Hello everyone.

I have recently started searching for a job again. Of course in the US your LinkedIn profile can be very valuable in the job search, and I updated my profile. I have also heard about another professional network called Xing which seems to be popular in the German speaking part of Europe (from what I've read). I'm curious about how or if these sites are even used in Switzerland.

Have any of you had any luck finding a job with Xing or LinkedIn in Switzerland? Do Swiss professionals even use such networking sites?

I'd be happy to hear about your experiences. Thanks!

Found my last 2 jobs through Xing. Yes, more commonly used in German speaking part of Europe, Linked-In is more english oriented, imho.

From my experience, LinkedIn is much more widely used, at least for international and English speaking firms.

But given they are free it doesn't hurt to use both, and cross-reference your profiles on each as well for good measure.

Xing raised prices dramatically last year for premium members:

http://www.computerworld.ch/news/kom...ler-ein-65454/

I have left Xing.

Xing=DE
LinkedIn=EN

Simples

I've found that the German-non German gap between Xing and Linkedin is narrowing.

From my own experience more of my Swiss and German colleagues are on Linkedin now than Xing. I ended up deleting my Xing account as I found it brought me nothing, had a horrible interface, and wasn't as engaging with articles and the like as Linkedin is.

Facebook for the office ;-)

Thanks for the feedback everyone!


I also created a Xing a couple months ago and was put off by its interface, which is why I was asking if it is even useful. Ha ha.

Nice to hear you found jobs through Xing. Did you use the premium feature, or just as a free member? I'm not familiar enough with it to know the difference.

Thanks for the tips! I think this is exactly what I will do. LinkedIn in English, Xing in German, and then cross-reference each of my profiles.

Good to know! What are the benefits of having a premium account over a free one?

I see far more relevant jobs for me in Zurich on LinkedIN then Xing.

also most of my colleagues (also clients) Swiss and German are on LinkedIN, fewer on Xing.

If you are actively looking for work then theres no harm in using both.

Nothing like Linkedin.

I gave xing the ping.

I found that xing is not my thing

I always found my jobs over xing or linkedin. Head hunters checked them often. Lets say in marketing and sales, they know that people move every 2-3 years and get in touch with you with new job offers.
Xing helped me more as i have a german/french/international profile.
Linkedin is more for english speaking people.

How is one supposed to pronounce Xing?

I always read it as "shing", but I suspect that might be wrong.

Unearthing this old thread, five years have passed and I wonder about your recommendations.

As it is, hubby is very likely to lose his job with his employer of over 35yrs. at over mid-50s, it won' tbe easy to find something new, that much we know.

I am helping as much as I can, as is the Union he is with (hubby's a shop steward himself) and the case management at work is also involved.

But we also want to do as much as we can by ourselves,he has already started to send out applications.

I was wondering which of those sites like Linkedin and Xing whatever else exists now, would you recommend to us, for him to subscribe to. we are both total novices with that kind of network.

Thanks in advance for your input.

I´ve updated my linkedin profile recently but the only "bites" I get are from "young dynamic startups" looking for a six month contractor in the Munich area.

Xing is still used quite a lot in the German speaking countries. Disadvantage is that you are almost forced to buy a premium subscription to use it.


Therefore, better focus on Linkedin.

Both, why choose?

It's been said before, 55 is the new 65.

That said, my company just employed a manager knocking on 60+ (he's even dyed his hair), and I have friends @60+ that found work in the same field, so all is not lost.
Personally I'd skip any mention of shop steward unless it was explicitly required for the position. Good luck! (maybe start a new thread?)

My husband came here as a contractor when he was 54 and was offered his job permanently a couple of months before his 58th birthday. He turned 60 in May and recently was asked if he'd be interested in taking on a bit more responsibility for a slightly higher salary. Although he is IT, until 2004 he was a factory manager with a lot of decision making and man management skills which the others in his team value.

You should never write yourself off, I'm spending time reinventing myself before I hit 60 next year - I might even write that novel I've been thinking about for donkeys years

Because I have no clue