized, and close to nature environment isn't going to cut it if there is no income. I would say his marketing skills are probably more valuable in securing something in CA than CH.

@OP, I doubt you will have as much excitement here in Switzerland as you have in Haiti. I have lived in Bangalore, Lagos, London and when it comes to a nice social life, i.e. having fun, going to actually good parties, etc, then Switzerland is extremely lame. Like the amount of fun I had in India, Nigeria, Ghana, United Kingdom, cannot even compare to the downsize in fun you will experience in Switzerland. I regularly escape to London for the weekend to actually party properly.
You only have to go through the thread to realise the problems some EFs face until you learn the language and all the stuff. Just go through the threads on blending properly into the Swiss society.

BUT, and this is what makes me happy here in Switzerland, if you want a certain degree of order, and you want to start a family, you will find Switzerland brilliant. Transport is always on time, the country is usually clean (depending on where you live obviously) but in general well kept. I'd say crime rates are low, and if you are outdoorsy person, then you will be in heaven. OH, did i mention the salary and low taxes - which I have to admit is probably the biggest thing keeping me here

Given your reasons, then I would say Switzerland. Given you occupation, I would say London but then you sacrifice the outdoors but I daresay you will be motivated more jobwise in London. Creative wise, i personally find Switzerland a bit bland, but that's just me.
I have a similar profile to you, currently involved in finance (9-5) but heavily involved in the creative and entertainment business on the side. Funny enough a few of creatives I have met here usually ask the same question, "why leave London for Switzerland?"
That is just my take really. Goodluck with your decision

Honestly: You are living in Wettingen. That's the dullest place of them all except of Olten. You'd probably had more fun in a different spot in Switzerland as well and comparing life in Wettingen with London is just stupid.

Compare Wettingen to Guilford. (And Wettingen is actually only one third of the size of Guilford...) Where do you have more fun?

Hahah, I actually like Wettingen. But to be honest, I only sleep there. I am usually in Zurich especially over the weekend. That is where I get my fun. Which again is not as much as the fun you would get in Shoreditch but still for what it is, it makes do especially for creatives.
Wettingen is definitely boring but it works to wind down on Sunday and for working. And it has great outdoors. You can find me on the riverside on Sundays staring at the river for ages

sounds nice! outdoors are always nice places to unwind, especially after spending the whole week inside the office.

i agree. and i'm actually having a blast here in haiti. thriving social life. good stable job. a good place in the society. travel, mainly in this part of the world. nice beaches etc. but...

...i suddenly realized that i can't live the life of the party forever. i don't want to raise my children here. i want to start thinking of settling down.

may i ask, what creative thing do you do? i'm fine with doing boring layout and stuff like that. i usually do my creative design outside work.

You want safe, organized and close to nature.... THAT'S SWITZERLAND! I love it here. Love the nature, the food, the culture, the proximity to other places in europe, the beautiful towns (i live in Basel), the parks, forests, ... I could go on for ages. The people are polite, everything works very well, it's so clean and tidy but also pretty and rustic. It's great!

My personal answer to your question is no, but I have several reasons which are specific to my character and might not bother anyone else. I've been here for two years and it has never felt like home. You will see that both opinions are common - yes I love it, no I dislike it - so your best bet is to read what goes on here and decide what would annoy you/not make the move worth it etc. There are some things people whine about on here which I don't mind.

and what are those specific reasons? i'm curious, if you say no but still stay there, what could be those specific reasons?

As much as I love Switzerland, to be honest, if I were 26 and single, Switzerland would be the last place I'd be looking at. Not to mention the fact that the types of jobs you are looking for are not that abundant in Switzerland.

Despite Dougal's protests, I think Canada is a really good bet.

I was 24 and single when I moved over and I loved every minute. Only now, 5 and a half years later, am I growing somewhat tired of it and miss my home. I think that's mainly to do with having my daughter now and also missing my family way too much

Switzerland is just too hard to balance work and family life and I just feel I am missing too much of my little one growing up.

Saying that, we have just signed a new lease on a place that keeps us here for at least a few more years so we're obviously not that fed up yet