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How I Landed a Big Tech Job in Switzerland: 3-Year Journey to Oracle Zurich

Real story of landing €170k-€270k Oracle MySQL role in Zurich after 3 years: from Italian CS student to Swiss big tech, including COVID setbacks, internship strategies, visa considerations, and interview preparation.

The European Engineer

January 24, 2024

20 min read

In September 2022 I received an offer from Oracle to join their MySQL team in Zurich, with my official start date set for December 2022.

This was the end of a 3-year-long effort of trying to get a big tech job in a high-paying location, ideally for a team and project that I was passionate about.

To be fair, this process was longer than 3 years, but 3 years since I learned a few key things:

Interesting software engineering and computer science nowadays is mostly carried out in companies: the most "cutting edge" stuff is not really done in academia in most cases, but by the R&D departments of the largest tech companies out there
These companies that do interesting stuff also happen to have by far the highest salaries and the smartest people, without the bureaucratic and archaic systems, culture, and people that some other companies offering decent pay (think of your average European bank) have
To get into these companies at the end of the day you only need: (1) reach the interview stage (good CV + referrals/network), (2) know how to pass the interviews
By that time (September 2019), I had already discovered Blind, knew my way around LinkedIn and was able to get referrals for every big tech company out there, moreover I was also very informed about the big tech world overall and knew how to approach it
I had also started preparing for interviews: my focus, since I was junior, was on algorithms and data structures (LeetCode etc), not much on system design

Find big tech opportunities in Switzerland →

The Offer: What I Achieved

Before diving into details, let's clear up what this offer actually meant.

Compensation

A big tech software engineer salary in Zurich, for the level of experience that I had when I got the offer, is usually somewhere between €170k and €270k USD (CHF 150k-250k).

This includes:

Base salary
Stock options
Yearly bonus

The exact number depends on the specific big tech company, negotiation, and CV.

I'm not gonna say exactly how much I was offered, but if you're curious about the topic you can check:

levels.fyi for salary numbers
Our financial data page for savings numbers

My level when I got the offer was somewhere between junior and mid-level.

The Project

For me money was very important, but another great thing about this job was that I got to join a very cool project:

Working in the control plane (think "distributed systems") team of the MySQL database, hosted on Oracle Cloud Platform.

Basically both a very large scale and very cutting edge project.

More on why this was my "dream job" later, but first let me explain how I got there.

What I Did in 3 Years (2019-2022)

In a way this is quite simple:

1. Realized I Couldn't Move to the US "Just Like That"

If as a European you apply for a job in the US, you'll have to tick a "require visa to work in the US" box and your CV will get automatically rejected.

2. Researched Big Tech Companies in Europe

I researched which big tech companies had offices in Europe. This was a gradual process that took me years to get a good picture.

Now it's at your fingertips with our comprehensive guide to best tech companies by city in Europe.

3. Prepared Intensively

Prepared for interviews (algorithms, system design, behavioral)
Polished CV (and worked on stuff that would improve it)
Gathered referrals through LinkedIn and networking
Applied consistently
Interviewed repeatedly

4. Got Big Tech Internships

Got some big tech internships (further improving CV and building connections).

5. Moved to Switzerland

Moved to Switzerland for a non-big tech job (at least I would start saving some decent money), while:

Getting more software engineering experience
Further preparing for interviews
Targeting big tech jobs in Zurich

6. Finally Got the Offer

Finally got the offer for the big tech job in Zurich!

Explore big tech opportunities across Europe →

What Was I Doing Before? (2017-2019)

Something I haven't mentioned yet: in September 2019 I was in my first year of a master of science in Computer Science in Italy.

My Background

I actually graduated from my bachelor (in robotics) in September 2017, and then I worked for a couple of years as a developer (in AI and web app development) in Italy and Switzerland.

Then I realized that I was a bit bored by these jobs and since I was still young (24 at the time, in 2019) I decided to try out a master in CS.

My Reasoning for Doing the Master

I don't really have a formal education in CS, so it won't hurt to give myself time to properly learn the fundamentals (algorithms and data structures, operating systems, databases, networking) and some more advanced graduate stuff
I was considering doing a PhD and staying in academia: I like the freedom in academia where you look for things that seem interesting to you and try to make a living studying them. This is a little bit of an idealistic characterization of academia, but still
I could try to do some scientific research during the master (like helping out some professor in their research group), and see if a PhD might actually be a good idea
Decision tree:
- If I like research → do a PhD
- If I don't → choose as many courses as possible around algorithms and data structures and double down on big tech job search, leveraging the fact that I'm a student and can apply to internships (lower barrier than full-time job, and high rate of intern to full-time employee conversion in big tech usually—around 80%)

The Detailed Story: 2019-2022

How Did I Like Academia?

