Greetings everyone

I am trying to find a job at one of the large pharma companies in Switzerland for the last 2-3 months, unforturately without luck. I am a phD in chemistry/biochemistry with a couple of years of working experience in the food industry. Since the positions online for someone with my qualifications seem to be plenty, i have started to believe that something is missing from my CV and thats the reason i dont get any calls for interviews. I believe that the problem is that i haven't had the chance to work outside my country (Greece). I would like to hear your opinions about this.

In order to get abroad working experience, i am thinking of joining a traineeship at a european institution or start a post-doc abroad (if i can find a short term one). Are there any other possibilities inside europe to get started? What kind of experience do swiss pharma companies value the most?

I think the only thing you are missing is that you are not in Switzerland.
Everyone is finding it hard to find a job at the moment, phd's included. It might also be because its from a university that the employers don't recognise? Just ideas.
I sent off over 50 cv's to get my first job here - and that was when the eco climate was better.

Also, you could check online as to how the swiss employers like to see cv's presented.
(eg: in nz they wanted to see my plan for my career on the front page, here they want to hear about what others think about you - references written by past employers)Just an idea

__________________
11. Knowing deep down that you gave your dreams a fair chance. – Most of the time the only difference between a dream that came true and one that didn’t, is a person who wouldn’t give up and one who did.

Yep, I think its just that they're not hiring at the moment. Might be worth checking back at the end of the year / beginning of next year when new budgets are approved and more jobs might open up....

In my personal experience, many companies don't recognise foreign degrees, so OP, you might try having a look at this important post by Uncle Max Getting your Qualifications Recognised in Switzerland

Thanks for your replies. My diploma and phD are from a national university in Greece which is recognized everywhere in europe as far as i know, so i don't think that's a problem. As far as my CV is concerned i use the europass form (i don't know if that's good or bad).

I understand that there's limited hiring activity but i can't see why the HR doesn't even call for a phone interview, even when i apply for positions where i am perfect fit or overqualified. There might be better applicants than me but how can they reject me without even talking to me?