15 years
of practice
100+
clients coached
Today, I lead a Career Center serving four research institutes within the ETH Domain, supporting researchers and professionals in shaping meaningful careers and navigating career transitions.
My career journey started more than 15 years ago in Latvia, where I joined one of the first recruiting and headhunting companies on the market.
Early in my career, I worked on complex hiring projects across Pharma, Retail, and IT for clients throughout the Baltic region. After moving to Switzerland in 2011, I continued working in recruitment, leading a team of sourcing specialists supporting clients in banking, finance, and pharma.
Later, I joined Google, where I grew from IT recruiter into a leadership role managing early career programs, including internships, apprenticeships, and PhD hiring initiatives.
Early in my career, I worked on complex hiring projects across Pharma, Retail, and IT for clients throughout the Baltic region. After moving to Switzerland in 2011, I continued working in recruitment, leading a team of sourcing specialists supporting clients in banking, finance, and pharma.
Later, I joined Google, where I grew from IT recruiter into a leadership role managing early career programs, including internships, apprenticeships, and PhD hiring initiatives.
I'm Alona Bärtschi.
About
Who I work with
The people I am built to serve.
My clients are driven, thoughtful, and privately wrestling with big questions. They don't need more information — they need the right conversation. If any of the below sounds familiar, you're in the right place.
Looking to grow, reposition themselves, and make intentional career decisions.
Leaders and senior professionals
◇
Exploring meaningful opportunities and professional paths beyond academia.
Researchers and academics
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Seeking clarity, direction, and confidence in their next career step.
Professionals in transition
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Navigating career growth, transition, and new opportunities in competitive global markets.
International professionals, expats
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Whether you're a senior leader navigating a transition or building from scratch, our work starts with the same question: what do you actually want? Then we make it real.
I help people see what's really holding them back.
What I do
Strengthen your confidence, decision-making, and ability to move forward with purpose.
Building confidence and professional direction
Define your next step with clarity and build a structured, realistic career plan aligned with your goals.
Career transitions and strategy
Prepare with real recruiter perspectives to communicate your value clearly and confidently.
Interview preparation and recruiter insights
Prepare with real recruiter perspectives to communicate your value clearly and confidently.
Interview preparation and recruiter insights
Craft a compelling profile that reflects your strengths and attracts the right opportunities.
LinkedIn and
СV optimization
СV optimization
Understand how hiring works in Switzerland and globally, and position yourself strategically to stand out.
Navigating the Swiss and international job market
Education
Credentials
& qualifications
& qualifications
Latvian Academy of Culture
Bachelor of Arts
◇
University of St. Gallen with international modules at University of California, Berkeley, University of California, Irvine, and Tsinghua University
International Executive MBA
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MurphyBishop Ltd
Systemic Coaching Certification
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NBW Zürich
Swiss HR Certificate
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How does it work
Four steps.
Real change.
Real change.
My process is structured enough to create momentum, and flexible enough to meet you exactly where you are. Most clients begin to feel the shift within the first two sessions.
We embed what's changed, review what's still calling you forward, and close the programme with clear next steps.
Integration & beyond
04
◇
We work through your goals in a structured series of sessions — with tools, reflection, and real accountability.
Focused programme
03
◇
If you decide to continue, we schedule a first session. Session costs CHF 100/hour. We clarify your goals, timeline, and the key challenges you would like to address.
Deep-dive session
02
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A free 15-minute conversation where we explore your situation, goals, and whether working together is the right fit.
Introductory call
01
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Podcast Episode
1 OCTOBER 2026
Your CV shows more training than almost anyone else in the pile. So why is nothing coming back? If you're a PhD or postdoc sending applications into silence, this conversation shows you what the person on the other side is really looking for.
Featured podcast
Why recruiters can't see a PhD's skills on a CV
Alona joins the conversation to unpack why academic experience can be difficult for recruiters to read — and how PhDs can communicate their value with clarity.
What clients say
about the work.
about the work.
Real words from real people. Every client I work with is navigating something genuinely difficult — which is why I'm proud of the results we create together.
TESTIMONIALS
