I recently accepted a job at SonarSource, based in Geneva, Switzerland. When I was considering this job, I found little information about working as an engineer in Switzerland. So, I decided to share my experience to help others who might be in a similar situation. For a more detailed story, you can listen to a podcast where I discuss this further (in Japanese).

About the Company

Founded in 2006, SonarSource develops analysis tools like SonarCloud and the open-source SonarQube to facilitate clean code. The company has offices in the United States and France, and raised $412M (equivalent to about 60 billion JPY) in funding in 2022.

Why Switzerland?

In short, ending up in Switzerland was somewhat coincidental. Since my student days, where I backpacked and studied abroad, I’ve always found the idea of living abroad intriguing.

After graduating, I started my career in software engineering. I had my doubts about whether I could sustain a career in engineering until about my third year after graduation. In 2020, I read an article by Takusemba on working abroad and was inspired to work overseas as a software engineer. My initial target was to move abroad by 2022, but various factors delayed it by more than a year.

Originally, I was targeting English-speaking countries like Australia and the UK. However, an offer came from a Swiss company, and I learned that SonarSource is a great company to join, and that Switzerland is a great country to live in, so I accepted it.

Job Search Preparation

I spent about a year preparing for my job search abroad. One major factor that helped me was the mentorship I received from Ken Wagatsuma. Here are some effective strategies I employed:

1. Resume

I used a template from a youtube video. After that, I received review and feedback from Ken, mainly focusing on trimming unnecessary information and providing specific numbers. I tried to make it simple as possible

2. LinkedIn

While my mother tongue is Japanese, I wrote my LinkedIn profile entirely in English. My wife, who works in tech recruiting for a foreign company, advised that getting recommendations and endorsements are effective for catching the eye of recruiters.

3. Interview Preparation

Coding Test

I was weak in coding tests, but practice and mock interviews with Ken helped me. Implementing classic data structures like Hash Maps and Linked Lists in Python was particularly beneficial.

System Design Interview

I read Alex Xu’s book on System Design Interview. Communication skills were key in determining system requirements effectively.

4. English Proficiency

Even in non-English speaking countries like Switzerland, companies that hire foreigners often use English as the official language. I took the IELTS General test for future visa applications and scored an overall 7.5.

Future Prospects

I look forward to my next adventure, especially since my first child was born in August. Living costs in Switzerland are high, so my first priority is to establish a stable life.

I’d like to extend my deepest gratitude to Ken for his invaluable support. If you have any questions, feel free to reach out to me.