Any1 Moved frm New York or London to SG in last few months

[stacey]

Has any of you moved from New York, London, or anywhere else in the USA or the UK in the recent months?

I almost made the move when I got an offer in the late summer, however I didnt not go through with it. Now with the situation worse off here, it seems were back to considering this move. Has anybody arrived to SG recently?
Did anyone move because of the bad economic conditions in NY and London, especially in the banking sector? And how much better off are things in SG currently. I know Asia and local economy is also suffering, but several banks are still hiring, perhaps not as much as before, but still.

Anybody is a similar boat?
THANKS!

[durain]

are you sure banks are hiring in asia? it's front page banks are getting rid of people in singapore.

[stacey]

I dont know about Asia. I know about Singapore. I am currently interviewing on first or seconds rounds, so I'm sure they are hiring.
That's not to say that they arent letting people go as well. I know that and have read that

They can certainly let go thousands and hiring only hundreds. The only time when they dont hire is where there is an official hiring freeze; and even then they still manage to get exceptions. No?

They flipside is that salaries offered tend to be slightly lower...

[sundaymorningstaple]

DBS Bank here just retrenched 900 people in Asia, with of half in Singapore from Director level down with the highest percentage being in upper level staff but cuts across the board.

You might want to rethink as the financial sector is just playing catchup to the Western debacle. Especially seeing 5 months ago you were asking questions about salaries in the 200K range and now are talking in the 100K range.

[stacey]

I stated the 100 was a round figurative figure. Sorry if I was not clear and you misunderstood.

Let me make something else clear... I recently obtained a job in the financial sector, however the company is unable to sponsor the green card which is what I need to stay on, hence the reason for moving. This is the same company for which I got a job offer in Singapore in late summer.
My only 'best' options being New York and London are in really bad conditions, I have been unable to obtain a job in London although I was really close last month. On the other hand, my prospects, again and still, for obtaining a job in Singapore are not only pretty good, but much better than anywhere else, and maybe the only place over the next few months.
I'm hoping that I may be able to do well on an upcoming third interview, although I have a couple other leads... I will know better in the coming month(s), although I expect it to slow down over the holidays...

By the way, they are still hiring in New York and London, and Singapore, albeit a much much much harder depressed and competitive environment.

Yes or No?

[thedonchop]

Although I am rather young, only 22 , I had numerous job offers with large international companies in various sectors in NYC (I'm from there) but most of the upper- level brass I met were straight- forward with what they told me about salary and job security from then (over the summer) thru at least March of next year. So i went to Norway to work in energy and transport and am being sent to Singapore in about six weeks.

While the environment in all major sectors of industry and business are "depressed" Singapore is still a good base for commerce and projects for the region. It will improve in the states in the long- run, but I admittedly got the hell out of there and took up the opportunity in Norway and my willingness to go to south- Asia and be shuffled around was a huge plus for them coz all industries require looking for that new big thing or project that is not been the norm in a specific sector whether it be banking, finance, energy, commerce, trade etc etc

[stacey]

good move.
I stayed and got crushed twice...

the second time was because I went to work for the Titanic...
but it was the only offer at the time...

[thedonchop]

Yes. I grew up in an International School environment and have friends from various countries and university backgrounds in banking, finance, and hedge funds. Most of them ended up in NYC after they finished their university studies and now all but one or two have gone back to their home countries for these big banks or investment firms.

I think if you have language ability (they are all at least bilingual, with an Asian language) and are educated a good US university or reputable foreign university, then despite the problems, we are still useful, though more likely in Asia or the middle east rather than the US or western Europe...plus there is more opporuntity to expand horizons in the emerging regions despite the contemporary crisis

Just my two cents.

[stacey]

exaclty... some very useless people in nyc/uk are still pretty useful in some parts of asia... at least for now

[ksl]

exaclty... some very useless people in nyc/uk are still pretty useful in some parts of asia... at least for now

From the banking sector! I can't agree more.....I was surfing the net and came across this blog here http://captaincapitalism.blogspot.com/2 ... nkers.html

I guess there are many pissed off people, and they still haven't learnt their lessons, not to trust banks, The Singapore rip off with the worthless mini bonds, have done much, after clients were encouraged to part with their millions.
I can understand the shock, especially in UK, with banks offering only 35k liability for hundreds of thousands invested, and now, the tax payer is whacked, again, in fact the tax payer will always be, the sucker. god bless em!

Have you ever thought you are in the wrong industry? Never trust banks with your hard earned cash, but utilise them, to the best of your ability, that's the only way to beat them at there own game.

[bogdang]

Stacey,
I have just moved to SG from the US and I got a job at a bank over here.

I see you have green card issues in the US. Been that, done that.
I waited for the damn card almost 8 years and could write a book about my experiences.
If I could live my life again, I would have left the US long time ago so I didn’t have to go thru all the sh*t. Well, I had my reasons to stay, some kind of a vision of life in the States,
which btw never materialized, so unless you have specific reasons to stay, I’d recommend moving on. I mean, don’t get me wrong, I still think US is a wonderful country, but if you have to waste so many years of your life stuck in a location and job you don’t like only because you have a hope of getting the green card, in the end it is not worth it.

I’ve moved to SG for personal reasons, got a job at an affiliate of the company I worked for in the States. Since the job is just means to an end, I didn’t go thru deliberation about how the job market is and what will happen to it in the future as compared with the States,
so I cannot help with that.

[stacey]

you cant be in the wrong business if you work for banks...
(excluding perhaps 2008-2010)
I'm not in favor of all the abuse/greed, but banks are not just wall st..
besides if you work at a bank and not an executive/trader/banker (or even then), you're not actually the investor who got duped but the actual dupper in some cases...

[thedonchop]

ksl,

That blog you linked is spot on. I had more success and better prospects with foreign companies (ie toyota, lufthansa, ocbc etc etc) with a US degree from a non- ivy league school. I had very high marks but was basially jerked around and made to attend useless interviews with people from the lehmans, bears, aigs, and other now succumbing entities.

Most of my friends who went ivy league and ended up with these companies have either fallen prey or have gone to offices in asia for these companies. while they weren't exactly th desuchbags (international school background like myself) that the blog mentions, they played the game the way it was laid out by these banks and investment firms and are now paying the price. Admittedly, they and myself included found our high school curriculum in an International School in japan to be much more challenging then our times in university and this includes cornell, columbia, nyu, cincinnati, usc, and other top name schools.

most of the guys who have survived and continue to be successful at this young age have a US degree but also world experience unlike most of these "elites" who have messed up the global economy with their arrogance.