How to Find a Job and Relocate to Switzerland

Posted on April 09, 2025 by Patrick Rayes, One of Thousands of Life Coaches on Noomii.

Finding a job and moving to Switzerland, especially if you are outside continental Europe, is no small feat. The job market here is not that large compared to other nations, however through dedication and networking it is possible… Just a matter of time!

First, you should consider networking and getting involved in events sponsored by your local Swiss embassy. It is good to get to know them and learn more about Switzerland while abroad. Also, you will get to learn about all the residency permit options available and how best to obtain one. This would be a wise first step.

Second, visit Switzerland at least once. You must see it to explore and learn the culture, not to mention taking in all the beautiful sights. Your first stop for planning that should be this site: MySwitzerland… Don’t forget to download the SBB App while here for public transport – a must-have!

Networking
While abroad, strongly consider networking and looking for jobs online via XING and Experteer. XING is a strong LinkedIn competitor in the DACH region; much better interface and interactive experience compared to LinkedIn, if you ask me. Experteer is a great job hunting tool in Switzerland. Establish yourself on both platforms and network… Feel free to connect with me on XING!

Recruitment Agencies
Specifically, for job hunting, have a look at these head hunting agencies. Get yourself acquainted with them, get in touch and socialize your CV.

Michael Page
Experis
Adecco
Randstad
Swiss Linx

Job Hunting
For general job hunting, consider English Jobsearch and Indeed. There are some others online if you search Google for “Switzerland Jobs”, so consider those as well.

Participating in Forums
The most popular discussion forum in Switzerland used to be English Forums, but it has recently shuttered. Now there is a new one called Swiss Forum – great resource if you have questions about Switzerland that you cannot easily find online or via ChatGPT.

All Things Switzerland
To familiarize yourself with the country better, make sure to take some time browsing ch.ch. It is an excellent source of information in multiple languages. In particular, take the time to review the Travel and Emigrate and Work sections.

Location and Language Requirements
Pick a location in Switzerland that best suits your lifestyle and needs. In particular, learn the local language – there are four (German, French, Italian and Romansh). It is very unlikely you will find a job in the Romansh region, as it is the least spoken language. German and French are your best bet, with German being the most popular language here. Swiss-German to be precise, but people here will switch to High German if they need to.

Learning the language is key to integrating. Integration in the country is a top requirement to ensure you can obtain higher levels of residency permits. Not only learn the language, but consider making friends with your neighbors, joining a club, participating in local events, volunteer work etc. The more you do to integrate, the higher your chances of obtaining long term residency and eventually Swiss citizenship (this takes about 10 years to obtain).

Living Here as an Expat
There are a couple of great resources for expats in your initial years in Switzerland:

glocals
InterNations

Leverage them both to integrate and network here as an expat.

Conclusion
As you can see there is much to do to find a job and relocate here, but do not despair… Keep at it and eventually you might find something with a little bit of luck!

Should you have any questions, feel free to connect with me on XING or X. Happy to help and best of luck!