Are you someone interested in building a career abroad? If yes, this is an insightful article for you, especially, if you are looking a Switzerland. Many Indians seek potential job opportunities in Switzerland because the country has an excellent employment rate and a flourishing economy. So, let’s explore in detail the various jobs in Switzerland in 2024 for international students. Know how you can work in Switzerland, qualifications needed, eligibility, and expected salaries for multiple roles.
First, let us look at some of the sites that list jobs in Switzerland for Indian students and other aspirants. These include:
Jobs.ch- Provided in English, French, and German
JobsinZurich.com
JobsinGeneva.com
Xpat Jobs Switzerland
The Local
Some other job websites include JobUp, StepStone, Jobwinner, Jobscout 24, Seasonworkers, Total jobs, and Monster. Specialist executives may find specialist jobs at Alpha, while Euro Science Jobs is for post-doctoral and research-based openings.
SwissLinx is for finding jobs in technology, executive, and finance roles, while Diversity is for the pharmaceutical sector. Robert Walters is a repository of finance and accountancy jobs, while IT jobs may be found at Darwin, Techno Jobs, and Swissdev Jobs.
There are jobs available at global organisations organizations, including the World Trade Organisation, United Nations, International Red Cross, and more. You may also sign up with recruitment agencies in the country. Private institutions are called agence de placement or Arbeitsvermittlung here.
Volunteering Work in Switzerland
Another option that one can opt for exploring the job market is volunteering for work. Volunteering is another way to get integrated into the job market. It will help you understand the work culture while building up your resume and contact base. Volunteering opportunities can be found at HelloSwitzerland, and you can also venture into the highly competitive English teaching space. You can look up TEFL Academy, Go Abroad, and English Teachers Association Switzerland for more information.
Internships in Switzerland
There are numerous opportunities for doing internships in Switzerland. SWISS is the national airline and offers internships for bachelor’s graduates over six months in various areas of operations. Opportunities are available in Basel, Zurich, and Geneva.
Credit Suisse also provides extensive and summer internship programs along with Roche, which has 12-month internship programs for master’s, bachelor, and PhD graduates in engineering, life sciences, business, and technology.
IAESTE (International Association for the Exchange of Students for Technical Experience) also offers various traineeships to UG students.
Recruitment Agencies in Switzerland
Adecco and Manpower are two leading recruitment agencies. You may also flip through the Swiss Yellow Pages for finding more such agencies. Also, look at the classifieds sections of newspapers for more information on openings.
Switzerland lacks skilled workers in sectors like pharmaceuticals, engineering, IT, and financial services. Workers are also in demand throughout the hospitality sector. Graduates in these disciplines are naturally in high demand as a result.
How To Apply for Jobs in Switzerland
You should first build up your CV cover letter and arrange all your educational certificates and other qualifications.
Write your application in the language of the job advertisement or the company, i.e. English, Italian, French, or German.
Make sure that your CV covers a maximum of two sides of A4 with cover letters encompassing a single side.
You may include your photograph as well. Successful applicants will have to go for interviews, while the final selection procedure may cover assessment and psychometric testing alike.
Networking will help you find openings in the right companies. You can join LinkedIn and even follow prospective employers on Twitter.
Eligibility to Work in Switzerland
As a foreign national seeking to work in Switzerland, the country demands a permit. Switzerland has different eligibility criteria for various countries around the globe. As an Indian national, here are the eligibility criteria for working in Switzerland:
You must be a qualified professional with several years of work experience before working in Switzerland.
You are a skilled worker with qualifications such as a manager or specialist in the past.
You are only eligible to work in Switzerland if no EU/ETFA candidate can fill the position.
Career Opportunities in Switzerland- Top Organisations
While offering a comparatively stable and flourishing economy, Switzerland is still a smaller market. Hence, there is steady competition for employment, especially since locals are first preferred for jobs over their foreign counterparts as far as many Swiss companies are concerned. International workers, however, have better prospects in leading cities like Geneva, Basel, Bern, Zurich, and Lausanne.
Jobs are mostly available throughout the hospitality sector and industries like banking, IT, insurance, engineering, and pharmaceuticals. Those looking to build pharma careers will find openings in Basel, while insurance and banking careers are primarily in demand throughout Zurich.
Some of the biggest recruiters in Switzerland include various MNCs such as Glencore, Adecco, Credit Suisse, Roche Group, Nestle, Zurich Insurance, Novartis, ABB, SGS, and even leading global organizations like the World Economic Forum, the United Stations, the Red Cross, the World Trade Organisation, and the International Olympic Committee.
Types of Job Vacancies in Switzerland for Indians
Switzerland is open to multiple job vacancies for Indians. However, the Swiss market is highly competitive; you must possess relevant skills to prove yourself among a vast crowd seeking job opportunities.
