Going back to Singapore to WORK. How ready I am!
By aaronfyzeon
@aaronfyzeon (1920)
Philippines
January 13, 2012 1:34am CST
Hello there guys! I just wanted to share some of the things that I have encountered there in Singapore and share with you guys the job hunting I have done there. This a sad story and I hope a lot of people who wants to go there to look for a job will be aware of the things happening there as it happened to me. This should be posted a long time ago since the time I went back in the Philippines I should have posted this topic but then I chose to keep it to myself because of the sad things that happened to me there.
It is nothing to be scared actually because a lot of people there are so nice. Less crime rate (because most people are working and busy and they never get hungry) Fellow Filipinos who are willing to assist you when you ask them directions or how things go out here.
I have a few friends that I am in contact with before I went there. Asked them things that is happening there. When I got there, it is a few days before the election day for their new Prime Minister. The economy is not that good at that time (well that is what they are claiming) I didn't have any place to stay yet so I asked a friendly local if he knows a place for me to stay overnight while I look for a place at day time after I have arrived at 10 PM. Thank God I have found one. They are all friendly Indonesians and Indians gathered in one room lying in a thin foam and the number of persons there are more or less 20 people all in 3 x 5 meters house. whew!! and it costs 8 dollars per night. That is in Paya Lebar.
No jobhunting first because I am so busy trying to settle with the place i should stay with while being there. I will cut the story short because I don't want to cry again looking back on the things that have happened to me there. The food is so expensive if you will always think of trying to convert it to your own currency back in the Philippines, you will feel that everything is expensive.
During the application period, I didn't bring a laptop with me so I have to go to an internet cafe 1 hour ride from the place I have stayed for a long time to the Orchard in Lucky Plaza where you will be able to see a lot of Filipinos passing by. Internet cafes are not famous there because most of the households there already have internet. in 2 weeks time I was able to be interviewed by 5 companies already! which is already considered being lucky! but the Ministry of Manpower has rejected my E-Pass application because the RECENT job experience that I have here in the Philippines is not matched from the jobs that those 5 companies are offering me. Too bad for me then. I have to go back here in the Philippines after 29 days of stay. You should not maximize the 30 days stay because the Singapore Immigration will fine you. I don't really know why but then I just followed the advice of some filipinos there!
Going back to Singapore, I already have my own laptop, a few amounts of money to cope up with the expenses there, The time after Chinese New Year where a lot of jobs are being offered, I have taken up units for my Post Graduate Studies in the University of the Philippines, Certificates of both technical and short courses, a few friends whom I have been chatting with there, contacting the 5 companies if their hiring before are still open, and the knowledge of how every things are going there. I hope by this time I will be able to land a nice job there.
And I already contacted the main tenant whom I have stayed with before to go back there again. Good luck to me! any other suggestions guys? comments and reactions are all welcome! Thank you guys!
10 responses
@thanks1961 (7035)
• India
13 Jan 12
Hi dear,
I think I am the fist one to respond to you in this regard. I was under the impression that as long as you were not in myLot, you already forget all and got an excellent job in Singapore and settled well over there (in fact that was my pray). I felt so sad after reading all these.
I think you could have do better before going to Singapore. First of all, find out for a sponsor, apply before going, communicate with someone from Singapore, etc. Good you got nice people around on those days. Now, you complete your studies and move around with fully loaded. Means, adequate money in hand, some regional contacts like friends or known person in that country, lap top with internet facilities, valid visa or passport, basic knowledge about the location where you are visiting. Accomodation facilities, best but cheap hotels, immediate contact nos. and many more. Once you are in trouble, some time there won't be anyone to help. Especially as you are a gorwn up women, you need to take care of many things and precautions.
However, I am sure that you will get a better position and decent job shortly. My hearty prayers and best wishes.
Regards,
Thank-s
@aaronfyzeon (1920)
• Philippines
13 Jan 12
Yes you are and you are so prompt when you always notice I have posted something here. Well I am quite ashamed of what turned out when I went there so I just shut my world upon all the people I know except my best friends! Now I happen to share this because I wanted to free myself from the burden of keeping this fact. A nice and close friend from Singapore also suggested that I post this topic as well here in MyLot so I followed his advice.
Thank you for the suggestions, I am now well-equipped going back there!
@thanks1961 (7035)
• India
16 Jan 12
Yes, that is why people say experience is the best teacher. I really appreciate your wilfulness and firm decision to be prepared to face the consequences. One way it is good you narrated your experiences here because I found a lots of People are here in myLot from Phillipines and they will get a better feedback if they are preparing for Singapore for job or vist.
I am confident that you will find a better job over there and whatever you have faced is not an end, it is just a biggining. Assume that nothing is happend and whatever experienced is a precaution for the best things ahaed.
All the best and have a nice day.
Thank-s
@enelym001 (8322)
• Philippines
13 Jan 12
I never knew it would be that hard too. How come your friends were not able to help you find a place to stay there at least? But anyway it's really good that you managed to do all those things. A friend of mine is going to Singapore this year but thankfully she has a cousin there who is willing to let her stay in her place. Hopefully you can get a good job there this time. Now you are armed with great qualifications so I am sure the Ministry will not reject you again. Good luck!
