Working in the Swiss financial center currently requires strong nerves at times. Job cuts, reorganizations, uncertain prospects, and the constant question: Am I next?

The concern of eventually landing on the chopping block is also familiar to a former employee of a Swiss major bank who wishes to remain anonymous. In light of the ongoing job cuts, he increasingly felt uneasy. "I no longer had a good feeling," he tells finews. As a father of two, he ultimately had "many obligations." The uncertainty about his professional future was a major burden for him.

He therefore began looking for a new job. On Facebook, he came across the AI platform Bewerbino by chance. At first, he used the free version, later switching to the paid offering.

Five Days to the First Interview

Just five days after starting his search with Bewerbino, he received an invitation to an interview in the Wealth Management division of Swiss Life. He made it to the second round, but ultimately decided on another employer. Bewerbino had also found that job opening for him.

"Like a Personal Secretary"

What convinced him most was the time saved. Suitable job offers arrived every day, without him having to search for them himself. The AI tailored the cover letters individually to each position and phrased them in an authentic style.

"Like a personal secretary working in the background," he describes Bewerbino. Alongside his job, he often lacked the time to write numerous applications himself.

Once at Credit Suisse, SIX, and Vontobel

Bewerbino was developed by Arthur Ergen. The IT engineer knows the Swiss financial center from personal experience: He worked at Credit Suisse, SIX, and Bank Vontobel before becoming self-employed in 2010. With his company GetLeedz, he now develops software solutions, including for the financial industry.

The increasing automation and its possible effects on the labor market have occupied him for some time. With Bewerbino, he wants to use artificial intelligence not to rationalize jobs away, but to support job seekers.

From resume to matching job: Arthur Ergen's AI platform Bewerbino searches for job offers and writes individual cover letters. (Image: provided)

An Alpaca With Career Ambitions

During a personal meeting with finews in Zurich, Ergen demonstrates how Bewerbino works. Users upload their resume and, if desired, additional documents. The AI compares their qualifications with job listings, searches for suitable openings, and creates individual cover letters. Job seekers decide for themselves which applications are actually sent.

The platform's mascot has four legs, plenty of muscles, and a pronounced sense of stylish attire. An alpaca in a tuxedo, equipped with futuristic glasses, embodies the digital career assistant. Through them, it symbolically scans the job market for suitable offers. Ergen deliberately chose the figure: It is meant to reduce inhibitions toward artificial intelligence and give the platform a personal, likeable character.

"Machine Answers Machine"

It is precisely the technology that is causing uncertainty in the labor market that is now supposed to help with job searching. A contradiction? For Arthur Ergen, rather a logical consequence.

While companies increasingly use AI to review applications and sort candidates in advance, job seekers should also benefit from the technology. Ergen wants to create more of a level playing field. After all, not only companies should be able to rely on intelligent software, but also those applying for jobs. "Machine answers machine," he sums up his approach.

The software can match qualifications with company requirements and identify overlaps even when the same skills are described differently. Anyone who is professionally suitable should not be filtered out simply because certain keywords are missing from their resume.

The First 300 Are in Sight

Bewerbino has been on the market since June. In October, the platform has around 300 registered users, according to Ergen. About one in eight pays for the service.

It will not stop at 300 users. Bewerbino is also expected to be offered outside Switzerland in future. To do so, Ergen wants to hire additional employees and attract investors. Once the platform reaches 1,000 registered users, apps for iOS and Android are to follow.

It is still too early to judge how well the offering actually works after only a few months. Ergen points out that the software cannot capture every career path equally well. Unusual career trajectories and hard-to-measure skills, in particular, present difficulties for the AI.

Instead of spending hours sifting through job ads, users receive suitable job suggestions automatically from Bewerbino. (Image: provided)

Portfolio Managers Are not Exempt Either

Arthur Ergen is convinced that banks and insurance companies will increasingly hand over numerous tasks to technology. He sees considerable automation potential, especially in back-office processing, document review, and financial analysis.

Those who now believe that mainly administrative jobs will be affected may be mistaken, however. The development is unlikely to stop at highly qualified specialists either.

"This also affects investment bankers and portfolio managers. AI can analyze market data, compare financial products, and examine risks within a portfolio," says Ergen.

How Many Jobs Are at Stake?

How many jobs could actually disappear as a result remains open. Ergen has developed his own worst-case scenarios for various areas of the financial industry. However, his calculations are based on personal assumptions and are not scientifically validated. Possible new jobs created by AI are also not taken into account.

It is less the automation itself than its pace that worries him. "If jobs are cut faster than people can take on new tasks, employment gaps emerge," he warns.

Nevertheless, he считает burying one's head in the sand to be the wrong approach. Anyone who wants to remain in demand in the financial industry will have to engage with artificial intelligence. Even if software increasingly takes over more analysis in the future, people will still be needed to understand, question, and properly classify its results.

An Umbrella Against the AI Rain

And one day, the classic cover letter may also become obsolete. At the very least, Ergen considers it conceivable that applications will work differently in future, as algorithms increasingly compare resumes and job profiles independently.

How profoundly AI will change the labor market is currently difficult to estimate. Bewerbino has at least helped the former major bank employee find a new job. Ergen also wants to offer support through his platform to other people whose professional future is becoming uncertain.

"With Bewerbino, I am building an umbrella that helps people stay dry in the rain," he says, describing his intention.