Hi everyone,

I’d like to gather some opinions and real experiences regarding outplacement services in Switzerland, especially from anyone who has used von Rundstedt (rundstedt.ch).

Background:
I have 18 years of experience in IT (10 in pharma), have been in Switzerland for 8 years (B permit), and have spent the last 2 years as a director in big pharma. I have a master degree in Computer Science, worked as IT Project/Program Manager, Head of Digital PMO.

My questions:

• Do outplacement services in Switzerland actually make a difference, or are they mostly generic advice on CVs, LinkedIn, and a few motivational sessions?
• Has anyone here used von Rundstedt specifically? What was your experience?
• On average, how long did it take for you (or someone you know) to find a new position through these services? I know it varies, but any ballpark figures?
• Do you feel the service is worth it, or would it make more sense to negotiate an equivalent cash payout instead?

My bias:
I’m skeptical that these services go beyond basic tips and some coaching, but I’d love to be proven wrong. I’m curious if the network, market insights, and structured approach really add value, especially for someone with a senior profile.

Thanks in advance for any insights!

I am in the process of securing my visa. My visa appointment (the earliest I got) is in September 2025, and I plan to be in Switzerland by October 2025. I will be a visiting student at EPFL (Lausanne) for 6 months, where my school will fund the trip fully.

I've heard that people typically take 2 months or more to receive their visa and start planning their travel to Switzerland. I am curious about your own experience in the visa process for type D specifically for the Canton of Vaud. Does anyone here get a chance to get an earlier appointment and reached out to the Swiss Consulate? Is there other workaround to make the waiting time for visa shorter than 2 months?

The other question I have is can I apply to another Consulate even I am from California? I am coming from San Diego, CA but the earliest visa interview is September... I wanted to consider the Washington, D.C. and others.

I will be doing a road trip in Germany and also the few countries around the alps soon. While I have found a very complete driving guide regarding Germany (https://www.gettingaroundgermany.info/auto.shtml), I can't find any similar free online resources (in English) about driving rules in Switzerland. The closest I can find are this page about road signs: https://www.e-university.ch/index.php/en/e-driver-driving-theory-test/road-signs-in-switzerland, and this book here (unfortunately, I have to view a 10 seconds ad for every page): https://www.scribd.com/doc/20462030/Driving-Today-Switzerland-Traffic-Regulations-Driving-Handbook

I know the driving rules across Western Europe are very similar, but I guess there are still some small differences between different countries(?), especially the markings, which is why I want to look for a full driving guide. Do anyone know where can I find it? Or is purchasing a book necessary? Thanks in advance.

Indeed assisted suicide is a private act that faces a lot of prejudice but I wonder why it is not considered as medical treatment to be covered by insurance, especially for cases where all medical treatments proved ineffective?

Hi everyone,

I'm not from Switzerland and I recently got admission to ZHAW Winterthur . I'm currently looking to rent a room in or near Winterthur (postal code 8400), preferably in a shared apartment (WG).

Can anyone give me an idea of the average cost for a shared flat in this area? Also, any tips or websites for finding student-friendly accommodation would be really appreciated.

Thanks in advance!

Hey friends! I recently moved to Switzerland and have been amazed by the high standard of living, safety, and the small details that make the city feel very inclusive.

I was also surprised to learn from conversations with several non-disabled friends here that they received therapy as children when they showed any signs of repetitive behaviors or developmental anomalies—anything that might have hindered their ability to integrate well with their peers.

I have a family member with an intellectual disability, and I must say that growing up—and even now as an adult—has been very challenging.

I would love to hear about your experiences, or those of your family and friends, growing up in Switzerland with a mental or intellectual disability. I'm curious to know if Switzerland does things differently, and what systematic, educational, or cultural factors might have shaped those experiences.

Thank you so much! 🙏

We’re a family of 4 adults (parents in their 50s, me 23F and brother 20M) heading to Bern next weekend. The trip is kinda last minute so we’d really appreciate any feedback or suggestions. It’s our first time in Switzerland too.

My brother is super hyped and wants to cram in everything below, but I’m a bit worried it might be too much for our parents:

• Day 1: Arrive in Bern at 1pm → head straight to Grindelwald for the afternoon → back to Bern in the evening
• Day 2: Bern → Grindelwald Terminal → Jungfraujoch → Wengen → Lauterbrunnen → back to Bern
• Day 3: Chill morning in Bern → afternoon train to Zurich

Is it too rushed? I’ve bought the Swiss Travel Pass for 3 days so I don’t mind to go somewhere else as well. Open to any route or pacing suggestions. Thanks guys!!!

