If you are reading this section then you are probably not one of the people who already have an assignment/job here before they move, but are looking for work in Singapore ... or you might be looking for greener pastures.
Let us start with a disappointment, we do not offer jobs here, only practical advice (we hope). Let us start with those not yet in Singapore:
Finding a job in Singapore from overseas
If you are the spouse following (it is still rare to both have an offer) or if you are a new addition to the jobmarket hoping to join that lovely guy or gall; your problems will be similar, let us start at the beginning (and we are going to be a bit cautious here):
Visa and Passes
If you are the spouse than you are a dependant and you can not easily work here legally, for that you need an employment pass or you need to set-up your own business.
If you are coming to look for work here you are not allowed to work under your entry visa (read the stamp in your passport) and since you need a pass to work and a job to get a pass it is a bit of a catch 22 situation. For more on this look under the immigration section and the 'setting-up your business' in this section.
Type of Job
If you are highly educated, have lots of experience or both you might think you could easily find something here and you may, but there are some things to look out for:
- If you are a professional, such as an engineer or accountant, you may need to have a local registration for certain jobs and obtaining that is not always easy. In large companies however it may not be necessary if they have others who can do the submission/filing work.
- Singapore has a highly educated workforce and (important if you are from the 'West' and read this) also draws more than just 'labourers' from around the region so you may face some steep local competition.
- Adding to the former, you would be very lucky to land a job locally on 'expat' conditions and though some local jobs are definitely well paid you may have to take a cut compared to 'home'.
- If you work for a local company rather than being sent you may find the working environment a bit different than where you came from.
- If you do not have an employment pass and a fellow applicant has then, all else being equal, guess who loses out.
How to look
If you are still reading after the previous section you must be serious so; how to look. We will list some online (Singapore) job databases, recruitment agencies and headhunter addresses further down but you may want to start and try the following:
- Companies from your country of origin; most embassies or business associations have a list of them, they might welcome somebody from the homefront or nearby (on a local contract) so you might write to some of them.
- Post an open application on the website and/or magazine of 'your' business association.
- Post an open application on a forum (like the one here)
The above tips are far from guaranteed to work but the may help, it is relatively easy to do and might at least give you some contacts.
If you are already (living) in Singapore than the above should hold little surprises for you. If you are looking from here you basically can follow the same approach as described above but should add the 'Recruit' section of Saturdays 'Straits Times' to your list of hunting grounds and talk to people! Alternatively you could also check out the Career Resources Center for Expatriates.
- General Online Jobsites:
- More Specific Online Jobsites:
Good luck!!
Do you need more info? Leave a message on our expat message board!
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