Internships

Internships yes, but please more than just coffee machine

An internship during your studies not only helps you gain professional and personal experience and establish contacts. It is a beneficial addition to your studies and for your CV, especially if you do not have any work experience yet.

Ask yourself the right questions and invest time to find the correct answers

What goal do you want to achieve with your internship?

  • Career planning: insight into a new field of work/industry/company
  • Raise profile: Qualification for future employment
  • Job entry: Expand network

Observe the criteria regarding work content

  • Adequate level of requirements and suitable task content
  • Variety of tasks, yet a certain task structure
  • neither over, nor underdemanding
  • good workload
  • learning effects
  • application relation to studies
  • reality illustration
  • training character

Work and organizational reference

  • Integration in team
  • Opportunities for cross-team networking
  • Involvement in work processes
  • Independence in the completion of tasks

Support

  • Guidance and leadership
  • Support by senior
  • Clearly defined contact person
  • regular feedback incl. discussion of self-reflection

General conditions

  • Appropriate and defined duration: six weeks to one year, to be able to get truly involved in the process
  • Job reference
  • adequate salary
  • Time for self-reflection

Salary On average

Wages are usually already fixed by the company. In Switzerland, there is no minimum wage at national level. However, some cantons have introduced a minimum wage for their cantonal territory. Certain collective and standard employment contracts as well as companies also provide for minimum wages in the relevant sectors.

The amount of the salary depends, as in a traditional employment relationship on ...

  • the duration of the internship
  • the experience (e.g. number of semesters of training/studying)
  • the percentage of useful work results

The wages, however, vary highly depending on the industry and company and are usually already fixed - i.e. non-negotiable.

Holidays and references Interns

Like all employees, are entitled to paid vacation and a reference of employment.

Employment contract

Internships are considered temporary employment. Legal protection is therefore minimal, and those who do not protect themselves contractually run the risk of being taken advantage of. You should therefore insist on a complete employment contract. An internship contract contains the following:

  • Duration of the internship (possibly including a probationary period)
  • Clearly assigned supervisor
  • Working hours
  • Vacation and days off
  • Salary, social security premiums, accident insurance
  • Contents of the internship
  • Duties of the intern / trainee
  • Procedure in the event of disputes / dissolution of the employment relationship

Work permit

In the case of internships, as in the case of a normal employment relationship, the provisions regarding work permits must be observed. The prospective employer has to do the paperwork for work permission.

Checklist Overview of work permit regulation in Switzerland


Internship Non-EU/EFTA citizens

Please note that a certificate from your university, showing that an internship is a mandatory part of your studies, is required for the work permission.


Information for students abroad | Do I need a visa? | Working While Studying - Swissuniversity | Students and Interns Canton of Zurich

Internships can be found on mainstream job boards. Here, a few additional platforms:


(Some platforms were not explicitly checked for their qualification by the Careers Service).