Agencies putting offer letter on hold

[sundaymorningstaple]

Good on ya! I'm not quite so optimistic but then after 31 years here, I'm a lot more jaded I guess. (And have my ears a lot more closer to the ground as well, in all probability). Being a longtime member of the RC and having a boss who's a card carrying PAP member help as well I reckon. I wish "the new hadn't worn off my chandelier" yet. In the words of an old Charlie Pride song.

[Mi Amigo]

My comments on this being a numbers game referred to the problem statement of open positions vs. qualified locals - not enough qualified local Singaporeans to fill all of the open positions. The point being simply banning foreigners won't solve the problem. It wasn't a comment on the current political issue.

I think the two aspects of this are fundamentally intertwined - everything that happens in Singapore is political on a macro level.

The political side just brings us back full-circle to my point that the current changes to hiring policy (which mild compared to what's already in place in many countries) are squarely aimed at addressing the malaise felt by the local populace at being displaced by foreigners. This is the government attempting to balance the needs of Singapore PTE with the concerns expressed by the local populace.

The question in my mind is whether the gahmen (with their eyes on the next election) will actually be able to 'balance' this, or whether, as SMS puts it, they are damned if they do and damned if they don't. Frankly speaking, IMO a lot of the opinions being expressed online by the local population are ill-thought out, illogical and unrealistic, to the point where one wonders whether the complainers will ever be satisfied. The real numbers game for the gahmen is to figure out how many voters have these extreme and unachievable expectations. For the sake of Singapore's future, I hope that there will be enough people with common sense to outweigh the 'kick all the foreign pigs out' brigade, but until the next GE is over, we won't know for sure.

Clearly no one at this stage and predict whether these plus the additional policy / propaganda that will follow will be enough to stem the tide of ill-will. But clearly the government is trying to move forward without shutting the door.

Agreed, but I hope they will be able go back to taking a longer term view of things at some point.

Given the magnitude of the problem (the numbers game) I doubt Singapore will completely shut the door in a meaningful way in the long run. Even if the current government were replaced. In the short-run, how far the pendulum will swing is an open question in my mind.

If the current government were replaced, surely all bets would be off.

I am, coincidently, an optimist. Perhaps I won't be after spending the next decade, or even the next 2 years here.

My default mode is optimism, but in all honesty, after ten years, I'm much less optimistic about Singapore's future now than I was a decade ago. SMS, as the consummate old timer , has already given his own view above.

[dicymoon]

I have read all the above comments carefully. I am very new to Singapore . I have no idea which kind of politics is going on here. But I can feel the impact of the changes implemented by the government is very strong. We 'damn foreigners' are not getting jobs..not now and I suppose , in near future too we won't be. Until the companies realize how are they getting affected by such policy, it will be too late.

[sundaymorningstaple]

dicymoon, the problem is that the companies already knows how they are getting affected. But, sadly, it's not companies that have voting rights. Only citizens do. If one citizen boss votes to return to the old ways and his company with 25 citizens working for him, all vote to get rid of the foreigners or current government. Then it doesn't matter much what the companies want, does it.

[noskich]

You resigned on the basis of a verbal offer? Your'e a fool.

Next time, do not resign at all. Seriously. Just keep working at the old job until you're new contract lands. Go to the new job - take leave from the old one - make sure the new job is real. Wait for the first pay packet then resign (or wait to be fired from the old one). This is a little cynical but these days it's almost what is needed to make sure that the new job is real.

Don`t you have to give notice to the current employer? Be careful with burning bridges, you might need to go back...

[Wd40]

The best thing is not to change jobs unless you really have to.

[PNGMK]

The best thing is not to change jobs unless you really have to.

Except the best promotions and pay rises come usually by moving companies to a higher position.

[brian_singapore]

The best thing is not to change jobs unless you really have to.

Except the best promotions and pay rises come usually by moving companies to a higher position.

Echo this.... stunning the difference one often finds between long-term career employees and those who have joined an organization over the last 2-3 years...

[JR8]

The best thing is not to change jobs unless you really have to.

Except the best promotions and pay rises come usually by moving companies to a higher position.

Echo this.... stunning the difference one often finds between long-term career employees and those who have joined an organization over the last 2-3 years...

This was my experience too, in retrospect I was too loyal for my own good. Maybe mixed in with a bit of career-path complacency. To sum it up regarding ones career, I think it's fair to say that 'disloyalty pays'.

[JR8]

That's too black and white.

My company had the potential for great opportunities (and indeed I did three full relos with them). But this all still happens within the context of your present salary and it's history, my 'cost adjusted' rather than completely rebased to market.

It's only by switching employer that you get to permanently reset your salary level. But then in parallel you have to accept the risks that come with that 'leap into the unknown'. There is a stage (young/free/single/maybe even mortgage-free) when that risk is acceptable. But that stage in life is a pretty brief one for many.

[Wd40]

The best thing is not to change jobs unless you really have to.

Except the best promotions and pay rises come usually by moving companies to a higher position.

Echo this.... stunning the difference one often finds between long-term career employees and those who have joined an organization over the last 2-3 years...

You need to balance things; for example a $500 hike a month that comes with 4 hrs extra work per day, which one do you prefer? Ofcourse the sharp, bright and career oriented people are different, they are the ones who want to eventually reach the board member level. But the rest of us, you need to see whether the stress is worth it. Money upto a certain level gives pleasure, beyond that it just goes to the bank account and sits there.

Ofcourse, if you think you still haven't reached your potential, you must always strive towards it, but once you have reached it you will know it. From that point on (lets say you are getting in the say 80 percentile salary range) you must not jump just for the sake of slight increase of salaries, because it usually mean the extra increase is coming as a trade off of more stress and increased workload. Not worth it.

[NewEXPAT1]

Hi, I am in similar situation, what to do when agency asks for EP or LOC.. I feel EP better any other advantage like tax saving etc for having LOC over EP?
Can u please throw some light dicymoon.
Thanks


Thanks