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Working in
the country
BEFORE LEAVING
:
Languages:
German is the language spoken by most Swiss, even
through French is often used. It is advisable to
take German lessons or brush up your level if you
want to work in the country. The kind of job you
can apply for may well depend on how well you speak
the language.
Job hunting :
You can start looking for information by
writing to French associations in Switzerland, to
Trade Commissions, to commercial services in Swiss
banks in France or French banks in
Switzeland.
Usually the French consulate
has a service dealing with jobs, training and
student grants and they can put you in touch with
local companies looking for French personnel.
(See the Practical Guide for the
Expatriate).
The Swiss Chamber of Commerce
has directories of Swiss companies that you can
consult, unfortunately the service is not free, the
cost varies depending on the time spent consulting
the documents.
The French Chamber of
Commerce also offers information about the job
market, the most dynamic sectors of the economy and
they publish a bulletin for French companies and
local members. You could place a job application in
this bulletin.
In the international depts of
Chambers of Commerce and Industry there are
directories and files which can give you a lot of
information concerning the different sectors of
activity and the local economy.
The Trade Commission in
Switzerland or the CFCE in Paris has a list of
French companies working in Switzerland that you
can consult.
You can usually find a very
comprehensive documentation on the country in the
cultural service of the Swiss Embassy.
You could also make a
personalized appointment with the Franco-Swiss
Chamber of Commerce and get more information and
professional advice.
At the same time you can also
send out applications directly to companies in
Switzerland offering your services.
Organizations like the ANPE,
APEC, APECITA and ILO can often be of help. There
are employment and ILO delegations in the bigger
towns.
You can get the Swiss Yellow
Pages directory from your local post
office.
New immigrants cannot use the
cantonal employment services.
Where to look for job
offers ? :
In the French press : (Le
Monde, Le France Soir, Figaro, Moniteur du
Bâtiment, expat magazine... ) for French
companies sending people abroad.
In the local press : jobs are
often proposed via ad columns in the local press.
The Tribune and The Suisse have frequent job
offers.
There is the French Journal
published for French speakers which every three
months runs a page of job offers and publishes the
curriculm vitae of its subscribers free of
charge.
In the international press :
nearly all the major daily papers have a job column
or page (The European, The Guardian, Vacature,
Coriere della sera, The Tribune of
Geneva)
The leading employment
agencies and temporary work agencies have
international job offers.
You can get access to job
offers published on Swiss internet
sites.
Writing your CV and the
accompanying cover letter :
Sending in information about
yourself is the first step to getting an interview,
so it's very important that you do it
properly.
Your CV must be clearly set
out, typewritten, very detailled and if possible
written in one of the languages of the country
(French, Italian or German depending on the
destination.). It should be accompanied by a
handwritten covering letter. Some companies are not
very interested in graphology, but it is still
advisable to write your letter by hand.
Don't forget to attach a recent photo, preferably
where you are smiling.
It is not necessary to send
in all the documents as proof of your diplomas,
work certificates etc with the first letter. If you
mention all the important points in your CV and
give the addresses of former employers, so that
they can eventually be contacted, it is sufficient
initially.
If ever you should think of
arranging a CV to suit the employer's requirements,
you should know that according to a study made by
the Florian Mantione Institute, your CV has a 45%
chance of being checked by the prospective
employer, 34% of the candidates are eliminated
following that verification, and that 60% of the
checks are done with the previous
employer.
So, whatever your motives for
adapting your CV, you should know that it will not
help you during future interviews and could
possible play against you.
Your address in France must
be indicated on your CV to be able to apply for a
permit.
Questions you should ask
yourself before expatriation :
Ø What exactly is the
mission ?
Ø What is the length of the contract ?
Ø Are you going alone or with your
family?
Ø What is the life like locally ?
Ø Have you thought about coming back, how
you will manage to get reinstalled financially?
Ø Do you have the right character to be an
expatriate ?
Qualities you need
:
Ø emotional stability
(so that you can react rapidly to all kinds of
situations).
Ø autonomy, (can you make important
decisions on your own?)
Ø mobility and availability, are you able to
move quickly?
Ø social contact, (don't forget that an
expatriate is an ambassador for his country in his
working and his social life ).
Ø accomodating (you can easily adapt to
changes of culture, climate and way of life)
Øthe ability to accept and understand
cultural differences
Ø tolerance and respect for other people's
habits and traditions.
Family:
Your partner should share
your ambitions, this is very important and can play
in the recruiting choice.
