The Job Search - Part I

When I left my previous role as a Project Manager in the UK at the end of September, I felt pretty confident about my chances of finding a job in Switzerland. I was under no elusions about the size of the task ahead of me, being a foreigner seeking employment in a country that speaks a different language to me, but I had found an area of work that I enjoy and that I’m good at (even if I do say so myself), and had built up about 2.5 years of experience in the role, and that would normally be enough for me to land a similar job in England. Unfortunately, it didn’t turn out to be quite so simple...

Sixty Days in Suisse - Part IX

Grimaces, Gourmet and Games



My Permis B, complete with psycho stare photo

As I write this blog I am now in my ninth week of being a Swiss resident, and finally received my Permis B (the document that shows I am legally allowed to work in Switzerland). I popped down to the SPOP in Lausanne to collect the document, and luckily I didn’t have to pay any extra administration fees, apart from the 8.- CHF for a passport photo to affix to the permit.

Admittedly it isn’t the greatest photo of me ever, as it looks like I had just been told some exceedingly bad news. The reason for the grimace is that the photo booth had a warning that said “Do Not Smile”, so I didn’t. The end result is a very grumpy looking work permit, but at least that grumpy person can now proudly tell prospective employers that he can work for them (legally).