Singapore Expats

Is it hard to find a job here?

Discuss about getting a well paid job or career advancement. Ask about salaries, expat packages, CPF & taxes for expatriate.
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rebeccachow
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Is it hard to find a job here?

Post by rebeccachow » Fri, 20 Apr 2007 6:54 pm

I'm helping my boyfriend to find a job here.. I've seen many job adverts and most of them states PR/ Singapore Citizen only. So disheartening..

I wonder if anyone knows which companies hire expatriates?? My boyfriend is from Serbia..

Any help would be appreciated, thanks a million. :)

nolunchactually
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Post by nolunchactually » Sat, 21 Apr 2007 5:40 pm

what job is he looking at?

Alpheus
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Do anyone have suggestion for me??????????????

Post by Alpheus » Tue, 24 Apr 2007 2:51 pm

I am chinese Indonesian. Currently looking for a job in Singapore. I applied for hundreds of applications through jobstreet but no reply until now.
I have a bachelor degree in financial management from Australian University and owns several years of working experience in my country.
Do anyone have suggestion for me?? What kind of jobs may suit me the most???
What should I do??????????????????????????

so_much_to_think_about
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Post by so_much_to_think_about » Wed, 25 Apr 2007 1:00 pm

hi there..i am also chinese indonesian but still living in australia wanting to find work in sing. But unlike you i dont have any experience at all ^^
I post some ques here on this forum and they said its really hard to find work in sing unless have professional or work in big 4 companies. I dont know really know what they mean by professional here.
just work in indo first until u find work in sing..
i would work here for few years and then go to sing..hopefully also can find work..

oh why dont u try job agent? maybe that would help

Alpheus
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Post by Alpheus » Wed, 25 Apr 2007 5:14 pm

Thanks for your advice. I was thinking to resign from my current job and go to Sg but afterwards, it will be useless to do so. I will be jobless for some time. I will keep on finding and applying... Ssshhh...
Is there any agent for finding a job??? Head hunter???
Do you know any?

so_much_to_think_about
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Post by so_much_to_think_about » Thu, 26 Apr 2007 12:03 pm

yyup better apply first from indo.. :) my fren's sister had to be unemployed for 6 months before she can find one job and she had like 3-4 yrs experience.
um i don't really know any good job agent..im searching myself
anyway how are u applying for job right now? straight to employer's website?
sorry cant be much of a help :?

askmeagain
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Post by askmeagain » Sat, 02 Jun 2007 10:50 pm

It is very hard for foreigners to get job in Singapore. Most of the jobs are for locals. See my previous posts and other similar post you will have idea. Don't believe jobsdb.com and jobstreet.com they just collect CV, never send any message not even thanks. As far as I known none of my friends or anyone (except local) got job from this sites.

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Asian_Geekette
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Re: Do anyone have suggestion for me??????????????

Post by Asian_Geekette » Sun, 03 Jun 2007 5:11 pm

Alpheus wrote:I am chinese Indonesian. Currently looking for a job in Singapore. I applied for hundreds of applications through jobstreet but no reply until now.
I have a bachelor degree in financial management from Australian University and owns several years of working experience in my country.
Do anyone have suggestion for me?? What kind of jobs may suit me the most???
What should I do??????????????????????????

Alpheus,

Have you considered applying for an EPEC? Once you get an EPEC, you'll have a chance to go to SG and apply there for jobs and stay in SG for a year.

Good luck!
My business is not to remake myself, but make the absolute best out of what God made. -Robert Browning

darian
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Post by darian » Sat, 04 Aug 2007 7:47 pm

THIS IS OBVIOUSLY TRUE...I WENT 2 SINGAPORE LAST YEAR AFTER GETTING A JOB...KINDA USELESS JOB & UNDER PAID.....
THOUGHT CAN SWITCH COMPANY THEREAFTER...BUT HUNDREDS OF CV SENT...NO REPLY,...
THERE IS EVEN SOME CALLED ME FOR INTERVIEW...BUT AFTER KNOWING IM NOT A CITIZEN N PR, THEY REJECTED MY APPS...WHY AT D FIRST PLACE CALLED ME FOR INTERVIEW??
THERE IS DISCRIMINATION IN SINGAPORE...ITS D FACT!!! DONT DENIED IT!!!