Some companies, particularly if the offer is for a
long term job, want to interview the candidate's
partner to check that there are no conflicts in the
couple which could eventually disturb the
mission.
For the interview
:
Punctuality is appreciated everywhere, be on time
for your interview. The Swiss like politeness,
discipline and obedience - anti-establishmentism is
not appreciated
Whatever post you are
applying for we advise you to be well dressed for
the interview, you will be largely judged on your
appearance, which should be classic rather than
eccentric : suit and tie for men, flat heels and
smart unsexy clothing for women!
First interviews can be short
but can also last for several hours if your
application is found to be interesting, depending
on the position to be filled, and if you have to do
psychotechnical tests (handwriting analyses) or
aptitude tests.
Be careful not be appear
pretentious about your know-how, or to exaggerate
your professional capacities. Emphasise your real
competence, your ease of adaption, your mobility,
your ability to work in a team and your willingness
to share your experience. Make sure you answer
questions asked and don't side track.
There is a very low
unemployment rate in Switzerland but the work
permit is very difficult to get. Don't let any
chances you have acquired slip away during an
interview.
Salaries :
It can be difficult to
negociate a salary, especially when you are not
sure of the cost of living in the country. Higher
salaries could mean that the cost of living is
higher also. If you are employed by a French
company you will normally have a salary which gives
you an equivalent standard of living to the one you
had in France.
Taxes :
If you are employed locally
you will have to pay the taxes in the country. If
you should have an international contract you could
have a tax free salary. In some countries taxes are
taken off the salary at source by the
employer.
Temporary job agencies
: when jobs are available they are always given in
priority to Swiss citizens and are only extended to
foreigners if a Swiss person cannot be found to fit
the post, and then only if the foreigner has a work
permit.
French citizens must have an
residence permit delivered by the cantonal police
dept for foreigners before they can accept a job.
The administrative steps are taken by the employer
who will apply for the residence permit, but they
must also be taken by the candidate who has to fill
in forms applying for entry into Switzerland for
the visa service of the Swiss Embassy or the Swiss
Consulate where he lives. His contract, or a
contractual letter must be given as well as three
passport photos.
If you accept a job in
Switzerland you have to have a valid passport.
If and when your residence permit is accepted you
will be informed by your employer or by the Swiss
representative where you placed the
demand.
Independent professionals
wishing to excercise in Switzerland have to give
the Embassy or the Consulate the following
documents :
- three forms 'Application for authorisation to
enter Switzerland'
- three photos
- information concerning the envisaged professional
activity, the capital (whether it is a takeover or
a creation), availability of financing in
Switzerland
- a curriculum vitae.
The application is sent to
the cantonal police dept for foreigners who will
study the dossier and make the decision. If the
demand is accepted, an assurance of a residence
permit will be given as for an employee (see above)
and the candidate will also receive a frontier
medical certificate.
France and Switzerland have a
common agreement concerning on- the -job training
courses in Switzerland. These courses are open to
people who have finished their professional
training but who would like a stay in Switzerland
to complete their professional and linguistic
knowledge. They have to find an on-the-job training
course which corresponds to the training that they
have already followed (for at least 2 years) and be
aged between 18 and 30. At the end of the course
they are not allowed to excercise an independent
activity in the country.
On-the-job training can be applied for whatever is
happening on the local job market. It usually lasts
for 12 months and can sometimes be renewed for 6
months. You have to apply in writing to the
International Labour Office, the expatriate
service, in your region.
If you have been working in
the country for 6 months with a B or a C permit you
can apply for unemployment benefits (if you have
finished your short-term contract or been made
redundant). The amount of these benefits is up to
80% of your salary and may be lowered to 70% if the
salary is over 150 Fs a day (and if the person
applying has no family dependent on him). The
application must be made to the communal labour
service or to the cantonal labour
centre.
Working conditions
:
They are the local ones, with
the advantages and disadvantages that may pertain.
An expatriate is often considered as an immigrant
and has to deal with local administrative
formalities on his own.
Working hours in Switzerland are usually from 8 am
to 5 pm but it varies from one company to
another.
There are three (sometimes four) weeks paid
leave.
Whatever happens, before
accepting a job check that the employer has taken
all the necessary steps to get you a work permit
and that he has obtained it. If this is not the
case, you could be heading for trouble, the
controls are strict and without an appropriate work
permit you will be treated like an illegal
immigrant and expelled from the country.
Foreign companies are subject
to Swiss laws.
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