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JOBS

‘It’s competitive’: Essential advice for finding a job in Zurich

Looking for work in Zurich or contemplating a change? Before diving head first into your job search, here's some valuable information and advice from experts and readers who have managed to land a job in Switzerland's biggest jobs market.

Published: 20 January 2022 09:45 CET
Updated: 6 May 2022 11:39 CEST
A computer next to a pad and a cup of coffee on a wooden table
If you are looking for a job in Zurich, you will need these tools - along with The Local's Zurich job guide. Photo by Andrew Neel on Unsplash

Living and working in Zurich offers many draw cards from high salaries, a favourable work-life balance and international working environment.

Yet the process of landing a job as a foreigner in Switzerland’s largest canton can be time-consuming and overwhelming when starting out.

READ MORE: Five insider tips to find a job in Switzerland

The labour market in Zurich

Switzerland runs a quota system for foreign labour, meaning there’s an annual cap on the number of permits issued to foreign workers per year.

The Office for Economy and Labour for canton Zurich (AWA) says they issued 5317 work permits in total to third-country nationals in 2021.

This included permit renewals, those already living in Switzerland (for example students) and workers who were only staying for a short time.

In 2022, the canton of Zurich has 393 short-stay L permits and 246 residence B permits for third-country workers in its reserve (although the canton can request for more at the federal level if this runs out).

As Switzerland operates a dual system, the permits are first screened by the canton before being reviewed by the State Secretariat for Migration (SEM). 

READ MORE: How much do university graduates earn in Switzerland – and who earns the most?

Compared to other cantons, Zurich has more permits at its disposal.

That’s because the canton is the biggest economic driver contributing over 20 percent to the national GDP.

It employs a fifth of the country’s workers and is home to 116,000 companies such as Google, ABB, Microsoft, AXA and Swiss Re.

The AWA declined to name the companies that hired the largest number of foreign workers. However, they did acknowledge that one third of work permits issued in Zurich go toward the information and communications technology (ICT) sector.

READ MORE: Why finding a job in Switzerland is set to become easier

Generally speaking though, the most employable sector is still healthcare with the highest number of employees at 55,200. Other notable sectors include education – thanks to the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology (ETH) and the University of Zurich – and financial services.

A third of all Swiss banks are situated in the Zurich region including UBS, Credit Suisse and Julius Baer and it is estimated that 9 percent of workers in canton Zurich are employed in the industry. 

For those who may be sitting on the fence about working in Zurich, it may be a good time to take the plunge now. Michael Page found a 38 percent jump in the number of advertised jobs from January to December 2021.

The most sought after roles were: IT specialists, engineers, B2B sales professionals and business administrators.

The Swiss city of Zurich. Photo by Tobias A. Müller on Unsplash

The Swiss city of Zurich. Photo by Tobias A. Müller on Unsplash

What the experts say

One of the questions that inevitably arises is: how much does German matter? Nikolaus Schönecker, Senior Team Lead at Hays in Zurich specialises in filling permanent roles in the IT sector.

“The amount of roles not requiring German or Swiss German is increasing, since many companies are realising this is the only way to challenge the shortage of experts,” he says. Nevertheless, having even rudimentary language skills can set you apart from other foreign candidates.

Working remotely from Switzerland: What are the rules for foreigners?

“Show your willingness to learn German. If you aim to be able to follow business meetings in German at a B1 level and reply in English, the barriers will be lower.” 

Stephan Surber, Senior Partner at Page Executive Switzerland, advises job-hunters to connect with the local expat community as well as country-related networking organisations such as the Chambers of Commerce.

Most of these groups including AmCham, Swiss-Chinese Chamber of Commerce and the Swedish-Swiss Chamber of Commerce also publish a list of its members online, which may be a good guide to finding international firms based in Zurich.

He also suggests jobseekers to target expert networks such as the CFA or ACCA community for financial analysts and accountants. 

EXPLAINED: Which Swiss cantons have a minimum wage?

There are many English-language job portals on hand such as jobsinzurich.com, LinkedIn and The Local’s own job platform. But experts we spoke to said that recruitment agencies or headhunters could prove useful in finding hidden opportunities that are not yet on the market.

They can also provide feedback on interviews and ask their clients questions that a direct candidate would not usually get to ask. 

And if you eventually find yourself across an interviewer, aim to be modest and genuine. “Although self-confidence can surely help in most jobs, most Swiss people dislike bragging and overstating,” reminds Schönecker. “So try to show your best side in a realistic way.” 

What our readers advise

Amadej Kristjan Kocbek moved to Zurich and began working as a Data Engineer at AI services company Unit8 in August 2021. “Based on the lower response rates I got, I could feel that the job market is more competitive in Switzerland than in surrounding countries, but not prohibitively so.”

