Singapore is an attractive destination for job-seekers. It’s one of the most successful and progressive business hub of Asia. It’s an english-speaking country, accessible, parallel culture and religion, same weather and time zone, P30 Singaporean dollar exchange rate to peso, clean and green, and a good avenue to further your career globally.
By the way I didn’t get a job in Singapore, am back in Manila working for a Fortune 500 company doing the job I love. So you might ask what right have I to talk about tips when I failed. Nothing hehe, sabi ko nga eh.
But what I will share with you are my first hand experiences and things I learned from my brother who patiently helped me survived my job-hunting days in SG.
What to Wear
Dress smartly as you would in Makati. No, they don’t wear alien suits there. We have similar fashion trends. You can very well bring your Makati corporate attire and wear them in SG. Girls, remember I said corporate, as much as possible wear something with collar and not just plain office blouses.
But they have more fashionable people here who don’t get the “look”. Unlike when you do that in Manila, you get the “eeww, look at that girl, weird, sicko, feelingera, baduy, ang init-init naka trench coat” kind of “look” from people who are actually envious because they don’t have the nerve to wear something different.
What jobs are available?
SG is a haven for IT professionals. Check Jobstreet or Jobsdb and you will get pages and pages of IT jobs. Apply for those jobs even if you’re still here in the Philippines. My brother who’s into IT just submitted his resume through Jobsdb, the employer did phone interviews and after a month he was hired.
I am into marketing and advertising. Finding a non-technical job such as mine is more difficult. I met a placement agency owner who told me marketing jobs are preferably given to fellow Singaporeans because they know their markets.
I also applied through the aforementioned job portals. No one called me for phone interview. I almost gave up when kuya just encouraged, more like forced actually, me to fly there and try my luck. He’s my financier so wutdaheck, I went there.
On my first morning in SG, I checked my email. Wonders of all wonders, I got a reply from a company I applied for through Jobsdb who was inviting me for a face-to-face interview. Well, aren’t they lucky am in town already?! Lol.
The best resource for jobs is the classifieds section of the The Straits Times, SG’s english-language broadsheet. Their Sunday edition classifieds is as thick as Manila Bulletin’s. Be sure to buy that newspaper. I bought one almost everyday. It costs around S$ 1.80.
EPEC and Extension of Stay
Another good option to start your job-hunting is to apply for an Employment Eligibility Certificate (EPEC) while you’re still in PH. No cost at all. Find more info at Ministry of Manpower (MOM). EPEC will allow you one year of stay to look for a job. In 2006 when I was there, they didn’t have this online process yet and I had to courier my application and documents. I was denied. When I got to SG I applied again. I was again denied. Kulit noh? Oh well, sometimes persistence pays off.
Now if you were approved for a 30-day visit pass only, you can always apply for an extension of stay at Immigration and Checkpoints Authority (ICA) if you still haven’t found a job. Again during my stay there, there was no online process yet but they do have that now.
Here is another one of my Singapore horror story aside from that Airport incident.
I went to ICA to apply for an extension of stay. I was there in the morning. Then my number was called after about 30 minutes. The lady in the window was very kind and gentle. I put 30 days request for an extension. She asked me the purpose and I said looking for a job. She herself changed the number of days and made it 60 days!
For the love of Batman, I wanted to kiss the lady! I was smiling wide as she told me to prepare about S$ 90 for the extension. I almost jumped with joy.
I came back in the afternoon to get my passport. Finally I was called to a window and the lady said “Sorry your application is denied.”
I almost collapsed “What, how come, the lady this morning said its approved and I just have to pay the fee now.” I learned that applications get reviewed again and its not a guarantee that once they get your passport and ask you to come back, your extension application is approved.
I asked for a closed door interview with an officer. Those who are requesting to appeal are interviewed individually. I waited another 3 hours.
Finally it was my turn. I smiled as I sat down privately summoning all the good forces and spirits around me.
This fortyish Singaporean took one look at me and said “this is denied.” I was about to recite my spiel ‘But sir I have upcoming interviews next week, and my agency has sponsored my stay…blah blah’ but he cut me off at ‘but sir…’
And he said something that I will never forget for the rest of my beautiful life! He frowned at me and in a raised voice said “No, this is denied! And you can tell that to all your Filipino friends no more extension. No more extension!”