Here are the various types of jobs available in Switzerland for Indians:
Highly In-Demand Jobs: The Swiss market currently faces a shortage of employees for various job types. This includes technology-related jobs, engineering and manufacturing, financial services, and management.
Full-Time Jobs: As an Indian seeking jobs in Switzerland, you can consider a lot of full-time job openings available in the country. Full-time roles can include jobs from different sectors. Such job opportunities can consist of a role as a program assistant, customer support, sales associate, consultant, quality director, and others.
Part-Time Jobs: Switzerland also has a lot of part-time job openings for Indians. As a part-time role, you can consider jobs such as office assistant, part-time store associate, and other similar job profiles.
10 Highest Paying Jobs in Switzerland
Job Role
Salary (per year)
IT Systems Architect
$1,64,396
Judge
$1,43,573
Lawyer
$1,75,356
Teacher
$86,286
Hotel Manager
$1,27,089
Medical Doctor
$1,30,377
Engineer
$1,14,529
Accountant
$1,26,037
Human Resource Manager
$1,43,573
Research Scientist
$1,12,611
*Salaries as per Glassdoor
Jobs in Switzerland for Indian Students
As an Indian student in Switzerland, there are a lot of potential job opportunities related to your field of education. Therefore, Indian students can seek some of the highest-paying jobs in Switzerland in various sectors, including IT, management, accounts, etc.
IT Jobs in Switzerland
IT jobs in Switzerland are in high demand. With many openings in various IT sectors, here are some potential IT job opportunities in Switzerland for which IT graduates can apply in Switzerland.
IT Support Engineer
IT Support Specialist
IT Coordinator
IT Operations Work Student
Junior IT System Engineer
Hotel Jobs in Switzerland
The hospitality sector has also been experiencing a surge in vacancies in Switzerland. Here are quite a few hotel jobs in Switzerland that can be a good choice to consider.
Management Assistant
Event Management Executive
Housekeeping Supervisor
Chalet Guest Service Agent
Reservations Agent
Online Jobs Switzerland
Apart from various on-site job opportunities in Switzerland, it also offers a lot of online jobs for international citizens. Therefore, candidates looking for remote job opportunities in Switzerland can apply for the following job roles:
Information Security Manager
Customer Care Agent
Full Stack Account Executive
Senior Frontend Engineer
Senior People Operations Manager
Customer Success Manager
While these are some potential Switzerland career opportunities, the Swiss market still has a lot of other remote job roles to offer for international citizens.
Unskilled Jobs in Switzerland for Foreigners
As an international citizen, there are a lot of unskilled job opportunities in Switzerland. If you are someone without a proper formal education or specialized training, you can still consider working in Switzerland as an unskilled worker.
Here are some potential in-demand unskilled jobs in Switzerland for foreigners.
Landscaper
Cashier
Receptionist
Security Guard
Retail Salesperson
Delivery Driver
Factory Worker
Mail Carrier
Switzerland has to offer abundant unskilled jobs for foreigners. While these are some potential opportunities, you can explore a bunch of other unskilled jobs in Switzerland.
Swiss Work Visa for Indians
In order to explore Switzerland's work opportunities as an Indian, a Swiss work visa is needed. To apply for a work visa in Switzerland, here are the following documents required: Authorisation by a cantonal authority
Long-stay visa application
Valid passport
Photograph
Along with the necessary documents, Indians applying for a work visa in Switzerland also need to pay a visa fee of INR 7,000, which is non-refundable under any circumstances.
Work Culture Differences Between India & Switzerland
When comparing the work culture of India and Switzerland, significant differences can be observed. Below are several key distinctions between the work environments in these two countries.
Punctuality: Despite the fixed timings in Indian work culture, strict deadlines are often unmet. However, the work culture in Switzerland promotes punctuality and likes to adhere to strict deadlines.
Deal Negotiations: Negotiations in a deal are often done at lengths in India unless the desirable price of the buyer is met. However, Switzerland’s work culture respects negotiations, yet not closing a deal for a longer period disrespects the business.
Creative Freedom: Switzerland’s work culture promotes creative freedom. Employees are open to providing feedback and suggestions that might improve the quality of work. However, in India, creative freedom is often not expected by employees. The Indian work culture adopts a top-down approach, which is to be followed as it is by the employees.
Conclusion
It is important for job seekers to be mindful of the competitive nature of the Swiss job market and the emphasis on qualifications and language skills. For those ready to embrace the challenges, the rewards of working in Switzerland are not just in lucrative career prospects but also in experiencing a unique blend of cultural diversity, innovation, and work-life balance that this country offers.
Kanika has 5+ years of experience as a writer and content developer. She has written for a wide range of industry verticals, including hospitality, restaurants, non-profits, finance, IT, HR, technology, payroll, and education. She has worked as a creator for a few leading companies and has also helped brands grow through her creative writing.
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