Finding work
1. The Market
The English language teaching market in Switzerland is mostly freelance, so positions become available at short notice. A number of private language schools advertise open positions on the ETAS web site, which is known as an excellent way to attract quality applicants.Many EFL teachers work for several schools in order to have a salary on par with Swiss living standards. Full-time EFL teaching positions are rare and are most often given to teachers who have the RSA DELTA.
In some cases schools may ask you to give a "demo" lesson or "try" you out with a " wait-and-see-attitude". They may hire CELTA or TESOL certificate holders without experience, depending on market conditions.
Zurich has the greatest number of private language schools, but the economy is not doing as well as in the past so currently Basel with its pharmaceutical industry is better off economically. However, the majority of schools in Switzerland are teacher-owned, they remain relatively small and there are quite of few of them. The turnover rate of teachers is also higher than in other branches on account of the flexible timetables and the high mobility of expats.
What qualifies as full-time teaching
Cantons and schools vary in how they define full-time work. It seems to range from 22 - 33 teaching hours a week. Check with your institution on how they define a 100% position.
2. Work Permits
If you are a foreigner, to work in EFL in Switzerland you will need a valid work permit. Very few language schools will be able or prepared to obtain work permits for their teachers.Before authorities give a permit, the potential employer must prove they cannot find a Swiss citizen to do the job, if that is the case, then they have to prove they cannot get an EU citizen to do the job and finally other nationalities will be considered. You stand a better chance of getting a permit if you live / have a residence permit in a small town. If you are abroad, for more detailed information on residence and work permits, contact the Swiss representation (see link below). Otherwise contact the schools directly.
For more detailed information, contact your local authorities or the Federal Office for Migration (FOM, see link). The immigration authorities themselves are very competent and helpful if you telephone them for advice on employment matters.
Swiss Representation
Federal Office for Migration (FOM)
Helpful information on work permits, residence permits etc for EU citizens.
3. Getting a Job
ETAS Job Board
Check the ETAS Job Board for available positions, people seeking work, or to place an advertisement.Local papers and their websites
Check the local papers and their job websites. Eg. Stellenanzeiger is a supplement in the Tuesday and Thursday "Tages Anzeiger" in Zürich, its website is at http://www.jobwinner.ch. Other jobsites are http://www.jobclick.ch, http://www.topjobs.ch, http://www.stellen.ch.Network
Attend events relating to TEFL at ETAS or given by local schools or the Cambridge Examinations Local Secretary in your area, or publishers' book launches as well as going to English bookshops on a regular basis to meet other EFL teachers. Most importantly tell everyone who will listen, including your friends and family, that you teach EFL and have still got a few hours available. Most employers, including schools within the state system, prefer personal recommendations when hiring.Contacting Schools
ETAS printed membership list
Schools are often contacted directly by teachers seeking work. Buy the ETAS printed membership list for CHF 10 (not to be used for commercial purposes). The list includes our Institutional Members (= mostly language schools). This is available ONLY for Members. If you join ETAS during the second semester (i.e. between January and June) you pay only half the usual membership fee, e.g. CHF 47.50 (Swiss Individual Membership) instead of CHF 95 for a full year. Contact us to receive a copy of our membership list.Telephone Directory
Use the Swiss telephone directory search engine: http://tel.local.ch/en, http://yellow.local.ch/de or http://www.tel.search.ch.Web Directory
Use the Swiss Web directory: http://www.search.ch/, http://www.sear.ch, http://www.yoodle.ch/ or http://www.google.ch/.4. Contracts
Because the work is generally part-time, teachers are paid on an hourly rate basis. Year-long contracts are relatively rare in private language schools. International schools tend to have longer term contracts. Schools rarely go through the paperwork needed to obtain work permits for their staff.Rates
1-to-1 or Private English lessons
You are on your own, without the support of a school. Be aware that if you do so, Swiss law requires you to pay social insurance and taxes on the amount you earn. If you plan to work as an independent, you will need to obtain an "OASI" number for your occupation. The local authorities can provide more information on that count. General information can be found on the FOM website.However, if you are teaching neighbours the amount you earn may not warrant the special "OASI"/"AHV"/"AVS" number etc. Please check with the authorities.
The lessons are worth what you can sell them for: The rates can be as low as CHF 30 for 60 minutes to as high as CHF 120 for 45 minutes plus travel expenses. The average rate seems to be about CHF 60 per hour.
School rates
Few schools have a transparent rate policy.Schools which do not require a TEFL / TESOL qualification have been known to offer the lowest rates at about CHF 20 per hour.
Teachers with a TEFLA qualification can expect to be paid CHF 30-45 per hour.
Teachers with a TEFLA qualification & experience teaching in business or examination preparation can expect to be paid between CHF 50-70+ per hour.