Hello guys!

I'm a filipina who's in a relationship with a Swiss guy.. He's there while I'm in the Philippines so it's a long distance relationship.. It's hard so we're thinking of the best way to be together again.. But he's not prepared yet to marry and move here in the city.. So the only way is for me to go there and get a job so I can stay long.. But I don't know how to start.. Can anyone help me please on how to find a job in Switzerland? I'm currently working in a bank so I want a professional job there..

Thanks so much..

The only way to have a remote chance of getting a comparable job here is to marry him (or rather: he marrying you).

Even then: if you don't speak German, it will be an absolute uphill battle.
Do you speak German?
If not, I'd try to enroll in a course ASAP:
https://www.goethe.de/ins/ph/en/map/lrn/ein/prs.html

ISTR that there is a special program for nurses. They seem to get work-permits easier (though probably with the help of more or less trustworthy middle-men).

There's probably a thread or two in the archive, if you look for it.

But Switzerland is very different from the Philippines.
Unless you're very rich, you normally don't hire any domestic helpers. So, you've got to do all the chores yourself. On top of your job. And the kids.
This can be very frustrating and seems to be a big strain for many relationships.
Because about 30% of the Swiss men marry someone with another nationality, there's a whole little service-industry catering to problems with these kinds of relationships...


Good luck.

Thanks for the reply.. Unfortunately he's not ready to marry yet..

I'm studying German language right now in Berlitz, a different language school as Goethe is more expensive than Berlitz..

I agree with you when you said switzerland is so different from the Philippines because I've been there in May to June and I saw how hard the life there is.. I was helping him do the household chores when I was there and also gardening can be more difficult but I can manage it.. He and his wonderful family helped me to adjust to the life there.. But I know it's different when I'm already there for good..

Unfortunately most of the filipinas there are domestic helpers in Geneva but I'm a professional so I'm hoping to get a job in a corporate world..

Here's the situation;

Unless you marry your boyfriend, you are not likely to get a permit to live and work in Switzerland. Your employer would have to prove that they can't find a suitable candidate in CH/EU in order to get you a permit. So you have to be very high-up/skilled, or have an unusual language that your company needs. Unfortunately for you, there are many people in the banking industry in Europe.

Should you manage to find a way to move to Switzerland, is it wise to turn your life upside down and move half way around the world, for a man who isn't ready to commit? I think you should keep working on your career where you are, learn German, so that if and when your boyfriend wants to get married you will have an easier time finding a job here.

Be aware that the banking industry is contracting; many of the larger banks are under extreme cost pressure and so have been laying off employees regularly for years now. (Several banks have announced yet more layoffs for this year...)

If marriage is not in the cards*, if your only route is a sponsored work permit, in addition to the difficulty of gaining a permit for a non-EU you are also looking for a job at a difficult time in your industry. So you need to think strategically.

One way some non-EU folks end up getting here is to first seek a job with a company in their home country that also has a presence in Switzerland, hoping for an international transfer down the road. Is this a possibility for you?

Another is to promote your unique skills to a group that is marketing to your home country - be it language skills, local knowledge, etc. This is something of a risk, however, because many companies eager to hire that local knowledge/language obviously prefer to keep the employee in the local location, where the clients are. (And because Swiss labor is more expensive than just about anywhere else on the planet many global companies try to move jobs outside Switzerland wherever possible.) But it might be a start.

What do you do in banking? Some info might help folks here to give you more constructive ideas...

But I'll second what others have said - learning German (French, Italian as applies) will strengthen your hand.


*And... along with Island Monkey I'll caution you about trying to make the leap here, turning your life upside down in the process, before your partner is ready to make a real commitment to you.

Wishing you all the best.

You're probably not used to snowy and cold-ish weather with little sun and short daylight times. It would probably be a good idea for you to have a peek in winter also, perhaps mid-december thru mid-february, as that's when the weather differs most from what you're probably used to.