Originally from Slovenia, Kocbek found his current job through SwissDevJobs, a job portal which focuses on the IT industry. Although he used German with half the companies he interviewed with, most of them did not see it as mandatory.

He recommends people to come with at least a year of relevant experience, to send in job applications in the same language as the advertisement and ultimately, to have persistence for the entire process. “If you only send a few dozen applications and land a job, that’s already very successful.”

Meanwhile, Leeor Groen from Australia began working as an Advisory Assistant Manager at the audit and advisory firm PwC after completing his studies at the University of St. Gallen in Switzerland.

Freelancing in Switzerland: What foreign nationals need to know

The process was lengthy; his start date was postponed several months as he waited for the approval of his short-term L permit abroad in Tel Aviv. He eventually transferred to a B permit after 11 months.

“It’s hard to break into the job market without a residency permit and language skills especially for early stage graduate positions,” says Groen who is now in the process of applying for permanent residency. “You’re basically relying on your network.”

Groen was most recently a Partner at Blockchain Valley Ventures and says he was brought on as the first employee only after getting in touch with its CEO. 

A survey among our readers echoed these sentiments. Many said that cultivating a strong professional network is key to the job search and agreed that speaking German was at least beneficial to very important.

Other advice we received included having reference letters ready, to be patient with the process (which can stretch over a month), and to avoid overselling oneself.  

To stay on the job market in Switzerland, stay tuned to The Local and check out our Jobs board. 

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For members

GENEVA

‘Things have changed’: Can you get a job in Geneva without speaking French?

Geneva must be up there when picturing an international city where language is no barrier. Does this hold true for those looking for a job? 

Published: 15 March 2024 14:23 CET
Updated: 23 March 2024 08:42 CET
'Things have changed': Can you get a job in Geneva without speaking French?

Organisations such as the International Red Cross, the World Health Organisation, and the United Nations are either based in Geneva or have a significant presence there. 

Furthermore, the Geneva region has a population of over half a million, making it an ideal base for global businesses to reach Swiss (and European) markets. 

There is no doubt that the city is a centre of international diplomacy and business and has been for decades. 

Having said that, how hard is it to find a job in Switzerland’s largest francophone city? Or indeed anywhere in Suisse Romande in general? Do you have a chance of securing a role without French language skills? 

The expert view

Recruiters think you might find it challenging if you’re not planning to work for one of the major international bodies. 

Anthony Caffon, Director of Finance at Michael Page, a significant regional recruiter, told The Local: “From our perspective, as a large operator in West Switzerland, only a few roles don’t require candidates to speak French. 

“A few years ago, there was indeed a shortage of skills in the market, and coupled with major multinational companies located here, companies were open to employing non-French speakers. 

“We now notice a change. French is required in 90 percent of the roles we recruit outside international organisations. 

“Organisations would only take on non-French speakers in some highly technical roles, for which there is absolutely no local talent pool,” he said.

‘It was critical for wider job opportunities’

However, when surveyed, readers of The Local had differing perspectives on whether not knowing French was a hindrance to searching for a job in Geneva. 

Sofia, an American, responded: “It depends on the job and sector. French is desirable but not required for international organisations, NGOs, and many private companies such as EA Games or financial companies like Barclays.”

However, she noted that speaking French became more essential when settling in the country.

“It was critical for my Swiss naturalisation, but also to have a wider spectrum of job opportunities and better working relationships.”

Generally, to apply for Swiss citizenship in the canton of Geneva, one must achieve French oral B1 and written A2, as set in the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages (CEFR). 

Michael, who lives near Lausanne, agreed with Sofia, telling The Local: “It depends if you work for a multinational or a local company.” 

“If you work for a multinational or Swiss company, you need French. But you can generally use English in the office at Nestle, BAT, PMI, Novartis, or WHO.”

Another respondent, Phil, believed that speaking French would assist in job searching. 

He stated, “I think it depends on your industry. If you work in the pharmaceutical area, then just English is fine.

“If you speak French, however, I think it’s easier to understand the application process and job descriptions.”

A Briton, Katie, thought speaking French could also help smooth the way when starting a new role in Geneva. 

She responded: “It shows you are curious about where you live. It helps build relationships with colleagues and, of course, for some jobs, it is needed.”

‘You can get by fine’

Those seeking to work in Geneva who don’t speak French shouldn’t fret just yet. 

An anonymous respondent from Ireland told The Local: “Some basic French is needed not to look utterly dysfunctional in casual social settings, but if the business works in English, then that is generally sufficient. 

“Once you can complete the technical requirements of your job well, you can get by fine,” they said.

“Some employers will specify that French and English are requirements on the job listings, even if you only need English to do the job. 

“Not having any French can put people off applying for many openings when, in fact, they might be fine applying anyway.”

What have you experienced finding a job in Geneva? Did you need French skills? Let us know in the comments. 

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