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作者：艾迪留学23/04/2010 即将进入6月，大量的新加坡留学生即将毕业。面对毕业，在新加坡留学的学生，你选择在新加坡就业还是回国发展呢？对于就业，你了解多少呢？在此我想与大家分享一下我的个人经历及一些见解。 首先，临近毕业，学生就要开始做准备了，例如，准备好个人简历，想好了自己的工作方向等，由于还没有真正毕业拿到毕业证，即便是课程就结束了，等到毕业证拿到也是需要1-2个月的时间。这个时候学生应该从学校开具一份“在读证明”，说明你现在的状态及即将毕业的时间。 接下来就是投递简历，新加坡是一个一切有法可依的国家，学生基本可以自己通过报纸的招聘版面投递简历，也可以通过正式的招聘网站投递简历，例如：THE STRAITS TIMES（报纸）；JOBSDB（网站）。投递前，要仔细阅岗位职责及要求，最好能对公司有一个大致的了解，比如说，你即将应聘的公司是属于制造业还是 进出口行业等，这个行业你是否感兴趣。说到个人简历，新加坡虽然是双语国家，但是一般没特意提出要求的公司，都是需要英文个人简历的，并且最好是有 COVER LETTER在前，个人情况在后。这个COVER LETTER 主要是让用人公司对你有一个初步的了解，包括你的英文水平及个人素质的初步了解。最后不要忘记附上一张证件式的照片。 我建议学生一旦开始投递简历就要保证你的手机随时开通，一旦有公司打电话预约面试，你要保持头脑清醒，记住公司的名称、地址、电话及联系人，因为新加坡 的道路名称有些很相似，因此，正确记下地址是很重要的。我当初的做法是，为了能准时准确的找到即将面试的公司，都会请预约面试的人给我发手机短信或者邮件 告知公司地址，以免耽误时间。 之后就是面试环节，也是相当重要的环节。我个人认为，很多学生在新读书的生活还是很美好的，一 旦面对就业就会感受到空前的压力，基本第一、二次面试都是在失望及等待中度过的，但是请不要灰心，每次面试之后总结一下经验，不难发现，其实准备好一段 3-5分钟的英文个人简介是相当重要的，在简短的个人介绍中，一定要信心十足，逻辑清楚有条理，态度热情，不卑不亢。我记得我当年最多一天要预约3个面 试，这样高的频率下，你的面试技巧就会不断增加，成功率大大提高。无论你的面试个人感觉是否成功，还是不要吝惜说：THANK YOU，往往你的一个谦虚、诚恳的态度就会改变面试官的决定。 一般情况下公司都会安排 FIRST INTERVIEW 及 2ND ROUND INTERVIEW，能通知你第二轮面试的公司说明你被录取的可能性已经很高了，那么这2次面试有什么区别呢？基本第一次就是人事部门对你有一个大概的了 解，也会给你介绍一些公司大致的情况，但是关于福利，薪水细节是不会谈到的。到了第二次面试，多数都是你的直接上次和你见面，这次如果跟你谈到了年假，薪 酬结构，保险，医疗等，那么恭喜你，这个时候你的JOB OFFER基本已经到手了。当然一些公司或特别的职位也会要求3次面试，往往约见的次数越多，成功率越高。 接下来就是签订用工合约的时候了，对于政府理工院校（POLYTECHNIC）或者政府公立大学（UNIVERSITY）的毕业生，只需拿到 JOB OFFER后即可直接到移民厅申请PR（永久居民），对于私立院校的毕业生需要公司出示JOB OFFER去人力部办理工作签证（WP/SP/EP）。以目前的市场形势看，政府理工院校的毕业生，虽然可以直接拿到PR，但是基本的薪水起点为新币 1500-1800。公立大学，私立大学的本科毕业生起薪为新币1800-2000，研究生毕业起薪为新币2000-2200。 顺便解释一下工作签证的种类：WP，为对低级工作证，一般为体力劳动者、学历在大专以下的人士而设。SP，基本是面对大专，本科的毕业生，新加坡人力部 对持此类准证的薪水要求是新币1800。EP，一般是给专业人士的，薪水要求在新币2500。持SP/EP者在工作12个月后可向移民厅递交PR 申请。 因此，在了解了以上基础信息后，准备找工作的学生就要做出相应的准备，开始新一轮的人生。 来源：http://liuxue.eol.cn  Read More →

According to a report posted on the website of Temasek Holdings, it incurred a whooping $8 billion dollars in administrative costs for the financial year 2008/2009. The other expenses for 2009 are broken down as follows: Selling and Distribution $5.042 billion or 3.57% of assets Finance charges $2.727 billion or 1.93% of assets Other operating expenses $15.333 billion or 10.88% of assets Temasek Holdings is staffed by 350 people. In its 2009 financial statements and balance sheets, Temasek had $140.953 billion in assets which was down from $169.844 billion in 2008, representing a loss of $28.9 billion dollars or 17 percent of its portfolio. The matter was not reported by the Singapore media. Temasek Holdings had suffered a series of investment losses last year in the midst of the global financial crisis, most notably its ill-timed purchase and sale of U.K. bank Barclays. Though it is owned entirely by the Ministry of Finance, it has always portrayed itself as a private Asian investment vehicle. It is currently headed by Madam Ho Ching, the wife of Singapore's Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong. Singapore's other sovereign wealth fund GIC is led by the Prime Minister's father, Mr Lee Kuan Yew. The two funds managed Singapore's national reserves which amounts to billion of dollars. During a parliamentary session last year, Finance Minister Tharman refused to divulge details on Temasek's modus operandi, claiming that it will not serve any "strategic purpose" to do so and the entire system is based on "trust". There is no opposition in Singapore to check on the ruling party which controls 82 out of 84 seats in Parliament. Read more here.   Please join our Facebook discussion on this article here and invite your friends to do so as well to raise awareness among fellow Singaporeans. It is maintained independently by a TR reader.  Read More →

