Financial conditions that can be maintained in Singapore

Life in Singapore can be inadequate or it can also be luxurious. Salaries are usually competitive in this country. Many benefits are provided by employers to the employees and thus working in Singapore is very rewarding. There is a transparent relation working between the two strata of workers. Workers on expatriate compensation packages may receive such benefits as allowances for housing, transportation, education, childcare, and entertainment.

In Singapore we can enjoy a two-sided health care system. The government manages the public system. The system provides the private hospitals while general practitioners provide the private system. The private system provides Singaporeans with most health care services but these are quite costly. And because of this reason Singaporeans turn to the public system. Employers usually pay for their employees’ dental and medical insurance. It can be seen in many places that if they are not paying the full amount, they can at least partially subsidize the amount and pay for their workers.

In Singapore, most companies work on five-and-a-half-day in a week. Saturday is the half day in most of the offices. The standard legal work week is 44 hours long. Employees are entitled to take at least seven days of vocational leave for the first year of service. Most of the employees are seen enjoying two to three weeks of leave. They also enjoy the paid sick leave very often.

There are some differences in income tax payment in Singapore. Personal income tax rates are among the lowest in the world. Foreigners’ working in Singapore is also easy but they have to maintain the specific decorum. Foreign working on either a Work Permit or an Employment Pass will be taxed. But there are some exceptions as well. A foreigner is regarded as a tax resident if he maintains some of the criteria and these are either has been in Singapore for three consecutive years or he has lived in Singapore for at least 183 days in one calendar year.

Some professional resources in Singapore

In Singapore, there are many international chambers of commerce that represent such countries as the Germany, United States, Spain, Malaysia, Japan, and others. Foreigners should always become acquainted with Singapore’s major telephone directories. The name can be mentioned as Sing Tel Yellow pages. Another good resource can be stated as the International Chamber of Commerce. This is mainly useful for markets, information on industries, and employment trends in Singapore. You have to constantly aware of what is happening around you.

Trade publications that covers Singapore’s business scene include English-language publications. They usually target to government policy makers and also businesspeople. The examples are The Business Times and Singapore Business. Books like The Business Guide to Singapore can be especially useful to foreign workers who seek jobs in Singapore. People who always follow these news papers or books or journals will get the opportunity to know about all the promising jobs in Singapore.

Expatriates might also find networking connections. It can be done through any of a number of service organizations and clubs. There are altogether eighty four trade unions in Singapore. These unions and some of the other professional organizations include the Singapore National Employers’ Federation. This one promotes good industrial relations and also heightens workforce competitiveness. Singapore Labor Foundation always aims to improve the welfare of its members and the trade union movement in general.

Some important points to remember about attending interviews

Some points should be noted before you go to face an interview and these are also very important. Before the interview starts you can develop your strategy. Remember your good points and review your qualification mentally. You can also make up some questions and practice answering them. Try to dress appropriately. Singapore is a highly humid country and because of this reason it is acceptable for men to wear a tie and long-sleeved shirt for the interview. Women can wear cool and humble professional attire. If you are new and unfamiliar with the area, try to get a map so that no one can mislead you. Start early otherwise you can stick into the traffic. Punctuality is very important which you have to maintain.

Since Singapore is a hub for financial services. Many multi-national companies have their regional headquarters here. Because of the world wide dimension and other multi lingual culture, you can expect your interview to be in English in Singapore. The younger generation is mainly educated in abroad. They speak English fluently and expect to do the same in and around them. It is customary in Singapore to shake hands before the meeting starts. It is mandatory that women extend their hands first when shaking hands with a man. If you are trying to present your business card, do so with both hands, as with any other papers.

Singapore is multicultural. Some of the social conventions are still there. While in Singapore it is courteous not to stare at others. Start to make direct eye contact. Also try to be respectful of age. With all these plus points in character you will definitely feel comfortable in Singapore.

Preparing Resume or CV’s to get a good job in Singapore

For searching a good job in Singapore you have to have a good resume. A typical resume for a job application in Singapore begins with personal details. These details usually include your name, address, contact numbers, e-mail, address, marital status, gender, citizenship, and age. The education credentials are important if you are new to the job market and seeking a job in Singapore. The education credentials should be in reverse-chronological order. If you have already started your career and become a professional please mention your years of experience. Educational qualification takes an important part while talking about jobs and career.

Education will follow your employment history. You have to list all schools attended while starting from the high school. The location, names, the years you attended each, your major subjects, special focus, important diplomas or degrees all should be properly included. If you had taken honors in any subject, try to mention the name. Any internship if attended should be included in the list. Relevant work-related specialized training and extracurricular activities should also be properly mentioned. One should be able to know everything about you after reading the resume.

