How was January? Snow, snow and snow. And no chance to go skiing because it was also work, work, work. We've started our #HireMeGroup in a freezing room but hey, it encouraged us to get up and practice elevator pitches standing.

How is it, that in 2019, we have smartphones, robots and artificial intelligence that can help identify specific individuals from billions, yet my clients cannot find a job despite their great qualifications and experiences. Is it discrimination? Is it bias?

I wrote about this last August in my article on "Global Recruiting". There’s a disconnect between companies in Zurich declaring that there are no qualified people for the multitude of jobs they have open, and a whole multitude of talented professionals is a mere click away on the internet. I blame the process, not the people. And, recruiting processes are still biased. It's not always about being competent. It's often about who you know in the organization. I wish it was more objective and inclusive. The #HireMeGroup is designed to bridge that divide by teaching those international professionals about hacking the Swiss job market. If you are interested you can now sign up to the waiting list by emailing to me. I'm planning one more group in the fall.

One issue that makes me cautious about international talent moving countries for new employment opportunities is the attitude towards migration that’s prevalent in the world today. Taking the example of Switzerland again, it’s becoming harder for international companies to work in Switzerland and hire the talent that they desire, as several changes in the immigration process have created roadblocks in the future of expat job markets.

If you are still in the "January hole" (great word created by Denner advertising), I recommend taking a step back and take stock of all you achieved in the previous year. Be grateful for all that you’ve achieved over the past year, and use that sense of success to bolster your plans for 2019.

Perhaps you got a promotion in the last year. Perhaps you managed to realize a professional dream. Perhaps you adopted a child. Continuing in that vein guarantees that this time next year, we’ll have a lot more to be thankful for, let’s all focus on that.

Kind regards
Angie Weinberger