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sundaymorningstaple
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Post by sundaymorningstaple » Sat, 04 Aug 2007 8:36 pm

danian,

a couple of things.

First learn some netiquette. There is no need for shouting on the forum (typing in all capital letters). This is not the way to win friends and influence people.

Secondly, Useless job? To whom? For someone who may have been unemployed for the past 2 years or so I doubt it. Same thing about underpaid. By who's yardstick? yours? or the average for that job in Singapore (not your home country). Also, nobody made you accept the job did they? You did that of your own free will.

Discrimination in Singapore? How? Will you country let anybody come in and take any job they want? Sounds like you've got your head up your arse to me. Why shouldn't singapore hire it's own citizens / PR's before hiring outsiders who don't give a damn about the country? Singapore has as responsibility to it's own people first.

Again, discrimination? You already had one job here and gave it up. Where's the Discrimination? Sounds like you are the problem, not Singapore. I think you better start looking inwardly as the problem lies within and not without. I think you should stay in your own country as this country doesn't need any more people with chips on their shoulders.
SOME PEOPLE TRY TO TURN BACK THEIR ODOMETERS. NOT ME. I WANT PEOPLE TO KNOW WHY I LOOK THIS WAY. I'VE TRAVELED A LONG WAY, AND SOME OF THE ROADS WEREN'T PAVED. ~ Will Rogers

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Plavt
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Post by Plavt » Sat, 04 Aug 2007 9:20 pm

Darian,
Does it ever occur to you that no government willingly takes in foreigners ( an exception could be my native where certain foreigners as fellow EEC citizens may enter as they please). The simple fact is any country has enough problems of it's own in terms of providing jobs and homes for its' own citizens. Naturally the natives of those countries get priority; the only way foreigners are welcome is; a) you have skills which are in short supply and little or no local labour is available b) you are capable of setting up your own company and providing jobs or a badly needed service c) you have pots of money and don't need a job.

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ching
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Post by ching » Sun, 05 Aug 2007 12:15 pm

Also recognize that employers will have some extra paperwork and requirements to comply with if they want to employ someone on an employment pass.

Employing a citizen or PR is simpler from that standpoint and so (as a job seeker) you need to give prospective employers a good reason for going through the extra trouble - whether it's skills, experience, or knowledge that only you can provide, which they can't get from the local market.

In areas where the local talent pool is short on a particular skill or type of expertise (or doesn't have enough of it at the price point employers want to pay), these are where you'll find the most opportunities because employers are more than willing to go through the process of sponsoring employment passes or work passes to bring in more people.
Tips from expats living in Singapore - http://www.livinginsingapore.org

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Makan24-7
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Post by Makan24-7 » Sun, 05 Aug 2007 6:45 pm

Let's face it, discrimination happens all over the world, whether it is over nationality, ethnicity, gender, age, sexual orientation etc. - it just does. Fact of life, c'est la vie whatever you want to call it. We just have to deal with it the best way we can and if you can't, move on.

That said, Singapore is more foreign-talent friendly compared to other countries especially the US and the EU nations. The EU nations are proposing a blue card option which makes it interesting to see how that pans out while the US policies on foreign talent are in a total shambles. Sometimes I chuckle when I see people rant about discrimination over nationality here in Singapore; wonder how they'll react in the US and Europe.

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Plavt
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Post by Plavt » Sun, 05 Aug 2007 6:52 pm

Makan24-7 wrote: The EU nations are proposing a blue card option which makes it interesting to see how that pans out.
This however is nothing to do with discrimination which some might think your post insinuates. This is merely to ensure that only those with suitable qualifications and or skills are able to enter the country to fill those gaps in the labour market, exactly the same way Singapore does.

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Makan24-7
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Post by Makan24-7 » Sun, 05 Aug 2007 11:59 pm

That line was meant not as a point on discrimination.

I was talking about Singapore being more foreign-talent friendly in a follow-on paragraph. The process of getting a PR or employment pass is much easier as compared to the US and it will be interesting how efficient the proposed European blue card program is administered assuming it does get passed.

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