Introduction

Hi Lifefire,

Welcome to Expat.com!

Maybe you can tell us more about you? How long are you in Switzerland?
How would you describe life there?

Thank you,
Christine

Hi Lifefire

My name is Riaan. Married to a Swiss National and currently in Cape Town. We decided to relocate to Switzerland and my wife will leave this week in search of a job(that would be pretty easy) and a flat(not so easy)in CH. It will be a stressful time for us considering we have a 18 month old baby. My in-laws gratefully accepted to look after her while my wife is in CH looking for a new life for us and while I'm here working my ass off.
Where in CH are you and please tell me how you landed such a good job? I'm just curious because I've got 12 years experience managing a Retail Store and currently a Factory Manager. Any tips for me?
P.S. started learning German and still a long way to go.

Regards,
Riaan
(expat user name: r.thiart)

Howzit Riaan

The key is to know German. If you want a management job you have to be able to comunicate / read and write German also. And work your arse off. They have an exstreme work ethic. I have been four and a halve years now. And the first three was tough. Getting to a new country is always about that first job, to get your foot in the door. Join
ch.linkedin.com
do Networking. How long have you been married ? You can get a Swiss passport after 6 years wich will make your life much easier. otherwize you will get a B permit. Wich is not even a work permit. You have to find a job first and then the company must apply for a work permit for you (Wich goes quick though)
Problem is: in Zurich for instance (all the kantons are different) you need a permit before you can rent a flat, but you need an adress before you can get the permit.... catch 22.
Plus with the economic crisis most businesses are scaling down..
Good luck. My advice would be to eat breathe and sleep German. Your best bet.

Hi Lifefire

Thanks for your reply. Been married just over 3 years. Like I said, my wife will leave for Switzerland this Friday. She has a couple of interviews already lined up. We are confident that getting a job will be easy enough for her. Then the flat will be the difficult part. We should be able to survive on her salary(+/- 4000/month)
and hopefully I can get a part time job while I take further German courses.
According to the local canton offices, I just need to register within 2 weeks of landing in CH. Because I'm the spouse of a Swiss National, I will get a work and residence permit. We also mailed the Federal Offices and they said the same thing. We will be in Zurich(most of her family is there).
I'm prepared to start off with ANY job...and my work ethic is top class. My mother-in-law always compare me to a "Swiss soldier".

Riaan

Hi Riaan

Yo'll be fine. You can both survive on her salary in the beginning.
When are you coming? The summer will be easier to find work. There are a lot of South Africans that also went through the same.
take a look at this site:

englishforum.ch

also helpfull.

I already joined englishforum.ch last week. Got a reply within 5 minutes, unlike expat-blog...never got a reply since I posted a message 6 months ago. You are the first one to "talk" to me.
I'll come as soon as my wife finds a flat, just hope its not too long.
I guess all I'm hoping for is that a expat will understand my situation and extend a helping hand, but it may be too much to ask for. Thanks for all your advise though, its good to know that some of us has made it.
Regards, Riaan