Self-test: Is the "Occupational pensions specialist with federal certificate" course the right one for me?
Find out here whether the job profile "Occupational pensions specialist with a federal certificate" is right for you and whether a part-time preparatory course for the professional examination is the right path for you.
What does the day-to-day work of an employee benefits specialist with a federal certificate look like?
An employee benefits specialist works as a specialist in the field of occupational benefits in pension funds. They deal with issues relating to the financing of the benefits guaranteed by a pension fund (purchase into the fund, calculation of costs and pensions). Sometimes they also work for a pension fund, fiduciary or insurance company, bank or official office in the field of occupational benefits. In accounting, an employee benefits specialist has to handle bookkeeping, financial planning and monitoring in the service of capital investment: It is always about the optimal investment of salary percentages. The prerequisite for successful work in this profession is comprehensive knowledge of the legal basis and administrative organization.
The following areas of responsibility are typical for a pension fund specialist with a federal certificate:
- Supervision of investment processes
- Accompanying investment strategy processes and supporting those responsible
- Knowledge and use of traditional and non-traditional investment instruments
- System monitoring and, if necessary, proposals for adaptation measures
- Independent implementation of investment decisions
- Making investment reports comprehensible for laypersons and assessing investment instruments
- Knowledge and application of environmental, social and governance (ESG) criteria with regard to investments
- Take precautions
- Responsible for administrative processes and actuarial management in the pension fund
- Independent processing of entries and exits, vested benefits, advance withdrawals to finance home ownership and benefits in the event of divorce, retirement, death and disability
- Supporting the Board of Trustees in decisions, preparing the necessary documents and answering technical questions
- Managing employees, defining their tasks and objectives and reviewing them
- Cooperation with customers and other bodies
- Comprehensive advice for insured persons on legal and actuarial issues relating to occupational pensions
- Act according to the three-pillar concept of pension provision, know and pass on the provisions of other institutions such as social insurance and coordination rules
- Managing correspondence with insurance partners, auditors and authorities
Question 1:
Do the activities meet your expectations? Can you imagine working as an employee benefits specialist?
If you like the actual job of an employee benefits specialist, you are on the right track. The next question is what type of training (level of education, course content, duration, examinations, etc.) is right for you to acquire the relevant skills.
Even if you don't like all the tasks involved in the role of employee benefits specialist, it could still be the right job for you. In almost every job, there are also tasks that are less interesting. However, the tasks should arouse your interest and appeal to you in principle.
Alternatively, you can look at descriptions of similar job profiles, as another degree may suit you better:
- Occupational pensions advisor (certified)
- Financial advisor (certified)
- Financial planner (BP)
- Health insurance specialist (BP)
If you don't like the activities, you should find out which parts of the tasks in jobs as an employee benefits specialist you don't like so much. Is it the pension advice? Or the collaboration with specialist departments in your role as an employee benefits specialist?
Depending on your answer, you could look in job advertisements to see if there are jobs with a different distribution of tasks. Or you can take inspiration from other similar jobs. If you are generally unsure about what you want to do, we can help you with ourAdvisorhelp you find your own calling.
Target group and skills: Who is the further training course for pension fund specialists with a professional examination suitable for? What qualities and skills are required?
The further training course for pension fund specialists is aimed at the following people who:
- would like to continue their professional training and development in the area of employee benefits
- want to increase their career and salary opportunities with a federal certificate
- would like to prove their practical experience in occupational pensions with a recognized certificate
The following skills and characteristics are required for a successful job as an employee benefits specialist:
- Analytical and logical thinking
- Interest in economic issues
- Customer orientation and good manners
- Sense for numbers
- Leadership qualities and ability to work in a team
- Knowledge of mathematics and computer applications
- Organizational talent and service awareness
- Interest in monitoring and control
- Awareness of responsibility and danger
- Confidentiality
Question 2:
Do you belong to one of the target groups of the continuing education program for pension fund specialists?
