Living & Working in Singapore

desihometown · Post by **desihometown** » Sun Aug 12, 2007 4:05 am

Hi,

I had a few questions about living & working in Singapore.

How is the job scene in Singapore for both tech jobs & business/marketing/finance jobs ? What kind of jobs are generally available for foreigners/desis ?

Are the jobs easy to get for someone who has 8-10 year+ work ex in the US ?
What about work permit ? Is it hassle free ?

Thanks a lot
DHT

Purujit · Post by **Purujit** » Sun Aug 12, 2007 9:46 am

My first job offer out of uni. was in Singapore. However, they denied my visa. So I never really had a chance to work there, and I have no first hand experience to share with you. I have heard work is tough and dominated by Chinese. There is discrimination. On the positive side, I feel it is a strategic location close to India and has a good desi population along with a technologically advanced city.

desihometown · Post by **desihometown** » Mon Aug 13, 2007 9:51 am

Is anyone R2Iing from singapore ?

Would be good to hear from such folks.

cyberabadi · Post by **cyberabadi** » Tue Aug 14, 2007 12:32 am

DHT,

I have also been thinking about this option of R2I'ing thru Singapore (whenever that is). For me personally, If I R2I it would be to Hyderabad and nowhere else. Delhi, Mumbai or Singapore is the same for me in terms of travel to Hyd.

From my understanding it is not difficult to find Tech or Finance jobs out there if you are moving from a similar background with a brand-name company.

I have heard of people going to Singapore on Visitors visa, finding a job and getting their visa converted.

If this is what you would want.. I would say the best thing is look internally in the company if they have a position out there and do an intra-company transfer. Singapore is the Asia-Pacific HQ for majority of companies and so, there should be plenty of finance related opportunities.

direstraits88 · Post by **direstraits88** » Sat Aug 18, 2007 7:06 pm

I checked out singapore in 2004. It's a nice place to visit.. (Not really :emwink: ). After being around the world, it's a hyped place.

It's struggling to re-invent itself. They are opening casinos since chinese are gamble crazy. Many expect it to compete with Macao in a few years..
Property prices are down for a long time.. Landlords cut rents if you threaten to vacate.. Rentals are 2-3% of the apt cost.

Remember the cleanliness thingy you hear about.. Well compared to Madras.. it is clean.. But it overhyped otherwise.

Warm humid climate is good.. Most IT jobs pay the same as in India now. Unless you join a firm like Barclays and such which may pay a bit more..

Singaporeans like Desis are status consicious. A car is the ultimate status symbol and damn expensive..

Nice transport services.. Excellent cab services. Not even once did the guy demand extra 10 cents or crib about a short ride.

So unless you have family in singapore.. it's not worth it....

Chinese won't sit next to you.. So the discrimination is direct.

Actually i didn't mind. I couldn't stand their smell :emwink:

desihometown · Post by **desihometown** » Sat Aug 18, 2007 7:50 pm

desipardesi;39862I checked out singapore in 2004. It's a nice place to visit.. (Not really :emwink: ). After being around the world, it's a hyped place.

It's struggling to re-invent itself. They are opening casinos since chinese are gamble crazy. Many expect it to compete with Macao in a few years..
Property prices are down for a long time.. Landlords cut rents if you threaten to vacate.. Rentals are 2-3% of the apt cost.

Remember the cleanliness thingy you hear about.. Well compared to Madras.. it is clean.. But it overhyped otherwise.

Warm humid climate is good.. Most IT jobs pay the same as in India now. Unless you join a firm like Barclays and such which may pay a bit more..

Singaporeans like Desis are status consicious. A car is the ultimate status symbol and damn expensive..

Nice transport services.. Excellent cab services. Not even once did the guy demand extra 10 cents or crib about a short ride.

So unless you have family in singapore.. it's not worth it....

Chinese won't sit next to you.. So the discrimination is direct.

Actually i didn't mind. I couldn't stand their smell :emwink:[/quote]

Heh heh. Good one. Actually I was in Singapore briefly for a few months about 10 years ago working for a B'lore company there. At that time I was pretty impressed since it was my first trip outside India.

But u are right. The chinkus particularly didnt care for desis :-)

But I dont the general job scene these days. I was thinking of staying there a few years b4 R2ing to B'lore. But if the salaries are close and the chinkus
are not as fun as the americans, whats the point I supposse.

The commute/public transport/pollution/traffic scene is way better though.
Right ?

GoogleAjax · Post by **GoogleAjax** » Tue Aug 21, 2007 7:20 am

I lived in s'pore for a short period and its far better than few USA states in terms of cleanliness and public transport. The biggest advantage is its just 3hr travel time to india.

S'pore is controlled by Chinese and you will sure see the discrimination, but who cares.

The last time I heard there are few good companies who pay in US$$$. Now a days the indian salaries are almost equal to s'pore sal. To get there you need to find a company to process your work permit. I have seen people coming on visitor visa and finding jobs easily.

From my experience I think s'pore is good place to stay for short period for 2-3 yrs exp people. I don't think its good for very exp people unless you really get good pay.

ana · Post by **ana** » Thu Mar 18, 2010 1:58 am

Hi, this question is for mainly people living in Singapore. Do the apartments and condos are furnished with furniture and electronics? If we are shifting from US to Singapore ( for 1-2 years ), should we ship our stuff from here? What is the area good for family living close to Airport ( East side ). Can anyone tell me if there are good condos over there with pool, gym etc. and what will be the price range? I dont think our budget will be more than 2000-3000 Singapore dollar.

I know cost of living varies from person to person. Are there any families who shifted from USA to Singapore? Our kids are 5 and 3. I am not sure what kind of school will be appropriate for them. I heard lots of people send their kids to Indian schools over there? But they are very expensive too. 1000$ seems a lot of money to me per month. Are the Nannies reliable to look after household work and watching over kids?

Are there lots of Hindi speaking people too or more from south? I just feel nervous about shifting base.

Anybody has any pointers for living in Singapore or from shifting from US to Singapore, will be appreciated.

One more thing, How is IT job market currently? WHat are the chances of finding a job with somebidy 10+ years exp in IT? Just a general idea will do. I am thinking if I get bored at home, I can look for something.

direstraits88 · Post by **direstraits88** » Thu Mar 18, 2010 7:00 am

You may be first North Indian to step on Singapore.. :-) .

Punjabis are plenty.. So are sindhis. And Gujaratis too.. Does it make you feel better now? Singapore is known for trading.. Think trading and Indians. THere's an IKEA in Singapore. So that should take care of your furniture needs (even short term !) . But most HBDs are furnished.

BTW, i don't live in S'pore.

cyberabadi · Post by **cyberabadi** » Thu Mar 18, 2010 9:35 am

ana;269884....Anybody has any pointers for living in Singapore or from shifting from US to Singapore, will be appreciated.

....Just a general idea will do.....

Ana - It would be good if you can write a diary about your move and settlingin in Singapore. It would be helpful for many thinking about moving east from the US.