British secretary arriving soon - jobs available with international companies?

[Abby]

I'm a British female hoping to arrive in Singapore (alone and without a job!) Jan/Feb 2002 and am wondering what difficulties I may have finding a secretarial position with a multi-national/international company. Being  realistic I expect it may take a few months after arrival before something comes up, however, I am quietly confident that I WILL find a job.  If there are any expat secretaries working in Singapore able to respond to the following queries, I'd be really, REALLY,  grateful:-

*  Do some (international)companies prefer native English speaking secretaries, or do most prefer to employ local girls who speak both English and Chinese?
*  What kind of salary can I expect as an expat secretary?
*  Do most companies work a 5 day week?(please say YES!!!  I'm currently working for an oil company in Libya and after 2 years of working a 6 day week it is not an experience I wish to repeat!)

I've previously worked in Lebanon, Syria, Dubai and Libya, so I'm used to living an expat lifestyle, and appreciate that the experience of living in a foreign country is what you make it.  The experience can sometimes be frustrating, bewildering, exhausting, but also exhilarating and enriching.  So, whilst I'm confident that Singapore will fulfil all my expectations, I'm also realistic enough to understand that at times I will be overwhelmed by all the unfamiliar surroundings and differences (it's my first time in SE Asia).  Actually, I'm more worried about the practicalities of finding a job and a place to live.  I thought about placing an ad on the noticeboard of one of the supermarkets once I hit town, seeking a room to rent in an apartment with another expat.  Financially, I'll be in a reasonable position so I won't have to worry too much about finding a job immediately;  I'd like to take my time to get to know the city before I commit myself to anything. Of course, if a brilliant job comes my way immediately, I'd jump at it, but life isn't always that easy, is it?!?!

Anyway, no doubt I'll be posting more questions before my arrival, but would love to hear from anyone who may be able to offer advice to a (somewhat nervous) newcomer.  Anything you wish you'd known/done before you arrived? Please feel free to e-mail me at:
       abby_gillespie@yahoo.com

Thanks in advance for all your replies

[kat]

Hi Abby

I am a British secretary working in Singapore.  I have been here since Jan on a fixed term contract (leaving in September when my team moves to HK).

I too started job hunting when I arrived (although trawled through the internet beforehand).  On the last day of my job hunt, having exhausted every other option, I sat down with the Yellow Pages and called more than 50 recruitment agencies.

Only one invited me to call in and fill out an application form.  This particular agency was looking for a bilingual French/English secretary for a French firm here in Singapore.  Fortunately I fit the bill and was taken on.  If I didn't have this particular skill, I think I could well still be looking.

Of course, the economy has slowed down since then and unemployment is up.  A secretary can expect to be paid S$ 1500 - S$ 4000.

The situation is not brilliant and to be honest, foreign secretaries are probably at a disadvantage as we don't speak Mandarin, Malay, Tamil etc. and also have little "local" knowledge (suppliers, contacts etc).  Also, when applying for an employment pass, your company must fill out a section entitled "justification by Employer for need to employ Applicant", aka "why should we employ you when there are lots of unemployed Singaporeans with the same qualifications / experience".  You really need a skill / quality / experience that is in demand and yet scarce - rare in an economic downturn.

Good Luck - you seem to have the right attitude.  If you have any further questions, either post them here or drop me an email.

PS - Yes, most companies work Mon-Fri!

[Abby]

Hi Kat:  Thanks for your reply.  Trying not to panic too much at your response.  Knew it wouldn't be easy to find a job, but I'm assuming (whether rightly or wrongly) that once I start networking in Singapore someone will want to take me on!!! Perhaps I'm being too confident.  I don't mean to sound pompous - because that's definitely not my style; I'm VERY down to earth - but I've often heard western Managers, CEO's, MD's say that they would prefer to pay the extra money and employ a Brit secretary because of the way we work. We know each others 'ways'.  Even in Dubai, where there were loads of excellent Indian and Philipino secretaries, it was easy for me to find a good secretarial job simply because I'm British.  I'm kind of hoping that I'll be equally lucky in Singapore.  I only speak English, which could of course go against me, but my experience as a secretary should, I hope, stand me in good stead.  After all, I've never had a communication problem in foreign countries so far!!

I thought I might pop in to the British Chamber of Commerce for contacts when I arrive - do you think they might give me some good leads?

Anyway Kat, sorry that you'll be leaving Singapore before I arrive.  Thank you for your response. I'll e-mail you with some more in-depth queries soon.

