SGD2000 Contractor job

[I got one]

I am desperate to work, and finally got one. $2000 and six months contract but it is extendable. It is better tahn nothing, but are these conditions common at all? Sounded a bit bitter to me.

By the way, I am in IT field.

[!]

it all depends what you do, but put it this way - the average salary for locals in SG is at least $3.5k.

[Samuel L Jackson]

True, street cleaners earn $1,000 and shop assistants earn anywhere between S$1,000-2,000 per month.

You'll be spending half of that on basic HDB housing.

[I got one]

I am a programmer from Sydney and have been looking for a job for so long. The market is pretty bad at the moment. I wouldn't mind to work anywhere, for any reasonble salary, but SGD2000 sounded a bit weird to mee too. Thanks for the input guys,

Cheers,

[Slim Pickins]

Sorry to spoil the party mate, but 2k aint gonna cut it when it comes to getting an Employment Pass. Minimum salary is 2.5k to be eligible (in theory - they can make exceptions on a case by case basis I think but in reality youve got a snowballs chance in hell of it being accepted).

For programming 2k is however a pretty normal salary in IT these days - fresh grads are looking at 1.6 - especially for contracting which is rather wierd as everywhere else on the planet contracting usually pays better.

A year or two back a similar fulltime job might have got you 3 to 3.5 but not anymore.  Not for programming or architecting or such like grunt work.

3.5 is at the higher end of the scale today. Its certainly more than I get (and thats with 4+ years IT exp) When I came over a couple of years back the market was dismal. Took 6 months to find a position. Now the market is even worse. :-(

Of course it does rather depend on the position. Fat bald middle age manager types can expect a hell of a lot more. (One assumes to cover their OT expenses?)

So... how good are you at creating meaningless GANT charts? ;-)

btw: be careful you dont get burned by any of these contracting firms. You might want to check up on them to make sure they dont have form when it comes to such things as dodgy paperwork (such as quoted salary for EP) and not paying contractors their money etc....

[Opinion Onion]

Hi "I got one"

As advised by the others, do look into Employment Pass criteria - as far as i know, salary has to be above $2.5k before you are considered eligible for an EP.

Gd luck!  

[howstrange]

Slim Pickens,

I was amazed by what you said in your post about the small salary range in the IT field. I also was one of those looking for almost six months to land a job in IT (with programming, network security skills) and I finally got a job with a salary of $6k. No, I'm not a middle aged manager either, just a normal IT guy working for a bank on what I'm assuming is an entry level position.

I was quite shocked on what I was offered as I was expecting nothing more than $3k due to the bad times. Guess their is hope out there afterall.

[Slim Pickins]

WOW!

You got very lucky there. You sure about that being an entry level job though? 6k is a bit much for an entry level in IT anywhere I would have thought, nevermind Singapore.

Anyhow, goodonya mate. As you say it shows theres hope yet! :-)

[Noiese]

He's just creating noise, it's his ideals getting in his way of reality.

[To !]

"the average salary for locals in SG is at least $3.5k."  

Hahahahahahaha, where do you get that from?  What a load of bunk.  Go half that and you're closer to the real figure.  Last figures I got from MoM was around 25k/annum

[Euro-Aussie]

... to 'I got one'.    Congrats on the job, it may be less than you are used to but at least it'll keep the sharks from your door.  You never know, it might turn into something more permanent.

[I got one]

Thanks to all replies. I have started to my new "low paid" job, and yes, as some of you stated, it's actually SGD2500, but the contractor agent is playing some tricks on CPF, day offs or so. Anyway, for the time being, i am quite happy to be in and paid.

The company usually hires as contractors, and if the one is good, then offers a permanent position. Well, it's employer's market at the moment, I don't mind keeping up a while. By the way, the permanant guys are paid 3 times more than contractors.

Cheers