Hey there!

I moved to Switzerland alone at 16.

No family here, no roadmap. Since then I've worked out school, ETH, a change of direction and the Swiss job market as a non-EU national — one decision at a time. If you're standing at one of those decisions, I've probably stood there too.

Tell me what you're figuring out A bit about me
  • Zürich, Switzerland
  • ETH Zürich
  • English & Русский
Elina Teplygina

Currently finishing my Master's at ETH Zürich

My story

How I got here

Every step was a decision made without a manual — asking, getting it wrong, and trying again.

  1. Age 16

    Arriving on my own

    I moved to Switzerland alone for school. No family in the country, no network, and a language I was still learning to live in.

    Moving here

  2. 2020 — 2024

    ETH Zürich

    A Bachelor's in Electrical Engineering & Information Technology, with a thesis on predicting septic shock from digital biomarkers.

    Moving hereFinding direction

  3. Along the way

    Startups & venture capital

    Time in startups, venture capital and entrepreneurship — and the slow realisation that engineering wasn't where I wanted to end up.

    Finding direction

  4. The change

    Moving into consulting

    I turned toward business and consulting, including an internship at UNITY Consulting & Innovation — and learned how to be taken seriously without a business degree.

    Finding directionBuilding a career

  5. Right now

    Master's & the job market

    Finishing my Master's at ETH and working out the move into a full-time career in Switzerland as a non-EU national.

    Building a career

None of this came with a manual. Which school. Which degree. Whether to stay in engineering. How to be taken seriously in consulting interviews without a business background. How to approach the Swiss job market as a non-EU candidate.

I'm now having conversations with a small number of international students and young professionals working through the same decisions — to find out where my experience is genuinely useful to someone else.

Elina

How I can help

Three things I know well

Wherever you are on the way, one of these is probably your question right now.

Moving & studying here

If you're considering the move, or you've just arrived

  • Choosing an educational path that actually opens doors
  • What arriving on your own is really like
  • Settling in, ETH, and student life

Finding your direction

If you're studying and no longer sure where it's going

  • You studied something technical and want a different path
  • Moving into consulting or business
  • Building experience that carries across

Building your career here

If you're graduating, or graduated, and want to stay

  • Finding a job as a non-EU graduate
  • Getting to know people without a head start
  • Career decisions around permit constraints

Just getting started I'm trying this out through a small number of free conversations. If one of these is your question right now, tell me what you're dealing with.

Say hello

Tell me what you're figuring out

A few sentences is plenty. I read every message myself and I write back — and if it's a fit, I'll invite you to a free conversation.

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