joiner.

With manual craftsmanship and modern technology, you work with wood-based materials, plastics, solid wood, and metals. Your main task is to create and preserve beautiful things. Of course, your specific duties depend on your specialisation. However, fundamental activities are part of your job. Read more here about your responsibilities as a joiner.

A joiner is a versatile profession, with work to be found everywhere. The good thing is, you can specialise. Just see for yourself what appeals to you:

• Furniture and interior fitting: In this field, furniture and interior paneling are your domain. You craft bespoke pieces such as built-in wardrobes, shelves, chairs, or tables. Not only do you create new furniture, but you also restore and refurbish old or antique items. As a joiner, you ensure that an interior feels cosy and welcoming.

• Construction and windows: You are responsible for ensuring clear visibility and creating a private retreat in this field. You manufacture and install windows and shutters, whether on the façade or on the roof. Additionally, you enable building occupants to close the door behind them and enjoy their privacy.

• Ski manufacturing: Your lifeblood is mountains, white pistes, and boards that glide down the slopes? Then this is the field where you can turn your passion into a profession. Skis are crafted from layers of wood, fibreglass, and alloys. When the ski is pressed with precision, it’s followed by numerous grinding processes to ensure it glides perfectly. In addition to making skis, as a joiner you’ll also carry out servicing and maintenance work.

• Wagner: The versatile department adds variety to your carpentry life. You craft wooden toys, sports equipment, and even gliders. Wooden bodies, wheels, and drawbars are also your specialties. What would Swiss Father’s Day be without a handcart? You make sure the beer crate has its place. No winter fun without a sledge. Thanks to you, there’s nothing stopping a good old sledging session.

On popular job platforms, you will find various gross wages for joiners. Your salary depends on your training, specialisation, and level of responsibility. As a qualified joiner with an EFZ qualification, you earn more than an apprentice with an EBA qualification. A position in middle management is paid higher than that of a skilled worker. The carpentry trade is governed by a collective employment agreement (GAV) of the Swiss Association of Master Joiners and Furniture Manufacturers (VSSM), which legally sets out the minimum wages. Your starting salary after completing your apprenticeship is CHF 4,207 per month or CHF 54,691 per year, based on 13 monthly payments. Find out more about your gross salary as a joiner here.

You complete an apprenticeship as a joiner, which you finish after four years with the Swiss Federal Certificate of Competence (EFZ). If your calculation and design skills need some improvement, you can finish your training early, after two years, with a Federal Vocational Certificate (EBA) as a joiner’s apprentice. After gaining some years of work experience, you can easily pursue higher qualifications. Following your carpentry training, many further education options are available to you. For example, you could specialise with an additional apprenticeship as a craftsman in design or as an interior design draughtsman. With a vocational baccalaureate, you can access further training at a higher technical college or even study at a university of applied sciences.

As a joiner, you will find opportunities in all businesses that work with wood. Particularly, carpentry firms, furniture makers, and construction companies are looking for skilled professionals like you. Depending on your specialisation, you’ll find more or fewer job openings. Your expertise is especially in demand in the furniture, interior fitting, construction, and window sectors. As a ski builder or wheelwright, you stand out as an absolute specialist. With your chosen career path, you are well prepared for the future. Wood is a sustainable raw material and, in times of climate change, is increasingly valued. Are you interested in a position as a joiner? On this page, you will find some interesting job opportunities.

In the carpentry profession, you mainly work with solid wood, whether using hand tools or machines. During your apprenticeship, you learn to combine traditional craftsmanship with modern technology. Ecology, quality, and safety are also important aspects of your training. As a career changer, your best chances are if you come from related trades such as woodworker, cooper, or joiner. Any skills you still need can be developed through further training. Having work experience in wood-processing companies will definitely be an advantage. It’s important that you bring ambition and perseverance with you.

With your completed apprenticeship as a joiner, you have already laid the foundation for a career in craftsmanship. As an expert in woodworking, you won’t have any trouble finding a position. Your chances of advancement increase with a professional diploma from the VSSM. As a VSSM manufacturing specialist, you train apprentices and support production managers. A career in middle management is also open to you with additional training as a Project Manager in Carpentry or a Master Joiner. Naturally, specialisations are always possible, such as a craftsman specialising in historic preservation or a Bachelor of Science (FH) in Interior Design. If you enjoy designing and creating, you can also complete a diploma in Technical Engineering, subject to having a vocational baccalaureate. As you can see, a carpentry apprenticeship is definitely not the wrong path. Are you interested in further training to develop your skills? Take a look at our tests and tips.

Successful joiners primarily possess specialised knowledge and a keen eye for detail. However, that alone isn't enough. What makes you a great joiner are personal skills such as:

• Craftsmanlike skill: As a joiner, you saw, plane, sand, or mill, whether with tools, a CNC machine, or by hand. You handle these tasks with dexterity and assemble components with routine ease.

• Outgoing: In your role as a joiner, you communicate regularly with colleagues. Additionally, you discuss ideas with architects and designers. Thanks to your approachable nature, everyone values you as a point of contact.

• Carefully: In your profession as a joiner, it is extremely important that you work precisely. If you are careless, it will be noticeable visually, such as crooked fittings and wobbly furniture. Additionally, it can harm the functionality, leading to issues like doors rubbing or skis becoming dull.

• Open-minded: A good spatial imagination is essential for you as a joiner. But you also view the world with open eyes. Only then can you come up with new ideas and discover new manufacturing methods.

• Durable: Your craft profession requires a certain level of physical fitness. Usually, you work standing up. Although you do make seating furniture, you rarely rest on it yourself. You carry solid wood into the workshop and lift furniture pieces, which demands muscle strength.

• Unfazed: When you're working with wood, splinters can fly around. Dust also drifts through the air. If you're painting surfaces, you'll come into contact with chemicals. While you can protect yourself with masks, goggles, or gloves, having a certain resilience still helps.

There are many good reasons to work as a joiner 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 benefit
✓ 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 joiner at randstad.

If you work as a production worker for Randstad, you have access to training courses. As part of the TempTraining programme from swissstaffing, you can attend training sessions. You will get the course fees reimbursed later, provided you pass the course exam. Your Randstad advisor 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 receptionist.

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Have you found your dream job as a joiner? 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 frequently asked questions about working as a joiner.