UK citizen interested in working in Singapore with no degree

[Eugene123]

Hi everyone,
first time poster here, I've been looking at these forums for some time now but only just registered today.
I a UK citizen (born and raised here) 25 years old and looking to work in Singapore, however I do not have a degree (ouch) Is there any chance at all I will have the chance to be able to work in Singapore? The economy in the UK is really bad and I have been unable to find a decent job nor live a happy life here (infact many of my friends own degrees and are still working in retail shops they used to work at when they were 16!).
I consider myself a very hard working individual working myself up from various jobs (including selling flowers on the road and working at various restaurants) plus I have been involved in martial arts since a young age and demonstrate shows to the public, aswell as national and international TV (sorry no details on that I prefer to remain incognito).

Is there any chance a little guy with no degree (and a big heart) can get a chance to work in Singapore, maybe for media or advertisement as those require more brawn than brain? If not, perhaps anyone can suggest an education program that will help me study in Singapore and hopefully land me a job there afterwards?

Sorry if I sound naive about thinking of entering an Asian country with no degree, but I'm open to any options and opinions. Thanks everyone!

[Eugene123]

Also if it helps, I am Chinese and also have relatives (blood related) living in Singapore.

[zzm9980]

Your option are very low end labour jobs, or high end P1 positions. (Making S$8k+/month)

[Eugene123]

Thanks for your speedy reply. I don't mind low end jobs, infact I pretty much started out in one (selling flowers) and ended up working my way through better quality jobs that way. But surely Singapore has enough of it's own labour force rather than relying on external countries?

[zzm9980]

Thanks for your speedy reply. I don't mind low end jobs, infact I pretty much started out in one (selling flowers) and ended up working my way through better quality jobs that way. But surely Singapore has enough of it's own labour force rather than relying on external countries?

No, Singapore has a huge labor shortage. Almost all manual labor is from PRC or Bangladesh. I'm not quite sure how someone like yourself would get hired as one, but I suspect if you just showed up at a job site and asked around that might work.

[Eugene123]

Would I be able to apply for work simply like that, or do I need a work visa or something? How about studying in the meantime whilst working?

[taxico]

...I a UK citizen (born and raised here) 25 years old and looking to work in Singapore, however I do not have a degree (ouch)

...Is there any chance a little guy with no degree (and a big heart) can get a chance to work in Singapore, maybe for media or advertisement as those require more brawn than brain? If not, perhaps anyone can suggest an education program that will help me study in Singapore and hopefully land me a job there afterwards?

www.moe.edu.sg -> look under post-secondary education for a list of accredited schools.

www.ica.gov.sg has a list of schools whose students can work while on a student pass.

whether or not you can find a job AND obtain a work pass after you graduate, i find it difficult to say. probably difficult unless you complete some super duper course (MBBS).

i'm sure there are some "artistes" (entertainers/models/actors) without university qualifications working in singapore under some sort of work pass.

and if you're more brawn than brain, it'd be easy to hook up once you're here. whether being chinese speed things up in that area, i'm unsure. singapore women are... hmmm... difficult.

be mindful that if you get into singapore through a Work Permit, getting hitched to a local girl requires prior permission/application from the authorities.

having relatives in singapore may help you get a sponsor more easily if you need it for a future visa/pass, so i guess it helps...

i'm sure UK isn't the only place you can/cannot find work, but good luck!

if you want it bad enough, you'll find a way to make it happen. at least that's how i've operated my whole life and it's worked out okay for me.

[freeman.vu]

Would I be able to apply for work simply like that, or do I need a work visa or something? How about studying in the meantime whilst working?

Unless you study at one of the governmental schools (NUS,NTU,SMU, and other poly...), you can work part-time during semester and full time during vacation (usually around May to Aug), otherwise you have to seek consents from schools in order to work. But my understanding is getting into those gov schools is not easy even for locals

[Eugene123]

Thanks for the replies, really apprecieate it. I'll definately check out those links you sent me Taxico, many thanks. I'd rather stay in a place like Singapore because I have family and relatives over there and in Malaysia, and I rather not deal with the politics in the latter country.