Now ... This is official, right?
- Thread starter koukanamiya
- Start date
In this morning's edition of "The Straits Times" Urban supplement, there's an article which is headlined "Expat wives are eschewing manicures and high teas for the working world".
Helpful websites listed in the article:
Quote
PrimeTime Business and Professional Women's Association
Targeted at professional women of all nationalities, this is the place to sign up if you want to keep abreast of the latest happenings in the working world.
American Association of Singapore
Part of the American Association of Singapore, this group provides career advice for expats looking for employment. Open to all nationalities.
Helpful websites listed in the article:
Quote
PrimeTime Business and Professional Women's Association
Targeted at professional women of all nationalities, this is the place to sign up if you want to keep abreast of the latest happenings in the working world.
American Association of Singapore
Part of the American Association of Singapore, this group provides career advice for expats looking for employment. Open to all nationalities.
Passerby, fantastic!
Kou, these are great.......
You HAVE TO come to Vegas to give us an oppotunity to celebrate this with you. I guess you're not wanting to hit the c'dales now....
hi Kou,
passerby as always has some fantastic leads. i would venture to ask, what industry you are in? perhaps we can do a bit more specific digging for you.
in the meantime, it wouldn't hurt to register for sites like:
http://sg.jobstreet.com
Monster.com.sg -- More jobs for Singapore
www.singaporejobsonline.com
Job search, talent recruit & career resources | JobsDB Singapore
having lived and worked here for nearly seven years, i can honestly say that i've been happy. but a lot of this has to do with my having found a job i really like, with a good work environment, in the last four years.
congratulations and i hope everything turns out wonderfully for you. oh, and yes, there's great shopping to be had, here and in the rest of the region
passerby as always has some fantastic leads. i would venture to ask, what industry you are in? perhaps we can do a bit more specific digging for you.
in the meantime, it wouldn't hurt to register for sites like:
http://sg.jobstreet.com
Monster.com.sg -- More jobs for Singapore
www.singaporejobsonline.com
Job search, talent recruit & career resources | JobsDB Singapore
having lived and worked here for nearly seven years, i can honestly say that i've been happy. but a lot of this has to do with my having found a job i really like, with a good work environment, in the last four years.
congratulations and i hope everything turns out wonderfully for you. oh, and yes, there's great shopping to be had, here and in the rest of the region
That's a great idea!
Will save you the hassle of trying to get a job in Singapore - interviews and what nots.But congrats on the engagement!, def sounds official to me!
And welcome to Singapore in advance!
Thanks again everybody for your wishes and congratulations!!
With regards to whether I want to move to Singapore, I have to be honest and say that while I enjoy visiting Singapore to see my SO, the only reason I'd move there would be for him.
In some ways, I don't think it's really fair. He's a graphics designer, he can pretty much find a job anywhere in the world. I'm a financial analyst. It's true that financial analyst can be found everywhere in the world, but it's definitely more limiting demographically when compared to graphics design.
Consulting is my first choice, it's been my dream career for a long time now ... My concern is that should I not make it into consulting again, I may be forever stuck in the same industry ... While it's true that my current job as a financial analyst has been the most enjoyable by far (because it's more challenging), I get bored pretty quick. I'm the type of person who has to deal with constant challenges, and I work best under challenges and pressure. At the moment, I've learned everything I could at my current company, and the fact that htey're having promotion and salary freezes are not encouraging factors for me to stay.
That said, my second choice will be going back into the banking sector and be a financial analyst. But here's where i run into problems. i've checked job postings in Singapore and it appears that they all want CFAs. I'm don't have a CFA credential, nor do I have an advance degree. I do have a pretty good job set as a financial analyst, but salary is important to me. I'm not asking for exorbitant salary, but I am looking at ballpark of SGD 70K and up for financial analysts, which I think is pretty reasonable (stats showed that someone with my background can earn up to 6-figure SGD in SG). However, I'm fearful that due to the fact that I am a foreigner trying to get into the country, I am at a disadvantage. After all, it's very different when the person wants to get in as opposed to the country wants to get them in.
As for expats ... I don't think my SO is an expat. He's working for his sister, so he doesn't have any expat packages. In fact, one of the reasons I focus so much on finding a decent job is that my SO's current salary there is only 50% of what I'm making here in the states. Granted, his idea of a comfortable lifestyle is very different from mine. If I don't make a decent amount of money, I KNOW we're going to have issues down the line.
My SO is not the kind who showers me with gifts. He's the "practical" type of person. Very anti-namebrands and believes that money is better spent on vacations whereas I prefer to spend my money on Hermes and things that will return value in the long run (i.e. Faberge eggs). This is another reason finding a decent job is important ... I must be independent so that I can justify what I do. I'm already feeling a bit of bitterness that I have to give up everything I have in the U.S. simply because he didnt' want to move back to the states, I honestly don't want to become even more bitter by being unable to land a decent job ...
