Regardless of whether you are a Swiss citizen or a EU/EFTA national looking for work, you may be wondering whether an employment agency may boost your chances of getting a good job in Switzerland.
If you have tried applying directly to companies for open positions but haven’t been successful so far, you may be wanting to try other avenues – like going through one of Switzerland’s recruitment agencies.
Will this increase your odds of finding employment?
It might, because they have vested interests in getting you just the job you want.
But first…how do these agencies operate?
Generally speaking, these companies help employers find the best candidates for their roles – and vice-versa.
While online job portals usually list up-to-date job openings in given regions and sectors, agencies may have some ‘exclusive’ listings that have not been advertised elsewhere.
In a way, recruitment agencies are like matchmakers, but instead of searching for a spouse or a partner for you, they try will match your skills and professional experience with an employer who is looking for exactly what you have to offer.
This does not mean the match will always be a successful one because there are many factors at play here.
For instance, competition – in other words, other candidates with similar skills and experience could be out there looking for the same kinds of jobs.
Or, if you don’t have the professional background that employers are looking for at any give time, then even the best recruitment agency won’t be able to match you with a company.
They could, however, find you another job – not necessarily the one you wanted, but one that better matches your qualifications.
All this to say, that these agencies have a more personalised approach to your job search than public portals, but they can’t work miracles, so keep your expectations realistic.
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Specialised recruiters
An agency is a good choice if you are looking for work in a particular field or sector.
There are a number of such firms in Switzerland, such as those specialising in the recruitment of management personnel, healthcare, IT, finance, education, and other professionals.
Most large Swiss placement agencies have divisions specialising in various industries.
These are some of them:
Keep in mind that these, and other, recruiters will only work with foreign nationals from the EU or EFTA (Norway, Iceland, and Liechtenstein), who have a right to employment in Switzerland.
However, if you are a citizen of a third country but have a C permit, they will look for employment for you as well.
READ ALSO: Where are the job openings in Switzerland this autumn?
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Do you have to pay the recruitment firm for finding you a job?
That’s the best part.
Recruitment firms work on behalf of companies and their services are free for job seekers.
And precisely because they are paid by companies for each successful candidate they find, they have a vested interest in doing their due diligence on your behalf.
In conclusion…
Asking an employment agency to help you find a job can certainly boost your chances – though without any guarantees.
However, you should not give up searching on your own via public job portals or directly on company websites.
This way you have all the bases well covered.
READ ALSO: What are the best ways to search for your next job in Switzerland?