If you belong to the target group and you have the necessary skills and characteristics, then the further training course for employee benefits specialists is still an option for you. The federal certificate still seems to meet your expectations.
- If you do not belong to any of the above-mentioned groups of people, you cannot directly apply for the federal certificate as an employee benefits specialist. The further development opportunities in the area ofPrecautionare numerous and offer alternative educational opportunities that may interest you even more or suit you better.
- If you don't have the necessary skills and qualities for the job description of an employee benefits specialist, you probably won't be the best and most satisfied in such a role. Look for alternative training courses in thePension advice.
- If you are still unsure about your professional development, contact experienced people such as career advisors for targeted advice or coaching:
Prerequisites for admission to the professional examination for pension fund specialists:
The following prerequisites are required for admission to the final examination "Federal Professional Examination for Pension Fund Specialists":
- Completed basic vocational training as a commercial clerk EFZ, diploma from a commercial college recognized by SERI, high school diploma (all types) or equivalent qualification
- and at least 3 years of relevant professional experience, including at least one year in the field of occupational pensions
You will be informed in writing at least three months before the start of the examination whether you meet the requirements for the professional examination for occupational pensions specialists - in the event of rejection, including reasons and information on legal remedies.
Question 3:
Do you have the required apprenticeship qualification and the necessary professional experience for the professional examination for pension fund specialists?
If you meet the requirements, you can start your further training as an employee benefits specialist at the earliest possible date. You will then be admitted to the professional examination.
If you are not sure whether your professional experience is sufficient, clarify your chances directly with the sponsor of the professional examination, theASIP.
If you have too little or no professional experience for the further training course for pension fund specialists with a professional examination, you have the following options:
- Search with the help of professional job boardsas followsfor suitable jobs.
- If you have someone with employment in thePrecaution-industry, ask this person for help with your job search.
If you are not sure whether you are eligible for admission to the professional examination following the further training course for pension fund specialists with your qualifications through an equivalence test, please contact theExamination secretariator theSERIfor foreign degrees.
If you have not completed your basic vocational training, you can make up for it. How can you do this in ourAdvisor"The Swiss education system at a glance".
If you are unsure whether your qualifications and professional experience are sufficient, clarify your chances directly with the sponsor of the professional examination, theASIP.
If you have too little or no professional experience for the professional examination for pension fund specialists, you have the following options:
- Search with the help of professional job boardsas followsfor suitable jobs.
- If you have someone with employment in thePrecaution-industry, ask this person for help with your job search.
If you are not sure whether you are eligible for admission to the professional examination following the further training course for pension fund specialists with your qualifications through an equivalence test, please contact theExamination secretariator theSERIfor foreign degrees.
If you have not completed your basic vocational training, you can make up for it. How can you do this in ourAdvisor"The Swiss education system at a glance".
Subject matter and content of the training course for pension fund specialists:
The subject matter of the preparatory courses for the professional examination for the certificate as a pension fund specialist is based on the specifications of the sponsor of the federal examination, the Swiss Pension Fund Association(ASIP).
The learning content of the further training course for pension fund specialists is divided into the following topics and areas of competence:
- Legal basis
- Basic areas of law and legal concepts
- Legal structure of the pension funds
- Rights of insured persons and beneficiaries
- Special areas and legal issues
- Control and supervision
- Administration of justice
- Home ownership promotion / taxes
- Network and coordination of social insurances
- Insurance technology
- Financial mathematics
- Statistics, probability and technical basics
- Basic actuarial terms
- Defined benefit plan
- Defined contribution plan
- Actuarial elements of the annual financial statements
- Accounting
- Accounting and account systems
- Accounting and account technology
- Closing technique
- Balance sheet
- Operating and management accounts
- Financial planning and financial monitoring
- Reporting
- Inspection body
- Investments by an employee benefits specialist - be able to take the necessary measures to ensure the smooth implementation of the investment strategy and appoint asset managers
- Investment concepts
- Investments in investment funds and investment foundations
- Investments in shares
- Nominal value investments
- Types of business
- Debtor quality
- Markets
- General conditions
- Portfolio structures / performance
- Options
- Investments in real estate
- Mortgage investments
- Property management
- Investment organization
- Pension fund management
- Organization and management
- Computer science
- Admissions and portfolio management
- Departures / Vested Benefits Act (FZG)
- Services
- Promotion of home ownership
- Social insurances
- Social insurance coordination
- Accounting
- Investments
- External institutions
Question 4:
Are you interested in the contents of the training course for pension fund specialists and would you like to acquire knowledge in this subject area?
