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Looking to Singapore for next year, 'skills-in-demand' list

Posted: Fri, 28 Dec 2012 4:04 am
by solarStrings
Hello,

I've just registered, although have been visiting on and off for a year or so, investigating and reading interesting topics. I'm currently working in London and will be looking at a jump to Singpore in a little over a year.

I'm in a sector working for a quite a big name here in the UK. I've noticed that this work area currently remains on the 'in-demand' list on the MOM website (though overall I'm sure the whole list has shrunk a lot since I last checked last year). Having approx 8-9 yrs of professional experience and degree etc I'm hoping I might be able to find some work when the time comes.

Planning on an exploratory trip late next year, to visit and hopefully meet some companies.

Hope to be able to ask some more specific questions later on and get involved.
Thank you

Posted: Fri, 28 Dec 2012 4:25 am
by JR8
Ok just batting it around (if I may :))

Why Singapore?

Who would be the top #3 employers you'd be pitching to?

And in what role/title?

Posted: Fri, 28 Dec 2012 5:56 am
by solarStrings
Hi JR8,

Thanks for replying. You may :) , in fact I'm pleased you did as such a question is a good exercise for me to put into words the assorted thoughts and reasonings I've been having over the past while. It'll probably be a wordy reply nonetheless. There are various reasons, in no particular order:

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I've spent a considerable fraction of my life abroad and indeed grew up in a different part of the world (though in an expat community), fortunately being exposed to many different cultures as we travelled regularly. In the last decade I spent another 4 yrs working in another European country, and have done a few trips to other different countries and all in all, I consider myself someone who feels a lot more at home, confident and comfortable in a country far away and different from my native one. I enjoy waking up knowing I'm somewhere else.

Singapore is an expanding hub for my sector, or at least I think it still is. It's still featuring on the skills-in-demand list and I believe I could comfortably fit into a few of the specific areas within that sector. Some of the principle companies in the world have been opening branches there over the past few years.

Not sure I want to say what my top three employers would be, though I do have such a list : ) Likewise, I'm still a little unsure of being too specific as to the role as I'm new here..

An important one is that I read a lot also that the country is by far and large, safe, and its citizens well behaved and respectful. Fortunately having been brought up in such a way by my parents, it sounds just a better place to be. Friends of the family live there and are happy, a friend I knew at school has a young family there and is happy. They may have strict rules on various things and I'd like to be somewhere where they are enforced as it would make my family and I feel safer, as I come from a law-abiding and honest family. Similarly, that they wish to control the quantity and quality of immigration is a good thing. This does not happen where I am now.
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So the rules are tightening and I wish to become a part of it before it is too late. I don't know just how long I have, whether I'd still be ok in three years, one, or even less. I would apply now, but I have other obligations I wish to continue and I do not wish to abandon my current employer yet. Ideally they would set up a branch there, which I might suggest, as we've done it before in other parts of the world and they are working out fine.

I may end up editing/refining all that as I think of other things or not.
I hope at least some of this meets to your approval :)

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Posted: Fri, 28 Dec 2012 6:25 am
by JR8
Interesting SolStr, and thanks for writing it down.

I found it interesting (and persuasive), and I hope that it helped you consider 'focus'...

Thanks very much! :)

Posted: Fri, 28 Dec 2012 7:03 am
by solarStrings
You're welcome, glad you liked reading it!

On a related note, I've just been reading a post from a few months ago from by someone who appeared to be having difficulty finding work in this field. Unfortunately that particular thread degenerated into an argument of sorts, but a couple of users indicated things might not be so hot after all.

This won't get in the way of focus however..
Thanks again
:)

Posted: Fri, 28 Dec 2012 11:28 am
by nutnut
One thing you have to remember, is that getting work in Singapore is fairly tough, it takes a while. Don't stop pushing if it's something you want though, also, the situations on this board tend to be when people have issues, you rarely see people come on and say things like "Ã

Posted: Sat, 29 Dec 2012 1:51 am
by solarStrings
Thanks for the extra comment nutnut. I would say I agree with you, for the most part, on those comments no matter what part of life a forum is to do with. I will also make my best effort to share any good news if and when the time comes. Thanks : )

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