Working in Switzerland
High living standards and salaries often come with working in Switzerland. That said, expats will first have to land a job and wade through the residence permit process.
The Swiss economy continues to grow and unemployment has stayed down in the face of the ongoing Eurozone crisis, largely thanks to foreign investment.
Job market in Switzerland
Popular sources of employment for expats include financial services, IT and biotechnology. However, Switzerland's immigration policy is quota-based, and it has to be proven that a local can't fill the job a foreigner applies for – so expats allowed to work in Switzerland are generally highly skilled and educated.
Many multinational companies use English as their corporate language, but opportunities are limited for expats who don't speak German, French or Italian.
Finding a job in Switzerland
The path to getting a job in Switzerland can be long and challenging, but the potential rewards are worth the initial effort.
Good ways to look for openings include online and newspaper job listings, company websites and networking with other expats. Once expats find something to apply for, they will need to bring their CV in line with local standards and apply in the same language as the job advert. The Swiss are known for being detail-oriented, and their CVs reflect this, so hiring a translator might be necessary.
