Careers: A fresh start in the Alps

FOR a nation with a history of making complicated clockwork, it is no surprise that Switzerland is top of the heap when it comes to precision, high-tech research. The country boasts two Federal Institutes of Technology, the CERN particle physics laboratory and a major IBM research facility. It is also home to big names in pharmaceuticals such as Roche and Novartis - and who can forget its world-famous chocolate industry?

With British citizens able to work in Switzerland visa-free, annual salaries of up to £72,000 for experienced researchers and the option of skiing in your lunch break, it’s easy to see why Switzerland appeals to so many. So where can you make your mark?

Computing clout

IBM is one of many global companies that have research centres in Switzerland. Its Rüschlikon lab, just south of Zurich, attracts talent from all over the world: 80 per cent of the research staff come from abroad.

The lab is a leader in digital storage technology as well as semiconductor and optical electronics for computer networks. Plans to build a top-class nanotechnology research centre on the site are under way: it is scheduled to be completed in 2011.

The lab recruits from a range of disciplines, including physics, chemistry and maths, says Irene Holenweger Koeb of IBM human resources. It also has a thriving bioscience group working on the application of nanotechnology to the life sciences, among other areas. Most positions require a PhD, though the lab also employs around 100 undergraduates and graduates each year.

Paul Hurley, a researcher in IBM’s systems software group, enjoys the informality of his working environment: IBM encourages a relaxed office culture that includes meetings over lunch or coffee.

With so many of its employees not being Swiss nationals, the company offers ample support to help new employees acclimatise and has a policy of paying relocation expenses. “It’s important to us that new hires settle in easily,” says Koeb.

German lessons, paid for by IBM, bring together employees who are new to Zurich. The standard German taught is different from what Zurich natives speak, so although Hurley has attended the classes, he says it takes a bit more practice to pick up the “Swiss-isms”.

Raising the chocolate bar

Switzerland is known for its chocolate, but being Swiss is not a prerequisite for making it well. “In our company we have 44 nationalities and 18 languages,” says José Rubio of Lindt’s human resources department.

Scientists can find jobs in quality management, research and development and on the factory floor. Those working in R&D help develop new recipes and products, as well as designing and building new machines for making them. However, you might prefer to hone your skills in quality management, where you will have the pleasant task of testing the products to make sure they are up to the company’s high standards.

Foreign staff must speak at least one of the Swiss official tongues, says Rubio. Most positions require a good level of German, particularly important when working with Swiss colleagues on production lines, as many do not understand English.

Lindt draws many of its employees from two major higher-education institutions around Zurich: the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology Zurich (ETH Zurich) and the Institute of Food and Beverage Innovation, part of the Zurich University of Applied Sciences. Enrolling at one of these can give young food scientists an edge in getting a job at Lindt or another Swiss food manufacturer.

The ETH in German-speaking Zurich has a sister institution, the Federal Institute of Technology in French-speaking Lausanne (EPFL). With over 250 research groups and 10,000 students and faculty, it emphasises interdisciplinary scientific research. “We have a strong neurosciences group,” says Mary Parlange of EPFL’s human resources department, who also cites robotics and plasma physics as some of its strengths. The institute’s technology transfer programmes ensure that useful tools and methods make it out of the lab and into industry.

EPFL also builds bridges to other institutions, maintaining close ties with the University of Lausanne and beyond. “We’re one of the leading collaborators at the nuclear facility ITER,” Parlange adds, referring to the fusion laboratory being built in France.

Paul Hurley from IBM became strongly attracted to Switzerland as a student at EPFL. “I was amazed at the salary that I could be offered as a PhD,” he says, adding that students in the UK sometimes have to “fend for themselves” in terms of funding. Jacques Giovanola, head of EPFL’s doctoral school, says that nearly 95 per cent of its PhD students have salaries secured by their supervisors.