care assistant.

Care assistants look after the needs of individuals. Typically, you work within a specific healthcare setting. Your duties may vary slightly whether you are providing outpatient or inpatient care. However, there are fundamental tasks that every care assistant undertakes. Find out more about your role as a care assistant in the healthcare sector here.

As a care assistant, you can specialise in various areas. The different types include:

• Home care assistant: Home care jobs mainly take place in patients' own homes or in care facilities. You support the patients and carry out a variety of tasks. These range from helping with mobility and household chores to nursing care and providing emotional support.
• Residential care assistant: Your full-time role is based in hospitals or care homes. If adequate care cannot be provided at the patient's home, they are admitted to a residential facility. There, you provide medical care and support them with their daily routines. You assist them with taking their medication and going to the toilet.
• Care assistant in institutions: In facilities for people with intellectual and physical disabilities, you encounter special needs. You support children or adults through their daily routines. This includes assisting with mobility, nutrition, and personal hygiene. Additionally, you encourage them to maintain social relationships and stay engaged rather than withdrawing.
• Care assistant in the army: In this role, you care for members of the armed forces, either on a day-to-day basis or in a hospital setting. Whether it's due to illness, injury, or for preventive reasons, you handle a wide range of tasks. These include physical therapies, wound care, and immobilisations. You also coordinate examinations and organise patient transports.

Your gross salary as a care assistant largely depends on your training and work experience. Additionally, your specialisation and your employer also influence your monthly pay. It makes a difference whether you work as a care assistant in a university hospital, an institution, or a commercial enterprise. In some regions, there are collective agreements (GAV) for cantonal hospitals, such as in Lucerne and Zug. In certain roles, you may work shifts, for which you receive allowances. The part-time rate in the care sector is quite high, exceeding 50 per cent. Popular Swiss job platforms list the starting salary for a care assistant at an average of CHF 64,000 per year, which equates to around CHF 5,300 per month. Find out more about your gross salary as a care assistant in the healthcare sector here.

Various paths can lead you as a care assistant to a fulfilling career and an attractive salary, such as:

• Apprenticeship: You undertake training as a Healthcare Specialist EFZ at an institution within the health or social services sector. Depending on your prior education and work experience, you will complete your apprenticeship after two to three years with a federal diploma of competence.
• Higher technical school: You can complete a diploma course at a higher technical school either full-time or part-time alongside work. You have the option to specialise as a Registered Nurse HF or an Activity Specialist HF. After approximately three to four years, you'll have your diploma. Some educational providers offer the possibility to shorten your studies to two years, provided you have the necessary prior qualifications.
• Studying: Through a degree programme, you prepare yourself for demanding roles in healthcare. A full-time course typically takes two to four years, depending on your prior qualifications. During a ten-month practical module, you deepen your professional knowledge at an institution. It is also possible to undertake a four-year part-time degree alongside your work. Upon successful completion, you may call yourself a Bachelor of Science BFH in Nursing. If your ambition drives you further, you can pursue a postgraduate Master’s degree.

The healthcare sector in Switzerland has been a rapidly growing area of employment for years. As a care assistant, you'll find interesting positions across various fields. Hospitals, care homes, and military medical services are constantly looking for staff. Additionally, Spitex services (home care and support outside hospitals) require qualified professionals. Whether in commercial, non-profit, or public-sector organisations, your skills are in demand everywhere. Are you looking for an attractive job with prospects? Take a look at our offers for care assistants on this page.

The Swiss healthcare system is desperately seeking staff. Due to the looming shortage of skilled professionals, career changers have excellent prospects of securing a position. A solid basic education or a degree will boost your chances. However, institutions also hire you as a care assistant and provide on-the-job training. Any lack of specialised knowledge is compensated for by your empathy and enjoyment of working with people. Additionally, you can acquire specialised qualifications through courses.

In your role as a care assistant, you have various opportunities to advance your career. For example, you can specialise in a particular area. As an operating theatre nurse, you’ll find interesting positions and receive an attractive salary. Alternatively, you might focus on community care, supporting people in their own homes. Bright, grateful eyes will show you how important and valued your work is. With additional training or a degree, you could progress into a senior care role. International organisations are always looking for staff to assist in global missions, helping to alleviate suffering worldwide. As a care assistant, you can also balance your career and family life quite well. Few other jobs offer as many part-time options.

As a care assistant, you’re familiar with all the ins and outs of caregiving. However, that alone isn’t enough. Other essential skills include:

• Empathy: You genuinely understand the needs, concerns, and difficulties of your patients. It’s easy for you to put yourself in their shoes. You know when to simply listen, when to make them laugh, or when to lift their spirits. As a result, you become a trusted confidant and a vital link between the doctor and the patient. You are also an important point of contact for relatives and loved ones.
• Enjoyment in dealing with people: Your patients challenge you anew every day. Sometimes they are in good spirits and go along with everything. On other days, they struggle to find motivation. Joy and despair often lie close together. But you don’t let it ruffle you. You have a high tolerance for frustration. That’s why you never tire of encouraging and uplifting your patients.
• Flexibility and emotional resilience: You can only plan your daily routine to a certain extent. Sometimes priorities shift unexpectedly. A patient might suddenly become very unwell and deteriorate rapidly. In such cases, you need to focus on their immediate care first. Additionally, some experiences can really take a toll on you. Thanks to your emotional resilience, you’re able to handle it.

There are many good reasons to work as a care assistant at Randstad:

✓ exciting jobs at well-known companies
✓ a reliable point of contact whenever you need one; personalised advice matters
✓ attractive employment conditions and good social benefits
✓ further education courses and personal development opportunities
✓ clear information in the myRandstad app
✓ do you have a fixed-term contract? Often, there’s the opportunity to secure a permanent position afterwards. Many well-known companies also recruit their staff directly through Randstad.

your training budget as a care assistant at randstad.

If you work as a care assistant for Randstad, you have access to further training courses. As part of the TempTrainings programme from swissstaffing, you can attend training sessions. You will be reimbursed for the course fees later, provided you pass the course exam. Your consultant from Randstad is there to support you if you have any questions. This way, you can also gain additional language skills or job-specific knowledge—all during your working hours as a care assistant.

Have you found your dream job as a care assistant? It’s not just qualifications and certificates that determine the success of your applications. Careful, error-free, and personalised documents will definitely help you in your job search. Here are a few useful tips to optimise your chances:

Here you will find the answers to frequently asked questions about the role of a care assistant.