Ah…inay, itay?…Kindly tell me what makes some people harsh? I did this man no harm. I am but a kind creature simply looking for a decent job in a beautiful country like SG which I’ve fallen in love with and this cruel man insults my nationality!!!
I am not angry. I am sad. Sad for all my fellow Filipinos working abroad who experience racial discriminations many times. I cried that night. I tried hard to find a job in SG with a sad conclusion of that man’s remark “you can tell all your Filipino friends no more extension.”
Humanda ka sa kin lalaki ka, titirisin ko pimples mo pagbalik ko ng SG. Lol! Three days later I packed my things and flew home. But not before I did final pasalubong shopping lah!
Application and Interview Session
As my line of job is not in demand, kuya advised me to look for any job I could fit in as a stepping-stone. So while I was on the look out for writing, advertising, and marketing jobs, I also applied for administrative, secretarial, hotel and restaurant, store and retail, telemarketing, and teaching jobs.
I was even tempted to apply for the ‘mascot and clown’ job except for that Mandarin-speaking requirement. Well, apart from dao ming xi and san cai, my Chinese language ability is limited to ni hao ma and kung hei fat choi (I can’t even tell if they are Cantonese or Mandarin)!
Because I was patient and diligent in sending resume, I got a lot of invitation for interviews. I went through all of them. I leave the house everyday to apply personally or to attend an interview. Everyday. Even if I have to transfer trains, busses, walk long distances, tired feet, sore soles, empty wallet and all. I was never lazy.
I had my disheartened moments but I kept on applying. Told ya am persistent.
And I guess my passion for lakwatsa got me going everyday. I was in a multi-cultural country seeing yellow, brown, white, and black skins, hearing different languages, eating new food, walking along unfamiliar streets and discovering new adventures. Most of the time, I was on high! No time to sulk!
My friend used to tell me “puro pasyal ka lang ata jan eh.” Parang ganun na nga.
On my second week, we decided to seek help from a placement agency. I paid two. One is an agency who usually fills administrative jobs and I paid S$10. Another agency is more into hotel and restaurant jobs and I paid a hefty S$50. I was glad both of those agencies had Filipina staff. Still those didn’t work.
One of my favorite success story is what kuya told me about this bunch of Pinoys who went to an Ikea store and just handed their resume and got hired on the spot.
Well look, I went to Ikea. After looking for their administrative office for 30 freaking minutes, pretending to be a shopper but surreptitiously glancing at every corner if they have the “admin office” sign and finally after going up and down the floors in two-inches high heels, I found the blasted office in a hidden corner at the basement only to be told they were “not currently hiring.” I said I will leave my resume anyway. They refused to take my resume as they were not hiring and it will only get lost. I shrugged my shoulders, frowned at the guard thinking hey I could do a guard’s job too…hehe. So I hopped onto a bus and went to my next interview. Oh I did say I was persistent right?
It is a challenge to understand the spoken english of Singaporeans. But you will get used to their accent. My nerves got me during my first few sessions so I had a hard time understanding my interviewers, but after a thousand (no I think a million) more interviews, it got a lot easier. But there were some fluent interviewers also.
They ask the same questions you hear in PH. Usually though they would ask you first what your status in SG is; whether you are a visit pass holder, dependent, PR, EPEC holder. Be prepared as well for occasional questions like “Why do you want to work in SG? What do you know about employment process in SG?” Read read read so you’ll learn learn learn.
You will meet many Filipinos when you apply for work and you’ll find out you’re after the same position. Competition could be fierce. Singaporeans favor their citizens (but of course!), permanent residents, and EPEC holders. Social visit pass holders may get immediate turndown upon submission of resume especially from small companies who aren’t willing to process and pay for your Employment Pass.
You may not find a job but you will definitely gain lots of confidence as you mingle with people from different nations.
You got a job!
Duh, I have nothing to share lol!
The forums in Pinoysg and this website will give you lots of tips from fellow Filipinos who are working or living in SG. Now good luck to you. Enjoy SG while you are there.
