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Moving to Singapore - spouse looking for job

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the lynx
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Re: Moving to Singapore - spouse looking for job

Post by the lynx » Tue, 30 Jun 2015 11:26 am

cripirri wrote:Hi everybody,
I am moving to Singapore with my husband in a month and I hope to find a job there, I don't think situation could be worst than Italian one, so let's go girls, I refuse at all to be called " trailing spouse" I am a young Italian woman looking for a new job. That's all.

Cristina
Hi there,

It is not going to be easy as trailing spouse to be able to get own job over here, but that doesn't mean you should give up. You just need to be mentally prepared for the challenges and rejections that will come your way. More importantly, your household must be ready to survive on one income comfortably (your husband's) for the whole duration of his contract so that it won't put pressure on your marriage if you do face the eventuality of not being able to work at all in Singapore the whole time. If you do get a job, that'd be a bonus!

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Re: Moving to Singapore - spouse looking for job

Post by cripirri » Wed, 01 Jul 2015 11:13 pm

I know it, thanks

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Re: Moving to Singapore - spouse looking for job

Post by the lynx » Wed, 01 Jul 2015 11:22 pm

OK let's start with something. What industry are you from? What do you do?

The reason I asked these is because it is to determine if your skillset is of high niche that would justify scoring the job. If, for example, you're an IT person, there are many locals capable for this role. Even if you get accepted, I don't think you will be paid as how you would be paid in Italy. There is no minimum wage policy in this country unfortunately.

If "making use of your youth" is more important than "making secondary income", you can consider volunteering for charity organisations, or something like that. Or take language course (learn Chinese?).

Hope it helps with ideas.

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Re: Moving to Singapore - spouse looking for job

Post by cripirri » Wed, 01 Jul 2015 11:34 pm

I graduated in International relations and I have experience in customer service, but I am available to begin new things or courses, I know for example that I could teach Italian in private schools as a tutor or as a foreign language lecturer. I would like to increase my skills and expertise, making a secondary income is not a priority of mine at this moment but I don't want to become an annoying and bored expat trailing spouse nor to spend my time only with other europeans or foreign people.

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Re: Moving to Singapore - spouse looking for job

Post by the lynx » Wed, 01 Jul 2015 11:49 pm

cripirri wrote:I graduated in International relations and I have experience in customer service, but I am available to begin new things or courses, I know for example that I could teach Italian in private schools as a tutor or as a foreign language lecturer. I would like to increase my skills and expertise, making a secondary income is not a priority of mine at this moment but I don't want to become an annoying and bored expat trailing spouse nor to spend my time only with other europeans or foreign people.
Have you thought so trying to get a job in Italy embassy here? Sounds like your education background and experience may come in handy. Not sure how the hiring process works or if you need to apply via Foreign Affairs Department in Italy but I do know it is located in United Square, Thomson Road in Singapore. You probably can do it with Dependent Pass with Letter of Consent. Hopefully someone who is familiar with embassy jobs can advise better here.

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Re: Moving to Singapore - spouse looking for job

Post by JR8 » Thu, 02 Jul 2015 10:03 am

With ref: to Lynx's post.

An embassy is physically partitioned into two sections, one side for 'home based staff' (HBS), and the other for 'local based staff' [LBS]. The former are from the embassy's country and are security cleared (at a high level), the latter can be any nationality, but having knowledge of or an interest in the country in question is er, expected/assumed.

I've not heard of HBS being hired abroad, as usually they have worked their way up through that country's equivalent of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs at home, and then been identified/selected to rotate out for an offshore posting. Thus the staff are known quantities, trusted, and on a long-term career path.

Openings for LBS are advertised as other jobs in the open market would be. In newspapers, job-ad sites etc. Apparently the embassy in question does identify itself, it's not vague or anonymous as with many finance jobs ('Our client, a major Wall Street bank....[etc]').

