I did an internet search for organisations that might need or have English speaking employees. I did not care if they posted a job or not. I sent my CV with a cover letter to the contact person that they had mentioned on the website. They replied saying that they were not recruiting at the moment but were very interested on my CV.

Three months later, I sent an email to the guy asking if there had been any development. He (I call him my angel), sent my CV around the company and two days later I received a call to come for an interview.
After a day of interviewing, they told me I got the job.

The point is, do not rely on posted jobs only. Get personal and try and get to the person behind the website. Many times, that personal contact makes the whole difference.

The difference with me may be was that I know I had to wait three months for the job but I could afford it as I had another job but was looking around for better opportunities.

Don't lose hope. the key is to send out as many CV's as you can and enrol with recruiting agencies. It will come. The timing may not be as you plan, but eventually works out fine.

Good Luck.

I was living in Dublin with an nasty feeling that things were going to go down the tubes there, so after some research and soul searching decided upon Switzerland.

I asked a friend, living in Bern, for a few pointers, redid my CV according to more continental lines, collected all my documents and applied to jobs on a few Swiss recruitment sites. I specifically targeted jobs where the description was in English as I had zero German at that stage and reckoned that these would be my best bet.

I also got my friend to send me over a GSM sim, so I could put down a Swiss mobile number.

When I got replies, I arranged for any interviews to take place back-to-back so that I could fly over and do them all in one go. I additionally did one via Skype.

From deciding to come to Switzerland and getting a job offer took about six weeks, although I was both lucky and the job market in my area was buoyant.

However, if I were to recommend anything is that you approach it in a planned and organized way. Having a 'war chest' to cover trips or other expenses, is also hugely beneficial.

HELP i am stilling for work, i have thought that i may even sweep floors at zurich airport,

please guys help me out , i so want to be with my guy.

hi all,

thanks everyone for the help extended. The links to the jobsites are really helpful Even I have been desperately looking out for jobs in Sales and Marketing based in Zurich Region.

Could anyone please help me with names of good Consumer Goods or Retail companies??? I have found very few like Kraft Foods etc. But not many English speaking jobs . Help!!!

Thanks ~

I find these advices very useful. I am french and will be looking for a position in Zurich end 2009/ beginning 2010 as my wife will be working there. I will have to find a job as my current company (American Express in Paris) where I have been working for the last 6 years does not have any proprietary offices in Zurich. If you have any further advices to give me a job as Global/ international business developer, I would be very grateful. I speak French, English, Spanish and a basic German but just started some lessons to improve my level.

try hotel career.ch, with your experiences it is possible to find an offer
there

Same situation that I am now...I can really see myself doing the lowest position job just to stay in Basel...But so far, I am still looking for a job. I hope someone would be nice enough to give me advise where to look... most of the jobsite recommended are for higher position jobs... I need a miracle!

Try www.jobrapido.ch
or http://www.universal-job.ch/ or
www.manpower.ch; www.randstad.ch

But currently there are not many vacant positions, because there are school
holidays now, try middle of august again, then they will start searching for the christmas season.

www.jobscout24.ch is another option

Can you not negotiate with your company a home office job? 6 years of experience is valuable for a company, and I believe American Express' business might have some areas of expertise for which teleworking would fit well.

Good luck,

S.

If the waiting for a good job is the most important thing, is it better to avoid job agencies(that hire people to other companies) and contact directly with the companies you want?

Have you actually read this thread? And please don't cross-post questions.

I use the following:

deutsch.monster.ch

www.jobup.ch

www.jobsuchmaschine.ch

www.horesto.ch (hospitality jobs)

I wish you all the very best in your job searches. I believe the economy is beginning to pick up and in a couple of months time we should start seeing some positive signs and more available jobs.

I got my job in Switzerland 3 years after graduating from university in California (UCSB) for a subsidiary of a European company in Silicon Valley. I was asked to write some technical support documents for some of their products, turned out the products were developed by their Swiss subsidiary. I did'nt even know at the time. Next thing it gets published in a trade magazine, then I ask about working for them, and to make a long story short, they sent me a one way ticket to Zurich. That was 23 years ago.

A friend of mine works in the same department as i do now but at the Barcelona site of our company. She told me I should apply for the position and I did and got it . Now we are working together (if not physically) in the same therapeutic areas , just like we did while doing our PhDs

it is hard to find a job without beeing graduated???
someone who finded a job without beeing gradueted???


Thanks!

As with most of continental Europe, the Swiss like to see qualifications, so graduating is important.

In the present market qualifications are even more important. Even in a boom period, I would imagine that a foreigner without a degree would find it very difficult to get a good job - and you can forget it atm.

If you mean not graduated from secondary (high-school) school, then forget it.

no no no, im graduated yes, i ended the high school (economics), what i mean is that im not an accountat (for example...), but i have job exp. and i have studies...

of course that if you didnt finish the high school its gonna be imposible to get a job...

Thanks for the replys!!!

I think you did not quite get what the previous poster was saying. In this day and age you need to have studies after high school (Bachelors at least) to be able to get job with any expectation of promotion. Swiss companies need to prove that a foreigner is to be hired because no one from 1-Switzerland, 2-EU do not meet the criteria for the job. Then they could hire people from abroad. You say you have a German passport, maybe you also speak German? Unfortunately, without any further studies I don't believe finding a job will be easy.

If you want to talk in Spanish please PM me.

I got a job via a recruiter while I was still in London. A friend got a transfer within the same company to the Swiss office.

I'd say try meeting as many people as you can in your industry as it's easier to get the job before its advertised.