CV for Men: Example and Template
A complete Swiss CV example for men, illustrated concretely with the profile of a Polymechanic EFZ with a Federal Professional Certificate.
Currently 309 open CNC Machinist positions in Switzerland, across 14 cantons, 75 of them from the last 7 days. Coop advertises the most.
CV example — two-page template
This template is editable straight away — or upload your existing CV and it is carried into this layout automatically.
Which qualifications belong in a Swiss CV?
State the highest federally recognised qualification first, followed by basic vocational training, each with the exact title.
In Switzerland, the exact title matters. So write 'Polymechanic EFZ' rather than 'mechanic apprenticeship', and add the profile (G or E) as well as the training company. List higher vocational education with its protected title: Federal Professional Certificate (e.g. Production Specialist), Federal Diploma (e.g. Industrial Foreman), or Dipl. Techniker HF. For HR staff in the MEM industry, these titles are the most important filter criterion, as they indicate salary band and level of responsibility directly.
If you trained abroad, state the original qualification plus the recognition status, for example 'SBFI equivalency certificate, submitted 03/2025'. Without this note, readers won't know whether your qualification is classified at EFZ level. Also add your residence status (citizenship, permit B or C, cross-border permit G), as this regularly needs to be clarified for shift work and on-call duties.
Courses and certificates belong in their own section, not under education: trainer course, SUVA safety contact person, forklift licence, SVS welding certification, Lean or Six Sigma belts. Add the year after each entry so it's clear whether the certificate is still current. For certificates with an expiry date, such as crane or forklift licences, add 'valid until'.
How do I describe my work experience with numbers?
One sentence on the company context per role, followed by three to four points with measurable results.
Start with your most recent position and state month and year; briefly explain gaps of more than three months (further training, military service, unemployment office, family time). Add a context sentence about the company: industry, number of employees, batch sizes, certifications such as ISO 9001 or ISO 13485, shift model. Only this context makes your figures comparable, since one-off production in tool making and series production of 100'000 pieces require completely different skills.
Formulate results rather than tasks. Instead of 'responsible for set-up' write 'reduced set-up time on four machining centres from 78 to 34 minutes'. Useful metrics include scrap rate, OEE, on-time delivery, cycle time, unmanned running hours, number of complaints, tooling cost per part, or francs saved in Swiss notation, i.e. CHF 85'000. Where you have no metric, state quantities: number of machines, programs, employees, apprentices.
Also demonstrate your technical range concretely: controls (Heidenhain, Fanuc, Siemens), CAM system, materials, tolerance classes achieved, and measuring equipment. These keywords are what production managers and applicant tracking systems search for. At the end, list two references with title and phone number, or write 'references available on request', and keep your employment references ready as a PDF attachment.
How long should the CV be, and does it need a photo?
Two pages is the standard, and a professional photo is still customary in Switzerland and generally expected.
Stick to two pages: page one with contact details, short profile, core competencies and current position; page two with previous positions, education, courses, languages and references. With over 15 years of experience, summarise the oldest positions in one line each. Use a simple font, dates in MM/YYYY format, and a file name such as 'CV_Marco_Zbinden.pdf'.
A neutral portrait in work or business attire is Swiss practice; selfies and holiday photos are not. State your place of residence, a phone number in the format 079 000 00 00, and a professional email address. Date of birth, marital status and nationality are not legally required, but they are common in trades and industrial applications, and residence status helps avoid follow-up questions.
Tailor the short profile to each position: someone looking for a shift leader expects span of control and metrics; someone looking for a programmer expects controls and CAM system in the first two lines. Add details that matter in daily practice, such as category B driving licence, willingness to work 3-shift or on-call duty, and your possible start date taking your notice period into account. This allows HR to assess your file without follow-up questions.
Where CNC Machinist are hired in Switzerland
How the 309 open positions are spread across the cantons.
Figures as a table
| Canton | postings |
|---|---|
| Bern | 31 |
| Aargau | 7 |
| Zürich | 7 |
| Luzern | 6 |
| Glarus | 5 |
| St. Gallen | 5 |
| Solothurn | 4 |
| Schwyz | 4 |
Which languages the postings require
Of 248 postings that state a language — in brackets, those requiring professional level.
Figures as a table
| Language | postings |
|---|---|
| German | 248 (244) |
| French | 17 (3) |
| English | 8 (1) |
| Italian | 1 (0) |
Who hires CNC Machinist in Switzerland
Employers with the most open positions. Staffing agencies are excluded.
Figures as a table
| Employer | postings |
|---|---|
| Coop | 57 |
| Lindenhofgruppe | 24 |
| Interdiscount | 22 |
| AMAG Occasions Center Schaffhausen | 20 |
| Tertianum | 17 |
| Volg Konsumwaren AG | 17 |
Full-time or part-time?
How the positions are advertised.
Figures as a table
| Workload | postings |
|---|---|
| Vollzeit / plein temps | 274 |
| Teilzeit / partiel | 32 |
| Temporär | 1 |
The CV in full
To read through and reuse.