@aaronfyzeon (1920)
• Philippines
13 Jan 12
Well yes, I cannot consider them as real friends because they happen to be my classmates when I was still in high-school. I tried to contact them the time I landed in Changi Airport when I saw a telephone booth activated by coins. they all started to tell me excuses where they cannot let me stay in there only for a few days. That's why I nearly sleep on the streets! Thank you for the well wishes and a nice response! Have a great weekend.
@enelym001 (8322)
• Philippines
14 Jan 12
Aw that's so bad!
I think you never tried contacting them again this time because of what happened before. Good thing you still have the contact of that old place. At least you won't need their help again. It's just so annoying and sad to be rejected with someone you thought can help you.
@maximax8 (31046)
• United Kingdom
13 Jan 12
Good luck to you in finding a job that suits you in Singapore. I have traveled to Singapore three times in my life before. I like how safe it is there, the fact there is no crime and that it is a very clean city. It is shame a tourist stay is only up to thirty days. That is because it is a small country I believe. I suggest that you try to find a sponsor and then you could land a work visa. You need to have a well pained job because it is more expensive in Singapore than it is in the Philippines. It sounds like you have excellent qualifications.
@aaronfyzeon (1920)
• Philippines
13 Jan 12
Hello there! Thank you for the nice response! Yes, Singapore is a very safe place and you could go out on the streets and walk to the nearest 7-Eleven shops if you feel hungry at 2am without feeling scared at all. Thank you for the compliment. Yes I already have a sponsor and that is the company that accepted me to work with them when I was there but was unable to start because the Ministry of Manpower rejected my pass.
@Graceekwenx (3160)
• Philippines
13 Jan 12
I am sooo sorry Aaron that this happened to you.. There is a law in Singapore lately that they are to employ their citizens as number one in the priority list. Foreigners would come in third. I dont know which comes second. If you feel confident that you post is really hot and really unusual, then go for it!
I have an officemate who did the same. She is a single and tried her luck in SG. She left our company last week of November. She doenst have an employer there yet. The SG branch our of company has no vacancies there either. This is 2nd month now... and her money is ticking away with the high cost of living because she still has not found a job! It was really a risk for her... How about your friends there? How were they able to land to a job theyre in right now? Did they try their luck? Or were they hired direct by SG?
May i make a suggestion? Why wont you look for a local company that has a branch in SG? That way, they can hire you direct... Just a suggestion.
@aaronfyzeon (1920)
• Philippines
13 Jan 12
Hello there! the second would be Malaysians or PR or what they call permanent residents. There is a quota that they have set to all companies that they should only have 20% foreigners.
Yes you are definitely right! The cost of living there is really high that I tend to eat only twice a day for me to be able to budget the money I have for the succeeding days before. I am so sorry to hear what happened to your office mate. You have stated here that it is the second month she's been there. She might have just extended her stay online but it is going to be another 30 days only after consuming your 30 days for a social visit pass (visa). If she will have to exit in JB Malaysia then it will be another cost for her.
My friends stayed and worked there for about 4-5 years already and they did the same thing as well like I did. It's just that time, the government is not yet strict with employing foreigners.
Thank you for your suggestion. If I will do that then there is still a very very slim opportunity that I will be promoted to go there because there is only 20% quota set by the Government to all companies! So their branch in Singapore would just hire all the foreigners that will walk in there in that company in Singapore.
@hexebella (1136)
• Philippines
4 Feb 12
Hi there!
It was worth reading your post which I think could be posted as a blog as well for wider readership.
I have been traveling the world for the past decade and in destinations that i do not know anybody, I make a lot of research first before going....better to be equipped with a lot of information as it is also one of the most important resources that you would bring along with you. Based on your research you would determine your budget hence you would be having enough bullets for your battle.
I wish you all the best of luck in your next job hunting and would love to hear from you again and that time should be your success story.
Cheers!
@syoti20 (5292)
• Philippines
22 Mar 12
Sorry for late response. I am interested to you Singapore Job Hunt. I hope you can tell more about it. Were you able to land for a job in Singapore? How was it? I hope you can provide more tips and how to fight this stress especially for those who are planning to go to Singapore.
@yspmyl (3435)
• Malaysia
14 Jan 12
Hi!
I think for your to fly from Philippines to Singapore is really far and yet you have not really got a place to stay and a job. I think that is really hard for a girl to do that especially when you have to stay with so many people/stranger in the same room. That is quite scary.
My advice to you, is that you should look for job first before you go to Singapore and arrange the interview with them before you go on board. You can apply job online through the Jobstreet or JobsDB where you will be able to see and applied for suitable position that suite you. So that when you reach Singapore, you can immediately go for the arrange interview instead of hunting for job later on. That will save you a lot of time and money. Good luck!
@abatencila (970)
• Philippines
15 Jan 12
My brother-in-law is there for quite some time now and he is doing good. He is a physical trainer in a gym. My husband will be there also maybe, next year if the offer will be good enough. We don't have plans to live there because the expenses is really high. Good luck to your stay there.
@jeslin (147)
•
15 Jan 12
Sorry to hear your story. To my knowledge Singapore is a nice and safe country to live (crime rates are low). Money is good as convert it to your own currency.Besides there two aspect, that is nothing good about Singapore. My experience tells me that it is a very stressful place to live, everything is so expensive especially accommodation, people are arrogance and selfish (too busy with themselves). Most of them do not even know their neighbour and love to compare with each others (that make things more streeful)Even school children are comparing with each other who scores more As. Singaporean are very brand conscience. In short, Singapore is not a country fantastic place to stay.
