Swiss job application documents: a practical checklist

Start with the documents named in the job advert and application form. A Swiss application dossier often includes a CV, motivation letter, employment certificates and relevant diplomas. Some employers ask for a CV only. Prepare what this employer requests rather than attaching every document you own.

“Complete application dossier” can feel like an instruction everyone else understands. The useful question is more concrete: what does the recipient need to assess this application?

Turn the advert into a document list

Copy the document instructions before you start uploading. Check the form too: it may have separate fields, file-size limits or a different instruction for supporting documents.

The University of Zurich describes a Swiss application portfolio as the papers requested in the advert. Its guidance recommends following the specified submission channel and retaining a copy. The federal employment service also lists common application documents and checks before sending. See arbeit.swiss.

Document	What it contributes	What to check
CV	Relevant experience, qualifications and skills	Dates, language, readability and fit to the role
Motivation letter	Why this work and employer interest you	Whether it is requested; concrete reasons rather than a CV summary
Employment certificates	Written records from previous employers, often called Arbeitszeugnisse or certificats de travail	Relevant documents are present, legible and correctly named
Diplomas and certificates	Evidence of qualifications or completed training	The qualification requested, rather than an unrelated pile of courses
Portfolio or work samples	Examples of work the employer can assess	Permission to share, working links and no confidential material
Referee details	People the employer may contact	Whether requested now, and whether each person has agreed

For the CV itself, use the Swiss CV structure and example. For the letter, see the motivation-letter guide.

Employment certificates and referees are different

An employment certificate is a document from an employer. A referee is a person who may be contacted about your work. Uploading the former does not mean publishing the latter’s phone number on every CV.

UZH’s enclosures guidance distinguishes employment reference letters from referee details. It advises asking referees for permission and generally providing their details later on request.

If you worked in a country where a detailed employment certificate is unusual, list what you actually have. Ask the recruiter whether a confirmation of employment or a referee would be useful. Do not manufacture a certificate or silently present a different document as one.

Example: prepare one submission

This is a fictional application. The employer asks for “CV, motivation letter, employment certificates and relevant diplomas” through a portal with separate upload fields.

Nadia is applying for a customer-service coordinator role. She has two employment certificates, a commercial qualification, an unrelated course certificate and an old CV from another application.

Item	Decision before submitting
Old CV	Adapt it to the coordination tasks and check the final PDF
Motivation letter	Explain her interest in the employer and give one relevant example
Two employment certificates	Check all pages are readable; upload in the requested field
Commercial qualification	Include it as evidence of relevant training
Unrelated course	Leave out unless the employer requests a complete training record
Referee phone numbers	Keep separately; no request for these yet

Her file names identify both the applicant and the document: Nadia-Morel-CV.pdf, Nadia-Morel-Letter.pdf, Nadia-Morel-Employment-Certificates.pdf. She opens each one after upload to confirm that the right version arrived.

One PDF or separate attachments?

Follow the channel. Separate portal fields usually need separate files. An email request for a single dossier needs a combined file in the requested order. If the instructions are genuinely unclear, ask the named contact a short question.

Check page orientation, file size and legibility after combining or compressing documents. A small file is of little use if the certificate can no longer be read. Keep the original scans so you can export a clearer copy.

Match the language to the application

Check for an explicit application-language instruction. If a diploma or employment certificate is in another language, ask whether a translation is needed and what kind the employer accepts. A machine translation should not be presented as an original or a certified translation.

An English advert alone does not settle the team’s language requirements. Use the language checks in our English-speaking jobs guide if that affects your decision to apply.

Before you press send

• ✓The advert's requested documents are accounted for
• ✓The CV, letter and form agree on dates and job titles
• ✓The right version is in each upload field
• ✓Every page opens and is readable after upload
• ✓Links to work samples open without my private login
• ✓Referees have agreed before I share their details
• ✓I saved the advert, submitted files and confirmation

Record the submission and its next step in your tracker. If the expected response date passes, use the application follow-up guide.