advice please - civil service?

[tkm]

My husband is likely to be offered a job teaching in Singapore with the MoE. He has also been offered a job in London. We are currently weighing up the pros and cons of the move which also comes down to how it would play out for my career as well.

I currently have a really good job with the Australian government. I would like to take the opportunity to experience new government roles should we move but I am unsure if I am able to work and if so, the likelihood of being considered for civil servant positions.

I work in fairly specialist large IT government roles so I really don't want to take a few years off as that world changes so quickly.

Anyone know anything about the civil service and specifically foreigners working for them?

[econoMIC]

Believe me you do not want to move to London. I am German and Canadian, lived in Singapore for 3 years and then married a local and we moved to London. After 2 years here we can't wait to go back. This country is going down the drain and has nothing going for it, the taxes are astronomically high and you have to work the whole year for people depending on welfare. KSL can fill you in on how he feels but you might feel like crying afterwards because you never thought a place could be that messed up.

We live in a very good neighbourhood in West London. In 2 years my motorcycle has been stolen once, vandalised twice, our car window was smashed twice (both parked in a locked garage). And they broke in our house once. This is normal and every Londoner knows this.

Two weekends ago a bunch of Latvian kids was playing football, kicking against parked cars and breaking, scratching, denting them, playing loud music and making a lot of noise in the driveway in front of our building around 2am. I called the police and they said they would send someone over. Then I called security who said they had a word with them but got attacked, they had called the police half an hour earlier. By 5am, three hours and two more phone calls to the police later the youths finally packed up and went to bed, having left everybody in our building up the whole night. Some went down to talk to them but got threatened with knifes. The police never came. When we complained, we were told they were busy that night... problem is that it was not the first time it happened.

I think my experiences clearly tell you why I would prefer Singapore any second, especially as I have lived there before as well. You have no quality of living in London and if you have children, nope, I wouldn't want to do that to them. Singapore without a doubt.

PS: I have two friends working for the Ministry of Education, one as a literature teacher for a and o levels, the other a poly lecturer in account. Both love their work and are happy with the MoE.

[tkm]

thanks fro the reply. I am used to a high tax environment as about 40% of my salary goes on tax to the oz government now. I do get some benefits in return though and know if I was to fall seriously ill or lose my job that there would be something to sustain me from social security during this time. Its a double edged sword.

As for the violence, used to that too. We have our own range of social problems that seem to be getting worse with knife fights and drunken punch ups that cause serious injury the norm.

I know that if we take the job in the UK I will be able to work in a comparable position. I am worried that if we go to Singapore I will struggle to find a job as the civil service I would assume is strictly the domain of locals, for good reason - it is their government and services. I realise that I could get a job at a multi-national however, the government is the career path for me and I don't want to spend two or three years killing time at something else iykwim.

[blue_thunder]

The only career where expats are not allowed is Civil Service

If they do then all the citizens of Sg may immigrate to a different country .

[Strong Eagle]

I think you biggest problem would not be not holding citizenship or PR. With the complaints about 'foreign talent' taking jobs, government officials might be hard pressed to hand you a job, although if you were on a DP you might find it a bit easier.

Have you tried talking to some of the people responsible for hiring? Check out this website... you might be able to talk to some people about the viability of you being able to work.

http://www.careers.gov.sg/

[Plavt]

tkm,
Take heed from econoMIC, the conservatives who are most likely to win the next election are planning pay freezes for top civil servants on incomes of above £18k for a period of a year. I would not be surprised if the temporary measure becomes permanent. Furthermore a good number of civil service departments have been privatised and I wouldn't be surprised if more follow. The unsociable nature of London which econoMIC mentions is commonplace along with general rudeness and ignorance throughout London.

[memorieschc]

In Singapore context, the civil service can be broken down into:

1) Ministries; and
2) Statutory Boards.

In usual circumstances, Ministries would not employ foreigners except locals due to the sensitive information.

While Statutory Boards do employ foreigners. Benefits are also better than Ministries.

To have a good view of which agency belongs to the category of Statutory Boards, u can visit http://app.sgdi.gov.sg/index.asp?cat=2

[SGBoyxxx]

Believe me you do not want to move to London. I am German and Canadian, lived in Singapore for 3 years and then married a local and we moved to London. After 2 years here we can't wait to go back. This country is going down the drain and has nothing going for it, the taxes are astronomically high and you have to work the whole year for people depending on welfare. KSL can fill you in on how he feels but you might feel like crying afterwards because you never thought a place could be that messed up.

We live in a very good neighbourhood in West London. In 2 years my motorcycle has been stolen once, vandalised twice, our car window was smashed twice (both parked in a locked garage). And they broke in our house once. This is normal and every Londoner knows this.

Two weekends ago a bunch of Latvian kids was playing football, kicking against parked cars and breaking, scratching, denting them, playing loud music and making a lot of noise in the driveway in front of our building around 2am. I called the police and they said they would send someone over. Then I called security who said they had a word with them but got attacked, they had called the police half an hour earlier. By 5am, three hours and two more phone calls to the police later the youths finally packed up and went to bed, having left everybody in our building up the whole night. Some went down to talk to them but got threatened with knifes. The police never came. When we complained, we were told they were busy that night... problem is that it was not the first time it happened.

I think my experiences clearly tell you why I would prefer Singapore any second, especially as I have lived there before as well. You have no quality of living in London and if you have children, nope, I wouldn't want to do that to them. Singapore without a doubt.

PS: I have two friends working for the Ministry of Education, one as a literature teacher for a and o levels, the other a poly lecturer in account. Both love their work and are happy with the MoE.

He/she in which poly teach?

[econoMIC]

I think he teaches in NYP.

[SGBoyxxx]

I think he teaches in NYP.

Noted .
I thought maybe he/she works in NP because I am working there.

[tkm]

Thanks for the information. I love posting here because there is just so much good information (and you don't suffer fools who can't use the search so the information is not repeated constantly!).

[wcs]

Take a look at careers section of the iDA website. It is the part of government that covers the type of projects you have mentioned. They usually have quite a number of vacancies.

Good Luck!

[madura]

I realise that I could get a job at a multi-national however, the government is the career path for me and I don't want to spend two or three years killing time at something else iykwim.

Actually, it can be quite a boost for your resume to have two or three years in the private sector. It'll be good exposure to see how things are done differently, and you can bring some private sector ideas into the govt (when you're back in there).