Graduate schemes in Switzerland

Graduate programmes refer to training and development schemes designed by corporations to address graduates that are looking for an opportunity to jump-start their professional career. Hence, similar to an internship, they offer an effective way to experience a variety of aspects concerning specific job posts, while also gaining a more in-depth understanding of an organisation as a whole. Many employers offer graduate programmes.

However, graduate programmes are more than just industry placements. They form an introduction to an organisation’s core business, structure and internal culture, while encompassing intense training, continuous mentoring, and a view towards permanent employment upon completion. The training fragment often revolves around general workplace skills, such as communication, management, strategy understanding, decision making etc. which are frequently applied across a wide range of business units. Your assigned mentor will be providing on-going career advice and assistance, while also assessing your progress and individual attributes in order to boost your professional development. Most of these internship programmes are with pay.

Working in Switzerland is a very smart choice, as it ranks highly in several metrics of national performance, including government transparency, civil liberties, economic competitiveness, and human development. Everything is efficient, the infrastructure is designed for the general welfare of the people, and public spaces are incredibly beautiful and well maintained.

In addition to all of this, Switzerland’s Alpine landscape of mountain peaks and lakes is world famous, and there are plenty of old cities to be visited during your free weekends.

When looking for a job, it is important to bear in mind that there are significant regional differences in the Swiss labour market. Geneva is the area with the highest percentage of foreign workers, and many work in one of the many international institutions based there. The banking industry is centered mainly in and around Zurich, whereas Basel is the main hub for the Swiss chemical and pharmaceutical industry. Companies that offer graduate progams in Switzerland include %employers%.

A large number of international institutions have their seats in Switzerland, in part because of its policy of neutrality. Geneva is the birthplace of the Red Cross and hosts many UN agencies, as well as being the home of the second largest United Nations Office in the world.

Furthermore, many sport federations and organisations are located throughout the country, such as the International Basketball Federation in Geneva, the Union of European Football Associations (UEFA) in Nyon, the International Federation of Association Football (FIFA) and the International Ice Hockey Federation (IIHF) both in Zürich, the International Cycling Union in Aigle, and the International Olympic Committee in Lausanne.

As in any foreign country, speaking the local language is a definite advantage. For your job search, consider the main local language in the area where you wish to work. Switzerland has four official languages: German, French, Italian and Rhaeto-Roman, although the last two are spoken by less than 10% of the population. If you’re aiming to work in an international institution or large multinational company, much of the work may be conducted in English with other non-Swiss nationals. However, for national or smaller Swiss companies, you will almost certainly be required to have a basic command of the local language. 

Working in Switzerland also has its downsides. First of all, the high quality of life comes at a very high cost, as Zürich and Geneva have become the most expensive cities in the world following the appreciation of the Swiss Franc. The Swiss are a population of renters: nearly 70 percent of people are tenants rather than owners, and as a result a pointed shortage of apartments in both cities and towns has developed. Expect to spend between 400 and 1,000 Swiss Francs a month on rent and utilities.

Private health insurance in Switzerland is also compulsory, and expensive. The government does grant cash subsidies to those who find the monthly premium is equal to or above eight percent of their monthly salary. On average, expect to pay 4,200 CHF for health insurance annually. On the flip side, salaries in Switzerland are also among the highest in the world.

If you believe you have what it takes to succeed, take a look at the job opportunities posted below. If you don’t find anything you like right now, create a job agent to ensure that you’ll know when new jobs are posted. Good luck with your search!