Does anyone else have any other tips or hints for me in relation to job hunting my area (Vevey - Lausanne - Geneva) ??

I had a similar situation to yourself. It took me just under 10 months to get my first contract, I'm a certified project manager with 5 years experience and 8 years IT experience.

I had about 12 interviews from 40 odd applications and found the reasons for not offering the position were starting to point to the same thing.

I removed my professional qualifications and highest post graduate qualification from my CV and 'hey presto' was offered the next position I was interviewed for. Now work for one of the 'big 2' as a PM.

You may well be intimidating the people interviewing you.

As for Swisslinx, the only contact i had from them was for a position in Dubai, way too hot for me out there.....

Hi - I'm moving to Switzerland and have been job-hunting, but everyone says it's really hard without Swiss or EU citizenship. Does anyone have advice for how to overcome that?

The listings above of jobsearch sites are great- thanks! I'm looking for positions in engineering, medical technology, or business/technical consulting, but I only speak English and French (pretty well) and everything seems to require German - any advice specific to those fields?

Do you know a way to find a list of American or British companies with operations in Switzerland?

I'm new to this site but it's so useful already - thanks.

Many thanks for a great reference list Polorise.

For those of us in the Bern region I have just collected the latest RAV list of weblinks - too many to list here. However the best I've found are
www.speed.ch
www.jobs.ch
www.jobpilot.ch
www.jobscout24.ch
www.jobsuchmaschine.com
www.job.search.com
Bern region:- www.espace.ch

Would be interested in any more links to Bern- International Companies looking for Key Account /Channel Sales/ International Sales Manager positions in the IT industry. I speak and write German well and can understand CH-Dialekt more or less ok.
Cheers

Hello, I'm james i'll be living soon in grenzach wyhlen, germany together with my wife..I am a filipino and married to a german citizen women..She told me grenzach wyhlen is 5 minutes aways from basel switzerland which she said there are many english speaking company that I can work with..Is their any chance for me to work their or what should I do to have a working permit...I am a computer engineering graduate and I have 2 yrs experience as technical support here in the philippines...Any suggestion..Thank you!!!

hi there everyone. Im new to switzerland and am currently looking for work in the i.t, sales sector anywhere in zurich. I want to move to switzerland indefinately and need all the help in finding an english speaking job as i cant speak or understand a word of German. Help! Anyone.

Hi,
Just wanted to say what I great thread this is with loads of information. More than enough to get me started on my search for work in Switzerland. Thanks to all of you!

I have two questions. Firstly, does anyone know of any large companies with vacancies in the Brig/ Sierre area? Funny place to look, I know, but I'm keen to start my search in this area. Secondly, is there a minimum salary you must earn before you're allowed to live in Switzerland?

Regards,

Hello all, I'm an...

Art Director and designer with over 15 years experience in print & new media.
Print project skills include:
print publications, advertising, promotions, page layout, design, illustration, typography, hiring, commissions, direction of photographer/Illustration, contractors and vendors, overseeing final print production.


Web project areas of expertise include:
concept and design, Flash animation, programming, information architecture, delivery, strategy.



I've worked for some major companies in NYC, including Time Inc. Publishing, as well as advertising companies, all the way down to club and band posters and websites. I've been doing web and print design as a freelancer for the past 6 years, but without the vitamin C (connections), it's very difficult to get started here (or any new city I guess). I had an interview at a major newspaper here as an art director, but that was 6 months ago, and mein Deutsch war schrecklich, so I lost out to someone with not nearly my qualifications. Since then I've done a few websites:


http://www.me-jewels.ch


http://www.osswald.ch


but I would love to get a good headhunter with connections, even if I have to pay them a chunk of my salary.

So I guess like everyone else I'm looking to forums like this to help me out. Any ideas people? I would sincerely appreciate it and I'm the type of person who doesn't forget to return favors. THANKS!


My website is http://www.cwallacedesign.com

hi guys

i'm new here and and looking for a job as a chef around zuerich anyone have any useful links or contacts would be great

cheers

Thanks to everyone who has posted for the advice on recruitment agencies and english speking companies.

I was wondering if anyone has any more sepcific information/advice on science related jobs as most of the information so far seems to be for IT, accounting and electrical engineering positions.

Specifically am looking for something in environmental science or chemistry, or perhaps even promotions or marketing for these sorts of companies. Based in Zurich too.

I dont speak german yet - but i have a few months before I move to Zurich and am planning on learning the basics.

Thank you!!

Hi, I'm an Italian Computer Science student (currently the last year of my MSc.). I have almost no pratical experience (just home projects/class projects), but high grades. I'm looking for an Internship at some IT company in Switzerland. Do you have any tips/advices? Thanks

Lot of useful info here - thanks all.

A friend of mine is looking for jobs in Zürich area. Does anyone know if there are websites or an agency that specialize in vacancies with radio / tv broadcasting and media companies? And maybe a site specializing in vacancies with cultural institutes or NGO's ?

Thanks in advance,
Robert

Werbekraft is a marketing and communications agency in Winterthur - I know they have a broad portfolio. Perhaps they could help?

Hi all,

I am also searching for work within Switzerland. I have tried the links that have been suggested and all jobs seem to need experience in certain fields. Problem is, i spent 6 years in the army as a military policeman and there seems to be no need for a minder/bodyguard here and i've got a 5 year wait for a C permit to join the Polizei!

I would love a career within IT, but I would most probably need training by any potential employer as i have no hard and fast qualifications, so does anyone have any ideas ???

__________________

There are alot of companies in Switzerland which you could try, look up Novartis, Ciba & Clariant and other comapny names will surely come up for you too.

As the recruitment process moves at glacial speeds I would advise swotting up and getting your first IT qualifications. This can be done on the cheap by cleverly sourcing educational material (torrents) and sitting prometric exams at the nearest test centre. Do this whilst getting applications underway for entry positions.

Next, fully research all your possibilities for your next level qualification, you can make some massive savings. For example, the professional graduate diploma in IT from the BCS is the academic equivalent to Year 3 of a UK university honours degree, but it's a fraction of the cost. By correspondence course in 2000 it was £120 for learning materials and exam fees were an additional £40 I think.

IT is a vast field and you should look to specialise, IT generalists are a thing of the past. I would think a person from your background would find IT security quite a natural subject as the principals of the threats are the same only the actions differ, but choice of career is something only you can make.

Good luck.

Came across this recruitment firm today, they specialise in Finace & Tech jobs for Financial Institutions :

Robert Half

Try Hans Hofmann (Barbara Wieser) www.hofmannmedia.ch 044 252 1317

Hans runs an excellent, friendly 'headhunter' service I think would be perfect for you! In Ramistrasse, ZH Good luck!

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For small to medium-sized companies, the meetings are often in German and French in Switzerland. I won't say out of luck but language skills seem to be important outside the big business corporations. Would love to hear from anyone who works for a small outfit as am tired of the big companies.

I would give the below a try normally I only see jobs in the CH French region but sometimes it doe's have jobs for other regions too.

www.jobup.ch