Moving to Singapore for 6 months

JoeyJoJo · Post by **JoeyJoJo** » Thu, 22 Mar 2012 5:23 pm

Hey Gang,

I'm moving to Singapore on the Australian Working Holiday visa for 6 months. Just some advice needed, Has anyone on this visa had any luck obtaining any of form of work? I have a business degree and half way through a law degree with experience in Engineering and SEO. To be honest although it would be nice to be working professional, but I'm not that fussed I just need a job to pay the bills doing anything. Is it easy to get any job there?

Cheers,

JoeyJoJo

zzm9980 · Post by **zzm9980** » Thu, 22 Mar 2012 9:40 pm

You'd probably have a very hard time finding any professional job on a limited 6-month duration. I'd imagine you'll have to take a job in F&B, retail, or manual labor.

How big are those bills? You're not going to make too much.

JoeyJoJo · Post by **JoeyJoJo** » Thu, 22 Mar 2012 10:03 pm

I will be geting $300S from the Australian government per week with austudy. My main costs will be rent, food, internet and booze. I know Singapore is expensive but I'm from Perth and I find it much cheaper than Australia. Ideally I would like to be earning minimum 400-500S per week. with my 300 I think I can live on that.

JR8 · Post by **JR8** » Thu, 22 Mar 2012 10:09 pm

AuStudy facilitate the visa and stipend. But do they give you any background on what kind of work you might apply for or hope to get? I ask as it sounds rather like the govt. have facilitated you to pack your bags but otherwise you're flying a little blind.

p.s. There was an American grad who landed up in SG recently here last week, working as a deputy manager in McDonalds and earning $2k/mo. Just thought I'd mention it...

JoeyJoJo · Post by **JoeyJoJo** » Thu, 22 Mar 2012 10:29 pm

Cool, The WHV is rare to Singapore and difficult to find information on. The MOM website indicates that they want grads to find work in companies and supply a bunch of recruitment agents but that is of little assistance tbh and I'm sure no recruitment agent is going to give a shit until I'm on the ground. I just want to know if it will be possible to get any job just to cover to bills lol.

Just out of interest is Contract work in abundance in Singapore like it is in Australia or is a very salary orientated workplace?

Post by **sundaymorningstaple** » Thu, 22 Mar 2012 10:39 pm

Most who come here on work/holiday visas end up working on Robertson or Clark Quay slinging hash or mixing drinks. Good luck, you are going to need it.

JoeyJoJo · Post by **JoeyJoJo** » Thu, 22 Mar 2012 10:42 pm

Bartending....I'm more than happy with doing that!

zzm9980 · Post by **zzm9980** » Thu, 22 Mar 2012 11:30 pm

JoeyJoJo wrote:Bartending....I'm more than happy with doing that!

400-500 a week is very ambitious. And no one in Singapore makes tips.

the lynx · Post by **the lynx** » Fri, 23 Mar 2012 8:39 am

zzm9980 wrote:
JoeyJoJo wrote:Bartending....I'm more than happy with doing that!
400-500 a week is very ambitious. And no one in Singapore makes tips.

Oh yes some do. But only from (drunken) friendly Westerners

nutnut · Post by **nutnut** » Fri, 23 Mar 2012 8:43 am

Yeah, really don't rely on tips, nor any of that service charge that your boss will charge the punters!

JR8 · Post by **JR8** » Fri, 23 Mar 2012 8:50 am

Only because they seem to work on the same system as in Egypt, where only one person behind the bar is trusted to handle money.

So you pay your bill and it gets handed to Cashier-Guy, who eventually processes it and the change, which sits in a stack of vinyl bill folders on the bar for up to half an hour. After asking for it twice it might arrive. But by then, strongly suspecting they are relying on people giving up on their change to earn 'tips', some (well me!) are so p'd off I'm f'd if I'm tipping anyone.

So sadly doesn't matter how great the barman is, it's not like the US, any tip isn't going to go to him anyway...

zzm9980 · Post by **zzm9980** » Fri, 23 Mar 2012 10:38 am

the lynx wrote:
zzm9980 wrote:
JoeyJoJo wrote:Bartending....I'm more than happy with doing that!
400-500 a week is very ambitious. And no one in Singapore makes tips.
Oh yes some do. But only from (drunken) friendly Westerners

I swear to god I had almost exactly that in the original message, but took it out so people wouldn't think I was a perve who knew too much about these things.

the lynx · Post by **the lynx** » Fri, 23 Mar 2012 10:56 am

zzm9980 wrote:
the lynx wrote:
zzm9980 wrote: 400-500 a week is very ambitious. And no one in Singapore makes tips.
Oh yes some do. But only from (drunken) friendly Westerners
I swear to god I had almost exactly that in the original message, but took it out so people wouldn't think I was a perve who knew too much about these things.

It is ok. Let me take a swipe instead $\:D/$

Post by **sundaymorningstaple** » Fri, 23 Mar 2012 11:26 am

No problems here. We are an equal opportunity forum here, all are welcome to take the occasional swipe!

amiilogan · Post by **amiilogan** » Mon, 26 Mar 2012 7:10 pm

I stumbled upon this article when researching working in Singapore, it makes for some really interesting reading

Spam link removed by moderator

Amii

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Moving to Singapore for 6 months

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