Perfect, the content of the further training course for pension fund specialists is the perfect fit for you. With the skills you have learned, you can score points on the job market and increase your salary prospects. You can now find out more about the structure and concept of the course from the training institutes.
If you are only partially interested in the content of the further training course for pension fund specialists, then this course is probably not the right one for you. Then take a look at other training and further education opportunities in the area ofPrecautionthat suit you better due to the content taught.
Obviously the typical course content for a further training course for pension fund specialists is not for you. You should take a look at other further training courses. OnEducation-Further-Education.chyou will find a wide range of options.
Employee benefits specialist training - costs and financing:
The cost of training as an employee benefits specialist varies depending on the provider and duration. On average, the following amounts are to be expected for the training costs:
- Course fees:about CHF 9'800.- to CHF 12'400.-
After taking the exam, you will receive around 50% of this back from the federal government on application (regardless of the result)*. - Examination fees:CHF 3,000 (as of fall 2023)
The examination fee is set by the examination organizer. It is paid by the candidate after confirmation of admission to the federal examination for pension fund specialists. - Extra costs:At some schools, the costs for enrolment fees, teaching materials, training documents, books, intensive exam training, simulation exams, school diplomas and interim qualifications, for example, are not included in the course fees. Please contact the provider of your choice directly to find out what additional costs you can expect for the course.
*Since 1.1.2018, preparatory courses for federal professional examinations such as the training course for pension fund specialists have been financially supported by the federal government. Graduates of these courses can therefore be reimbursed up to 50% (max. CHF 9,500) of the course costs paid after taking the federal examination. In cases of hardship, the federal contributions are also pre-financed in exceptional cases.
Question 5:
Are you able to pre-finance the costs of around CHF 12,800 to CHF 15,400 for the training as an employee benefits specialist and the federal examination?
Best of all. Here's another tip: If you would be able to pay the entire cost of the pension fund specialist training course in advance, many schools will grant you a discount.
- Information on financial support options from the employer, federal government, canton, foundations or through loans from the Education Promotion FoundationEducaSwissyou will receive in ourAdvisor"How to finance your further training properly".
- Information on financial support for temporary workers through "temptraining", the further training fund of the temporary employment sector, is available athere.
- Information and help on budget planning and budget preparation can be foundhere.
First find out from the schools about the actual costs you can expect to pay for training as an employee benefits specialist. Then ask your employer whether they will contribute to the costs of the training course for occupational pensions specialists. Or ask your school about the possibility of paying in installments. Perhaps there is someone in your private circle who will support your further education project with a loan. There are also banks and credit institutions that grant educational loans.
- Information on financial support options from the employer, federal government, canton, foundations or through loans from the Education Promotion FoundationEducaSwissyou will receive in ourAdvisor"How to finance your further training properly".
- Information on financial support for temporary workers through "temptraining", the further training fund of the temporary employment sector, is available athere.
- Information and help on budget planning and budget preparation can be foundhere.
First find out from the schools about the actual costs you can expect to pay for training as an employee benefits specialist. Then ask your employer whether they will contribute to the costs. Ask your school about the possibility of paying the costs of the Occupational Pensions Specialist course in installments. Perhaps there is someone in your private circle who will support your further education project with a loan. There are also banks and credit institutions that grant educational loans.