I would say this is a little bit off-topic for this article, but briefly: I liked it, but I also felt uncertain about impact.

I would ask myself who would use the stuff I would work on as a researcher in academia if I were to be working on it for many years (basically was worried about impact).

Also, I realized I could be doing as interesting type of work (if not more interesting), while:

Getting paid a lot more in big tech
Being allowed to live a lifestyle that could be more appealing than basically being on minimum wage and living like a student

COVID: The Major Setback

To be fair... Since I was really quite all-in on this career project, this result could have easily taken me less than one year, instead of 3 years.

In fact, I think I had my first big tech internship offer around October 2019, which I turned down waiting for something better. Then I got a few good ones but all of them got rescinded when COVID broke out in January 2020.

This SUCKED big time, and basically I just ended up for half a year only studying for uni and learning more about computer science and software engineering, while COVID was going strong.

Finding My Technical Direction

Machine Learning Phase

When I started the master, my idea was to try out Machine Learning research:

I always liked math
My bachelor was relatively math-heavy
Machine Learning was in one of its hype growth cycles

I thought about learning more about its theory. I was quite passionate about it and tried to help a professor and their group with some things in the area of:

Statistical Learning Theory
Online Learning
Graph Theory

Pivot to Distributed Systems

But as I mentioned, around September 2019 I started moving away from that theory/PhD stuff and started focusing more on landing a big tech job.

Then... Because of COVID I kind of had to deal with some unexpected issues in my job search and started to explore other areas of Computer Science while in uni.

App development was what I tried out in the industry before starting the master, and it didn't seem all that amazing to be working on basic CRUD applications.

When I then started learning about these big tech companies I realized how even simple web apps can become quite interesting when the scale is huge, which led me to becoming interested in Distributed Systems.

I also had a uni course on peer-to-peer networking where we developed a Java project using gRPC and I was quite hooked.

Master Thesis in Madrid

By then, my money (which I did save while working in 2017-2019) was running short (basically I was broke), so I needed to find a way to make some, and managed to land a well-paid master thesis in Madrid.

I had to do some interviews with the supervisor but in the end I got a project in distributed systems (in particular, on measuring the performance of complex systems).

This was quite good: finally some good news and decent momentum after the very depressing COVID episode!

The thesis was alright and during that time (September 2020 - February 2021) companies started hiring again, and I got an internship at Amazon.

Amazon Barcelona Internship

They sent me to Barcelona because since it was still COVID times, they didn't want to risk having me cross borders.

I wasn't too happy about it because:

I didn't want to work in FAANG Spain
Pay there was lower than other countries in Europe
Remember: I was still basically broke, and still not quite dreaming of having a student lifestyle for much longer

Anyway, Barcelona was actually a pretty cool experience and I had a great time also with the other interns there and made some good friends and memories.

The Problem with FAANG Europe

The Amazon internship is when I realized that people in Europe were doing the same work as people in Seattle/California, just at 1/2, 1/3 or even 1/4 of the pay. Crazy!!

I started informing myself about relocation policies to join Amazon USA, but it sounded too troublesome and I decided to just find any software job in Switzerland, as long as it would be a six-figure one.

Amazon didn't have an engineering office in Switzerland, so continuing with them was not an option.

The Final Steps

I ended up with a software consultant job in Zurich paid reasonably well in a decent, relatively modern company.

Then doubled down on big tech Switzerland and finally found the Oracle job.

Search for big tech jobs in Switzerland →

Why This Was My Dream Job

This Oracle job was by several means my dream job.

Take into account that I never really cared about how fancy the company name sounded (I know a lot of people like Google or Meta because of their brands). I always cared more about:

The type of work I would be doing
The team culture
The pay

All Three Dimensions Maxed Out

At Oracle all these 3 dimensions were maxed out:

✅ Compensation: Really nice package (€170k-€270k range)
✅ Team: Cool and super qualified people
✅ Technical work: Perfect for my journey

The Perfect Technical Fit

The technical aspect was actually perfect for my journey:

Phase	Focus	Realization
Early interest	Machine Learning	Passionate about theory and algorithms
Key insight	Scale matters	Future of ML is more about systems and scale than just algorithms and theory
Pivot	Distributed Systems	Large-scale infrastructure is where the action is
Dream role	MySQL Control Plane	Very advanced and large-scale database with analytics and ML plugged in

Basically exactly what I was looking for → large-scale infra for "data"/"AI"

At the company which is the number one leader in database technology worldwide, ever.

