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Last Drawn Salary Debate. Yes or No.

Discuss about getting a well paid job or career advancement. Ask about salaries, expat packages, CPF & taxes for expatriate.
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sundaymorningstaple
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Re: Last Drawn Salary Debate. Yes or No.

Post by sundaymorningstaple » Thu, 18 Aug 2016 3:52 pm

BBCWatcher wrote:
NZinSG wrote:Back to the different country part: My last salary was [ X ], I would accept [ Y ] even though it is several thousand lower, because [ X - Previous Country Tax ] is about [ Y - SG Tax ]. That would be the minimum I would accept for a role.
Isn't that too low, other things being equal? Why would you leave a job (and its benefits and protections, which are generally more generous in other developed countries), uproot your family/life, and move to a higher cost of living area only to receive exactly the same take home pay? On the surface, that doesn't make sense.

Maybe you would, but there would have to be a reason or three. Do you prefer Singapore's weather? Food? Lack of internationally dominant rugby teams, but international dominance in the men's 100 meter butterfly? ;)
Could be something as simple as seeing a more rapid advancement up the corporate ladder than would not be possible back home. Let's face it, on hindsight, most people take overseas postings for career advancement or money (preferably both) unless there is a woman involved (I guess in today's PC world I should just say 'a significant other?'). Sometimes you have to give up something to get something (of course this is not always so). Sometimes a lateral move to an area that may well the harbinger of the future may only be possible by a downward shift to enable one to get on a high-speed track to the top.
SOME PEOPLE TRY TO TURN BACK THEIR ODOMETERS. NOT ME. I WANT PEOPLE TO KNOW WHY I LOOK THIS WAY. I'VE TRAVELED A LONG WAY, AND SOME OF THE ROADS WEREN'T PAVED. ~ Will Rogers

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Re: Last Drawn Salary Debate. Yes or No.

Post by Wd40 » Thu, 18 Aug 2016 4:37 pm

I just spoke with an Eastern European colleague of mine who lived and worked in NZ for 10 yrs and then returned back. I asked him why. He said NZ is awesome and beautiful but it gets very boring over time. He told me something like rescuing a cat from a tree is an exciting news for them.

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Re: Last Drawn Salary Debate. Yes or No.

Post by x9200 » Thu, 18 Aug 2016 4:47 pm

mortlock2005 wrote:Perhaps I haven't explained myself clearly, but when I screen candidates, I conduct a phone interview and go over their background, and I can find fabulous, well qualified candidates. At this point, it helps to get a rough idea of their salary expectations. If my budget for a role is max $5k per month, it makes no sense to bring someone in for interviews who won't accept less than $7k per month. They might be the best qualified person for the job, and I would LOVE to hire them, but if we can't afford them, it's pointless going through to full interviews.
If the above was true it should be indifferent for you to put on the table your budget first. You say a range, the candidate says ok, or bye bye, then if ok, you talk together a bit and decide whether to invite the candidate for a full blown interview.
Having it the other way around you are sending a signal, that you may be looking for some sh**ty savings.

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Re: Last Drawn Salary Debate. Yes or No.

Post by BBCWatcher » Thu, 18 Aug 2016 7:31 pm

Wd40 wrote:He told me something like rescuing a cat from a tree is an exciting news for them.
OK, but such news is at least twice as exciting in Singapore. ;)

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Re: Last Drawn Salary Debate. Yes or No.

Post by vjtvjt » Thu, 18 Aug 2016 8:58 pm

For me, I think there's no wrong in disclosing salary expectations because main point is, I acknowledge the fact that recruiters are always working within a budget, which comes from someone sitting on a bigger desk than them. I really like the point Strong Eagle is mentioning, and I may add that I also understand that that is the case when working in Singapore (where it usually boils down to who is the most qualified at the least cost). The thing with most recruiters though is that they make the expected salary as a make or break deal with an applicant, even if he is "the guy" they are looking for.

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Re: Last Drawn Salary Debate. Yes or No.

