Advice needed: US student seeking to head east...

[Aesp]

Hi everyone,

After looking through the forums and job-listings, I'm wondering: Are my chances of finding an internship or entry-level position in Sg non-existent without already having a work permit?

Her are my stats (not sure if these affect the permit process, but just in case they do...)

-- I'm a student at a US university, (not a Big Name U, but more than respectable) 22ys old, F.
-- I'll graduate Summa Cum Laude (highest honors) in May with a degree in Communication (minor: Cultural Studies), which I've supplemented with several courses in Finance, Macro-economics, and Asian Politics.
-- I have 1 year of internship experience working at a logistics company (working mainly with DOD contracts in the West Asia and Afghanistan), and a year of work experience as a office manager at a small publishing company

I've already taken the GMAT and plan to eventually pursue a masters in international management and/or a MBA, but I'd really like to get a few years of overseas experience before jumping back into academia.

Anyone have tips on how to approach companies, or problems I should look out for? Any and all information will be deeply appreciated.


Thank you, and apologies for the long post!

[nakatago]

Please try to do a search on Ministry of Manpower, Employment Pass. Normally, a company would hire you then they apply for your pass. Getting a job offer is no guarantee of working in Singapore as your pass approval all depends on the government. Those dependencies can be found all over in these forums. Ditto for how people tried to land a job here in Singapore.

[Aesp]

Great advice- a search for Ministry of Manpower and Employment Pass did turn up the type of information I'm looking for.

I had done previous searches, but I kept running across the acronyms MoM and EP in the answers--and I had no idea what those refereed to. Your post solved that mystery , so thanks for the help.

[ceej1979]

First, succesfully get job/internship offer from company

Second, when you've done that, try and get visa to be able to do it.

You can't do anything on the visa until you've actually got the job/internship already.

Ultimately, the government will decide whether the company needs you. Not the company

[wcs]

There are two ways of achieving this. Firstly try to get a job from afar. Secondly move to Singapore and track down a job in person. Both have pros and cons, and you can search here to hear of the experiences of many of us.

If you decide to come here first you can apply for an EPEC, and a Long Term Pass which together will let you stay in Singapore for a year to hunt for a job. But then you will need to have the savings to support yourself for that time.

Good Luck with it.

[ceej1979]

Hi everyone,

After looking through the forums and job-listings, I'm wondering: Are my chances of finding an internship or entry-level position in Sg non-existent without already having a work permit?

Her are my stats (not sure if these affect the permit process, but just in case they do...)

-- I'm a student at a US university, (not a Big Name U, but more than respectable) 22ys old, F.
-- I'll graduate Summa Cum Laude (highest honors) in May with a degree in Communication (minor: Cultural Studies), which I've supplemented with several courses in Finance, Macro-economics, and Asian Politics.
-- I have 1 year of internship experience working at a logistics company (working mainly with DOD contracts in the West Asia and Afghanistan), and a year of work experience as a office manager at a small publishing company

I've already taken the GMAT and plan to eventually pursue a masters in international management and/or a MBA, but I'd really like to get a few years of overseas experience before jumping back into academia.

Anyone have tips on how to approach companies, or problems I should look out for? Any and all information will be deeply appreciated.


Thank you, and apologies for the long post!

Could I ask what sort of publishing you've been doing? As in, magazine, web, journal, book?

What sort of company was it? Like a small local publisher, or international large scale publishing?

And what you what you were doing? As in, were you doing a lot of proofing, copy editing, editorial stuff?

It's quite funny, but I basically did the exact same degree as you, reading your article again. And I also work in publishing.

The only real difference is that I have a couple of years more experience. And I was moving from one giant academic publisher, to another, so had some direct experience in the market.

Anyway. I got a job offer. It's not an impossibility.