Timeline Overview

Here's a visual breakdown of my journey:

Period	Activity	Status
2017-2019	Work as developer (Italy, Switzerland)	Building foundation
Sept 2019	Start CS Master, discover big tech path	Strategy formed
Oct 2019	First big tech offer (turned down)	Too early
Jan 2020	COVID hits, all offers rescinded	Major setback
2020	Study fundamentals, prepare	Recovery period
Sept 2020	Master thesis in Madrid (distributed systems)	Back on track
Feb 2021	Amazon Barcelona internship	First FAANG experience
Mid 2021	Move to Switzerland, consulting job	Strategic positioning
2021-2022	Target Zurich big tech intensively	Final push
Sept 2022	Oracle Zurich offer	Success!
Dec 2022	Start date	Dream achieved

Total time from strategy formation to offer: 3 years

Key Lessons from My Journey

1. Have a Clear Strategy

I knew exactly what I wanted:

Big tech environment
High-paying location (Switzerland)
Distributed systems work
Strong team and project

This clarity helped me make smart decisions along the way.

2. Be Flexible in Execution

Turned down early offers (waited for better fit)
Accepted Barcelona when I wanted Switzerland (gained FAANG experience)
Took non-big-tech Swiss job (strategic positioning)

Strategy was fixed, but tactics were flexible.

3. Persistence Through Setbacks

COVID was a massive setback that added 1-2 years to my timeline. But I:

Used the time productively (studied fundamentals)
Didn't give up on the goal
Adjusted my approach

4. Optimize for Learning

Every step built toward the goal:

Master's gave me CS fundamentals
Madrid thesis was in distributed systems
Amazon gave me FAANG experience
Swiss consulting job positioned me locally

5. Network and Referrals Matter

By 2019, I:

Knew how to use LinkedIn effectively
Could get referrals for any big tech company
Was informed about the big tech world
Had access to communities like Blind

This knowledge compressed my timeline significantly.

Learn strategies for breaking into big tech →

Pep Talk: You Can Do This Too

Whenever I share articles related to compensations in Europe, I often encounter quite a bit of resistance online, especially on places like Reddit:

❌ "Making six figures in Europe is incredibly hard"
❌ "Getting a job in Switzerland is impossible if you don't speak impeccable German"
❌ "Big tech jobs represent the top 0.1% of all software jobs"

These people who complain often do it in a way that implies they know more and/or that I'm spreading misinformation.

The Truth

The truth is: most people prefer to complain on Reddit than to actually do stuff.

It's much easier. It takes:

Less effort
Less time
Less skills
You don't need to face rejections and keep your head up
You can stay in the comfort of your low-paying job without having to challenge yourself
Or change country, etc.

The other truth is that getting a €100k+ job in Europe is relatively easy, actually.

As long as you do something to get it...

I'm Just an Average Developer

In many ways, I am just an average developer really. And I managed to land a big tech job in Switzerland, which is a WAY harder challenge than just getting a big tech job in Europe, or a €100k+ job in Europe.

And I did that:

During COVID
In less than 3 years
While also selecting a job which matched what I was looking for in terms of team and project

Not Trying to Be Humble

I am not saying this just to look humble. I might agree that I have very good analytical reasoning skills and am overall "smart," but if we're talking about computer science and software engineering...

I basically didn't even know what coding was when I was 19 and started my bachelor in robotics.

I did graduate from my bachelor with average grades, and I was almost never the developer pumping out the most code in the jobs I did before joining Oracle.

Strategy + Execution = Success

So I was able to achieve this very ambitious, challenging, and somewhat life-changing result just by:

Having a good strategy
Executing it well month by month (and year by year)

This to say that probably many more people in tech out there are underselling themselves and being lazy on this career management aspect is costing them A LOT.

Your Action Plan

If you want to follow a similar path, here's what I recommend:

Phase 1: Foundation (Months 1-6)

✅ Get clear on your goal (location, company type, technical area)
✅ Research companies extensively (use our guides)
✅ Start LeetCode (easy → medium problems)
✅ Build/improve your CV (focus on impact, not just tasks)
✅ Learn LinkedIn and start connecting with people at target companies

Phase 2: Preparation (Months 6-12)

✅ Master algorithms (LeetCode medium/hard)
✅ Study system design basics
✅ Practice behavioral questions
✅ Gather referrals (10-20 people)
✅ Apply to 15-20 companies

Phase 3: Interview & Offer (Months 12-18)

✅ Interview consistently (2-3 per week)
✅ Learn from rejections
✅ Keep applying (pipeline should never dry up)
✅ Negotiate offers
✅ Choose strategically

Phase 4: Positioning (Months 18-36)

✅ Excel in your role (even if not perfect)
✅ Keep interviewing occasionally
✅ Build network in target locations
✅ Consider relocation to target city
✅ Land dream offer

Total timeline: 1.5-3 years depending on starting point and intensity

Start your journey today →

Related Resources

For more guidance on this journey:

Conclusion

This article was about how I got this job. We'll do a hard cut here :)

And, of course, more on how it has gone since I started the job coming sooner or later in the future!