Ok, maybe this is why I'm not jumping with joy ... Engagement is supposed to be a good thing, but the job situation really dampens things ...
With regards to whether I want to move to Singapore, I have to be honest and say that while I enjoy visiting Singapore to see my SO, the only reason I'd move there would be for him.
In some ways, I don't think it's really fair. He's a graphics designer, he can pretty much find a job anywhere in the world. I'm a financial analyst. It's true that financial analyst can be found everywhere in the world, but it's definitely more limiting demographically when compared to graphics design.
Consulting is my first choice, it's been my dream career for a long time now ... My concern is that should I not make it into consulting again, I may be forever stuck in the same industry ... While it's true that my current job as a financial analyst has been the most enjoyable by far (because it's more challenging), I get bored pretty quick. I'm the type of person who has to deal with constant challenges, and I work best under challenges and pressure. At the moment, I've learned everything I could at my current company, and the fact that htey're having promotion and salary freezes are not encouraging factors for me to stay.
That said, my second choice will be going back into the banking sector and be a financial analyst. But here's where i run into problems. i've checked job postings in Singapore and it appears that they all want CFAs. I'm don't have a CFA credential, nor do I have an advance degree. I do have a pretty good job set as a financial analyst, but salary is important to me. I'm not asking for exorbitant salary, but I am looking at ballpark of SGD 70K and up for financial analysts, which I think is pretty reasonable (stats showed that someone with my background can earn up to 6-figure SGD in SG). However, I'm fearful that due to the fact that I am a foreigner trying to get into the country, I am at a disadvantage. After all, it's very different when the person wants to get in as opposed to the country wants to get them in.
As for expats ... I don't think my SO is an expat. He's working for his sister, so he doesn't have any expat packages. In fact, one of the reasons I focus so much on finding a decent job is that my SO's current salary there is only 50% of what I'm making here in the states. Granted, his idea of a comfortable lifestyle is very different from mine. If I don't make a decent amount of money, I KNOW we're going to have issues down the line.
My SO is not the kind who showers me with gifts. He's the "practical" type of person. Very anti-namebrands and believes that money is better spent on vacations whereas I prefer to spend my money on Hermes and things that will return value in the long run (i.e. Faberge eggs). This is another reason finding a decent job is important ... I must be independent so that I can justify what I do. I'm already feeling a bit of bitterness that I have to give up everything I have in the U.S. simply because he didnt' want to move back to the states, I honestly don't want to become even more bitter by being unable to land a decent job ...
Ok, maybe this is why I'm not jumping with joy ... Engagement is supposed to be a good thing, but the job situation really dampens things ...
I noticed some major typos and such ... I really need sleep
I meant to type that "I do have a pretty good set of skills as a financial analyst" and I meant to type "I don't have a CFA credential", not "I'm don't have" ...
I'm sorry to hear your not happy about the situation and I kind of agree that it's not fair of him to ask you to move. Marriage is all about compromise and maybe you could offer to try it his way, that is you moving, for an x amount of time and if your still not happy when that time is up you try it your way. That is him moving to the states with you.
Kou.. congratulations dear 
For me official is when his family meets your family and everyone knows about the engagement..goodluck!!!
For me official is when his family meets your family and everyone knows about the engagement..goodluck!!!
Kou, Maybe it would make more sence if he moved here then? I think in the U.S. and CA in particular he should be able to get a job quite easily, and a well paying one. I have friends who work in that industry STARTED at about $45,000 ( and now they earn more), Maybe you could help him find something near you, instead you moving there and earning less money. 
Meanwhile, Congratulations again!
Meanwhile, Congratulations again!
Kou, many congratulations...no ring necessary, as has already been said, but, maybe later, or, some conmemorative trinket would be a nice memento...
And I completely agree with wanting to have a solid career/job in order to justify one's own purchases...it works for me...or at least lessens the guilt!
And I completely agree with wanting to have a solid career/job in order to justify one's own purchases...it works for me...or at least lessens the guilt!
I have some questions for anyone who has had experience in finding a job oversea. Do you always end up getting paid less than what you paid when you were in the U.S.? The reason is that my SO kept telling me that I should expect to make half of what I make here in the States if I land a job in Singapore, and that with that salary I can still live pretty well.
Now, his idea of living pretty well is renting a condo, having a maid come once a week to clean, eating out several times a week, and then don't spend on anything else. For me, I feel that having a maid come to clean and do the dishes is ridiculous (he can very well do it himself) and eating out several times a week is also unnecessary. I would rather spend the money on buying things that I actually like - bags that appreciate in value and Faberge eggs.
