Looking for Advice on Job Hunting in Zurich

Visas, Permits, Passports and Naturalization
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Hi everyone, this is my first post, nice to meet you :slight_smile:

I’m reaching out to see if anyone in this community might have advice, personal experience, or resources to share about job hunting in Zurich. Any suggestion or knowledge of opportunities would be truly appreciated.

I am a Taiwanese young mom (but I also hold Italian citizenship by marriage), I moved to Zurich in 2021, after getting married. So far I have been “Hausfrau” to take care of our two children, who are now 2 and 4, but with the raising costs of living, and one of our kids finally ready for Kindergarten, I would like to find a job. Over the past year, I’ve been actively looking for a 40–70% position through major job platforms, but I’ve found it challenging to break into the local job market. I have also sent my CV to a Swiss friend who works in marketing, and he said it looks fine to him. However, not only haven’t I received an offer, but I haven’t managed to land even a single interview. Perhaps there’s something I could improve in my approach, which is why I’m reaching out for advice.

Some patterns I’ve noticed:

• Many entry-level positions appear to be intended for native German speakers, sometimes specifically for Swiss nationals, or those who have recently graduated from local institutions.
• Jobs with lower workloads often expect both strong German skills and significant work experience.

I have a B (EU) permit, I speak Mandarin, Japanese, and English fluently, have intermediate proficiency in Italian, and I’m currently working toward passing the B1 German language certificate. My background is multidisciplinary — I hold an MSc in Environmental Management from a good Japanese university, and my background spans environmental science, linguistics, and social science, although I have never been full-time employed before (just small stunts), because I moved to Switzerland shortly after my graduation.

Initially I tried to find employment in my specific sector, but then I tried to broaden my focus and I’m now open to opportunities such as project manager, personal assistant, program coordinator, translator, even intern.

So, I would like to ask you: What do you think I can do to improve my chances of landing at least an interview?

Thanks for any reply :slight_smile:

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welcome…

sent you a pvt message …

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Improve your German obviously and make it clear on your CV that you already have a Swiss residence permit. Swiss employers can’t hire non-EU nationals easily and they make think you don’t have a Swiss residence permit. If you didn’t then they’d have to show they tried to hire a Swiss/EU national before they’d have a chance to hire you and you’d also need special skills/experience.

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Thank you so much I will have a look!

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Thanks for the reply!

In my case, Italian citizenship and B permit are both included in my CV.
I am trying hard to improve my German at this moment.

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There are many Japanese and Chinese tourists coming to Switzerland. Maybe try and look for opportunities working for companies that cater for them and need your language skills.

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