[Recruiter]

Hi Abby

I am a British expat in recruitment, I lead a team of recruiters in the banking & finance sector for an AsiaPac firm, although we don't place secretaries as such I will gladly help/refer you where I can.  If you would like to email me your CV in the meantime: finance@wallstreetsingapore.com.  Look forward to hearing from you

[missy]

yes, ur being too confident. dont even get off the plane. singapore do take expats but more on specialization, engineering, technical,construction, banking & finance and IT. if u dont fall in any of these, dont even think about it.
sorry, i am not being pessimistic but this the reality. unless ur an expat's wife, then maybe u can have the chance of working in ur field or unspecialized trades.

[Bewildered]

Abby, getting a job may not be easy. In your position (ie not coming as a Dependent) you will need to get an Employment Pass to work here. Any company employing you has to justify why they are doing so, and in general would have to offer a salary over $3500 or so pm. Because there are thousands of experienced and qualified local  secretaries it would be hard for any company to justify employing an foreigner, unless he/she had some very specific skills that are required for the job.
There may be some "expat" secretaries here, though I have never come across any, but I suspect they would all be Dependant pass holders.
If you have a degree you may be able to apply for a Long Term Social Visit pass which enables you to stay whilst looking for a job. Without that you will be issued a social visa on arrival, you will have to leave the country every 30 days to renew it. Strictly speaking, you are not meant to look for work with this type of visa.
Anyway, good luck with whatever you choose to do. You sound like a very adventurous person!

[Abby]

Recruiter:  Thank you for your kind response and your offer to refer me if possible.  I'm off to Morocco for 10 days so I'll up-date my CV upon my return and e-mail it to you.  Feel free to pass it around to anyone you think may be interested!  Cheers.

Missy & Bewildered:  Thank you both for taking the time to offer your opinions.  I do appreciate any feedback, positive or negative; it's better to go into any new situation with as much information as possible.  However, as I AM a very adventurous person by nature I still intend to go ahead with my move to Singapore.  What's the worse that can happen?  If I'm unlucky in my job search at least I get to see a part of the world I haven't yet seen!!  But, the motto I live by is - if you don't try, you don't get!!

[what gives]

To Abby - Best of luck, give it a go and experience another part of the world. I am sure with your attitude you will achieve your goal.

To Missy - Wouldnt it be a sad world if we were all dissuaded from our ambitions (or even trying for them) by a few difficulties.

You only get one life and its yours to do with as you please - why not make it into an adventure.

[Agree]

with What Gives.  You gotta give it a go.  I'm sorry but it really bugs me when people like Missy post - yes everyone has their own opinion but I so hate pessimists (you're not a realist!).  Ever heard of being positive?

I have chosen not to work but I truly believe if you want to work in Singapore you'll be able to.  Many friends have arrived here in the same situation as you - not having a dependent's pass and they've managed to find a job fairly quickly.  Have a look at http://www.aasingapore.com/crce.htm  - one of my UK friends got a job at an international finance firm as a P.A. through them.

Good luck tho' with your positive attitude I don't think you'll need it!

[in the know]

You should definitely come here and you are right that many British managers would prefer an English Secretary - the thing is that they cannot always justify employing one as locals are equally qualified.  If they really want you there is a way around it and they submit a different job description on the EP application form e.g. Management Affairs Specialist or Business Executive and sometimes they will even give you a higher salary to get you a P2 pass.  The best thing to do is apply to the companies on your own and try and speak with the expat managers or CEO's rather than sending you CV to the HR manager who is often local and will dispose of it - same goes with recruitment agencies too.

[Abby]

Sorry I've not responded to this thread for a while. I've been on holiday and couldn't find any internet cafes on my travels!

What Gives:  cheers, thanks for agreeing with my positive outlook on life.  Instead of hearing comments like "Oh Abby, you must be crazy to leave a well-paid job and travel half way round the world for....WHAT!!"  its nice to hear a kindred spirit say "go for it"

Agree:  Same as above. Thanks a lot for the info about CRCE.  I checked out the website and it seems a GREAT place to look for a job.  As soon as I arrive I will go and see them.

In the know: You've more or less confirmed my belief that expat managers know how to break through all the red tape to employ someone they REALLY REALLY want.  Now all I have to do is persuade one of them that they really really want ME!! Your thoughts and advice are appreciated.

Somehow, I just KNOW that this is going to turn out alright.  I have this inner belief that if I put in all the effort, I'll reap the rewards.  As What Gives said, you only get one life, so we should do the things we want to do, before it's too late ......  we'll be dead soon enough.  (Oh God, what a downer to end on!!)

Cheers everyone.  I'll post a message when I arrive to invite people out for coffee.  Hope to meet some of you kindred spirits then.