I know it makes me sound materialistic, but I'm buying this with my own money. I cannot do that if I make half of what I make here. Also, the MAIN reason I cannot accept that kind of salary is that it took me a LONG time to get to my current salary in the U.S., even though it's still pretty darn low (note: I was only able to buy Hermes because I don't splurge on anything that I have no interest in - which means everything else).
I have learned from 6 years of work experience that if I want to climb up and make more money, I'll have to play politics. Unfortunately, I don't have it in me to play politics so I have to do this on my own, which I have not been very successful at all. Thus, I am very unwilling to take a paycut to go to Singapore. I feel that that is making way too much sacrifice as it is.
I'm also bitter about the fact that he was the one who chose to go to Singapore because he didn't want to find a job in the U.S.. He wasn't motivated to send out his stuff to look for a job and when his sister's offer for a job there came along, he took it and decided that he loved it there in Singapore - I like SG too, but I can't go there without a job with decent pay.
Last but not least, neither I nor my parents will be able to forgive me if I take a paycut and relocate there. They already don't like my SO (for both good and bad reasons), and this is not going to help. Actually, I know I'm going to have to bring my dog with me to Singapore because I know my Mom will take things out on my puppy if I relocate against her wishes.
However, my dog will die in Singapore heat unless I leave the A/C on 24/7, which my SO will be absolutely unwilling to do because it's too "expensive", this is another reason that I need to make decent income or else he would feel that it's ridiculous for me to spend majority of income on A/C for dogs.
So yeah, I need a decent job in SG badly ... SGD 90K is pretty reasonable for financial analyst, right? I know consultants get paid more, BUT I am NOT getting into consulting for the money - that one I want to get in because it's really something I'd like to do ... However, if I can't get into consulting, then it's back to financial analyst ...
Now, his idea of living pretty well is renting a condo, having a maid come once a week to clean, eating out several times a week, and then don't spend on anything else. For me, I feel that having a maid come to clean and do the dishes is ridiculous (he can very well do it himself) and eating out several times a week is also unnecessary. I would rather spend the money on buying things that I actually like - bags that appreciate in value and Faberge eggs.
I know it makes me sound materialistic, but I'm buying this with my own money. I cannot do that if I make half of what I make here. Also, the MAIN reason I cannot accept that kind of salary is that it took me a LONG time to get to my current salary in the U.S., even though it's still pretty darn low (note: I was only able to buy Hermes because I don't splurge on anything that I have no interest in - which means everything else).
I have learned from 6 years of work experience that if I want to climb up and make more money, I'll have to play politics. Unfortunately, I don't have it in me to play politics so I have to do this on my own, which I have not been very successful at all. Thus, I am very unwilling to take a paycut to go to Singapore. I feel that that is making way too much sacrifice as it is.
I'm also bitter about the fact that he was the one who chose to go to Singapore because he didn't want to find a job in the U.S.. He wasn't motivated to send out his stuff to look for a job and when his sister's offer for a job there came along, he took it and decided that he loved it there in Singapore - I like SG too, but I can't go there without a job with decent pay.
Last but not least, neither I nor my parents will be able to forgive me if I take a paycut and relocate there. They already don't like my SO (for both good and bad reasons), and this is not going to help. Actually, I know I'm going to have to bring my dog with me to Singapore because I know my Mom will take things out on my puppy if I relocate against her wishes.
However, my dog will die in Singapore heat unless I leave the A/C on 24/7, which my SO will be absolutely unwilling to do because it's too "expensive", this is another reason that I need to make decent income or else he would feel that it's ridiculous for me to spend majority of income on A/C for dogs.
So yeah, I need a decent job in SG badly ... SGD 90K is pretty reasonable for financial analyst, right? I know consultants get paid more, BUT I am NOT getting into consulting for the money - that one I want to get in because it's really something I'd like to do ... However, if I can't get into consulting, then it's back to financial analyst ...
Kou, I still think you stay put, here with your puppy, and let him come here!
If he is there because he did not bother with a proper job hunt here, and earns less than you, it only makes sence that he moves not you!:s
Why should you go through a job hunt, followed by a salary cut, just because he does not feel like calling a couple of headhunters?
I think that is unreasonable. Especially if it would upset your whole family!
If he is there because he did not bother with a proper job hunt here, and earns less than you, it only makes sence that he moves not you!:s
Why should you go through a job hunt, followed by a salary cut, just because he does not feel like calling a couple of headhunters?
I think that is unreasonable.
Especially if it would upset your whole family!Kou, now that you have mentioned your dog, my advice would be for you to stay put, and that if your SO is willing, he should be the one to look for a job in the US. This advice is based on the fact that I like cats, dogs, and human beings in that order
Also, I don't think it will be all that easy for you to get a job as a financial analyst in Singapore (I work in a bank, not that that makes me an expert on the job market here).
Also, I don't think it will be all that easy for you to get a job as a financial analyst in Singapore (I work in a bank, not that that makes me an expert on the job market here).