I am 32 years old and originally come from sweden.
I have been in switzerland for 8 months and just finished German A2 (probably further if I didn't have covid 4 times in the past 8 months..)
I have finished IT(programming) with additional courses in It-Support,Sales,Business communication and Workenvironment Safety(yes bit of a allrounder here). I went to University(Didn't finish went to work abroad instead). I have worked in sales in Ireland. Warehouse/sales and construction/painter in Hungary. And Assistant nurse in disease ward in Sweden. I have been to every recruitment agency I can find, sent as much CV's as possible and done extensive research on every place I have sent the CV too. (Only applied to places I have either had studies in or had past experiences). It all comes down to the same thing. University diploma/Bachelor/Masters (Does not matter which field you are in as long as you got one) - Does anyone have any tips and tricks how I should go about this.. Or tell me if I am doing something wrong? Having a real hard time finding work.
Finding work in Switzerland is very challenging, takes time and effort. I also moved here with my Swiss wife (I'm American), and when I lost my full-time remote job with the American company I was working for, it took me nearly 6 months to land a job here.
Second job was significantly easier, but still involved lots of interviews and tests and rejections. That one took 3 months.
Swiss hiring culture is excessively conservative and risk averse. They want you to match their written requirements 125% and their unspoken requirements 150%.
I expect if I lose my current job I'll go the contracting route as well - looks to me like it's better money and I believe better options for retirement (you can shove a whole lot more into your 3a account).
Keep at it, you'll make it. Once you've broken down the first door, things improve.
You say you did IT programming course... in what exactly? Is coding something that interests you? Do you have any experience in this field?
Basically if this is the path you want to go but are lacking experience I'd strongly advice to get involved in some OpenSource projects - every one can, this makes visible, trackable record of your work and can help with getting a position.
Have you considered intern positions? From what I've seen for quite a few people this was the 'way in' and for company it was fairly low risk option to find a new talent.
I finished my IT-Gymnasium (programming) Software - Mainly c++,java and some python. I worked with it for about a year after (Not to my liking). Hence why I have been switching fields over the years. But Programming no longer interests me so I can tell me working with it would sadly not benefit me or the employer.
I know people who were applying for jobs well over a year, and even then only landed something because of some connection they had made.
Heard that even some "basic" jobs (ie: cleaners at Batmaid) require you to have B-permit, which means a lot of employers (or rather HR departments) will filter out L-permit owners in such cases.
It's very unethical, but someone I know got a good job because he exaggerated a lot on his CV (which was recommended by a paid recruitment specialist) - so in some situations the quote "learn to do the job once you've been hired" can be true. But be careful with this, it can be a double-edged sword.
However, it does get easier once you are working for a Switzerland company though.
It seems then you will be seen as a "qualified" specialist, rather than just another immigrant.
Since you are in IT, make sure your LinkedIn profile is top-notch and well written. This is the only place recruiters from all companies actively scrounge to find new talent.
Some advice for when you've got a broad array of fields & positions on your CV: make sure to tailor your CV very carefully for the role to which you're applying. It is not necessarily the previous jobs themselves that matter, but the attributes and skills you gained from those positions.
For example, if you're applying for a role as an IT Director, but your last job was as a chef (i.e. something completely unrelated), you could alter it so that the focus is less on the role itself, and more on the attributes.
Previous Experience:
Company: XYZ Catering
Duration of time with company: 1 year
Attributes and achievements:
* managerial experience, managed 3 members of staff
* ability to achieve objectives in high-pressure environments
* demonstrably retains focus on customer expectations
* committed to producing outputs of exceptional quality
Don't just create one CV and send it to all recipients; tailor it for each job. If you see a role you like, take a look at the company's website - what are their values? Do they care about the environment, or diversity & inclusion? Then make that one of your key attributes in your last role, find a way to demonstrate that your values are aligned with the company. Have they completed any exciting projects recently? Mention that in your cover letter, and how you followed their progress and would be excited to work with such an innovative / dynamic organisation, etc etc.
Yes, this does all take time - but it will be worth it.
Many job applications are processed by a junior or else first read by a robot. Either way, they've been instructed to pick out words that match their ad. Be sure to use that vocabulary in both your cv and your covering letter, so that your application even gets onto a desk.
Analyse their ad (and the company, and owners, and projects). Why are they looking for someone? What do they deem important? What problem do they have? Re-write your cv focusing on them and their needs, and your covering letter in a way that demonstrates to them (without bragging, which is contrary to the Swiss culture) that you will contribute to the solution in the gap they have.
The following may seem basic and obvious, but it is surprising how many applications omit these. Always mention your permit status in the application. Add a pleasant, non-wild, not-too-boring photo of yourself in a shirt with a collar. Make sure you include your full current contact details.
This, I forgot about it but it's kind of important. CVs as used in Switzerland would be considered racist, ageist and discrimination tools in other countries. Things that you should put in a CV that go against "international good practices":
Where in Wallis are you? You’d probably find “something” in Zermatt or Saas Fee, even if it’s not in an area you want to work in forever, might keep you going.
I'd recommend that you try to get a Swiss qualification. This will, of course, depend upon whether your wife could afford to fund you to do so so. And upon your first getting your language skills up to the necessary level, and on knowing what you'd like to do and think you could stay with. If doing a nursing apprenticeship might be one of your choices (since you've already worked as an aide), you might like to look at this thread: https://www.englishforum.ch/educatio...ticeships.html (and if you click on that thread, scroll down to the end of the page where similar threads are suggested, also about other apprenticeships).
If you'd consider any kind of work rather than staying at home (and since you can already do many things), you might like to wade your way through this excellent bumper thread, which I believe to be the best on this forum, about finding work without qualifications. https://www.englishforum.ch/employme...fications.html
It was started by Kiwi2Swiss: about "no qualifications" and is also a good read for "no experience", and contains suggestions from a wide range of perspectives. Good luck!