Post by The Ref » Fri, 19 Aug 2016 12:46 pm

BBCWatcher wrote:Maybe you would, but there would have to be a reason or three. Do you prefer Singapore's weather? Food? Lack of internationally dominant rugby teams, but international dominance in the men's 100 meter butterfly? ;)
But the whole world cant move to New Zealand :P

P.S. I am an Australian Wallaby fan but I accept that the Australian, English and South African teams are all a step behind the All Blacks.

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Re: Last Drawn Salary Debate. Yes or No.

Post by NZinSG » Mon, 22 Aug 2016 7:38 pm

Don't need the whole world to move to NZ... Just need my wife and son to ;)

@WD40 - Yup, it can be quite boring if you're the type of person that likes to spend your time outside of the house. I can understand how a person growing up in SG would feel moving to NZ; I moved to Perth, and it felt like stepping back in time in terms of access to stores/banks, sunday shopping.

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Re: Last Drawn Salary Debate. Yes or No.

Post by sundaymorningstaple » Mon, 22 Aug 2016 9:59 pm

NZinSG, my neice, husband and two young sons moved to New Plymouth about 4 or 5 years ago with his company (O&G Instrumentation company). They just bought a home there. The were born & raised in Singapore and they just love the laid back style in NZ. They now know why their uncle sms didn't sell the farm and become a SG Citizen (PR for quarter of a century now). The farm is my bolt hole once the insanity that is Singapore gets too much for me (or retirement in 6 more years).
SOME PEOPLE TRY TO TURN BACK THEIR ODOMETERS. NOT ME. I WANT PEOPLE TO KNOW WHY I LOOK THIS WAY. I'VE TRAVELED A LONG WAY, AND SOME OF THE ROADS WEREN'T PAVED. ~ Will Rogers

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Re: Last Drawn Salary Debate. Yes or No.

Post by NZinSG » Mon, 22 Aug 2016 10:20 pm

Yup, family life and work life balance are far better in NZ than SG, from what I've gathered.

If you crave the fast paced lifestyle of Singapore, then moving to a slower and more relaxed country will take a lot of getting used to. But you gain so much, especially with hiking, camping, star gazing etc.

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Re: Last Drawn Salary Debate. Yes or No.

Post by sundaymorningstaple » Mon, 22 Aug 2016 11:04 pm

Sometimes it's good to just STOP and watch the grass grow for a while. ;-)
SOME PEOPLE TRY TO TURN BACK THEIR ODOMETERS. NOT ME. I WANT PEOPLE TO KNOW WHY I LOOK THIS WAY. I'VE TRAVELED A LONG WAY, AND SOME OF THE ROADS WEREN'T PAVED. ~ Will Rogers

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Re: Last Drawn Salary Debate. Yes or No.

Post by rajagainstthemachine » Mon, 22 Aug 2016 11:22 pm

sundaymorningstaple wrote:Sometimes it's good to just STOP and watch the grass grow for a while. ;-)
And then smoke it :D
To get there early is on time and showing up on time is late

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Re: Last Drawn Salary Debate. Yes or No.

Post by sundaymorningstaple » Mon, 22 Aug 2016 11:39 pm

^^^This! :mrgreen:

Image
SOME PEOPLE TRY TO TURN BACK THEIR ODOMETERS. NOT ME. I WANT PEOPLE TO KNOW WHY I LOOK THIS WAY. I'VE TRAVELED A LONG WAY, AND SOME OF THE ROADS WEREN'T PAVED. ~ Will Rogers

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Re: Last Drawn Salary Debate. Yes or No.

Post by mkram » Sun, 16 Oct 2016 12:44 am

mortlock2005 wrote:Perhaps I haven't explained myself clearly, but when I screen candidates, I conduct a phone interview and go over their background, and I can find fabulous, well qualified candidates. At this point, it helps to get a rough idea of their salary expectations. If my budget for a role is max $5k per month, it makes no sense to bring someone in for interviews who won't accept less than $7k per month. They might be the best qualified person for the job, and I would LOVE to hire them, but if we can't afford them, it's pointless going through to full interviews.
I think asking for previous salary is not fair. I don't buy the argument of the problem of the budget of the employer. By advertising the range of salary for the job solves; if you have applied against the ad mentioning the salary, it is implied you agree to it.

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