I mentioned this question to a diplomat friend, and her reply was: 'With those qualifications why limit yourself to the Italian embassy? Does she speak any other languages?' I.e. consider it more broadly; Switzerland is the next obvious candidate. But the thinking was broader, consider all missions from the EU, or those from 'the West'. She said that at the last embassy she was posted, the LBS were about as diverse as the UN. Her other suggestion was drawing up a shortlist and contacting the missions (embassies/consulates) directly.

- Being 'LBS' for some people is a career in itself: Some might stay with one embassy for life. Others might work for a number of embassies during their careers (understanding the core of how an embassy functions is a transferable skill-set). But for plenty of others it is just a job like any other 'non-career' job, something you choose to do for a few years.
'Do it or do not do it: You will regret both' - Kierkegaard

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Re: Moving to Singapore - spouse looking for job

Post by Strong Eagle » Thu, 02 Jul 2015 10:25 am

^^^^^^^^
Interesting insights, JR8, and reflecting upon my experiences and interactions with the US Embassy in Singapore, spot on.

I reckon the OP ought to set up a meeting under some guise with one of the HBS... for the US Embassy, it was fairly straightforward to meet quite a few people informally through AAS parties, 4th of July, and other events that the Embassy held.

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Re: Moving to Singapore - spouse looking for job

Post by cripirri » Thu, 02 Jul 2015 3:55 pm

thank you all for your tips, I will keep you updated :-)

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Re: Moving to Singapore - spouse looking for job

Post by skoa » Wed, 08 Jul 2015 5:42 pm

It may not seem as easy as it should be, especially if you are on dependent visa. When I first moved to Singapore due to family reason, it took me more than a year to find a full time job; and I was a professional with a master degree.

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Re: Moving to Singapore - spouse looking for job

Post by cripirri » Wed, 08 Jul 2015 5:59 pm

I know it could be difficult but I have to try the same, I am still young to become a desperate housewife ;-)

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Re: Moving to Singapore - spouse looking for job

Post by bgd » Wed, 08 Jul 2015 6:27 pm

cripirri wrote:I know it could be difficult but I have to try the same, I am still young to become a desperate housewife ;-)
Especially with the cost of alcohol being what it is. :wink:

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Re: Moving to Singapore - spouse looking for job

Post by UrbanNomad » Mon, 27 Jul 2015 9:15 pm

Need your valuable inputs & rather than starting a new thread, this seemed an ideal one to request on.

I am on an EP and my spouse on DP of course. She has now been offered a role that she really likes and is keen to take the offer.

Question is: should she opt for an EP (she is eligible for the same) or should she just go with a LOC?

Any advantages / disadvantages of either. (Just suppose i quit etc her EP would let me have a DP atleast i guess right? Rather than she also losing her right to work because she has only a LOC?)

Appreciate the inputs

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Re: Moving to Singapore - spouse looking for job

Post by Strong Eagle » Mon, 27 Jul 2015 9:54 pm

UrbanNomad wrote:Need your valuable inputs & rather than starting a new thread, this seemed an ideal one to request on.

I am on an EP and my spouse on DP of course. She has now been offered a role that she really likes and is keen to take the offer.

Question is: should she opt for an EP (she is eligible for the same) or should she just go with a LOC?

Any advantages / disadvantages of either. (Just suppose i quit etc her EP would let me have a DP atleast i guess right? Rather than she also losing her right to work because she has only a LOC?)

Appreciate the inputs
The EP is the better route for the reasons you mentioned. You could get a DP (assuming her company supports). Might be better as well if in the future you wanted to apply for PR.

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Re: Moving to Singapore - spouse looking for job

Post by UrbanNomad » Mon, 27 Jul 2015 9:58 pm

Strong Eagle wrote:
The EP is the better route for the reasons you mentioned. You could get a DP (assuming her company supports). Might be better as well if in the future you wanted to apply for PR.
Thank you

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Re: Moving to Singapore - spouse looking for job

Post by skoa » Tue, 28 Jul 2015 11:01 am

EP is definitely a better option. Like you've mentioned, EP gives you and your wife more flexibility in case one of you wants to switch job or take a break from work. I think it is also easier to apply for credit cards or bank accounts etc in Singapore if someone has an EP rather than LOC.

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