The main takeaway: If an average developer who didn't know how to code at 19, graduated with average grades, and faced massive COVID setbacks can land a €170k-€270k big tech job in Switzerland in 3 years...

You can too.

It just requires:

Clear strategy
Consistent execution
Resilience through setbacks
Willingness to be flexible tactically

Don't let Reddit complainers convince you it's impossible. It's very possible. You just have to actually do the work.

Find your big tech opportunity →

Frequently Asked Questions

How much does a big tech software engineer actually make in Zurich?

€170k-€270k total compensation (CHF 150k-250k) for mid-level engineers, including base salary, stock options, and yearly bonus. Junior engineers earn €120k-€160k, senior engineers €220k-€320k+. After taxes (~20% effective rate), mid-level engineers take home €135k-€215k, allowing for €70k-€120k/year savings even with Zurich's high costs. Check levels.fyi for detailed breakdowns by company.

Do you need to speak German to get a software engineering job in Switzerland?

No, English is sufficient for most big tech and international companies in Zurich. Oracle, Google, Microsoft, and most tech companies use English as their working language. German helps for:

Local Swiss companies
Daily life and integration
Career advancement at some companies

But it's absolutely not a blocker for landing your first big tech role. Many engineers learn German after moving, not before.

How important are referrals for getting big tech interviews?

Extremely important - referrals increase your chances by 3-5x. Without referral, your CV might get 30 seconds of review. With referral, it gets real attention. How to get referrals:

LinkedIn: Message 20-30 engineers at target company
University alumni: Same school creates instant connection
Meetups: Meet people in person
Blind: Tech professionals forum where people share referrals

Expected response rate: 5-10% for cold outreach, 30-40% for alumni. You need to message many people.

What if I get rejected by companies - should I wait before reapplying?

Yes, wait 6-12 months before reapplying to the same company. Use this time to:

Strengthen weak areas (algorithms, system design, communication)
Gain more experience at current job
Build projects that address skill gaps
Apply to other companies (don't put all eggs in one basket)

Pro tip: If you failed at Google, apply to Microsoft, Amazon, Meta, Databricks, etc. If you get offer elsewhere, leverage it for confidence when you reapply to Google later. Never rely on a single company.

Is doing a master's degree necessary for big tech jobs in Europe?

No, but it can help in specific situations:

Do master's if:

You lack CS fundamentals (came from bootcamp or self-taught)
You want to change countries (student visa is easiest path)
You want to recruit for internships (easier than full-time hiring)
You're interested in research-oriented roles

Skip master's if:

You have 2+ years solid work experience
You're comfortable self-learning (online courses work fine)
You have financial constraints
You can already pass technical interviews

My case: Master's helped me pivot from robotics to CS, gave me time to prepare, and opened internship opportunities. But many engineers land big tech without advanced degrees. Work experience + interview skills > degrees.

How do you prepare for algorithms interviews while working full-time?

Consistency over intensity. My approach:

Daily (1-2 hours):

1-2 LeetCode problems (focus on understanding, not speed)
Review previous mistakes

Weekly (5-10 hours):

1-2 mock interviews (Pramp, interviewing.io)
Study specific topics (dynamic programming, graphs, etc.)
Watch system design videos

Monthly:

Apply to 5-10 companies (keep pipeline full)
Do 2-4 real interviews (practice!)

Total time investment: 10-15 hours/week for 3-6 months. Evenings and weekends. It's not fun, but it's temporary and the payoff is huge (€100k+ increase in total comp).

What was your biggest mistake during this 3-year journey?

Turning down my first big tech offer in October 2019 because I was waiting for "something better." Then COVID hit and I lost a year.

Lesson learned: Take good opportunities when they come. You can always switch later. Getting into big tech is 90% of the battle - once you're in, internal mobility and external offers become much easier.

Other mistake: Not networking enough early on. I learned LinkedIn and referrals in 2019. If I'd learned in 2017, I could have saved 2 years. Start networking from day one of your career.

Would you recommend this path to other European engineers?

Absolutely, especially if you're:

Early in your career (20s)
Interested in cutting-edge technical work
Motivated by high compensation
Willing to invest 10-15 hours/week for 6-12 months preparing

It's harder if:

You have family commitments that prevent relocation
You're very comfortable in current role and lifestyle
You're not interested in HCOL cities

Bottom line: The effort-to-reward ratio is exceptional. 6-12 months of focused interview prep → €100k-€200k compensation increase → €50k-€100k extra savings per year → Financial independence in 5-10 years. Few other career investments offer this ROI.