How to apply for jobs in Switzerland

The public employment service calls a complete, carefully compiled file crucial. Its tips list a cover letter, which it describes as your personal business card, a CV of no more than three pages, and your work references, diplomas and certificates, combined into one PDF. The CV should be complete, clear and free of gaps, with your most recent job first; personal details, including a photograph, come at the top, followed by experience, education, languages, special skills, interests and references. Our Swiss CV format guide shows the layout.

Request work references from former employers in good time and order them newest first. The cantonal careers service lists the same core file: a cover or motivation letter, the CV, and work references with qualifications, uploaded where possible as a single PDF in the right order. Before sending, check spelling, formatting and file names, and use a reliable email address with your first name and surname. The cover letter builder drafts a letter from your CV for the specific advert.^[3][5]

Article 328b of the Code of Obligations lets an employer handle data about an employee only to the extent that it concerns suitability for the job or is needed to perform the contract, and the Federal Data Protection Commissioner notes that this cannot be waived to the employee's detriment, even with consent. In recruitment, its guidance says employers may ask only about your qualifications and about matters that relate to performing the job. A criminal-record extract may be requested only for a position of trust, such as one handling valuable goods or large sums of money.

Employers may not ask about your general health; they may ask for a medical report on your fitness for the specific job, and the doctor passes on only what is relevant to that. The Gender Equality Act covers every stage of employment from hiring to dismissal and prohibits direct and indirect discrimination on grounds of sex, in particular because of civil status, family situation or pregnancy, so questions about plans for children have no place in an interview.^[7][8]

If you have heard nothing for a while, the public employment service suggests contacting the company politely to ask about the status of your application; it shows you are interested in the job. Log each application and every reply in the job tracker so you know when a follow-up is due. Quote salary expectations as an annual gross figure based on research for the role and region.

Under Article 335b of the Code of Obligations, as SECO explains, the first month of an open-ended employment relationship is the probation period. It can be extended to a maximum of three months, and a longer agreed period still counts as three months. During probation the notice period is seven calendar days.

You may ask your employer for a reference (Arbeitszeugnis) at any time under Article 330a, either as an interim reference during the job or as a final one when you leave. A full reference covers your performance and conduct as well; a confirmation of employment (Arbeitsbestätigung) states only the type and duration of the job. Swiss employers expect to see references in the dossier, so request them as you go.^[3][9][10]

EU and EFTA nationals need a valid employment contract and must register with their commune within 14 days of arrival and before starting work. The permit depends on how long the job lasts: a short-term permit for up to a year, a B permit for longer. Work of less than three months needs no permit but must be reported.

Non-EU and non-EFTA nationals are admitted only as managers, specialists or other qualified workers, usually with a university degree and several years of professional experience, and the number of permits is limited by annual quotas. The employer applies, encloses the employment contract and must show that nobody with precedence, such as Swiss or EU/EFTA workers, could be recruited, for example by registering the vacancy with the RAV and advertising it via EURES. Depending on your nationality you may also need a visa.

Since 1 July 2018, employers must register vacancies in occupations where national unemployment is at least 5% with the RAV. Those jobs appear on a portal open only to registered jobseekers for five working days before they can be advertised elsewhere. For some professions you need recognition of a foreign qualification to practise; several bodies are responsible, and SERI runs an online portal for applications. If your CV is in another language, translate your resume into the language of the region.^{[2][4][11][12][13]}