Singapore or Australia?

Having just recently relocated to Melbroune, Australia I have been receiving a few queries as to the difference in living conditions between Singapore and Australia. To help me save some typing work in the future, I will share with you some differences and similarities that I observe for some common topics.

HOUSING: Currently it is not that easy to find a place to rent here. The conditions are similar to what we had in SG late 2007 where 5 to 10 tenants are fighting over one vacant unit. The only good thing i see here is that unlike the agents in SG who are VERY GREEDY, here they don't ask you to outbid each other when you go view a unit. Although in Melbourne, you have to send a tenancy application (with 100pt ID, i.e. birth cert copy + passport copy) and wait for a day or more before knowing that your application has been approved or not. Unlike in SG where you will know if you get the house or not on the same day.

TRANSPORTATION: There are trams, trains and buses that are very accessible. In terms of cleanliness they don't have that much difference to the buses and MRTs in SG. Although I haven't had a "smelly" experience when riding in them yet compared to the ones you experience daily in SG. As for the fare, it is not similar. Here you pay 2hr, daily, weekly, or monthly for a particular Zone (usually zone 1 which is near the city). This would be advantageous for those living farther away as there fare will always be constant. But you do miss your EZ link when your here. :)

SECURITY: To be honest, Singapore is much safer than Melbourne. In Singapore i would not be afraid to go out late at night in Clark Quay, but here going to King St (comparable to Clark Quay) at night is not a very good idea. There are a lot of delinquents and weirdos in the trams and in the city. But as a rule of thumb when living in the city, you just need to be careful and street smart so not to attract the bad type of people towards you (i. .e don't look to rich, don't stare, blah blah blah).

CHILDCARE: Don't have a kid so can't relate to this one. But I do see they have childcare centers near the city center. I also haven't heard of people having maids here unlike in SG.

TAXES: For me, nothing can beat the SG taxation scheme. But when you apply for a job here be sure to put a 50% increase to your SG salary so you won't feel the pinch of the Oz tax. I do think that salary rates here are higher compared to SG.

WORKING CONDITIONS: This has been one of the good points when living here. Work hours here are normally 8hrs long. Compared to SG where work hours are at leat 8++++ hours long. Here people put a lot of emphasis on family life, on living outside that 3-walled cell you sometimes call your cubicle.

WEEKEND/LATE NIGHT: (For late night, see security) For weekend, especially if you like shopping, Melbourne does not have that much malls compared to the ones we have in SG. But who needs redundant shops anyway (is the price of a giordano shirt different in Toa Payoh and Orchard?). In Melbourne, you can find the best bargains in DFO and Bridge road so that can greatly compensate the loss of Junction8, Vivo, and Suntec (note: i find orchard malls too expensive for my taste). But other than malls you have more (i mean a CONTINENT more) options to choose if you settle in Melbourne. You have the beaches, the snow resorts, and the entire Australian continent really. :)

All in all, it really is up to what your priorities are. If you work abroad just to save, i suggest you stay in SG. But if you work for the long term and finally to settle down then i suggest you stay in Oz. That's why i'm here anyway, so I really can't say you do the same as well.

I.T. Job hunting in Singapore

The months of May to July are the best months to look for jobs in Singapore. Why? In my experience these are the months that most people leave their jobs to look for greener pastures. The timing might also be because people have already received their variable bonus on March and their salary increment on April. And those who did not like what they got started moving out.

But just because there are quite a number of openings does not mean that companies will just pluck you out of the Philippines and put you on the recently vacant chair in their offices. You need to strategize, you need to prepare, and you need to sell yourself. Here I hope my experience in how I got my job in Singapore will help.

Step 1: Make a "killer" resume

A colleague and friend of mine, Jake, gave me one very important advice. Keep your resume short and simple with a maximum of 2 pages. Well there goes my 5 page resume..

Making your resume simple is not, how to say it, "simple". There are a lot of information you want to put in to get noticed. Should you put in how you manage to debug that bug in your scheduler? Do you need to put in the best in custom award your team won during your annual dinner and dance? The answer is simply "no".

After I have searched the net I came to these basic sections:
> Contact Info (i.e. your name (of course!), address, contact number)
> Summary (100 words should be enough)
> Technical Expertise (Summary of the things your good at, in bullet form)
- here i list the programming langauges, OS, CPU, protocols that i am knowledgeable
> Professional Experience (Brief summary of all your work experience)
- here i break up my experience per title/rank or project i have done.
> Education (only your degree is important and where you got it)

Step 2: Post it!

Once you have your "killer" resume you can start applying for jobs. Since you are in the Philippines and you want to apply in Singapore the best way to do it is use the internet. I have never used the postal system to apply only because I have some VERY BAD experience with them in the past.

There are quite a number of sites and ways to apply. I have used monster.com.sg as my primary job search site. I upload my resume there and update it twice a week. The reason why I update it that regularly is because employers usually browse only through active resumes and will give you a call when they like what you have. In my experience during the months of May to July I usually receive an average of one interview invitation per week.

Another way to do it is to go to search for job openings in monster.com.sg or in st701.com and then once you find an opening go to that company's website and apply in their "Careers" or "Jobs" section.

Step 3: Interview with the vampire

Once you get an interview invitation that proves you have made a good resume. But that should not stop you from continually improving and updating your resume.

When you get an interview invitation make it a point that you prepare and take it seriously. As I've indicated think of it as if you are talking to a vampire, if you make a mistake the vampire might suck you dry...so be wary.

The interview is the most important step in the process, not only does this dictate if you will be hired or not. The interview will also dictate how much you can negotiate when the job offer comes or what relocation packages you can get.

Step 4: The Job offer

Once you ace your interview and got to this point, you're almost there. But this is where most people fall. Yes, it is good that you finally found a job and that soon you will be part of the OFW community earning 3 to 5 times more than what our countrymen in the Philippines earn doing the same job.

But this is also where you agree on the terms of your employment. This might dictate how long you need to be with the company and how much they will pay for the year and beyond.

So once you reach this part, step back and analyze the contract properly. Some points you need to analyze are:
> Contract bond
- Make sure that if there is a contract bond that it is reasonable. You need to consider that not all jobs are perfect and it is possible tha you might want to jump ship earlier than expected.

> Medical insurance
- As the tagalog saying goes "Mahal magkasakit", and it is more true if you are in another country. Make sure that you get medical converage and that it is indicated in your contract.

> Vacation leave
- Most of us pinoys need to recharge to the Philippines so you make sure you have a couple of weeks leave.

> Relocation package
- As I have said this depends on how much you impress your future employer. Not all get a relocation package but if you have one that is great.

Step 5: Work to impress and then Pass it on

As a matter of principle, when I do my job I do not think that I am doing it for myself alone. True I am earning the money and enjoying the friuts of my labor. But as I do my job it also reflect the qualities of my Filipino heritage. So when you have your job, work to impress your boss or colleagues. Make them see the true skill and abilities of Filipinos.

As my previous boss have told me, hiring a foreign talent is like tasting rice. If you like the first rice you ate you will always look for that same brand. So work to impress and then pass on the experience you have to your fellow Filipinos so they too can have the rewards that you are now enjoying.


I hope this helps.