Young expat-to-be

[sufjansaves]

Hello everyone. I have been following a couple of threads and have not encountered anyone in a similar situation. I am a 21-year-old single Asian girl who might be moving pretty soon to Singapore for a few years. I have my degree in Communication Arts and just recently got a certificate in Filmmaking in the US.

I was just wondering if there's anyone here in their early 20s as well who moved to Singapore and got on fine? I have two interviews lined up for some media and advertising companies and while not set in stone, I'm pretty excited at the prospect of working and living in Singapore independently. The job hunting bit's been a real pain, but I'm determined to emerge victorious in the end, shall we say. A lot of people have discouraged me, but I really want to do this for myself.

I've been to Singapore twice in my life. My last visit was a month ago and I just fell in love. It's perfect for a young single person, in my opinion. Also, I find it a gorgeous place despite the terrible heat. I'm trying to consider other countries too, but can't think of any that's as convenient as Singapore for me. It's just four hours away from my home country which is great. I can also do some traveling to other nearby Asian countries. Am I being a bit too idealistic here?

I'd love to hear from you guys. How was the big move like at such a young age? Anything I should consider? Thank you so much.

[reckon1212]

The salaries offered in this industry can be quite shocking 
I hope you're prepared for that.

[sufjansaves]

What do you mean, shockingly low?

I'm really just looking into settling in for the first few months. The salary's not an issue (yet).

[Blaze]

Where are you going to stay?

Salary is an issue for everyone living in Singapore. Rentals are pretty high, and not value for money.

[jalanperak]

Hello everyone. I have been following a couple of threads and have not encountered anyone in a similar situation. I am a 21-year-old single Asian girl who might be moving pretty soon to Singapore for a few years. I have my degree in Communication Arts and just recently got a certificate in Filmmaking in the US.

You'd be worth more to the local market if you got some US filmmaking experience to go along with the certificate.

[Once upon a time...]

I got transferred here from the US at age 25 in the late 90's.

There are lots of foreigners here in their 20's.  Remember, of the ~5mil people in Singapore about 1mil are foreigners and their age range varies a lot.

As shallow as it sounds, money does become a question, though, because it kind of determines what you do and thus, to some degree, who you hang out with. 

I was on a nice corporate deal, so money was no issue but others that I met at that age were students or at the very lowest end of the EP scale (S$2000/mth salary, at that time, now it's S$2500/mth).
You will end up finding people in the same socio-economic bracket as yourself.

Singapore is a nice place, no paradise, but it's fine.  Your age doesn't really make a difference.  If 18 year old Filipinas who have never left their province before can come here as domestic workers, I am sure you will be able to handle the move also.

[sufjansaves]

Thanks, everyone. Gave me a lot to think about! I agree with salary being an important issue considering the high cost of living in Singapore. I think it's just not as important to me right now since I won't be supporting anyone besides myself and I think I can make a few sacrifices for a while. I think... 

@Blaze: I have a friend over there who has offered his spare room for me. I understand that the rentals are high. I've seen some of the HDBs and they're not very nice although quite expensive which is a shame.

@jalanperak: I agree with you. I do have some production experience in the US although not much.

@Once upon a time...: Thank you for your response. I do hope to get a good deal when I get offered a job although the media industry generally doesn't pay well for entry-level positions. Need my foot in the door first, that's what I'm thinking.

[Hi OP]

I moved to Singapore when I was young, single and earning very little. When you're young and have no major obligations, it's a great move to make, getting international work experience and traveling a bit. Once you have a family, established career, mortgage, it's harder to make the leap, especially if you're a woman. At 21 I think it's silly the people who are warning you of shockingly low salaries, I can only think it's a long time since they were 21! I rented a room in a flat with a couple of other single expats and had a crowd of friends we all went out and had tons of fun together, went on group holidays even, the whole bunch of us - it was a blast!   

[sufjansaves]

You got me even more excited. Thank you so much! I got the job so now I'm just overjoyed. I really can't wait! The salary's indeed quite low, but that's really the least of my worries. I think I can make do with it. So excited to move and explore!

[Little Expat]

Congratulations on getting the job! I moved to Singapore when I was 23. It's a great place for young people.

[old in town]

Yes, congrats on the job.  Singapore can be a good place to live although it can be frustrating if you're not earning much, but it is possible to live fairly cheaply if you're careful. 

It'll be good experience for you though both in terms of living somewhere new and with the new job. 

[Hi OP]

Congrats! Make the most of it!

[Yes]

When you're young, you can afford to experiment and try out different places to live / work in.  Some expats on this board talk about people in the region being money-minded yet they, too, are concerned about money and would rather forego adventure / gaining new experiences if they don't get enough money to live the high life.

Sometimes, one gives up something as a trade off.  Being young and green has its advantages.  You have youth and vitality on your side.  Try taking on a job overseas when you have a spouse and kids - there are so many needs to consider!!

[fritjes]

Yep, my first job out of grad school paid me a real pittance but I got a great opportunity to spend 2 years in Paris - it helped me to get my foot in the door when I started my career for real and continues to be a source of great interest on my CV.

[me no understand]

Hello everyone. I have been following a couple of threads and have not encountered anyone in a similar situation. I am a 21-year-old single Asian girl who might be moving pretty soon to Singapore for a few years. I have my degree in Communication Arts and just recently got a certificate in Filmmaking in the US.

I was just wondering if there's anyone here in their early 20s as well who moved to Singapore and got on fine? I have two interviews lined up for some media and advertising companies and while not set in stone, I'm pretty excited at the prospect of working and living in Singapore independently. The job hunting bit's been a real pain, but I'm determined to emerge victorious in the end, shall we say. A lot of people have discouraged me, but I really want to do this for myself.

I've been to Singapore twice in my life. My last visit was a month ago and I just fell in love. It's perfect for a young single person, in my opinion. Also, I find it a gorgeous place despite the terrible heat. I'm trying to consider other countries too, but can't think of any that's as convenient as Singapore for me. It's just four hours away from my home country which is great. I can also do some traveling to other nearby Asian countries. Am I being a bit too idealistic here?

I'd love to hear from you guys. How was the big move like at such a young age? Anything I should consider? Thank you so much.

degree in communication arts? what is that? is it me or the world is so full of nonsense degrees nowdays? whats wrong with a degree in engineering? construction? economics? finance? accountancy? law? Is it fair to assume that those who are took or taking 'mickey mouse' courses are incapable to do proper degrees? This is all but laughable, LOL!

Im not surprised the world is so saturated with degree holders, never mind teh fake ones you get from india, philippines, indonesia and malaysia! (yes if you havent read the economist lately, it exposed that in indonesia they encouraged students to cheat) Which raises the question, how many so called professionals out there in a practical industry like engineering and construction are let loose? As an up and coming business man, I will never never never hire anyone if they havent got their qualifications from western states. Heres a thought, how about devising an app that singles out the proper degrees from proper institutions from those fake ones you get in say india