- Information on financial support options from the employer, federal government, canton, foundations or through loans from the Education Promotion FoundationEducaSwissyou will receive in ourAdvisor"How to finance your further training properly".
- Information on financial support for temporary workers through "temptraining", the further training fund of the temporary employment sector, is available athere.
- Information and help on budget planning and budget preparation can be foundhere.
Duration of study, teaching times and learning effort for the occupational pensions specialist training for the professional examination:
- The training and continuing education program for occupational pensions specialists is classically structured (i.e. the professional examination covers all the skills to be assessed) and lasts two years. The training for the professional examination for employee benefits specialists comprises around 37 to 50 school days.
- Class times vary depending on the provider of the further training course for occupational pensions specialists. Classroom teaching usually takes place on practically every second Saturday. Participants prepare individually for the topics via preparation schedules.
- Thanks to the extra-occupational concept of the Occupational Pensions Specialist course, you can apply and deepen the learning material in practice straight away. Nevertheless, you should allow sufficient time for class preparation and follow-up as well as for self-study. Depending on your prior knowledge, working style and learning speed, we recommend that you allow the same amount of time for the additional workload as the regular course duration.
Note: Some schools offer so-called "taster lessons", which provide an insight into the lessons and the learning atmosphere. A suitable learning environment is important on the way to successfully completing the Occupational Pensions Specialist course.
Question 6:
Are you able to cope with the time and effort required for the attendance classes and the homework for the occupational pensions specialist training for the professional examination?
If you are confident that you can cope with the teaching time and learning effort, you should start training as an employee benefits specialist. At most, you can still consider whether you can achieve even better results, such as faster learning or better final grades, with suitable learning and working methods and a personal learning plan. Efficient learning methods pay off in any case.
If you don't have that much time to devote to further training as an employee benefits specialist, check with the providers whether you can complete the course over more than two years. Or can you find another way to free up time? Perhaps you can hand over certain tasks during the training period?
Employee benefits specialist - degree, diploma and title:
The professional examination "Occupational pensions specialist with federal certificate" is held annually in German, French and Italian, provided that the minimum number of 15 candidates meet the admission requirements. Otherwise at least every two years.
Candidates for the professional examination for employee benefits specialists are notified at least 20 days before the start of the examination. The invitation includes the examination program (with details of the place and time of the examination as well as permitted aids) and the list of experts.
The professional examination for employee benefits specialists comprises the following six parts:
- Law (written, 2 hours, single weighting) on competence area A: Laws, ordinances, regulations and directives
- Insurance technology (written, 2 hours, single weighting) on competence area B: Preparing insurance technology data
- Accounting (written, 2 hours, single weighting) on competence area C: Managing finance and accounting
- Investments (written, 2 hours, single weighting) on competence area D: Helping to shape investment processes
- Pension fund management Case studies (written, 4 hours, double weighting) on the areas of competence A to L - Area of competence E: Manage active insured persons and connections, Area of competence F: Process benefit cases and manage pensions, Area of competence G: Advise beneficiaries, Area of competence H: Support and accompany committees, Area of competence I: Ensure organization and personnel management, Area of competence K: Use and further develop information technology, Area of competence L: Support and acquire customers
- Pension fund management (oral, 30 minutes, single weighting) covering the areas of competence A to L
Diploma and title
Graduates of the professional examination receive a federal specialist certificate and are entitled to use the federally recognized and protected title "Specialist in employee benefits with a federal specialist certificate" or "Specialist in employee benefits with a federal specialist certificate".
- In French: "Spécialiste de la prévoyance en faveur du personnel avec brevet fédéral"
- In Italian: "Specialista della previdenza in favore deI personale con attestato professionale federale"
- In English: "Specialist in Pension Fund, Federal Diploma of Higher Education" (Attention: This is only a recommendation/translation and not a protected title)
Question 7:
Do you have the confidence to pass the professional examination for employee benefits specialists?
Good, you are confident that you will successfully complete the professional examination following your training as an employee benefits specialist. Think about where you can best ensure practical transfer. Which learning and working methods are most efficient for you?
