When moving to Switzerland, many women find themselves highly skilled yet unable to step into the kind of work they are qualified for. I’ve been there myself. After struggling to find the right role, I retrained in interior design during the pandemic and even started my own small business. While it wasn’t easy and in the end I chose a different path, the experience showed me something important: creating your own business can be a powerful alternative.
The Underemployment Challenge in Switzerland
I quickly learned that my situation wasn’t unique. Underemployment remains a serious issue for women here. In late 2022, around 228,000 people in Switzerland wanted to work more hours — with women affected nearly three times more than men (6.8% vs. 2.6%). (BFS – Federal Statistical Office)
This means many women are not fully able to use their skills, build fulfilling careers, or reach their potential within the traditional job market.
Entrepreneurship: A Viable Alternative
That’s why entrepreneurship can be such a valuable option. In 2022, 46.7% of new business startups in Switzerland involved women, and women now make up 47% of early-stage entrepreneurial activity. (kmu.admin.ch)
Even if not every business becomes a long-term career, the entrepreneurial path helps women test ideas, reclaim agency, and shape work around their lives. It’s also a growing movement globally — with women leading more high-growth ventures than ever before. (GEM Women’s Entrepreneurship Report)
The Skills Employers Value
The exciting part is that entrepreneurship doesn’t just benefit those who stay self-employed. The skills developed — adaptability, creativity, collaboration, proactivity — are exactly the ones employers are looking for in today’s changing workplace. The World Economic Forum highlights these as among the most important skills of the future.
So whether you continue as an entrepreneur or later return to a corporate role, you carry with you abilities that companies value highly.
The skills developed through Entrepreneurship— adaptability, creativity, collaboration, proactivity — are exactly the ones employers are looking for in today’s changing workplace.
Creating Your Own Path
For me, entrepreneurship was a learning experience — it showed me new sides of myself and gave me tools I now use in every professional setting. For others, it can become a long-term career and a source of independence.
What matters is the choice: building your own path when the traditional career path is not working out.
Every small step you take to build your network and share your experience counts. By leaning on a supportive circle, you can turn challenges into opportunities and achieve things you might not have imagined on your own. I invite you to join the WingWomen LinkedIn Circle, connect with like-minded women, and start your journey today.
Thanks for reading 💜
Nele, WingWomen Founder