Reply to: Switzerland - should I stay or should I go?

[NotAllThere]

Is Geneva a party city then? I've never worked there, but from past posts, I'd got the impression Swiss aren't exactly party animals, rather they are socially conservative and not great mixers?

From experience, there are plenty of tourists there though

And you get to play with other expats!

Some areas there's more integration with the Swiss, others, less. Basel tends to be more integrated, in Zürich, Swiss and Expats generally aren't in the same bars.

But if you find the Swiss are a problem, you can always play with the French. Or the Italians are a short distance away.

[northernladuk]

Is Geneva a party city then? I've never worked there, but from past posts, I'd got the impression Swiss aren't exactly party animals, rather they are socially conservative and not great mixers?

Am not sure if it is a party city but depends on what you want. I have only been through on a few hours trip while skiing nearby. Either way it is a new country/area to explore, new culture/language and some amazing scenery.

Is that not enough to go see alone. Must be something there to have tourists so why not go work. As I say, sounds far more impressive than London/Manchester/Leighton Buzzard when your in pub chatting about what you have been up to!

[Spacecadet]

Is Geneva a party city then? I've never worked there, but from past posts, I'd got the impression Swiss aren't exactly party animals, rather they are socially conservative and not great mixers?

From experience, there are plenty of tourists there though

[SizeZero]

Let me put a different spin on this for you... Who cares how much it costs? You got to work in Geneva!! Weekends out, nights out .. IN GENEVA.. bring it on!

Is Geneva a party city then? I've never worked there, but from past posts, I'd got the impression Swiss aren't exactly party animals, rather they are socially conservative and not great mixers?

[ronanm]

Oh yes. That's about 110KCHF. (a few years ago it would have been 160K CHF).

Still not a massive income, but not bad. For SAP, it'd be about what you'd expect as a programmer/functional analyst permie job.

Yes, I meant 70k GBP

[NotAllThere]

Hang on, Guys..Didn't the op say it's 70k GBP, rather than CHF?

Oh yes. That's about 110KCHF. (a few years ago it would have been 160K CHF).

Still not a massive income, but not bad. For SAP, it'd be about what you'd expect as a programmer/functional analyst permie job.

[ronanm]

Let me put a different spin on this for you... All good advice above but.....

Who cares how much it costs? You got to work in Geneva!! Weekends out, nights out .. IN GENEVA.. bring it on!

So it's a bit less cash, not like you are strapped for it right now, jobs a job as well even if it is less but by god you get to live and see the world.

When people are sat chatting about where they have worked you hear people getting excited about the times they working in Zurich, Saudi, Africa and all them that have chat together. How often do they sit around get excited about working in Nottingham, Manchester and London???

In my book go for it. I would love to do a gig abroad, the memories etc will be with you for ever, can you say the same about the next 6 months on the tube in the big smoke?



If your familiy/social life can put up with it why the hell are you sitting here getting rained on....

How is that for a different take on it

A fair point - I worked in Tanzania for a year and loved it btw

[northernladuk]

And from this side of the world, nobody gets excited when you tell them you've worked in Africa, since we live here, and mostly it's crappy! On the other hand, you're "cool" if you've worked in London! So, it's all relative...

LOL!! That is very true indeed. You got me there but again shows the fact that living and working in the same place isn't cool. Get a stint in Geneva, do it for 3-6 months and have an experience that can't be matched by a gig in London (or your local big city to keep ettubrute happy lol)

[ettubrute]

When people are sat chatting about where they have worked you hear people getting excited about the times they working in Zurich, Saudi, Africa and all them that have chat together. How often do they sit around get excited about working in Nottingham, Manchester and London???

And from this side of the world, nobody gets excited when you tell them you've worked in Africa, since we live here, and mostly it's crappy! On the other hand, you're "cool" if you've worked in London! So, it's all relative...

[explorer]

Hang on, Guys..Didn't the op say it's 70k GBP, rather than CHF?

[northernladuk]

Let me put a different spin on this for you... All good advice above but.....

Who cares how much it costs? You got to work in Geneva!! Weekends out, nights out .. IN GENEVA.. bring it on!

So it's a bit less cash, not like you are strapped for it right now, jobs a job as well even if it is less but by god you get to live and see the world.

When people are sat chatting about where they have worked you hear people getting excited about the times they working in Zurich, Saudi, Africa and all them that have chat together. How often do they sit around get excited about working in Nottingham, Manchester and London???

In my book go for it. I would love to do a gig abroad, the memories etc will be with you for ever, can you say the same about the next 6 months on the tube in the big smoke?

If your familiy/social life can put up with it why the hell are you sitting here getting rained on....

How is that for a different take on it

[ronanm]

Eating out: very expensive. Bars: very expensive. Supermarket food: expensive. Supermarket booze: very reasonable.

70'000CHF is about the average income in Switzerland. It's doable, but don't expect champagne and caviar for every breakfast. For many expenses, if they're spread over a year, they're fine. But for just a few months cost considerably more per day.

Check www.englishforum.ch for huge amount of information on living and working in Switzerland.

Thanks a lot - to all who replied.

[NotAllThere]

Eating out: very expensive. Bars: very expensive. Supermarket food: expensive. Supermarket booze: very reasonable.

70'000CHF is about the average income in Switzerland. It's doable, but don't expect champagne and caviar for every breakfast. For many expenses, if they're spread over a year, they're fine. But for just a few months cost considerably more per day.

Check www.englishforum.ch for huge amount of information on living and working in Switzerland.

[BlasterBates]

1000 CHF is very high I would say 700 upwards would be fine, that is over £400 a day.

[ronanm]

70k is crap for CH, even for perm, I'd hold out for 130k CHF perm of 1000 CHF per diem contract.

That's the spirit - thanks

I didn't think it would be great but just wanted to be sure.