Sick of seeing "Singaporeans and PRs need only apply"!

[Strong Eagle]

I've been looking for a cook and I've have been getting applications from mechanics and hairdressers

May be they are mechanics and hairdressers who know how to cook

When I have asked for project managers, I've gotten every sort of reply. It's sad in a way... so many people looking for a way to advance themselves... I don't begrudge the applications... I do wish they had a better chance... and a better understanding of why they cannot be considered. And I understand why so many try anyway.

[ksl]

I've been looking for a cook and I've have been getting applications from mechanics and hairdressers

May be they are mechanics and hairdressers who know how to cook

When I have asked for project managers, I've gotten every sort of reply. It's sad in a way... so many people looking for a way to advance themselves... I don't begrudge the applications... I do wish they had a better chance... and a better understanding of why they cannot be considered. And I understand why so many try anyway.

Like sperm, for every 500,000,000 that try, maybe one makes it but rarely in Singapore Though I say keep trying every day and night!

I have nothing against taking the right one on, and teaching them the ropes, though they have to convince me they are the right ones, it's taken 3 years to find a character with confidence in public, and yet there are lots around with no education aat all, earning between 3 and 6k a month, I've met many of them and they have the gift of the gab, talented and cannot get a break to study, because the employers exploit them, and are not interested in them climbing the ladder!

Personally I have seen shocking colonial behaviour with employees, that run their businesses through fear with foreign workers, no wonder Singaporeans don't want to work for them if they have the same attitude, and of course they have.

I was only thinking the other day, that I would put the boss on is arse for speaking to me, the way he treats his employees. Personally i have no respect for these people that have education and cannot do shit practically, they pay for everything that needs to be done, because they cannot do it themselves. Of course I'm not saying everyone in Singapore is like that, but my experience is that it is wide spread and not to my liking!

That is my reason to give others without education a chance, though they must have a little commonsense too, and they will be trained up to succeed. Confidence in oneself is the key to making progress, with a well balanced mind, not a pyschopathic dreamer! Pyschopathic may sound harsh and dangerous but it is not really, it is quite a common flaw in human behaviour!

[x9200]

When I have asked for project managers, I've gotten every sort of reply. It's sad in a way... so many people looking for a way to advance themselves... I don't begrudge the applications... I do wish they had a better chance... and a better understanding of why they cannot be considered. And I understand why so many try anyway.

A kind of answer is in this thread:
[..]and I asked the same question to a recruiter friend a few weeks ago.
She replied "Just apply anyway."
And there are many same class habits around:
- people regularly pressing lift buttons with light indicating that it was already pressed and the lift is coming
- people regularly pressing pedestrian crossing buttons with light indicating that it was already pressed and the traffic light change is coming
- tons of people waving on the taxis with red indicator on /after I such saw one such cab actually stopping I stopped to wonder/
I am not sure what is really behind but it is a very typical behaviour like they do not understand simple messages or they do no believe them. My guess would be the second one. Not telling the truth and doing it the most obvious way is definitely typical of local culture.

[irvine]

One question to the OP:

1. Why are you anxious to work?

If it's for money, then I'd say keep applying and all the best. If it's just to occupy your time, I urge you to take your time and meanwhile, enjoy the many other things Singapore has to offer. After all, you have worked many years before, and will probably work many years after this. I can tell you, working in Singapore may be boring. I.e. routine, mundane, hours sunk in commuting daily, and possibly long working hours, and yada yada yada.

[beppi]

I am always amazed at the unprofessionality of HR (and headhunters, for that matter) in Singapore.
When I started sending applications a few years ago, I followed job hunting advice from a book (not written in or for Singapore, obviously) and called a few days after emailing my application to ask if it has been received (in the days of rampant SPAM filters a reasonable thing, I thought), whether there are any questions and what the further timeline is. This confused them to no end! Not only did I never get any information other than "We will contact you if you're shortlisted", but they mostly didn't even know about the position (advertised!) I was talking about. It was worse for unsolicited applications, which, I figured out, probably go to the wastebin immediately.

[Saint]

I nearly didn't get the position I'm in at the moment because of the HR department. I applied for a position which had a very specific skill set criteria, quite unique and virtually impossible to find in Singapore. Sent my CV off to HR and thought I'd get a call within a day or two. 5 days went by with various follow up emails and no reply. Then out the blue, a few day before I was flying back to UK, I got a call from my now boss asking if my CV was for real!

It turns out the HR hadn't bother to forward my CV on to him because after scanning the CV they found I hadn't got a degree. It was only by chance my boss had asked HR if any CV in for the position did they mention in passing that they got mine with 20 years experience but unfortunately no degree!

2 hour chat later, couple of calls back to London to see if anymore knew me from the market I work in could vouch for me (and yes, within an hour they had got to speak to someone in London who knew me!) Contract agreed and signed.

My boss torn they HR dept to pieces over this and now we get all CVs sent directly to us!

