Hi everyone! I know that, generally speaking, many young Swiss people don’t have the best attitude toward Ukrainians. But I’m not the kind of Ukrainian you might have seen at school or on the street with long black hair, piercings, and oversized pants. So I’d really appreciate at least some kind of response. Yes, I’m from Ukraine, and I moved to Switzerland 4 years ago when I was 17, completely on my own. I made a big mistake and stopped learning German at around A2 level three years ago. After that, I found a job in a hotel, and I’ve been working there for almost three years now. I mostly speak German with foreigners who also don’t know it very well, and with native speakers I switch to English. Three months ago, I started seriously studying German again, but now another question has come up. I feel like I’ve hit a dead end at this stage, but I really want to keep moving forward. I understand that German will help with my career growth, but how exactly? I might be able to find a job with a salary about 20–50% higher (which isn’t that much considering my current salary :)). But for a good career, you need education. So here’s the question: how can I get an education, even once my German is good enough? Even if I don’t have to pay tuition or it’s not too expensive, I still need somewhere to live and money for food. I know that during a Berufslehre, you earn around 1000 CHF per month, which is manageable, but the practical training only takes up about half of the program. Where and how am I supposed to live during the other half? This “paradox” is really bothering me. Maybe it’s not actually a paradox and I’m just missing something. Has anyone been in a similar situation or knows someone who has gone through this? Maybe someone has ideas about what I could try? submitted by /u/FASOL__
Originally posted by u/FASOL__ on r/Switzerland