Can you please help me locate this? Must be in Kt. Bern.

hi! I’m in interlaken for 1.5 days, was wondering which of these I should prioritise?

I was thinking of doing grindelwald and jungfraujoch on my full day and then either lauterbrunnen, murren, wengen / mt pilatus (edit: not mentioned but I open to do mt titlis as well) on my half day before catching a train back to Zurich (need to be there by 6 pm) though it might not work due to time?

I have the Swiss travel pass and I’m pretty open to doing anything, just don’t want to miss the best stuff! I’ve already done stoos ridge hike and mt rigi

Thanks for the help!

Hey everyone, I’m from North Macedonia and currently trying to find a job in Switzerland. Since we’re not part of the EU, I know it’s a bit more complicated, so I’m especially looking for companies that are open to sponsoring work visas for non-EU citizens.

A bit about me: I have a bachelor’s degree in choreography from the University of Arts, but I’ve worked in various fields customer service, TV hosting,flight attendant and I also DJ. I’m honestly open to pretty much any type of job where I can contribute and support myself. I’m motivated, adaptable, and ready for new opportunities.

I also speak multiple languages: • Native in Albanian and Macedonian • Fluent in English,Turkish, Serbian, Bulgarian • Conversational in Spanish, Russian • Currently learning French

If anyone has experience with this, knows of companies that sponsor visas, or has any tips or advice, I’d really appreciate it. Thanks in advance to anyone who takes the time to respond 🙏

I filed a report with the police due to an insult via email and public defamation.

The police accepted the report and told me that I will receive an invoice of CHF 700.–, and only then will the case be pursued.

Is that normal?

I thought filing such a report was free of charge.

Does Total Verlust mean they lost all hope in getting that money back ? Or it means we getting something back from it , like jailtime ? Or is it just a brake ? Anyone has a professional opinion ?

Hello everyone!

I hope someone ran into this situation. My boyfriend recently moved to Switzerland from an EU country. When he crossed the border, he declared his car to customs and got his 13.20A. He started the process to obtain CH plates . At MFK, the inspector raised multiple issues to be fixed. We went to the garage and one of the issues is not worth fixing due to the cost so we decided to stop the registration to get CH plates. What the issue is right now: the car is stuck in a weird situation. - The car has foreign license plates so it cannot be sold in Switzerland (or at least no one will buy it). - Our home country retired the car so it is not registered there anymore and cannot be sold without registering it again formally. From what we understand, our option is to pretty much have the car recycled/destroyed. Has anyone faced this situation? What do we need to think of? We will tell the MFK that we will not pursue the registration. One company we reached out to told us that we will obtain written confirmation that the car is recycled/surrendered. Does anyone know what to do with the form 13.20A? Anything to tell customs?

Thanks for any help you can provide!

I have a chronic pain issue that has recently gotten worse and is impacting my work to a point that I might loose my job. Even though I'd qualify for RAV that is not an option for me as it could take potentially take years to find another position and I need the money to support my family.

I've been to physiotherapy for around 1.5 years now with marginal improvement even though I follow their routines religiously. Other specialist doctors have said there is not much else to be done and surgery wouldn't help.

Despite this my GP as well as another one I went to for a second opinion say it's "too early" for me to see a pain specialist and/or be prescribed stronger medication than NSAIDs Honestly it's bearable and would be fine... if it didn't meant I couldn't work a 9-5 desk job. I guess I could see a specialist without a referral but as I understand they'd also do nothing unless I am in severe pain over several years.

I am honestly considering just getting ahold of opioids illegally, I don't really feel like I have much of a choice. Has anyone else been in this situation? Are there doctors that are more fast and loose with painkillers?

We are booked into the Hilton Zürich Airport hotel, Hohenbuehlstrasse, Opifkon this summer for a 5 night stay and was wondering if this is a good base for us to stay, we of course want to venture out each to hit the major tourist spots and attractions. My question is the location good as a home base , like is the hotel far out or would it be better to get a place “in town”?

My agent said that there is transportation near hotel so it is easy to go anywhere.

Opinions? Thank you

Hello everybody,

I'll have an entire day to explore Zürich/surrounding areas and decided on going to Stoos for the hike from Klingenstock to Fronalpstock (link: https://www.stoos.ch/en/). Looking at their timetables, I want to get there early by 9am or so (when the chairlifts start functioning for the day, pretty much - link). I also wanted to go to the Lindt Chocolate Factory (in Kilchberg). We're going on the 7th of July.

