If you are seeking employment before moving to Switzerland, we recommend that you consult the EURES advisers in your own country. Most vacancies in Switzerland are advertised on the internet. Various websites offer targeted jobseeking by area of activity e. Another option is to register with a private employment agency. The services provided by these agencies are normally free of charge for jobseekers; if you are given a contract of employment, your employer will be asked to cover the cost of the service.
In Switzerland, vacancies are very often advertised in special supplements in the main daily newspapers too. A job application in Switzerland usually comprises a covering letter, a CV including a photograph, copies of diplomas and certificates of employment. The covering letter should interest the personnel officer sufficiently to induce them to take a closer look at your application. It must be typed and should not exceed one A4 page in length. State the reasons why you are interested in the job or the company as well as the skills and experience you have to offer the company.
End the letter by suggesting a personal interview. The CV should be no longer than two A4 pages and should contain the following information if possible in table form : full name, address, telephone number, date of birth, nationality, professional experience and any work experience obtained during your training, general education school, higher education and vocational training , knowledge of languages, computer skills, specific aptitudes and personal interests leisure activities, clubs, etc.
Great importance is attached in Switzerland to diplomas and certificates of employment: describe your career progression, avoiding gaps if possible, and specify the Swiss degrees or other qualifications to which your diplomas correspond. Another way of seeking work is to submit a speculative application, contacting an employer without knowing whether a vacancy actually exists. In this case, make your covering letter as specific as possible.
It should be accompanied only by your CV. Certificates of employment and diplomas should be provided only if requested or should be taken to the interview. Prospective employers will tend to disregard speculative applications in the form of standard letters. Foreign workers who are gainfully employed in Switzerland must be in possession of a work permit. This obligation also applies to trainees. In the case of European Union nationals, authorisations for traineeships are granted on the basis of a written work contract.