If you are unsure whether you can successfully complete your training as an employee benefits specialist, we recommend the following:
- oneInformation eventof the favored educational institute
- onepersonal consultation appointmentwith the school of your choice for training as an employee benefits specialist
- at theSchool managementAsk about support options
- oneInformationby the sponsor of the professional examination, theASIPto dispel your concerns
- itselfSupportfromLearning therapistorCoachthroughautogenicormental trainingor get help around theExam anxietyto reduce
You are very unsure whether you will be able to graduate after completing the further training course for pension fund specialists. You could take a look at which subjects you may have struggled with in the past. If these are subjects that will be repeated in the final examination after your training as an employee benefits specialist, you should find out about possible preparatory courses, fill in any gaps in your knowledge with the help of tutors or discuss with the school whether there is the possibility of internal tests or preparatory courses.
If you have intense exam anxiety, you could look for a different type of course that works more with learning achievements, mid-term exams or semester work. External help from learning therapists, kinesiologists, autogenic training providers or mental training providers can also be considered:
No, the Occupational Pensions Specialist course is not right for you. What a pity? Maybe not, because there are so many other options for further training. One or the other will certainly suit you much better.
Check which other further training courses are suitable for you. OnEducation-Further-Education.chyou will find a large selection of offers.
Specialist in employee benefits with a federal certificate is probably not the right further training goal for you.
Are you surprised or disappointed? Perhaps you should take the test for the training course for pension fund specialists again and see where your ideas or possibilities deviate from the ideal job. Perhaps this will point you in the direction of more suitable further training.
Then see which other further training courses interest you. ToEducation-Further-Education.chyou will find a large selection of offers.
The further training course for employee benefits specialists is not ideal for you - or is it?
If you are unsure, it is best to attend the information events organized by the providers. There you will find out a lot more about further training as an employee benefits specialist. You can also discuss your personal options and questions directly with the specialist representatives present.
Directly to the schools:
"Specialist in employee benefits with a federal certificate"
The pension fund specialist training seems to suit you.
As a next step, we recommend that you attend an information event at suitable schools and obtain details of the exact costs and dates and check the financing.
Directly to the schools:
"Specialist in employee benefits with a federal certificate"
Which school is right for me?
Our guide will help you decide which school to choose when training to become an employee benefits specialist:
- "How to decide in favor of theright training provider"
At the back of the guide you will find a helpful checklist with the most important points to clarify, which will help you to keep an overview.
Please also take a look at our evaluation tool with numerousReviewsfrom former course participants.
Thanks to the numerous filter options, including the number of stars, region, year or school, you can display exactly the ratings that interest you.
The specialist in employee benefits seems to suit you.
As a next step, we recommend that you attend an information event at suitable schools and obtain details of the exact costs and dates.
Directly to the schools:
"Specialist in employee benefits with a federal certificate"
Which school is right for me?
Our guide will help you decide which school to choose for your further training as an employee benefits specialist:
- "How to decide in favor of theright training provider"
At the back of the guide you will find a helpful checklist with the most important points to clarify, which will help you to keep an overview.
Please also take a look at our evaluation tool with numerousReviewsfrom former course participants.
Thanks to the numerous filter options, including the number of stars, region, year or school, you can display exactly the ratings that interest you.
The pension fund specialist course seems to be made for you!
The best thing to do now is to attend information events at the schools you are interested in and find out everything you need to know about the specific content, costs and dates.
Directly to the schools:
"Specialist in employee benefits with a federal certificate"
Which school is right for me?
Our guide will help you decide which school to choose when training to become an employee benefits specialist:
- "How to decide in favor of theright training provider"
At the back of the guide you will find a helpful checklist with the most important points to clarify, which will help you to keep an overview.
Please also take a look at our evaluation tool with numerousReviewsfrom former course participants.
Thanks to the numerous filter options, including the number of stars, region, year or school, you can display exactly the ratings that interest you.