Swiss application file: contents, order and format

The parts of a Swiss application file

A classic application file has four parts. Each answers its own question: Why this job? What have you done? How did you work? What have you learned?

Documents that only matter once you are hired, or that are confidential, don’t belong in the file: a copy of your passport or ID, old employment contracts, payslips, medical certificates or a debt collection register extract (Betreibungsauszug). If the job ad explicitly asks for one of them, include it. Otherwise, keep it to yourself.

• Cover letter: one A4 page, tailored to this job and this company.
• CV: your personal details, work experience, education and languages at a glance.
• Reference letters (Arbeitszeugnis, the Swiss reference letter) and employment confirmations from your previous jobs.
• Diplomas, qualifications and certificates that are relevant to the job.
• References if needed: names and phone numbers of people who can speak about you, only with their consent.

The order of your documents

HR reads from front to back. That is why what says the most about you and the job goes on top. Within the reference letters and diplomas: newest first.

If you have many reference letters, you don’t need to include every one. What matters are the jobs of recent years and those that fit the new job. A reference letter from a completely different industry long ago can be left out if it shows nothing new.

Put the file together anew for every application. The cover letter is new each time anyway. For the attachments, a quick look at the job ad helps: if it asks for a language, a driving licence or a particular qualification, the matching proof should be clearly included.

• Cover letter.
• CV.
• Reference letters, newest first.
• Diplomas and certificates, most important or newest first.
• Other documents, if the job ad asks for them.

Your CV the Swiss way

In Switzerland it is common to include a recent photo with a neutral background, your date of birth and your nationality. If you are not Swiss, state your residence permit, for example permit B or C. This is custom, not an obligation. You decide what you include.

In your work experience, your current or most recent job comes first, then the earlier ones. Each job gets the period, company, role and main tasks in a few keywords. For languages, start with your native language and give your level for each further one, such as “French B2” or “English good”.

Two pages are usually enough. Explain gaps briefly and honestly: further training, family time, travel, job search. An explained gap raises fewer questions than a hidden one.

Full reference letter, employment confirmation and interim reference

In Switzerland you are entitled to an Arbeitszeugnis (Swiss reference letter). Art. 330a of the Swiss Code of Obligations (CO) states that you can request a reference letter at any time that covers the nature and duration of the employment as well as your performance and conduct. This is called a full reference letter (Vollzeugnis).

At your specific request, the reference letter is limited to the nature and duration of the employment. That is the employment confirmation (Arbeitsbestätigung). It is short and neutral, but says nothing about your work. HR then often wonders why. Where possible, the full reference letter is therefore the better choice.

Because you can request a reference letter at any time, you can also ask for one while you are still employed. That is the interim reference (Zwischenzeugnis). It is worth it, for example, when your manager changes, when you take on a new role or when you apply from an existing job.

Read every reference letter as soon as you receive it. Are your name, date of birth, period, role and tasks correct? If an important task is missing or a date is wrong, politely ask your employer for a correction. That is easier while everyone still remembers your work well.

Files, scans and file names

Application files submitted digitally are usually sent as PDF. Whether you send one single PDF or a separate file for each document is often stated in the job ad or the portal. If nothing is stated, one single PDF in the right order is the safe choice. Don’t send Word files: they look different on every computer and can be changed.

Scan paper reference letters and diplomas straight, complete and easy to read, every page in full. A phone photo on the kitchen table quickly looks untidy. Make sure the file is not unnecessarily large, so that it arrives without problems by email or in the portal.

Give every file a name that shows what is inside without opening it: surname, first name and content, for example “Muster_Lea_Lebenslauf.pdf”. Names like “Scan_0012.pdf” or “Dokument1.pdf” end up in the wrong folder at HR.

Portal, form or email

If the job ad names a channel, use exactly that one. If the company asks for an application portal or a form, upload your files there and don’t send an email on top. Fill in all required fields in the portal carefully, even if they repeat your CV.

If you apply by email, write a short accompanying message of two or three sentences: which job, that your documents are attached, and kind regards with your contact details. The actual cover letter is attached as a PDF. Attach the files directly instead of sending a link to a cloud folder, unless the company asks for it.

Before you send, open every file yourself once more. Are all pages there and readable? Are the job title, company name and contact person in the cover letter correct? Does the email subject match the job in the ad? This short check saves you the awkward second email with the forgotten attachment.