All -
Here is my situation. I am a US citizen in New York in my late 20's who has spent the last nearly 7 years at a top 4 US investment bank working in the areas of IT (previously, for nearly 5 years), and Quantitative Equity Strategy/Research (currently, for 2 years thus far). I believe I have a strong combination of Finance and Programming/DB skills that are desired for quant related Finance roles. My educational background consists of a Bachelor's degree from a top tier public US university with majors in Finance, International Business, and Computer Science. Additionally, I am presently a Level 2 candidate in the CFA program.
My exposure to Asia includes some 3 dozen trips out to Singapore and Indonesia in my lifetime. I also have a strong friends and family network in Asia, particularly Southeast Asia, including family connections with the Indonesian government. My exposure and educational experiences have provided me with advanced knowledge of Bahasa/Malay, and a strong desire to work in Asia.
My firm has a small presence in Singapore, limited to Fixed Income Sales and Operations/IT activity. We are not expected to expand into other areas such as Equities in Singapore for at least another 2 years. As I am eager to get started with a career in Asia, I would like to know your story as to how you made the leap to Singapore (for those of you in a similar position to me). With that, I also have the following questions:
1. How should I go about searching for a suitable position, and what sort of package can I expect (Local, etc)?
2. How would you best describe the quality of life, both personal and professional, vis-a-vis your home country?
3. What experiences have you encountered while living/working in Singapore which you would not have otherwise encountered in your home country?
4. How long did it take you to make the move, and what sparked your interests into moving to Singapore?
Many thanks for taking the time to respond to my post.