Begin your employment history with your most recent position. It is advisable to start in a ‘reverse-chronological’ order. The names and locations of the previous companies should be properly listed. Mentioning about your title and responsibilities in each previous company is very important. It helps in further evaluation of yours. Include if there is any special achievements. You can also describe your contributions to the company, specifically to your department. If there is any gap in your career please try to give a valid reason. If you have limited experience, you can also list part-time and temporary jobs.

At the end of your resume, you should mention if you have any special skills or qualifications e.g., foreign language fluency, knowledge of computer programs, of GAAP or GAP. Don’t forget one thing, you should include the names and contact information of at least two references in your resume.

Procedure to get work permits in Singapore

Lots of persons from different parts of the world come to Singapore to search jobs for them. For searching jobs sometimes they need to have work permits while sometimes they can work even without them. Citizens of North America, Western Europe, New Zealand, Hong Kong, Australia, Japan, or the ASEAN do not normally need a visa for a short visit to Singapore. But there are exceptions in some cases.

In Singapore, Foreigners must hold a Professional Visit or Pass if they are taking a short-term professional assignment. But note that it is only applicable if it is short-term assignment. Instances in which a Professional Visit Pass might be appropriate also include participating or conducting a conference. It can also be a workshops, seminars, or gatherings of a racial, religious, communal, cause-related, or political nature. While covering an event or writing a story as a reporter or journalist the pass works. The pass also works while accompanying the crew member in such an incident. The person is also entitles to use the Professional Visit if he is giving a talk or lecture as a religious worker or performing as an artist at a nightclub or pub, lounge, or other entertainment site.

A foreigner must obtain a work permit or Employment Pass if he or she wants to live and work in Singapore on a more long-term basis. He has to get the employment pass through his prospective employer. You have to pay professional charge to get Employment Passes. The fees for this is $30 S per year and take about six weeks to process. It is advisable that all foreigners should contact the Singaporean diplomatic mission in their home countries before coming to Singapore on business.

Employment Trends in Singapore

Singapore total population is nearly 4.2 million and it is growing at the rate of 3.54 percent every year. Chinese people take the major part and it is recorded as 76.9 percent of the total population. This is followed by Malays, Indians and other ethnic groups as well. In Singapore the official languages are Tamil, Malay and English. The language of administration is usually English.

In the year of 2000, Singapore’s employees grew by 108,487 and it was nearly three times than its growth the year before. Over the past twenty years, employment growth in Singapore has been broad. Some of the major sectors were commerce, manufacturing, and services. All these sectors recorded noteworthy increase in number of employees.

The industries that have seen the most growth can be mentioned as chemicals, electronics, manufacturing and engineering. Financial and business services have also developed very quickly.

Singapore depends on foreign or overseas workers primarily in two types of jobs and these are low-skilled positions, and high-tech and R&D jobs. For these two types the Singaporeans are not enough qualified. In the year 2001 a survey was conducted in Singapore and it was found that 57% of Singaporean companies hire foreign workers. Out of which 21% are in the high-tech and IT industries. Often the best foreign workers in Singapore’s civil service are offered citizenship.

In some of the areas foreigner do not get chance and these are civil service areas such as defense and economic, social, and foreign policy.

The Ministry of Manpower declared that at about 20,000 to 25,000 new jobs will be created every year of the 21st century. R&D and Biotechnology will be particularly important. It is expected that the increase in the number of multinational corporations investing in Singapore will definitely create a demand for experienced foreign or international workers. There are some excellent opportunities for foreign workers in manufacturing logistics and health care.

Resources from where you can search jobs in Singapore

Singapore was a British trading colony in earlier days. Now a day Singapore is one of the prosperous countries of the world. The country has the busiest port which is actually an island situated in the southeastern Asia. This country is placed between Indonesia and Malaysia. If you are interested to make a career in Singapore, you can search from online job sites. These are the effective resources for the job seekers in Singapore. You can take the example of many expatriates who are living in Singapore now. Most of them got their jobs by posting the resumes to online search firms. You can also try to get a good job by answering job advertisements on the websites of proficient or specialized associations.

In today’s era when there is a boom in the Internet-related services, most of the Singaporeans still believe on newspaper classified ads. As a matter of fact they feel some sort of credibility on them. Some of the companies and public-sector organizations which include the Ministry of Education and Ministry of Health advertise and also conduct interviews in some other countries.

At about 1,100 licensed employment agencies are there in Singapore. They try to provide an extensive range of services and that includes recruitment, management consulting, and placement of local and also foreign workers. GMP Executive Search is one of the biggest recruiting firms in Singapore and according to it most of its clients are American or else European. Some of the organization such as the Economic Development Board and Singapore Airlines provide scholarships to the foreign students in Singapore. Thus they can start their career with such a warm welcome from the country. After completion of their studies and scholarship, they usually get contracts from some large Singapore companies.

There are many online job sites based on this objective. I can take one name and it’s Contact Singapore. This is maintained by the Singapore government. A job bulletin board is there that maintains employers’ profiles and other information and services.