Urban Planner looking to make the move

[frozenzeus]

Hi All,

I'm a 24 year old Australian who is looking to make the move to Singapore next year. I'm curious if there is anyone else in the urban planning/transport planning field who has made the move or can tell me anything about the job market in Singapore presently - or know of any recruiters in this field.

I'm also interested to know if many other people out there have gone over "cold" without a job (which is what I'm planning) and look for jobs when they arrive. It seems most people on here seem to have jobs lined up or get transfers in. I'd like to know what peoples experiences were of going in 'cold'. From what I gather the urban planning market is small in Singapore so going in cold could be risky, so any advice would be great.

For the record I have 3 years experience in urban planning (predominately in traffic and transport area) and a bachelor's degree in urban planning.

Any help or advice would be greatly appreciated.

Cheers

[frozenzeus]

and one other question - would going and trying to get a background in Mandarin assist my chance of finding work? i've noticed some jobs in my field ask state "Written and spoken Chinese preferred".

Would doing say a year of intensive classes in Mandarin be sufficient for this criteria (obviously I wouldn't be fluent but I'd have a background at least) or should I not worry and focus on what I already bring the table?

[beppi]

In my experience, being here is a precondition for getting any interview. Unless you have connections, never send an application without local phone number! Be prepared to stay at least a few months and return empty-handed if necessary.
"Written and spoken Chinese preferred" usually means "We hire only Chinese". No amount of studies will get you there!
"Only Singaporeans and PR need apply" means axactly that. Don't waste your time on these!
Unsolicited applications and headhunters are also of very limited use in Singapore.
Oh, and: You will never get a rejection - empty silence is the Asian way to say "No".

Good luck - you'll need it!