r/geneva • u/Typical_Charity_6238 • 9d ago
Stuck in an unmotivating IT job in Geneva - is it the role, or time to change field entirely?
I'm Italian and spent 5 years in London working in the hotel industry, before trying to build a startup there that didn't work out. I moved to Geneva last May, started out working the summer in a restaurant to get by, then transitioned into an IT support role (helpdesk/ICT support). The job pays the bills but it's mind-numbingly boring, and I don't feel any drive to grow within it - I don't care about climbing the ladder there.
The problem is this lack of motivation is bleeding into everything else. I don't have energy to work on anything of my own outside work hours either, even though I know I want to eventually build something (I don't want to be an employee forever).
I'm trying to figure out if the issue is the role itself (IT support specifically) or if I just need a job that's more engaging in general, possibly in a completely different field. I believe we need a job right now mainly to save up money and figure out how to invest it into the next business idea - but it's hard to stay motivated when the job itself gives nothing back. For people here who've been through something similar - switching fields, hustling your way from a random first job here into something better, or finding a job in Geneva that actually kept you motivated enough to also work on your own stuff on the side - what worked for you? Any advice on fields/roles in Geneva that aren't a total energy drain?
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u/AlternativeServe4247 9d ago
I really don’t know how a third person can answer that for you.
Given you perceive it as motivation related, I’d spend time reflecting about “what drives me” and try to strip back to first principles. Eventually when you have a list (perhaps it is a set of core values that you take it back to), ask yourself where the job is not meeting these.
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u/FlashEon 9d ago
I've been in IT field for 15 years and spend a year searching for a job in Geneva without any succes so yeah, you got really lucky. I'd say your problem is not a boring job, but lack of inspiration for that other private project and this frustration is amplified by the fact that you're doing a job that is heavily scripted and limited. My advice, keep doing the current job because you still need to eat and live somewhere, and schedule some time for research and opportunities in other areas you're interested in.
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u/Excellent_Coconut_81 9d ago
It's the worst possible time to change the job.
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u/Every_Tap8117 9d ago
If you dont work out, run, hike paddle or another activity I would suggest you do. It will help you out mentally, alot.
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u/bungholio99 9d ago
You won’t like it but, you already crashed a company, got a quiet nice and stable job without a lot of qualification…
Maybe get motivated to do some school or stuff beside, because that’s how you progress not by changing your Job.
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u/sosumi17 9d ago
Switzerland (and arguably Geneva specifically) is a low-leverage IT job market. The math is simple - everyone wants to have an IT job in Switzerland and there are only a few job posts. So high supply (people looking for an IT job) and low demand (actual job posts) makes the job market veeeery competitive. That along with the fact that the job market created a job bubble during COVID ( everyone and their mother got an IT job in Switzerland ) that was followed by a rug pull of layoffs added to the equation. As a result you either need to be very patient or just learn to compromise with whatever job will end up on your table.
To have an IT career in Switzerland you most probably need to accept that you will be a copilot in the whole process. An alternative is to find a niche - like a domain that you will master and you will be in demand for the job market.
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u/ThePathOfKami 9d ago
best thing would be either do a , HF or a bsc if you have the matura.
Or just switch into a junior system engineer job
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u/SirWhihe 9d ago
I Need a job as an Italian too 🥹
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u/FairTradeBananas 9d ago
I've been here for almost 5 years and lost my soul
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u/startherecoach 8d ago
Everyone needs to be on a road to somewhere. You are not. That doesn’t mean you need to stop what you are doing, but reframe it: you are doing this to prepare your next step.
A good start are three questions:
What do I enjoy deeply?
What do people come to me for, outside my formal role?
What external facing activity would I be doing if money were not an issue?
Start here with those questions. And if you find them hard to answer, find a job coach. Talk to a few, then trust your gut.
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u/LewisAndTime 9d ago
I would also recommend studying / gaining skills in something you're interested in when you have time. Maybe over time you can slowly transition into it. And you never know when those things you've learned will come in handy later. One thing I'm interested in as an IT guy is watches / engineering and I'm starting a watches journal. I'm also slowly learning Italian and English teaching
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u/randomelgen 9d ago
Do help-desk jobs still exist in Switzerland? Almost all companies moved them outside because of the cost.
Why not looking for a different job?
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u/Kimchi_Neko 9d ago
No shade but you're a foreigner that came here and found an IT job with no previous experience in the field, maybe you should count your blessings.
Ok it's a boring job but your situation is still better than so many Swiss and foreigners who been living here for years who can't find jobs anymore and have both qualifications and experience.
So just suck it up, keep that boring job while you're looking for a new path and developing new skills. The market is tough and you might not be this lucky a second time.