Promotion of Early Career Researchers Career Topics

Labor market

Opportunities on the labor market for scientists holding a doctorate are generally numerous. According to a study conducted by the Swiss Federal Statistical Office (in German) over the time frame 2009 to 2013, the unemployment rate among people with a doctorate fell from 3.3% to 1.4%, with 93% of them employed in a job that reflects their level of education.

The situation on the labor market for people with a post-doc is nevertheless somewhat irregular as strong discipline-specific factors some into play. Furthermore, the suitability of people with a post-doc changes as they grow older, especially when moving from the academic to the non-academic world of work. With an increasing level of specialization and advancing years, the expectation of finding a suitable position cannot always be fulfilled.

While efforts continue to increase the heterogeneity of academic career options, it is just as important now as in the past for people to assess their personal situation on a regular basis and to weigh the different options.

The university supports both doctoral and post-doctoral students in their search for a new job.

Research on intermediate staff

There are various studies on the situation of intermediate staff which examine different aspects: the Federal Statistical Office for a wide-ranging Monitoring the situation of university graduates, their professional prospects and on the numerical composition of the teaching staff and on university staff at Swiss universities.

In recent years there have been a number of major studies dedicated to intermediate staff, such as the Survey by Actionuni on the situation of intermediate academic staff on behalf of the State Secretariat for Education, Research and Innovation from 2009 (PDF, 500 KB, in German) and the Evaluation of the Federal Programme for Equal Opportunities for women and men at universities of the BASS Bureau from 2012 (PDF, 1.5 MB, in German). In 2013, the Swiss Science and Technology Council published a study on the promotion of early career researchers for an innovative Switzerland (SSTC Report 2/2013), and in 2015 on promotion cultures and tenure track models at Swiss universities (both in German). The report by the Swiss Federal Council (2.28 MB, in German) is of key importance in response to a postulate from the Council of States entitled "Massnahmen zur Förderung des wissenschaftlichen Nachwuchses in der Schweiz" from 2014.

Career Service

The career services organize information events with potential employers, advice workshops and CV checks. The service is primarily intended for undergraduates and doctoral students.

Job portals

The vacant federal administration posts area also advertised on a common platform and can be subscribed to by e-mail according to institution, field of activity and region.

A number of major job platforms offer the possibility of conducting a specific search for highly-qualified academic posts, e.g. MyScience, which offers links to other job portals.

Reintegration BNF

BNF is an organization operating throughout Switzerland that offers highly-qualified unemployed persons the chance to (re-)integrate the labor market. In organizational terms, the branch office is affiliated to the University of Bern.