Addadude wrote:Mike, I have to say that I am getting a serious case of deja vu reading all this. 16 years ago I went through almost exactly the same process you are going through now, albeit for an entirely different industry. I too was interviewed in London by the Singaporean chairman of a group of companies involved, in this case, in the advertising industry. (He used to travel to London regularly to see his daughter who was studying in Bath. Because also combined these trips with interviewing for expatriate staff, he could put them through his company as business travel.)
I've been in Singapore ever since - but certainly not with the same company. Let me throw a few thoughts your way for consideration.
First of all, as KSL said, the money is not great. You WILL find it very hard to make ends meet on that salary. Even 16 years ago I was offered more money than you are being offered now and I found things to be VERY expensive here. Earning $3-4k a month means you will at best be renting a room, paying up to $1k a month for that privilege. Utilities (assuming they are shared) will be another say $50. Local food is relatively cheap but you will be spending a minimum of $10 - $15 a day on that. Western-style food will be considerably more. Transport (bus/MRT - Singapore's version of the Tube) will cost you around $15 a week. A simple half pint of beer will cost you around $10 in a non-city centre pub. Forget about saving! If you were a young guy in his mid to late twenties, I'd say go for it for the experience. At your current age, I'd strongly advise you to bargain for much more money.
Which brings me to my second point: don't expect to be able to renegotiate your remuneration package 'after you've proven your worth'. It won't happen. At best, your boss will stick to what was agreed in your written letter of employment and won't pay you a cent more. At worst, he'll try and weasel out of it and pay you even less. Bargain HARD now for what you think you're worth and, above all, get all that you agreed IN WRITING.
Third point, don't be surprised when the charming, Western-oriented, slightly self depreciating and humble individual that interviewed you in London transforms into a loud, demanding, humorless and downright slave-driving tyrant in your new workplace.
Fourth point, SMS is spot on. As the token ' company ang moh', you will be proudly displayed to all and sundry as proof of your boss' success. Congratulations on becoming a status symbol!
Fifth point, I'm not sure about your motivations for coming here. If, as you said, Asia is far behind the West when it comes to scientific publishing, I am really not sure what good it will do your mid-to-long term career. It sounds almost the same as a Premier League player moving to Singapore to play in the S League! In other words - a serious step backwards! Perhaps you have visions of establishing yourself as the leading individual in your field in Asia... Good luck on that - but bear in mind that in all probability, your new boss will have other ideas!
Good luck with whatever you decide to do.
Thanks for the message. It was very helpful.
Chairman - they have a UK office - I say office, it's more just a bookshop - and he was over checking up on things. They originally wanted me to go over - I didn't want to - so they said I could meet him in London - which I did.
Money - emmm, I kind of agree, it's maybe a tad low. But I don't really plan to be here for a ever. .
Rent - I won't be paying any. Well next to nothing. Which makes it an affordable move to be honest. A friend of mine owns a spare
property/condo in the area, that he has offered to me as a long standing return on a favour I did for him over here.
Money - you're probably right. I haven't even had an official offer yet, but I'll say what they put down in writing. There is room for negociation to be honest. They've hinted at relocation packages, and expat deals.
Tyrants - yes, I've heard that a few times. A friend of mine's a local, and has warned me about the work culture. To be honest, I'm in the office in the UK at 9pm at night sometimes, so I'm about as ready as anyone I guess.
Status symbol - I think you are right. I have heard a few times now that a few white employees is seen as an local company being succesful. I've already been briefed about the fact that I'll be asked to travel, and attend meetings and conferences. Translated - EVERY conference in Asia no doubts.
Motivation - career wise, it's a big step down. Kind of like leaving Apple in silicon valley, USA, and going to work for PC World in Dagenam. China/Japan are at the bottom of the pile in the industry and field. Singapore are maybe 10 places under that - the bottom of the reguional pile.
I'm quite confident about my role in the UK - outside of recession, I could get my current sort of job pretty easily, with about 50 different companies.
I just see it as a 24 month experience. See a bit of Australia, Japan, China, Singapore, Malaysia in my spare time. Plus - I haven't mentioned it, but I actually have to spend a month in the region in August next year anyway. Something that will prove very difficult with my current job (I can only take 2 weeks off at a time - no negociating). So it's a decent solution.
(Joking I hope!).