Some tips for writing your CV and motivation letter to apply in Switzerland

The letter is very Swiss “standard” in its approach (compared to what can be done in other European countries, including France). The CV in turn has many features that you should consider to maximize your chances of getting an interview. In the cover letter and resume, you will need as much as you can “melt” in a Swiss model. In Switzerland it is pragmatic and practical, so try to be also in the documents that you draft: choose concrete achievements, rather than the “theory” or concepts.

Write a letter or a resume takes time. You can find that information on the structure of the CV, and only a fraction of the many tips to follow to get there.

If we were to give one piece of advice is this: write for others, not for you, and make the effort, culturally, to go to Switzerland, do not expect her to come to you and the recruiter such suits your value systems and “codes” foreigners. For example, if you worked in a foreign SMEs which is probably not known, it seems interesting to give a little background on this company, so that the recruiter get an idea: industry, number of employees etc. … What is known in your country does not perhaps in Switzerland. Same for foreign credentials, which must be explained in the CV.

The objective of the CV and letter of motivation is the same: getting an interview, the recruiter wants to meet you.

The CV in Switzerland

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Whichever country you make your approaches, the CV is primarily a promotional tool that should enable you to effectively communicate what you offer and expect from a future employer.

Always concise, and powerful, do not get lost in long sentences: CV and letter must be effective and be forceful, but without being too sales. Given the short time spent reading an application by recruiters as being effective.

The tips you find here have their limits: according to your individual circumstances, may go some specifics into account.

Recruiters expect to find some information in your resume. Some are “unavoidable” (they must be included in your CV), and other more “optional”.

The heading “Identity” (also called “Personal Information”): category must

It allows the recruiter to know who you are and how to contact you. It includes:

- Your full name

- Your home address

- Telephone number (ideally your mobile number)

If you are a foreigner, you should indicate your nationality

Age (or date of birth) is not in the legal sense, that information must be indicated, but it is recommended (advice tailored to your situation)

Same for the mention of your family status (single, married …).

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Education and qualifications: section must
* This section aims to trace your route and your academic studies, until your specific professional degrees. In general, it is presented in reverse chronological order to highlight key information first.

- Explain simply your training and qualifications that are not necessarily known to the local recruiters, and avoid highly technical terms.

- If you had a mention or excellent grades, you can mention.

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Experience: category must

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In most cases, it is recommended to place the head in the most recent experience.

For each experiment, have included: the employer where you performed this experiment (city and country if not in Switzerland), the office held and date of start and end together. This is the minimum. It is strongly recommended to add information relevant to the duties and responsibilities occupied.

Organize your experiences as follows:

1 – Position: for example, systems engineer, a nurse in the emergency department, watch …

2 – missions or tasks (2 or 3 of them) for example:

- Establishment of sales and direct marketing

- Coaching a team of people xx

3 – Major Achievements (1 or 2) specific and quantified where possible. For example, increased from 5% in 3 years the number of customers with commercial activities and direct marketing. This part is not a requirement, but adds a “plus”.

References

In Switzerland it is customary to indicate in his CV that people can contact the recruiter who will talk about you and your work are the references. This is not a strict requirement but is generally appreciated.

Tell the people you put in reference and make sure they know you well enough to talk about your case objectively … and positive.

The category “Skills”

Facilitate Life recruiter and indicate the category your responsibilities.

Some examples of skills: Ability to negotiate, ability to resolve conflict situations, high resistance to stress, etc. …

You can more or less detail these skills.

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Languages
* You can make them appear in the “Skills” or in a category apart.
* This topic is almost unavoidable, especially in a country where one speaks 4 languages. Assessing the level of language is often a topic déliquat: Mention “reading, writing and speaking” are only partially satisfactory, as the concepts of “control”.

Be as objective as possible about your level of language, because the probability of being interviewed in a language other than your mother tongue is important, at least in certain activities.

- Do not cheat on your language level, the probability that tests you on this point is very high maintenance.

- German is recommended to work in Switzerland Swiss German, but English may be sufficient, especially if you work for a company that has chosen English as the language of communication (which also happens in some multinational companies in Switzerland) .

- English is essential in many companies in Switzerland, is the language of business. In some companies more “traditional”, it is not essential, but is increasingly required.

- Select your stay abroad if their duration is significant (several months)

Career plans

You can wear one on your résumé under “professional project” or “career goal”. It may be a summary of your project or a simple sentence.

Example: “Develop communication strategies in a major international organization”

The preamble

We encourage you to provide, on top of your CV, a cartridge that summarizes both your background and career plans in a few key phrases. It should enable the recruiter to place you in a glance, for he quickly understand who you are and what you are looking for. This preamble must be at the top of the CV.

For more information on the topics of your CV in Switzerland, writing tips and examples of CVs, see Curriculum Vitae in Switzerland “our job area.

CV templates in Switzerland to download free

To get an idea of what looks like a resume, you can download one of our CV templates in Switzerland. This model is based on our book “Getting a Job in Switzerland” (by David Lawrence and Schütz Talerman, Gualino editor).

The letter in Switzerland

Its objective is to give the recruiter wants to meet you, and complements the CV. Its structure and form differ little from what we usually find in other European countries, including France.

Structure of a letter type in Switzerland

In general, there are “blocks” include: personal details, address of the recipient, date, purpose of the letter, the body of the letter, the incentive to meet, the salutation, signature, a reference to the Annexes and attachments.

The most difficult to achieve is the body of the letter, which must be customized and structured. You will find below a proposed organization of the body of the letter:

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1 – Explain how the company you want (and why it in particular)

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2 – Explain what you will bring to the company

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3 – Form and polite invitation to meet

The first two paragraphs may be swapped.

Each of these paragraphs in response to a certain logic, a certain goal, and depends on the type of application (responding to an ad or spontaneous) and should be drafted accordingly. There are many ways to write these paragraphs.

Candidates who wish more detailed information on the detailed structure of the letter (block identity, purpose etc …) can see our space-employment (Structure of a letter in Switzerland), and our tips page writing a letter to Switzerland.

Learn more about the resume and cover letter in Switzerland

- Find some tips on resume writing and cover letter in the book “Working and living in Switzerland. This book is intended primarily for foreign workers.

- In the book “Getting a Job in Switzerland”, find all the techniques and tips for writing resumes and cover letters for Switzerland. This book addresses both the local workers (Swiss and foreigners who know the Swiss labor market) and foreign workers who know nothing about the Swiss market and want to put all chances on their side to find a job.