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I was looking at comments left on my first couple of blogs (and here) and thought that the time had come to respond in more detail to these readers.
To the person who told me “I will soon learn that I don’t belong” (and other to people snickering behind the anonymity of their computers), here is the “ugly truth” of my Singapore job search.
For a start, recruiters, like the ones who comment on my blog, are more useless here in Singapore than in the West. Several have simply refused to speak to me because I am not Singaporean, even though I am more than qualified for their roles and hold a visa allowing me to job search here.
After many meetings with recruitment agencies, I soon learnt that the respectable employers in my sector don’t want to work with them. And if they do use recruiters, they probably prefer agencies and/or consultants from their home country.
Bypassing recruiters and cold calling established international employers from the US or Europe worked for me. More than a dozen people sighed with relief and said: “You don’t know how hard it is to find someone with your skill set.”
Many international firms arrived with an open mind and wanted to hire locals, but I repeatedly heard stories of disappointment. Hiring managers told me that the existing talent pool is demotivated, apathetic and complacent. As a result, they prefer to pay a premium for Western professionals who can start in a position from day one with little oversight.
Is Singapore the next Dubai?
Dozens of people from well-respected international financial institutions told me stories about being transferred to Singapore only to find that their boss is ‘anti-expat’ and only hires under-qualified locals to fill other roles in their team.
Slowly this ugly truth is making its way back to the West. Major decision makers know they need a presence in Singapore in order for their company to be truly global. But they are disappointed by the overall work ethic, apathy of local talent, and other factors.
Will Singapore become the next Dubai disaster? Singapore has become a pit stop on the way to the top and that is why I am here. But if it holds long-term aspirations of being taken seriously as a major international financial hub like New York and London, it needs to grow up and learn how to be tolerant, competitive, and welcoming of foreigners below the surface. Otherwise it’s headed in the direction of Tokyo – a city that never quite lived up to its potential.
The views expressed are those of the author and not of eFinancialCareers. You’re welcome to leave your comments in the box below, or if you’d like to write a blog yourself, please email apac.editor@efinancialcareers.com with your article idea.
very nice blog and unfortunately this is the bitter truth which the locals need to swallow.
I have no idea which bank you are looking at, but every bank I have seen, excluding the 3 local banks, have a pile of foreigners in front office, easily more than 70%. Singaporeans mainly hog the middle/back office roles and rightly so, since it doesnt make sense to hire a foreigner for support positions.
If you are not happy in the country you are in, stop complaining and go home.
Don’t be ridiculous. I know my friends who are struggling to get jobs in the UK now because they cannot get the “right” permit and there’s this tacit premise that all else being equal, British citizens should get the job given the moribund economy. That’s just the reality of life. With jobs even in Asia harder to come by, since banks are sitting tight, the hiring managers who are locals may just play the nationalistic card.
You come across as a high headed westerner and this is the main reason behind you not getting a job. I have been working in the city for last 3 years and have previously worked in London for couple of year. You conclusion is totally baseless. Singapore local as good as any local Londoner or New Yorker. On a separate note, if people in the western world were as good as you are proclaiming, this banking crisis should not have happened.
It’s OK. I rather have a place to call “my home” than to occupy the global top spot and bump into a foreigner in every other person I meet on the street, people who will never call this “home”.
Hi
I guess you are some reject from Wall Street or the City and thinking that recruiters will overlook your lack of qualifications
Are you kidding me???
Dubai’s tragedy is that it simply let in too many “foreign talent”, no??? Expats getting managerial jobs there and then getting their mates and cronies in the door even though they are massively underqualified (eg hairdressers doing office management).
Look around Raffles Place and you won’t be able to tell SIngapore is “anti-expat”. Theer aren’t that many countries that will let an unemployed foreigner waltz into their country to look for jobs – try that in Australia, US and UK and tell me how that works out.
Similarly, we experienced many useless so-called expat who come to Singapore and use the locals to claim their own glory…and there are so many of such morons from the western world!
The point is…… I envisioned Singapore as a home, a sanctuary. The idea of Singapore joining the global ranks of power+money greedy cities, chasing the coattails of the likes of New York or London — was never an agenda, at least that is from my personal viewpoint.
I have worked in London and I have no love for that sort of place. This world is not perfect – “one man’s meat is another man’s poison” – the only difference is…. in Singapore, I’m the citizen and ya N.O.T…… so…….
I think before you make these comments, look at how your own country looks at foreigners. Also seriously, take a look at the “pool of foreign talents” in Singapore who come to this country with a mentality to party and enjoy the expat life.
so did the author manage to land a job here through cold calling?
Not true entirely. There are more foreigners than Singaporeans in the professional jobs in the financial industry here. It is disappointing the author chooses to air his grievances online, and subject the reader to a skewed picture of a single individual’s experience.
You can approach western banks and western recruiters based in Singapore. Do not network in coffee bars that will get you nowhere if you have not already find out by now. Go to the night pubs where western expats frequent, bankers like to drink after a long day at work and there alot of of them here. Visit all the drinking holes that are popular and have fun all night. You will soon find your network and a cushy bank job.
Truth is deep inside people like people like them – locals will prefer to hire locals, expats will prefer to hire expats. Singapore has been through many years of accelerated growth, and my experience is that some people have been promoted without the talent/skills (both locals/expats).
The bitter truth for many out there, is simply that there are no jobs for them in Asia… be it Singapore, HK or Shanghai…
The days when proper English and good interpersonal skills got you a job are long gone.
My honest advice to people who are thinking of coming out to Asia and looking for a job is simply… stay home, you will save yourself 6 months of expenses and a lot of frustration.
Poor soul – but do not continue to live in you own delusion.
Singapore is not a place for people who laments on their poor fate but for people with the drive and motivation. Note: There are no indispensible employees, regardless of skill sets and face the reality, if you are that good, you will not be having the time to write this article.
Poor soul – but do not continue to live in you own delusion.
Singapore is not a place for people who laments on their poor fate but for people with the drive and motivation. Note: There are no indispensible employees, regardless of skill sets and face the reality, if you are that good, you will not be having the time to write this article.
I don’t think Aussie, Swiss or Brit expats here would be keen to hire an American, yah?
I used to work overseas. In HK, both headhunters and employers asked me point blank ‘why should I hire you, when there are locals available’? What did I do? Face the reality and persevere. But never did I say ‘ hong kong people should grow up’. Runaway MBA, if you find this tough, I really suggest you go home.
Harvard MBA class size is 900 in ONE year. The rest of the Ivies are in similar numbers and more if you include part-timers, easily over 1k for Columbia. Learn to see sarcastism when more than a dozen told you “You don’t know how hard it is to find someone with your skill set.” MBA is NOT a skill. Now time to run home.
Unbelievable the number of snotty, zenophopic, small minded comments made by negative posters who resort to personal attacks rather than addressing the issues raised: You obviously don’t realize that your comments prove the author’s point about demotivated and intolerant individuals. To which I would add negative and unprofessional. Don’t you have something better to do than mount nasty personal attacks on someone who is simply sharing their viewpoint?
In my experience in Singapore, I’ve heard exactly the same comments regarding the work attitudes of many-not all but many-locals. It might not be what you want to hear, but it is verifiable truth. For instance, it’s a fact that 80% of locals take ALL their sick days EVERY year, while less than 20% of foreign workers do. Just because you don’t like what the poster says doesn’t mean it’s not a valuable viewpoint. Instead of personal attacks, why not discuss what this feedback means in terms of the competiveness of Sinapore? Oh, I forgot-that would actually require some thought and insight on your part instead of just slinging mud.