Strength of IT in Singapore

[crescendo]

Let me say a Hello to all the members here. I am new to this forum as well as to Singapore.

I read lot of other threads in this forum and I could not answer this particular question "Strength of IT in Singapore" and hence this thread. Please do give your views on the same.

[riversandlakes]

That's a really difficult question...

[crescendo]

That's a really difficult question...

Why do you say so?

I think it is straight forward. If you ask me in India the number of Software organization are going up every day and percentage of job oppurtunites available for software professional is really high. This is a healthy sign as such and I would say the IT is very strong in India.

But the forum post's that I have read so far, an individual asking for help to find a job in IT concern does not get any reply at all. I am afraid if this signals a weakness in the strength of IT here.

[Strong Eagle]

The problem with IT in Singapore (at least from the employee's perspective) is that there are so many people that want jobs here. True technicians are becoming a commodity item and there is strong downward price pressures.

First, there are the local graduates of a variety of good technical schools. Companies select them first because it is easier than hiring foreigners.

Then, everybody and his brother, particularly from India but also elsewhere, wants to come to Singapore. With the right qualifications, an EP can be granted. Otherwise the jobs must be offered to locals first.

If you are coming with specialized skills, or niche market knowledge or a business focus towards IT, you might be in demand. But if you are coming as a web developer, programmer, software engineer, etc. there will be a lot of competition. Your best bet would be to go to work for a firm in your country that has branch offices here and then work on getting transferred. It is ususally easier to get an EP this way, too, since you will have specialized company knowledge.

FWIW, I believe India is already starting to feel the effects of its IT prosperity. Salaries are rising fairly rapidly, and turnover has gone up substantially. I am aware of a large company that pulled its help desk operations out of India and into Penang because labor costs were increasing in India and turnover and training costs were jumping.

[riversandlakes]

i've heard first hand from indian colleagues of how their job retention is only max 3 months.

but i think that's just because demand outstrips supply; nothing extraorrdinary. where else will businesses go that equates india in terms of such a HUGE IT workforce at such a comparable cost to china and malaysia?

malaysia definitely doesn't have that many brains...

[Strong Eagle]

i've heard first hand from indian colleagues of how their job retention is only max 3 months.

but i think that's just because demand outstrips supply; nothing extraorrdinary. where else will businesses go that equates india in terms of such a HUGE IT workforce at such a comparable cost to china and malaysia?

malaysia definitely doesn't have that many brains...

Oh, India is still cheap, relatively speaking. Well educated Indians are demanding better pay and shorter hours and are getting it for exactly the reason you say, demand outstrips supply. But the other facet of free market economics is that demand is tempered as prices rise, and that too, is what is happening.

[crescendo]

The problem with IT in Singapore (at least from the employee's perspective) is that there are so many people that want jobs here. True technicians are becoming a commodity item and there is strong downward price pressures.

Do you say this in common (experienced / non-experienced). I see a huge difference when it comes to experienced individual. Even in India, there are lot of fresh candidates desperately looking to get into the IT industry. But when it comes to experienced (i.e, 4+ years) there is a huge demand. If you happen to register your CV with job sites, you will get 20 calls and 30 emails per day for the first week asking for updated CV, interest in job location and convenient time for interview. So I feel there should be good demand when it comes to experienced professional be it a Web developer, ......etc. If not then the number of IT concerns here in Singapore must be less or must have them outsourced. Thats what I feel.

Can some body list the big names in IT in Singapore. Please list the big names having their development centre in Singapore rather than just the marketing segment.

but i think that's just because demand outstrips supply; nothing extraorrdinary

Yes, you are right. And the demand keeps growing as there are more number of new concerns coming up every day. This is one factor to estimate the growth of State in a particular quarter.