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Ask HN: Engineering Job Market in Switzerland?

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Ask HN: Engineering Job Market in Switzerland?

#1

Post by catchmilk »

My partner and I are thinking of moving to Switzerland to settle down and raise a family. Are there any engineers currently based in Switzerland than can shed some light on the current state of the job market there?

1. Are engineers in demand to begin with? 2. We're aware of how expensive Switzerland can be. Do the jobs pay well enough? 3. Even more interestingly - what's the current attitude in Switzerland towards 100% remote work? Is it primary office-based over there? What's the work culture like?

Any insights are much appreciated.

Re: Ask HN: Engineering Job Market in Switzerland?

#3

Post by poulsbohemian »

Historically, getting an employer to sponsor you for a work visa has been the biggest challenge getting into Switzerland. It's generally been easier to get into Germany. Of course your nationality may be a factor here too in terms of which countries have various visa restrictions.

Re: Ask HN: Engineering Job Market in Switzerland?

#6

Post by mikl »

I moved to Switzerland (from Denmark) almost a decade ago, and I’ve not regretted it.

1. If we’re talking software engineering, the demand is ultra-high. I’ve had to hire freelancers, because skilled software people are neigh-impossible to find.

2. Yeah, for engineers and other skilled workers, pay is very good, even the relatively high cost of living considered.

3. Before CV19, 100% remote was pretty rare. 1-2 days of home office was pretty common. Nowadays, things are a lot less defined, and given how desparate companies are to hire skilled ppl., you can probably negotiate something.

I’m not sure how to describe the work culture, but if you get into some tech start up in Zürich or Geneva, you probably won’t find it too foreign, and everyone speaks English well enough.

If you have a EU passport, you can generally get a work visa just by asking. If you’re from elsewhere, it’s a little more involved, but still manageable.

Re: Ask HN: Engineering Job Market in Switzerland?

#7

Post by sawmurai »

prashp wrote: post #4

If you're not white, don't move there. The Swiss culture is very unwelcoming to newcomers.

prashp, why are you spreading such rumors on the internet?

About 25% [1] of the population are foreigners, so it can't be that bad?

If you're not white, still move here (I've been living here since 2016, love it). If you work in IT you most likely end up in a bigger city anyway, and as in most big cities in western europe nobody cares about the color of your skin. Or what languages besides english you speak.

[1] https://www.bfs.admin.ch/bfs/en/home/statistics/population/m...

Re: Ask HN: Engineering Job Market in Switzerland?

#9

Post by eskimo87 »

mikl wrote: post #6

I moved to Switzerland (from Denmark) almost a decade ago, and I’ve not regretted it. 1. If we’re talking software engineering, the demand is ultra-high. I’ve had to hire freelancers, because skilled software people are neigh-impossible to find. 2. Yeah, for engineers and other skilled workers, pay is very good, even the relatively high cost of living considered. 3. Before CV19, 100% remote was pretty rare. 1-2 days…

Super interesting. Can you share what is the consulting/freelance rate going for skilled software people?
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