What to do while my husband works in Singapore

Munekita · Post by **Munekita** » Thu, 22 Aug 2013 9:16 am

My husband is being relocated to Singapore for a 1-2 year contract with the same company he works for back home. We are from the USA. and when his contract is over we'll be relocated back to where we were before.
While the company will help us get situated in Singapore, I'm not sure what I will do to fill my time. Can I get a job for a couple months? Is there a short term work permit i can apply for? Even if its a job at a mall or restaurant??
I have an Associates degree inn Lab Science, but I heard that will be a hard job to get in Singapore since theres a lot of competition from people with higher degrees.
If theres nothing i can do "work-wise" i was going to try to volunteer and just take this as a vacation, any suggestion?

Post by **sundaymorningstaple** » Thu, 22 Aug 2013 9:47 am

Probably your last line says it all, truth be known.

Wd40 · Post by **Wd40** » Thu, 22 Aug 2013 10:46 am

The best thing would be to hope for nothing and then be pleasantly surprised if you find work on LoC.

Just to update the regulars here. My colleague's wife, Indian, a fresh engineering graduate from India recently got a job as a technical recruiter. She was approved to work with the LoC.

I am really surprised with the number of recruiters in Singapore, inspite of everyone talking about slowdown in hiring and ironically most recruiters are FTs. The top end recruiters are expat FT from developed countries and the low end recruiters are from India.

Another case: I met a Russian lady in our HDB common play area. She was from medical background prior to coming here and he got a job in some travel agency, very recently, again allowed to work on LoC.

So the LoC side of things still looks good so far.

Fortan · Post by **Fortan** » Thu, 22 Aug 2013 10:55 am

Wd40 wrote:The best thing would be to hope for nothing and then be pleasantly surprised if you find work on LoC.

Just to update the regulars here. My colleague's wife, Indian, a fresh engineering graduate from India recently got a job as a technical recruiter. She was approved to work with the LoC.

I am really surprised with the number of recruiters in Singapore, inspite of everyone talking about slowdown in hiring and ironically most recruiters are FTs. The top end recruiters are expat FT from developed countries and the low end recruiters are from India.

Another case: I met a Russian lady in our HDB common play area. She was from medical background prior to coming here and he got a job in some travel agency, very recently, again allowed to work on LoC.

So the LoC side of things still looks good so far.

98% of the recruiters here are useless = fact !

To the OP. I am not sure what age group you are in but I have seen many expat wives here spend their time studying. Some learn a new language, others better themselves in their field. It is a great opportunity to better yourself, so that it is not only your husbands CV that benefits from your stay here. Some companies will throw the tuition fee into the expat package as well if pushed.

Wd40 · Post by **Wd40** » Thu, 22 Aug 2013 10:58 am

They are a necessary evil just like real estate agents. Both make easy money, relative to their efforts, but what to do.

Fortan · Post by **Fortan** » Thu, 22 Aug 2013 11:01 am

Wd40 wrote:They are a necessary evil just like real estate agents. Both make easy money, relative to their efforts, but what to do.

Nah, not really. With LinkedIn you are more than capable of by-passing the recruiters. They are quite simply just paper pushers using LinkedIn.

zzm9980 · Post by **zzm9980** » Thu, 22 Aug 2013 11:35 am

Fortan wrote:
Wd40 wrote:They are a necessary evil just like real estate agents. Both make easy money, relative to their efforts, but what to do.
Nah, not really. With LinkedIn you are more than capable of by-passing the recruiters. They are quite simply just paper pushers using LinkedIn.

Well Real Estate agents are bypass-able too. I think what wd40 was getting at is that while someone with motivation and common sense can easily bypass either, most of the people here lack one or both of those qualities, so they don't.

Post by **sundaymorningstaple** » Thu, 22 Aug 2013 12:11 pm

Wd40 wrote: Just to update the regulars here. My colleague's wife, Indian, a fresh engineering graduate from India recently got a job as a technical recruiter. She was approved to work with the LoC.

I am really surprised with the number of recruiters in Singapore, inspite of everyone talking about slowdown in hiring and ironically most recruiters are FTs. The top end recruiters are expat FT from developed countries and the low end recruiters are from India.

No surprise there. I was a headhunter when I got my PR approved as well. With specialization in the O &G sector.

abbym · Post by **abbym** » Thu, 22 Aug 2013 12:54 pm

I'm in very similar situation. If you want to have lunch or do stuff in the day time, drop me a pm

nutnut · Post by **nutnut** » Thu, 22 Aug 2013 2:21 pm

You'll be doing a lot of lunch and stuff!

Ensure that you can be comfortable with it, it's going to be tough! I have heard of a lot of women going stir-crazy due to lack of things to do, my wife is desperate to get back to work!

abbym · Post by **abbym** » Thu, 22 Aug 2013 2:41 pm

nutnut wrote:You'll be doing a lot of lunch and stuff!

Ensure that you can be comfortable with it, it's going to be tough! I have heard of a lot of women going stir-crazy due to lack of things to do, my wife is desperate to get back to work!

Yes! Fortunately I am a knit-aholic so can while away hours and hours churning out sweaters. Ready for when we get back to cold England!

Hannieroo · Post by **Hannieroo** » Thu, 22 Aug 2013 2:55 pm

I always try to say yes to every invite. It snowballs and before you know you are having to schedule days off for yourself. SG is pretty easy to crack.

Post by **Strong Eagle** » Thu, 22 Aug 2013 11:21 pm

For volunteer activities, I highly recommend FOM (Friends of the Museum): http://www.fom.sg/ and aidha... http://www.aidha.org/

ashitawa1983 · Post by **ashitawa1983** » Thu, 19 Sep 2013 6:48 pm

There are many things to do ??? like learning a new language learn new culture, you are in a new country so take advantage of it make international friends to be even more open minded? I think as long as you are sociable and actively making friends tons of new ideas will pop up for you

zzm9980 · Post by **zzm9980** » Thu, 19 Sep 2013 7:31 pm

ashitawa1983 wrote:There are many things to do ??? like learning a new language learn new culture, you are in a new country so take advantage of it make international friends to be even more open minded? I think as long as you are sociable and actively making friends tons of new ideas will pop up for you

You've never been to Singapore, have you?

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What to do while my husband works in Singapore

What to do while my husband works in Singapore

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