Should I move to Singapore after college?

[dangya]

Hi. I'm graduating from the University of Pennsylvania in May. I'm majoring in Economics with a concentration on Marketing & Communications at Wharton and minoring in East Asian Languages and Civilizations with a concentration on Chinese. I don't feel like America has much of a future- it's been on a huge decline (except for the bubble that its currently in) and I feel like Singapore really does have a huge future. My only hesitation about moving is the forced military service that my kids would have to go through. Do you think I should go?

EDIT: Also, wouldn't national service at the age of 18 completely interfere with applying to colleges in America?

[nakatago]

No.

Why?

* Fresh grad; you'll be competing with Singapore's own
* No experience
* qualifications no different from the millions available in the region

[bro75]

Forced military service or NS (national service) will only be an issue if you apply for permanent residence for your dependents. You will need to worry first about whether your experience and education is a match for Singapore's requirements. Employment passes are harder to get now especially if you have no experience.

[zzm9980]

It seems pretty obvious you haven't spent a lot of time in Singapore based on your assumptions. If you're serious about this, come spend some time here and think about more immediate near-term concerns, not conscription for your kids who must be rather young or not even born yet.

My personal suggestion would be to look for roles in a tier 1 Chinese city like Shanghai or Beijing, or Hong Kong. Your degree and language skills will be much more useful (yes, Mandarin will be more useful in HK than Singapore) and you'll have better career growth prospects.

[dangya]

Maybe Singapore isn't the best option. But just to clarify, I do already have some experience working for an investment firm (mainly to support the kids). I am married with a son (and expecting a daughter next month!), and looking into his eyes, I just can't imagine the thought of sending him into the military.

[PNGMK]

Maybe Singapore isn't the best option. But just to clarify, I do already have some experience working for an investment firm (mainly to support the kids). I am married with a son (and expecting a daughter next month!), and looking into his eyes, I just can't imagine the thought of sending him into the military.

NS is only applicable for 2nd generation PR's or SC. Your son is neither. IF you took up PR your son wouldn't be eligible unless he was a PR - you can easily avoid that.

[x9200]

He will unlikely be granted PR if applies without his son.

[eastcoastsg]

Why not try it out before committing your whole family to it?

[BedokAmerican]

Hi. I'm graduating from the University of Pennsylvania in May. I'm majoring in Economics with a concentration on Marketing & Communications at Wharton and minoring in East Asian Languages and Civilizations with a concentration on Chinese. I don't feel like America has much of a future- it's been on a huge decline (except for the bubble that its currently in) and I feel like Singapore really does have a huge future. My only hesitation about moving is the forced military service that my kids would have to go through. Do you think I should go?

EDIT: Also, wouldn't national service at the age of 18 completely interfere with applying to colleges in America?

You say Singapore has a future. What you don't understand is that Sg has state-controlled media. You don't always hear the negative news. US has a free press and you're more likely to get the truth about job growth, economic problems, etc. The company my spouse works for recently announced layoffs due to budget cuts. Nothing about it in the news. If this was in the US, people would've heard about it.

The thing is.....you could come over for a visit before making a decision, but being a tourist here vs living here are totally different.

You might want to check and see if Penn has an Asian student association or Int'l student group. If it does, contact the organizer and see if anyone from Singapore is a member and get in touch with them. If possible, meet with them and talk about life here and the differences you'd encounter if you moved here. Cost of living is a big one.

Singapore isn't a bad place but it doesn't live up to the hype it gets.

[JR8]

Do you think I should go?

With no work experience I can't see you have a choice to move here, as you won't get a visa.

[RobSg]

Hi Dangya,

Having lived in Singapore for 25+ years and recently returned to the states to semi-retire, may I offer my perspective about your plans?

Don't confuse a country on the decline with a country going through a rather frustrating period of re-assessment. You read about it in the press and TV all the time. It's out there for the whole world to see. I dislike the direction our country is heading at times also, but I lived in the 1960's when I was in the Vietnam war and was spit on (once) when I returned. I thought that being involved in that war indicated the decline of the US. I lived when we had the oil embargo in the 1970's, and I thought that was the end of life as we know it. It seems every ten years we have a situation that spells disaster, and being a democracy, we somehow get out of it. It's messy, but we do.

I feel a little sad for my country when I hear of students like you wanting to flee America instead of being a part of the solution. That's one reason I decided to return. I want to become more involved. No matter where you are in the world, as an American (or any nationality really) you are as tied to your country emotionally even after you leave for another country, unless of course you give up your citizenship or have no family or friends anymore in the States. I got as upset with these stupid politicians while living in Singapore as I do here in the States.

I loved Singapore, but I do feel rather strongly that it will have difficulties in the future with so much competition in that region. Before heading overseas, build up a resume in the States that makes you attractive for overseas work. By that time, hopefully the US will back to relative normality.

Hope you do well the rest of the school year there.

Rob

[AnheuserBusch]

You could consider getting an expat package with a US firm with an office in Singapore

[JR8]

You don't tend to go and pluck those off a tree, at will, they tend to come to you, as and when, and if at all.