Headhunters in Singapore

[JR8]

I've got an excelent reference from a senior managing consultants from IBM that was supervising the largest IT contract in the Czech Republic... Obviously without finished university it's not enough

I dropped out of uni, and went on to get into banking/finance. It mattered less in those days. These day though there is more of presumption that every half-way non-stupid person is a graduate or at least that's how it feels to me (going to uni, is now presumed of the young in the UK. When I was young, it was a thing only the brightest, and most academic youths did).

You didn't have to be a graduate to get a P1 work visa here. I believe that's still the case. That creates a kind of irony in some ways; you need to be grad for most 'middle' work visa categories, but not the highest one.

You'll find a lot of box-ticking is done here by the authorities. Your reference sounds very nice, but perhaps it doesn't literally tick a box.

[brian_singapore]

Btw - what is the most common way?
1) get a job in Singapore via a company from your homeland?
2) search a job via internet and then come to Singapore for some final rounds of interviews?
3) Come to Singapore and start searching for a job?

I don't know about 'common' but 1 and 3 are not mutually exclusive. My personal view is its best to show up in person and look for work.

I believe CZ is a member of the European Union (by 'believe' I mean I just checked on Wikipedia). Presumably this comes with the right to work and live in other European nations. You should be able to get a job elsewhere with the large companies that do have offices or business in Asia.

On item 2

• - I was screened out in my preparatory search by some (not all!) once they realized I was not in Singapore.
  - I presume a number of other companies who realized this upfront just never contacted me.
  - In interviewing for my current role, candidates were sorted into the pile of 'already present and available to work in Singapore' and 'foreign candidates'. So I got a jump on everyone already outside the country
  - It turned out to be the reverse for me, I started interviewing in Singapore and then completed the very final steps (basically package negotiation) from home.
  - A couple of recruiters told me I needed to be in Singapore in order to prove I was serious; I got the impression some had been burnt in the past by enquiries where applicants had changed their mind about relocating after things progressed.

That's not to say all 3 methods aren't viable, just my personal experience was 2 wasn't as productive as I had hoped.

I also ended up staying in Singapore longer then I planned. I came for 1 month and stayed for 2. The recruitment cycles in Singapore are a lot longer then back home. Back home an entire interview cycle would have been completed from initial interview to decision in 2 weeks.

[Brah]

Btw - what is the most common way?

2) search a job via internet and then come to Singapore for some final rounds of interviews?

I can't think of anything more foolish, especially now.

And now to complete the title of this thread: "......absolutely suck, every one of them"

The ones in banking at least, and I have met far too many.

At least they're consistent.

[brian_singapore]

And now to complete the title of this thread: "......absolutely suck, every one of them"

The ones in banking at least, and I have met far too many.

At least they're consistent.

Aye - two recent and immediate incidents come to mind that I've been directly involved in - blatant miss-representation on a package offered from a company. After receiving and verifying the e-mail chains, HR of went back to the recruiter and advised if this happened with Candidates again, they would no longer be working with the recruiter. This from a large international agency that has offices in my home country.

Recruiter who told a candidate he didn't have time to represent them and then the day after the candidates linked in profile was updated and started sounding them out for positions the individual may be recruiting for....

There are other minors things I ran across personally but those were shrugged off with a 'waddya expect, they be recruiters'.

Recruiters in Singapore seem to be more of a necessary "evil" in then in other countries.

Edit: Good god, I can't string to words together today to save my life!

[JR8]

Edit: Good god, I can't string to words together today to save my life!

Ha! Irony!

[and THEN the grammar! ;;]

[brian_singapore]

Edit: Good god, I can't string to words together today to save my life!

Ha! Irony!

[and THEN the grammar! ;;]

Yeah, some mornings just not enough coffee in the world.

[JR8]

Yeah, some mornings just not enough coffee in the world.

Know the feeling. We have a Nespresso machine. I can get in to a morning caffeine-loop - and so have self-imposed a 'Stop-at-3-shots' policy!