How did you approach your first applications?
I didn’t really have a strategy at first — just panic. I was sending maybe two emails a week and waiting. But then a friend who had been through the same process told me: "You need to treat this like a job. Five applications a day, every day, for two months."
So I did that. I made a spreadsheet and set a rule for myself. Every day I had to send five. Didn’t matter if I was tired or busy. Even on weekends. Some days it was hard to find relevant openings, so I would look for speculative opportunities.
What did you learn from asking for feedback?
That rejection is normal. You can’t take it personally. But what you can do is ask for feedback.
I started writing short follow-up emails when I got rejections. Something like: "Thank you for your reply. If you have 30 seconds, could you please tell me one thing I could improve in my application?"
I was surprised how many people actually responded. One HR manager said: "Your portfolio looks great, but since we’re based in Zurich, we need everything in German."
That was a lightbulb moment. I had sent everything in English. After that, I translated my CV, motivation letter, and renamed all files the way it’s expected here.
Which application details surprised you?
Honestly? The little things. I didn’t know that CVs in Switzerland are supposed to be two pages max. Or that you need to use formal greetings like “Sehr geehrter Herr…” instead of “Hallo.”
I once sent a document named “Resume_Final_V3” and only later found out that Swiss HR systems often scan filenames — that probably looked terrible. Now I name everything like “250413_Arjun_Patel_Lebenslauf.pdf.”
What kept you going?
I printed out a list of 300 Swiss companies in my industry and crossed them off one by one. I made a system of sorting them: Rejection, In process, Interview, Offer. That helped me feel like I was moving forward.
And when I got my first interview invitation after weeks of nothing, it felt like a win. Even though I didn’t get that job, it showed me that I was doing something right.
Which parts of Swiss Hire Kit helped you most?
The CV section — no question. Seeing an actual example of a Lebenslauf in German made everything clearer. Also, the list of phrases for email greetings and closings saved me so much time.
But most of all, the checklist before sending an application. I taped it to my wall. Every time before I hit send, I looked at it to make sure I didn’t forget anything.
PRACTICAL NOTES · IN THE KIT
Apply these ideas to your own application.
The complete kit includes the working notes and templates alongside the illustrated lessons.
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Put the ideas into practice.
Use these notes and templates when preparing your own application.
Practical notes reviewed 7 October 2026.
Set a pace you can sustain
Arjun chose five applications a day. Set your own pace around suitable vacancies, the time needed to tailor each application and your other commitments.
Set aside a daily or weekly block to find roles, check requirements, prepare documents and record submissions. Prioritise a suitable application over meeting a quota.
Before making a speculative approach, identify why the organisation fits and check whether it welcomes that contact channel.
Keep an application tracker
Record the company, role, vacancy link or reference, deadline, submission date, status and next action. Keep the exact documents you sent. Useful statuses include Preparing, Submitted, Interview, Offer, Rejected and Withdrawn.
For employers without a current vacancy, keep a shortlist with a reason for your interest, careers-page link, contact channel and review date. Record a missing reply as such; it does not explain the employer's decision.
Download the blank application tracker (.csv). Open it in your spreadsheet editor and add your own vacancies and employer shortlist. Your entries stay in your file and are not uploaded here.
Request brief feedback
A short request after a rejection may help you improve. Employers may not offer individual feedback; accept a refusal without sending repeated requests.
Thank you for letting me know. If you are able to share one brief point, I would appreciate knowing what I could improve in a future application for a similar role. I understand if individual feedback is not available.
Use the feedback to decide whether to target different roles, gain specific experience or improve a language skill.
Check the application against the vacancy
Check that your experience, language level and work-authorisation status meet the role's requirements. Use clear filenames to identify each document, rather than trying to optimise them for an assumed screening rule.
Follow the vacancy's language and length instructions; two pages is not a universal CV rule. For portfolio-based roles, supply requested samples you have permission to share and describe your contribution accurately.
Use the CV guide and the filled-out German example to examine the structure. Replace all example names, contacts, dates and experience with your own.
Review your progress
Use the tracker to check whether you are finding suitable roles and submitting through the right channels. Look for useful feedback and recurring obstacles. Keep unknown reasons for rejection separate from things you can verify.
Check the actual files before sending each application. After submitting, follow the employer's timeline while looking for the next suitable opportunity. Schedule breaks as well as application time.
The worked application shows a complete set of documents; the email guide has clarification, application and follow-up wording to adapt.
Prepare for your interview
Choose two or three important requirements from the vacancy. For each, prepare an example: what was happening, what you did and what changed. Be clear about your contribution when describing team work.
Practise answering aloud: why this role, why this employer and which experience is most relevant. Use the CV and letter you sent so that dates, responsibilities and language levels agree.
Prepare questions about the work, the team and the priorities for the first months. Confirm the interview format, time, location or video link, and any material you have been asked to bring.
After the interview, note the questions you found difficult and practise one clearer answer. If you receive a rejection, use the feedback-request example in this article; do not assume the reason when none is given.
Your next step.
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