[Nath21]

Similar experience I went through 5 rounds of interviews in australia including teleconference with Global and Regional Head of my divison, Chairman of the Board etc and agreed salary and working terms. Passed all the details to HR and they requested that I do an interview with them before approval, fought me to reduce my salary based on that locals could do they job cheaper but the job was advertised for over 12 months here with no one suitable. In the end Head of HR got fired over the issue as it was a cumulation of events. Recently got sniff of local HR staff getting kickbacks from recruiters so they dont like not having control of the process. The commission are sometimes up to 30%+ of salary so your talking big money.

[beppi]

A few of my favourite quotes frequent in Singapore job ads:

- Degree/diploma
(Read: We want a degree holder, but pay as for a diploma)
- Minimum 3-5 years experience - fresh graduates are welcome to apply
(Read: Simple logic does not apply in this company)
- Applicants should submit their CV in MS Word format
(In headhunter ads, read: We are too lazy to reformat your stuff for the anonymized submission to our client)
- Degree in any field, 5-7 years relevant experience
(in an ad too vague to tell which industry the company is in or what the job really involves)

[littleHanoian]

edited

[sundaymorningstaple]

For anybody "sick" of seeing position only advertised for Singaporeans & PR's, may I suggest that you return to your own country and see how many jobs are available for people NOT from your country? You can always GO HOME and get a job there where the market is skewed in YOUR favour.

I think it's time you all woke up to smell the roses. Singapore owes you NOTHING. If you are able to find a job in a small country like Singapore during the worst economic downturn since the Great Depression in the 1930's, then you should get down on your knees and give thanks to what ever deity you pray to. I think it's time for a reality check here!

Singapore DOES NOT OWE YOU A LIVING!

SMS

[carolinemain]

Alright chill out man!

I never meant any of this in a nasty way. But I'm really impressed at everyone's advice (including yours earlier - and no I am not "one of those blondes" thanks). I've taken everyone's advice on board and it's been interesting reading about other people's experiences.

That's the idea of these forums yes? No need to take it so seriously.

[sundaymorningstaple]

You may not have meant it that way, but what I am driving at is the fact that so many come here as trailing spouses, thinking that, nah, won't be a problem, I'll just find a job when I get there. Little knowing that their spouse was 'lucky' to get a job. Just because one has got the qualifications doesn't mean you can get a job here no more than it does if a local here tried to get one in your respective country. It is the 'duty' of the government to protect it's own citizens first. So with that in mind, jobs have to be given to locals, if qualified persons exist, first. If there are insufficient or unsuitably trained locals only, then the government will hire foreign talent to ensure the job gets done. When there are sufficient personnel trained to cover those positions, the EP holder will have his contract canceled and will be sent home. That's the way it works here and anywhere else for that matter. The fact that they let you come here as a dependent is fine, but they don't automatically owe the trailing spouse a job. This is something that should have been factored into the equation prior to the spouse taking up their position.

On another note, most of us on here take the time we devote to this board seriously. That's why we are here, day after day, most of the mods here are giving back what we have received here over the years, the cumulative advice assembled from various industries and experiences as well as factual & anecdotal evidence. That along with the regulars here who have used this site in their initial foray into Singapore and their later assimilation into Singapore and have continued to stick around to help us disseminate our/their experiences to newcomers. However, all of us like to help those who help themselves. We don't like having to regurgitate the same information every time somebody comes here asking the same questions that could be answered with a simple search of the forum using the tools readily at hand. This is not directed at you, but I'm sure you have already seen enough of those types of posts here already.

And you are right, I know you aren't one of 'those' blondes. I said as much in the same post.

[littleHanoian]

Alright - We GET it

Nobody is going to roll on the floor, shout & scream that Singapore is owing us a LIVING!

For anybody "sick" of seeing position only advertised for Singaporeans & PR's, may I suggest that you return to your own country and see how many jobs are available for people NOT from your country? You can always GO HOME and get a job there where the market is skewed in YOUR favour.

I think it's time you all woke up to smell the roses. Singapore owes you NOTHING. If you are able to find a job in a small country like Singapore during the worst economic downturn since the Great Depression in the 1930's, then you should get down on your knees and give thanks to what ever deity you pray to. I think it's time for a reality check here!

Singapore DOES NOT OWE YOU A LIVING!

SMS

[Plavt]

Alright - We GET it

Nobody is going to roll on the floor, shout & scream that Singapore is owing us a LIVING!

Perhaps you should consider more the first sentence of Sms's post, the attitude is only too common even between EEC member states.

[Saint]

Alright - We GET it

Nobody is going to roll on the floor, shout & scream that Singapore is owing us a LIVING!

Unfortunately there are many people who feel hard done by because having been in Singapore for 6 months they should be granted PR. Students who have studied here should automatically be given a job and EP. GFs who follow their BFs to Singapore (or vice versa) should automatically be allowed to stay in Singapore and given a jobs. People with numerous degrees and a couple of years experience are far better qualified to do a job than any Singaporean/PR, the list goes on.

There have been many 'hard done by' threads over the years on this forum, especially over the last 6/12 months.