Question: What is it like in Switzerland

Penny Timpert answered on 2 Jul 2024:

Thanks for the question! I first started coming to Switzerland to take part in conferences and then moved to Switzerland 17 years ago for work. It is really quite small with good road & public transport links so it is easy to get around. The people are helpful and friendly in a quiet way. We have been made really welcome by our neighbours.

Switzerland has four official languages (German, French, Italian and Rumantsch) and English is also spoken by many people. There are lots of large international companies where the common working language is English (plus it is used a lot in everyday life in adverts etc.).

Science and engineering is well represented. Switzerland doesn’t have many raw materials so it makes the most of the brains of its people. Only a small proportion of students go on to university. Most do apprenticeships, which are very well respected.

The wages look incredibly high from the outside, however everything is so expensive in Switzerland that it balances out. Quite a few people who work in Switzerland actually live in Germany or France or Italy because the cost of living is much lower there.

There are quite a few rules which make it easier for everyone to get along together, like quiet time between 10pm & 7am as well as between 12noon & 1pm (in our part of Switzerland – the timings vary a little by region). Two things I am still getting used to is that most of the shops are shut on Sundays and that builders really do start on the dot of 7am as if they have their fingers ready on their drills etc.