Hi,
Iâm feeling a bit lost professionally and would really appreciate your advice.
Iâm 32, with a Bachelorâs degree in Management and a Masterâs in Management with a specialization in Business Analytics from a Swiss university. I first worked for one year as a financial analyst in a public administration, and have since spent almost five years in another public administration, in an HR role.
My current job is extremely non-quantitative. I have good Excel skills and a solid foundation in SQL, R, SAP and statistics from my studies. I donât particularly enjoy programming, though, so I donât see myself moving into a career heavily focused on software development or data engineering.
The main issue is that I no longer enjoy my current job, and it makes almost no use of my quantitative background. Iâm also worried about becoming increasingly specialized in a field I donât see myself pursuing long term.
At the moment, the areas that interest me most are controlling, financial analysis, and quantitative/analytical HR. Iâm not necessarily against staying in HR, but I would prefer the more numbers-oriented side of it (HR Data Analyst, Compensation & Benefits, HR Controller, HR Finance, etc.). Iâm also looking at statistics/data-related roles and, more generally, positions with a strong analytical component where programming isnât central.
Iâm not necessarily looking for a âpureâ data science role either. Iâd be quite happy in a hybrid position combining business knowledge, quantitative analysis and decision support.
Iâve already had interviews for analytical HR, financial analysis and controlling roles, although most of the interviews Iâve had and the positions I find that match my profile are in the public sector.
I started looking for a new job in 2025, but really stepped things up in 2026: expanding the types of positions I target and the geographical area, meeting with career counsellors, reworking my CV, etc. In total, Iâve sent hundreds of applications and had a few interviews, but nothing concrete so far.
Iâm open to the private sector, although I wonder whether having an exclusively public-sector background is holding me back. Staying in a public or semi-public environment (ideally the Swiss Confederation) would be a good compromise for me, as long as I could move into a role more focused on finance, quantitative analysis, data or controlling.
Iâm also willing to pursue further education while working. For traditional programs, Iâm considering a Masterâs in Statistics, but Iâm not sure I want to do another Masterâs, especially another thesis, given that I completed my previous one several years ago. Iâm also not sure how much a second Masterâs would actually improve my employability or whether it would really solve the underlying issue, namely my lack of recent experience in quantitative roles. Ideally, Iâd rather find a job directly, or even an internship to get my foot in the door, and train alongside it.
Iâd also be willing to take a step back in terms of seniority if it allowed me to move into a different field, gain relevant experience and build a new career path.
Iâd prefer to work in Lausanne, but Iâm open to other locations in French-speaking Switzerland, provided there is a reasonable amount of remote work and the commute is manageable.
What would you do if you were in my position? And more importantly, what types of positions would you target? Keep applying, pursue further education alongside work, try to get an internship, accept a less senior position, or go back to university?
Thanks for your advice!
