Differences when applying in Germany, Austria and Switzerland

Differences when applying in Germany, Austria and Switzerland

The application in Switzerland

If you apply for a job in Switzerland, there are some differences to the German application.

The most important is:

• modesty! Many Swiss find the behavior of the Germans arrogant. While you should clearly emphasize your strengths in a German application and are welcome to apply it a little thicker, restraint is the order of the day with the Swiss. For example, if you indicate that you are fluent in French, the interview may suddenly be held in French. So be absolutely honest with your information and rather reserved.
• Academic titles are not put in front of the name in Switzerland, unless you have a doctorate, which you can also put in front of the name in Switzerland. Be sure to omit all other academic degrees such as Masters or Diploma, otherwise it will have a negative effect.
• Complete application documents are an absolute must in Switzerland. In the case of unsolicited applications (Swiss: unsolicited application), you should always send a complete application folder (Swiss: application dossier).
• The quality of the application documents is very important to the Swiss! That means you choose a high-quality folder, the paper should be at least 100g/m² be difficult and your application photo has been professionally created by the photographer.
• The CV is created achronically, so the most recent comes first! Also, be sure to omit the date and signature at the end, this is a clear difference to the German CV. As in Germany, the Swiss grading system has grades from 1 to 6, but in Switzerland grade 1 means the worst and grade 6 the best. The grades are therefore diametrically opposed to German, so it is advisable to explain your grades in your CV, for example like this: English 1 (very good)
• At the end of the CV, the “References” section should definitely not be missing. This is the most important part of the Swiss CV. If you need to keep your references confidential, you can write “Upon request.” Otherwise, it is important to state your name, position in the company, position in relation to you (superior), telephone number and e-mail address. Before doing this, however, you should inform your “reference persons” and ask for their permission.
• There are also some word differences to note:
  • Attachments are called inserts in Switzerland
  • Citizenship means nationality
  • Marital status is civil status
  • Application folder is called application dossier
  • A letter of application is called an accompanying letter or a letter of motivation
  • Important: In Switzerland there is no longer a “ß”, which means that you have to replace the “ß” with “ss” in all written texts, for example like this: Best regards
  • The Swiss, on the other hand, use umlauts (ä,ö,ü) just like the Germans, so please don’t write “Gruesse”, that would be embarrassing and wrong and will result in minus points.
  • In the salutation, you no longer write “Best regards”. This is considered outdated in Switzerland. Instead, write in a modern way: Kind regards
• The cover letter is a maximum of 1 page
• The CV must not be longer than 3 pages
• There are four official languages ​​in Switzerland (German, French, Italian and Romansh). Be sure to write your application in the language applicable in the region (Zurich = German; Geneva = French) or in the language in which the job advertisement was written. If you are unsure, call the company and ask in which language the documents are required and take this opportunity to ask for the name of the contact person for the application dossier. In German-speaking countries, you should absolutely avoid addressing your counterpart in Schwyzerdütsch during an interview. The Swiss see this more as an insult than as a positive effort on your part.

The application in Austria

The application in Austria does not differ significantly from the German application. However, there are also a few subtle differences in Austria that you should definitely pay attention to.

Just like in Switzerland, Austrians consider most Germans far too arrogant. Therefore, restraint and modesty are also essential in Austria!

If you are applying in Switzerland or Austria, it is always a good idea to familiarize yourself with the country and the people before the first interview. Both countries have so much more to offer than just winter skiing. So be sure to learn a few things about the area beforehand, but be careful not to come across as know-it-all in conversation. Unfortunately, the Germans also enjoy this reputation in both countries and that does not earn them any sympathy points.