Finance/Investment Sector?

[KimchiNinja]

Hey fellows, so I'm set on moving to Singapore for long-term residency, now I just need to land a (desirable) job! If there are others here from the finance world, perhaps you have some words of wisdom on the local market?

Here's my situation -- Mid-level, investment analyst, 15yrs working with just about every asset class imaginable (fixed income, equities, real estate, derivatives, venture capital). No fancy education, but I've got a few huuge name dudes I've done analytics for that tend to drop jaws on the table (cheesy sure, but you gotta get their attention somehow). Salary + bonus in the last few years has been $155-185 USD depending on portfolio performance. Westerner, but have been working in NE Asia for last few years, middle-office for a VC firm, am adaptive to cultural differences.

So what's the deal with the local job market for this sort of thing? I see some VCs, hedge funds, investment management firms, banks. But is it just flooded with applicants? How skilled are the applicants (I've heard mixes things on this from my contacts)? Salary data online is just SO vague I can't really get any sense of the range. You think best to work thru a recruiter or go direct? Is there a respected preferred recruiter for this sort of thing?

Any thoughts appreciated, trying to gather as much intel as possible!

[JR8]

Hi Kimchi, and welcome to the forum.

Interesting mix of product experience you have in that role, btw.
Here are some thoughts FWIW. I worked up through the financial industry, so despite being retired from that maintain an interest in what's going on there in cities I live and have lived.

There's jobs in SG; but I can't speak for your precise niches. Some random things to keep in mind:-
- Rather like a foreigner seeking to work in the US, in SG you need to have something the locals haven't got to justify your hiring. In a similar way to the US the same has to be petitioned on your visa application that the employer submits. So start considering your USPs. Actually your current role in NE Asia could make you an experienced intermediary, and if SG-based, between SEA and NEA. Maybe/just a thought/hmmm...

- To create a transparent market, to help the locals get a look-in on the higher level MNC jobs, all job openings must be advertised on the government website 'JobsBank'. So look that up and see what's on there, just to get a flavour.
- You can also by network/Linked-In etc. That kind of web based networking is new since I retired so can't say more.
- Back in the 90s/00s it was more usual at your level to consult with head-hunters. Back in my day they'd be based in NYC, London, and some down in Aus. No idea today where or who to suggest...
- Skills might vary. Quite a lot of expats in SGn banks might simply be on a geographic rotation between countries (and/or products), as part of the Cos broadening-out of promising or niche-skill employees. Example, I was rotated from London to set up the JGB-repo department in Tokyo. Once that done (18 months?), then they sent me down to SG to set up the Middle Office, where they were just opening a desk for the then very emerging sector of SEA debt trading. So you see the pattern... both times I has skills locals didn't, got in set things up, x-trained local based staff, then pronto I was squeezed out onto the next role.
- Salary data. Yes, it's impenetrable, likely as the niches/skill-sets can be so unusual/rare that it's hard to price them. I don't know if a HH adds any clarity to it...

I think in your shoes I'd be looking to tap into a network of profs in your general line and just toss ideas around. Hmmm... but I don't think I know any such current people that hang out on this forum.

Anyway and in the meanwhile, maybe a thing or two that might be of use or provoke further questions above.

[KimchiNinja]

Rather like a foreigner seeking to work in the US, in SG you need to have something the locals haven't got to justify your hiring.

- To create a transparent market, to help the locals get a look-in on the higher level MNC jobs, all job openings must be advertised on the government website 'JobsBank'.

- You can also by network/Linked-In etc. That kind of web based networking is new since I retired so can't say more.

Helpful, thanks!

Right, I need to think more about how to specifically pitch my skills vs locals. Didn't know about the mandatory listing on JobsBank, was just over there browsing. Yeah, I've been looking at the Linkedin jobs feature, haven't been in the market for a long time so need to get up to speed on how exactly that works.

[nutnut]

There are only a few recruiters who are ok in Sg too, most of them are arseholes, bear that in mind. I don't know about your type of work, but, check out efinancial careers webpage too (sorry, don't have the link)


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