Moving to Singapore, any suggestions?

[angMoh13]

I am an American citizen with a bachelors in business management from San Diego State University and have over 2 years management experience. I will have a place to live already lined up. I have 90 days in which to find work. Ive already found many head hunter and job sites, and have gotten replies of apply again once in the country.

Anyone got any suggestions or anything I should do once I am in Singapore?

Thank you, anything helps.

[Strong Eagle]

Mate, I hate to rain on your parade, but what can you DO? What is your industry vertical? What have you done that creates a value add?

There are tons of locals with a management degree and two years experience. What is your differentiator?

If you've read this board at all, you must be aware that work passes are much harder to come by and the requirements for same have become more difficult to meet.

And, as a personal observation, your chances of being hired into a local Singaporean firm with your background is close to zero. Your best bet is a multinational, and for someone with junior experience such as you have, going to work for a MNC and getting transferred is about the only way that will work.

[Wd40]

Considering the nick he has chosen, he either knows SG very well or has done a lot of research already on it also he says he has a place lined up. Sounds like strong local link already.

[offshoreoildude]

You might just end up using Singapore as a search base .... don't restrict your search to Singapore but include TH, MY, ID, China etc...

[angMoh13]

Considering the nick he has chosen, he either knows SG very well or has done a lot of research already on it also he says he has a place lined up. Sounds like strong local link already.

I do know quite a bit about singapore and do not expect to walk into a job. But i do know that they allow foreigners. I am not looking for an amazing rate of pay or anything. id settle for 3k even. I just want a foot in the door. Id take an entry levvl job that a fresh grad would get even if i have to. But i am sticking to strictly singapore, not china or any other country.

[sundaymorningstaple]

You would be in directly competition with local grads. Not going to happen. The company may like to have an Ang Mo face, but unfortunately, the MOM will probably nix the idea as there will be heaps of locals who could do the same job for the same money. The days of easy street finding jobs here is well and truly over.

[bobypf]

You would be in directly competition with local grads. Not going to happen. The company may like to have an Ang Mo face, but unfortunately, the MOM will probably nix the idea as there will be heaps of locals who could do the same job for the same money. The days of easy street finding jobs here is well and truly over.

Dude, you know I've been around this forum for quite some time. I always read how difficult is for the companies to get EPs approved.

Just wanted to share my observations about the company I work in. Since I started working here (more than 1 year already), they have been hiring all kind of foreigners. I am sure they are all on S pass. So far none of them was rejected by MOM. I don't know what exactly is our HR department doing, but all of them get their S passes issued immediately. I am talking about a department where there is a big turnover. People come, work for a few months, then leave because they cannot cope with their job. But the important thing is that their last problem is the S pass.

So maybe it depends on the company or god knows that else...

[Strong Eagle]

So maybe it depends on the company or god knows that else...

Hmmm... maybe having enough locals on the payroll to get all those S passes?

[nakatago]

So maybe it depends on the company or god knows that else...

Hmmm... maybe having enough locals on the payroll to get all those S passes?

Our company president once told us that when he reports to the something-something-investors, the graphs have PRs and citizen lumped in the same column. It was a conscious decision to always keep them together to allow more S passes. If they don't ask, he won't tell.

Sometimes, little things like that give the illusion that there are less foreigners than there really is.

[bobypf]

So maybe it depends on the company or god knows that else...

Hmmm... maybe having enough locals on the payroll to get all those S passes?

They have, but still... All of you say that it's not only about the quota. But yes, the company is very local so most of them are singaporeans and a few PRs.

[sundaymorningstaple]

Dude, you know I've been around this forum for quite some time. I always read how difficult is for the companies to get EPs approved.

Just wanted to share my observations about the company I work in. Since I started working here (more than 1 year already), they have been hiring all kind of foreigners. I am sure they are all on S pass. So far none of them was rejected by MOM. I don't know what exactly is our HR department doing, but all of them get their S passes issued immediately. I am talking about a department where there is a big turnover. People come, work for a few months, then leave because they cannot cope with their job. But the important thing is that their last problem is the S pass.

So maybe it depends on the company or god knows that else...

Do you work in the HR department of your company? If so, maybe your observations are correct "for your company" but if you do not work in HR, you would have no idea if an applicant had been rejected or not. Additionally, you wouldn't know how many are on the block for axing solely due to the reductions in the quotas. If your company is well under their quotas then you are probably correct as it isn't too hard to get an S pass IF you meet the new criteria which has been stiffened up considerably. However, if your company was at their quota on 1 Sept last year, then they currently have excess staff and these will not be able to get their passes renewed, at least with that company. There is a lot you obviously do not know about the system.

[gailwynand]

I've been talking to a lot of senior managers at MNCs recently and none of them have mentioned problems with getting passes for their staff - and I've asked.

These are not IT body shop-type companies though.

[zzm9980]

I've been talking to a lot of senior managers at MNCs recently and none of them have mentioned problems with getting passes for their staff - and I've asked.

These are not IT body shop-type companies though.

My HR has already warned me that they have had to terminate a number of employees because they could not renew their passes, and that I should apply for my PR as soon as possible. I'm on a PEP (And would qualify for a P1 if not), but still.

We're an extremely well-known MNC, not a small SME or body shop. You probably hear about us almost every day in the news or in conversation with anyone under 30.

[sundaymorningstaple]

Doncha just love newbies trying to make an impression!

[janiceliu88]

Honestly given all the flak the government gets for its mismanaged policy as regards foreign talent, I think a safer bet would be to find a job before you get here. In the last half a year or so it's been just about the hardest time ever to get an employment pass and a job in Singapore - my husband was looking for a job here for months and all employers wanted were citizens and PRs, nevermind how qualified he was (he has a masters from Columbia). As spouse of a Singaporean expecting a half-Singaporean child he was still dicked about for months before the ministry of manpower gave us a break. It's a catch-22 - you can't get a job unless you have an employment pass, and you can't get an employment pass without a job. Try American-based schools, like tie-ups with Singaporean institutions - when it's government/academic linked you probably have a better chance of getting an employment pass.