From government advisor to naturopath
Many people change their professions when they move to Switzerland from another country. It can be because their qualifications are not recognised, or because it’s a good moment to try something new. Lisa Allansson was once an economic advisor to the Australian government. Now she's a naturopath, working in canton Fribourg. This is how she changed her career.
After graduating with a degree in economics, Lisa worked in Queensland’s Department of Environment and Heritage, and then the cabinet office, where she advised the future Prime Minister, Kevin Rudd. During her time as a government policy advisor, she also studied natural medicine at night school, never intending to practice it.
Lisa was frustrated by her failure to make a significant impact on environmental policies. She told swissinfo.ch, “I really felt I was selling my soul”. She left her job to take up a voluntary post in a Greek bird sanctuary.
When her money ran out, she went to London with the idea of working as a web designer, but her plans were scuppered by a serious accident. She ended up moving to Switzerland to recover; the weeks turned into years, a friendship turned into marriage, and now she’s settled here.
About seven years ago, Lisa decided to become a naturopath, but her Australian qualifications were not recognised in Switzerland. She had to study all over again.
Now she has her own practice and enjoys the daily challenges of her work. She says, “In economics, you’re advising someone who doesn’t even want to hear what you say sometimes. In this job, it really matters what you do”.
Finding a job in Switzerland
This section can help you search for a professional post in Switzerland, whether you are a European or a third-state national.
You can find an overview of ongoing debates with our journalists here. Please join us!
If you want to start a conversation about a topic raised in this article or want to report factual errors, email us at english@swissinfo.ch.