Hi all
I am a British citizen currently based in the UK studying for a master’s. I have no professional experience to speak of but am hoping to begin my career in Singapore after I graduate in the summer.
I have been somewhat discouraged after browsing through this forum. Several posts have said employers are very reluctant to employ foreigners, and that with no experience or skills that Singaporeans lack you are wasting your time. Is this really true? If so why does an organisations such as Contact Singapore devote a section of its website to foreign students? Given that Singapore spends so much on overseas scholarships, I had assumed they would be happy to get me, with similar academic qualifications (LSE, Cambridge), for free. I do not expect (or want) an ‘expat’ lifestyle, just enough to subsist on while doing something I find interesting.
Should I be focusing on multinationals with graduate programmes or do I stand a chance with smaller companies? Is it best to focus on getting some kind of internship and hope it leads on to something more permanent? Or is my best option to work in London for a company with a Singapore office and aim for a transfer? (I’m hoping not). I plan to remain in Singapore for a significant amount of time (yes my girlfriend is bonded in case you were wondering). Is the in-principle approval for permanent residency something I should be looking into?
Any advice regarding my particular sector would also be much appreciated. My master’s is in economics and ideally I want to find work as an economist. Is the public sector a realistic option for me in Singapore? I’ve emailed MTI twice with no response, so its not looking too hopeful. My search for economic consultancies with Singapore offices has been surprisingly fruitless, does anyone know of any?
Any advice or opinions would be very much appreciated. Thanks.