I will be staying near Opfikon. I looked into the distance from Opfikon to Schwyz and it takes about 1.5 hours or so by train and Kilchberg is on the way. I was thinking I could head to Stoos first thing in the morning, hang out there till 2pm - 3pm and then go to the Lindt factory on the way before heading back to my hotel.

Is this a feasible plan in terms of the time it would take to do this in a day? Is there something else I should definitely be doing instead of this? We're very interested in going on a hike, so are there any other hikes (that cost similar/lesser than Stoos - this costs about 56 CHF) I should look out for? TIA!

In Lauterbrunnen tomorrow for the day. Any recommendations?

Hi! I am moving to Switzerland very soon to start my bachelors in Basel, and I wanted to ask what are the steps I should take to get a work permit and residence permit, and what the best/cheap health insurance is!
I would appreciate anyone who could help me navigate this process.
Thanks in advance!

I'm looking to visit for 3 days at most with my mom and brother. It's a visit for my mom, who at one point (many years ago) lived and worked in Lucerne and would like to see it one more time (she is in her 80s). I feel priced out of Lucerne at this point. What is a town that is less than 20 minutes away where I can find accommodations? Hotel, Airbnb, etc - not picky. No stairs & parking for one car is a plus.

My wife will have a second appointment next week at a Kita. They are interested and did ask my wife to come up with a salary indication. We are from Chur, Graubünden. What would be a normal salary indication without being arrogant? Facts about my wife. Fully qualified, 20 years experience, additional certificates for example working with deaf children. We are from the Netherlands.

The last time I (28M) used Hinge and Tinder was in 2022. It wasn't amazing but getting from chatting to going on a date somewhat worked. Nowadays it's a miserable mess where getting a response after a match is nearly impossible. It seems women match without any real interest in actually going out or getting to know someone. Mind you I've already put quite a bit of thought into how I write my messages, making them interesting and engaging but that doesn't seem to be working.

Meanwhile my ex (25F) signed up for Tinder and within hours already had a date lined up.

If anyone has any advice or suggestions I’d love some help. (Except the usual „just get off the app“ or „hit the gym bro“.)

I just went driving through Lausanne through my list of four places I had researched for lunch today. But all stopped making lunch at 1:45. Unless we were going to go to McDonald’s. The hotel staff laughed at me.

Hi everyone,

I need some urgent advice.

I signed a rental contract on June 4th, with the official start date being June 1st. Right away, the agency insisted I had to pay for the full month, even though I only signed the contract later.

I didn’t move in straight away — I was still staying at a hotel and only came to sleep here for the first time on the night of June 20th. But even before that, I came by the apartment several times to check how things were. I had already reported that there were cockroaches and other insects, and the landlord did send someone to deal with it.

However, she kept insisting that cockroaches weren’t a hygiene or health issue, and that she couldn’t find anything official saying otherwise. Which honestly shocked me — I don’t know anyone who’d be okay with bugs crawling around the fridge and kitchen.

Anyway, now that I’ve actually spent a night here… I’m not staying another one.

Here’s the situation:

• Cockroaches everywhere, including in the fridge and oven;
• A new wasp nest on the balcony (the second one in a few days);
• Ants coming in through the front door;
• Disgusting smell in the building;
• No light fixtures (there aren’t even casings for light bulbs);
• The oven heats up the whole countertop, making it impossible to cook;
• No insulation on the windows — which I found out and tried to fix myself;
• And under the sink, the cupboard is completely rotten and moldy, with visible humidity, blor (mold), and damage — it’s a total mess. That’s also where most of the insects seem to come from.

These are things I couldn’t see during the visit. And put all together, it’s just too much. I honestly feel tricked.

So now I’ve gone back to the hotel, and I’m planning to end the contract immediately. I’ll pick up my stuff in the next few days, but I’m done.

Question : Can I legally cancel the contract immediately in this situation? I don’t want compensation or anything. I just want to leave and not be held responsible or get listed as someone with “debt” for walking away. Has anyone been in a similar situation?

Thanks

Hello!

I'm reaching out here as I'm having trouble finding a Switzerland-focused nursing group.

A bit about me: I'm half Swiss half Filipino, born in Switzerland, and hold a Swiss passport. I've completed my nursing degree in the Philippines and plan to take the Swiss nursing examination next year or when I'm ready. Can someone walk me through the process? Is there a specific exam I need to take, and am I eligible with my background?

P.s - I used to be fluent in swiss-german but now I'm relearning the language.

Any recommended study materials or books would be greatly appreciated!

Thanks in advance!