JoW. – For expatriates from all over the world the challenge only begins after finding one of the jobs. Especially in Switzerland with a multitude of cultures and behavioural specialities this challenge is a huge part of the integration process. Let’s have a look, what kind of jobs are mostly offered in Switzerland and what challenges are waiting for you.
In some of our previous blogs like „The Expat Syndrome“ https://savoirfairebasel.wordpress.com/2013/04/02/das-expat-syndrom/ and about the „micro cosmos of expats in social and work matters – https://savoirfairebasel.wordpress.com/2013/03/18/expats-in-der-schweiz-potenziale-erkennen-bilateral/ – we mentioned how it is important, that Expats have to be integrated in all the processes of life and work. The key messages in these blogs have been clear: Not only the Swiss are responsible for the integration of Expats in the community, but the expatriates themselves as well. By learning more about culture and language and by breaking out of a sometime self built „micro cosmos“. A study has been presented as well in our mentioned blogs which describes the way, how these aims can be reached: https://savoirfairebasel.wordpress.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/03/expats-integration.pdf .
Please note our several blogs about Expats in Switzerland and the Basel area:
- Blog Fever – How Expats are connected: https://savoirfairebasel.wordpress.com/2013/05/14/149/
- Social Media & Co. For Expats: https://savoirfairebasel.wordpress.com/2013/04/15/social-media-co-fur-expats/
- The Expat Syndrome: https://savoirfairebasel.wordpress.com/2013/04/02/das-expat-syndrom/
- Potenziale der Expats erkennen: https://savoirfairebasel.wordpress.com/2013/03/18/expats-in-der-schweiz-potenziale-erkennen-bilateral/
And now, after you have been successful in job hunting or having a plan to get one, we want to inform, what kind of jobs are the most wanted in the several cities and which challenges are waiting. We begin this week with Basel and its area (in Allschwil, Reinach and other small towns a lot of jobs are offered in life science sectors/companies). The center of the Upper Rhine Valley depends on sectors like transport and shipping, finance and insurance, and especially on the life sciences. What do you have to expect at your job hunting, and what are the advices on working conditions and social security?
Getting permission
(source: http://www.swissinfo.ch/ )
First of all there is the challenge of having a permission, if you are not sent by the employer who has already organized checked everything.
Obtaining a permit to work in Switzerland depends on many factors, including where you are from, the skills you have and quotas. Switzerland has a dual system for allowing foreigners to work while in the country. The first concerns citizens from the European Union and/or the European Free Trade Association (Efta), who are generally allowed to come to Switzerland for three months while they look for work. The period can be extended to six months during an active job hunt. The second is for citizens of all other countries (so-called Third States). Citizens from these countries must have a guaranteed work contract from an employer as well as the appropriate work visa before entering the country. Having a job offer alone is not enough to guarantee a permit.
Family members of a permit holder are allowed to stay and reside in Switzerland as well, regardless of nationality. Family members include a spouse, descendants under age 21 or dependents over whom custody or care is granted, regardless of age. Cantonal authorities are responsible for issuing permits. For more information, please visit the Federal Migration Office website: http://www.bfm.admin.ch/content/bfm/en/home/themen/arbeit.html
Endorsement, source of the following content: http://www.internations.org/basel-expats
Two Key Sectors
The historical Basel flourished due to its ideal location on the Upper Rhine, the stream connecting Switzerland to the North Sea. Working in Basel’s port area was an excellent opportunity for merchants as well as owners of river barges. After the Industrial Revolution came along, large areas of Basel turned into a factory town, with many laborers working in Basel’s manufacturing companies. Today, Basel’s economy still owes a considerable part of its prosperity to these two fields: logistics remains an important sector in the city. Also, Basel is best known as a major location for the chemical and pharmaceutical industries. The life sciences employ a great number of people working in Basel, including many expats.
The National Economy
The city and area of Basel is a characteristic example of the Swiss economy in general, with both its positive and some negative aspects: it is a modern market economy with low unemployment figures and well-qualified job candidates. Agriculture plays a rather minor role while the economy rests on a high-tech, knowledge-based manufacturing sector and a booming service industry.
However, the strong local currency, the country’s export orientation, and its close links to the Euro zone pose a certain risk at the moment. While Switzerland’s economy is not in danger of entering a recession, experts expect only modest growth for 2012. Unfortunately, this development affects Basel as well. Nonetheless, the area has a fairly diversified economy. Expatriates interested in working in Basel outside a foreign assignment may very well land a job in one of the key economic sectors.
The Life Sciences
As mentioned above, the life sciences are the essential industry for working in Basel. The Basel area forms the center of a larger cluster, the “Bio Valley”, which stretches from the canton of Basel-Landschaft to the city of Strasbourg. Within the life sciences sector, the pharmaceutical and cosmetic industries are the biggest players. Basel houses the HQ of global companies like Novartis or Roche, which are household names in the business. Roche, for instance, employs about 10,000 people in Switzerland, many of them working in Basel and its metropolitan area. Even the skin-care products you use during your daily bathroom rituals may have their origin in the labs of specialists working in Basel: Beiersdorf produces such brands as Nivea or Eucerin, while Weleda is famous for its organic cosmetics line. The life sciences also include industries like agribusiness and medical technology. Products as diverse as pesticides, seedlings, Cochlear implants for the hearing-impaired, and dental equipment all belong to the wide range of companies working in Basel. The sector doesn’t consist solely of big business: Basel’s life science cluster represents small and medium enterprises as well as start-up companies.
Innovative Sectors
Beyond the life sciences, Basel is home to other innovative industries. It features a number of ICT enterprises, both smaller, local companies and the Swiss branches of multi-nationals like Adobe Systems or IBM. In addition to information and communication technologies, microtechnology, clean tech for the development of environmentally friendly, energy-efficient production methods, and nanotechnology play a significant role in Basel’s high-tech market. They often profit from Basel’s reputation as a university town. For example, the University of Basel founded the Swiss Nanoscience Institute as a base for application-oriented research.
The Service Industry
As far as the tertiary sector is concerned, the transport and shipping industry remains a vital segment of the economy in the Greater Basel Area. While the Rhine is no longer the most convenient connection to other European regions, the city’s cargo ports handle a large proportion of Switzerland’s import and export goods. Furthermore, finance and insurance make a significant contribution to Basel’s economy. Although the city’s financial sector pales in comparison to Zurich, Basel is among Switzerland’s secondary centers for banking and insurance providers, e.g. UBS and Helvetia Versicherungen. Moreover, Basel benefits from tourism, even though it’s not as prominent a travel destination as the likes of Geneva or Lugano. However, since it hosts two influential trade fairs for contemporary art as well as jewelry and watch-making, Basel has acquired some importance for business travel. Lastly, the creative industries add to Basel’s economic profile, especially design and architecture. However, it needs pointing out that this is not a lucrative business. A great part of the creatives working in Basel complain about low incomes and financial struggles. Art and design are a vocation rather than an occupation for the average expat working in Basel.
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