Marco Zbinden
Polymechanic EFZ, Production Specialist with Federal Professional Certificate
Polymechanic EFZ with 11 years of experience in the machining of precision parts for medical technology and drive technology. I set up and program 3- and 5-axis machining centres with Heidenhain and Fanuc controls and have led a shift of 9 employees since 2020. As a Production Specialist with a Federal Professional Certificate, I combine machine expertise with Lean methods, ISO 9001 processes, and the training of apprentices.
What sets me apart
Optimising set-up times rather than cycle times: I analyse set-up processes using SMED and have reduced average changeover time on four machining centres from 78 to 34 minutes, among other things using zero-point clamping systems and pre-set tool kits.
First-part approval without rework: I create inspection plans and first-sample inspection reports according to ISO 9001 and ISO 2768 myself and achieve a first-part approval rate of 96 percent, which significantly reduces queries with quality assurance.
Shift leadership with SUVA responsibility: As shift leader I am the safety contact person under the SUVA industry solution, conduct safety instructions, and have reduced the number of minor accidents in my shift from 7 to 1 per year over three years.
Developing talent for the MEM industry: I train Polymechanic apprentices according to the Swissmem training plan; all 4 apprentices I have supervised have passed the qualification procedure, two with a grade of 5.5 or higher.
Key achievements
Scrap reduced by 62 percent. Through systematic tool life monitoring and adjusted cutting data for titanium parts, scrap dropped from 3.4 to 1.3 percent, saving around CHF 85'000 in material costs per year.
New 5-axis cell commissioned. I led the commissioning of a 5-axis machining centre with pallet changer, ported 42 programs, and achieved series release 5 weeks ahead of schedule.
Introduced unmanned night hours. With process monitoring and automatic tool breakage detection, I achieved 6 additional unmanned running hours per night and increased machine utilisation (OEE) from 68 to 81 percent.
Experience
Shift Leader CNC Production — Aarelupe Präzisionstechnik AG, Zofingen, 03/2020 - present
Supplier for medical technology with 140 employees, 3-shift operation, ISO 9001 and ISO 13485 certified.
- Led 9 employees and 2 apprentices across 12 machining centres, reduced downtime per shift from 55 to 22 minutes
- Increased OEE in the milling department from 68 to 81 percent, raising annual output by 34'000 parts
- Created 18 process FMEAs and inspection plans, reduced customer complaints from 14 to 4 per year
- Co-authored investment proposal of CHF 620'000 for a 5-axis cell and led its commissioning
CNC Miller and Programmer — Jurameta Werkzeugbau GmbH, Balsthal, 08/2016 - 02/2020
Tool and mould making, batch sizes from 1 to 500, tolerances up to IT6.
- Created over 300 CAM programs in Esprit and optimised them on Heidenhain TNC 640
- Reduced set-up time on four machines from 78 to 34 minutes through SMED and a zero-point clamping system
- Reduced scrap rate on titanium and stainless steel parts from 3.4 to 1.3 percent, saving around CHF 85'000 per year
- Relief operator for 3 machine types, achieving 96 percent on-time delivery despite staff shortages
Production Polymechanic — Sempach Antriebstechnik AG, Sursee, 08/2013 - 07/2016
Series production of gearbox components, retained by the same company after completing the apprenticeship.
- Independently set up and operated 5 turning centres with Fanuc controls, reducing cycle time on two parts by 11 percent
- Built up measuring equipment monitoring for 120 measuring instruments and maintained calibration intervals
- Introduced 5S in the workshop, reducing tool search times by around 40 percent
- Began further training as Production Specialist (Federal Professional Certificate) alongside full-time employment
Education
Federal Professional Certificate, Production Specialist — Weiterbildungszentrum Mittelland, Aarau · 2021
Federal Certificate of Proficiency (EFZ), Polymechanic, Profile G — Berufsfachschule Sursee and Sempach Antriebstechnik AG · 2013
Trainer Course Certificate, Apprentice training (40 hours) — Amt für Berufsbildung, Canton of Solothurn · 2019
SUVA safety contact person, MEM industry solution (2022) · Forklift licence per SUVA guideline, category R1 (2018) · Lean Six Sigma Yellow Belt (2020) · First aid course and workplace first responder, current (2024)
Common questions
- What language should I write my CV in as a CNC Machinist?
- 100% of the adverts are in German — write the CV in German unless the advert itself is in English.
- Where in Switzerland are CNC Machinist most in demand?
- Spread out, Bern first at 10%, then Aargau and Zurich. Across a language border, apply with the matching version.
- What language level do CNC Machinist adverts ask for?
- German in 100% of adverts that state a requirement, 98% of them at professional level. "Good knowledge" will not do — give A2 to C2.
- Are CNC Machinist roles offered full or part time?
- 90% full time, only 10% part time. If you need part time, say so early rather than leaving it open.
- Who hires CNC Machinist in Switzerland?
- Currently Coop, Lindenhofgruppe, Interdiscount, among others. Their adverts are the best word list for your own CV.