OPINION The prices of HDB flats have reached a record high in recent months. While an increasing number of Singaporeans are complaining that they are being priced out of reach of public housing, PAP leaders are adamant that they remain affordable. National Development Minister Mah Bow Tan who has come under increasing fire lately for his failure to control flat prices went on a tirade against home buyers on the media castigating them for being "fussy" and having "unrealistic" expectations. Young couples who are married or planning to get married are the hardest hit by the sky-rocketing prices. They are unable to purchase a resale flat due to the high Cash-over-Valuation (COVs) demanded by sellers. The only choices left to them is to wait three to four years for a Build-To-Order (BTO) flat which are not cheap too or stay with their parents. As such, some Singaporeans are postponing their marriages and starting a family thereby contributing to Singapore's declining birth rates. Can young couples afford a HDB flat nowadays? Are Singaporeans postponing marriages because of the astronomical prices of HDB flats? Let us hear from some Singaporeans on what they have to say:   TR Policy Forum, 18 April 2010 If you are planning to get married soon and cannot afford a private or resale flat, will you wait a few years for a BTO flat, stay with your parents or rent a place to stay in the meantime?   Clarence: I won't get married   WecoupleOng: ya we also in the same situation.. still waiting 4 BTO 2 ready..   Muhammad Khairi: I am getting married soon and we have resigned to living apart for 4 yrs while the flat is being built.... we cant afford the resale flat nor can we afford the sky high rental now...so I guess starting a family will have to wait... This is when the gov calls for us so called "CITIZENS" to start a family soon.. what a JOKE.. u hear that PAP what a JOKE!!!!!   Temasek Review: Minister Mah puts the blame on Singaporeans for not planning ahead. If you have decided to get married, it's better to plan 2 - 3 years in advance not only for the flat, but for the wedding, honeymoon and other miscellaneous matters as well.   Sri Raam: By the time BTO is ready,how sure that 'one' will survive the marriage.   Lena Ong: Me & my hubby just got ROM last year end and we got our BTO... also have to wait for 4 years for the flats to be ready... meanwhile we stay apart... cant afford the expensive COV resale flats owners requested.... i guess thats life in SG... most of us are middle class income group, how do we save up 50k in our bank within 10 yrs to pay for our future home (deposit, furnitures, renovation, etc..)?   Kelvin Wong: The fact is inflation is always higher than our increment. Even if the increment hits the ceiling, the inflation still goes up. Those who start with $2k salary 10 years ago like me could plan for 5rm HDB but for those who start or still earning $2k now, you may be only able to afford a 4rm or less. From the beginning of our career, our salary are just enough to get a 4/5rm but unfortunately, situation just get worst and it just ended up the average earner nowadays are having weaker buying power as each day passes. This is a rat race that I knew I will never win in SG. Fortunately, I got my wife's blessing and am now working at overseas earning twice the salary. At least for now, I know I have a fair chance of winning the race both in SG and overseas.... See More Don't be discouraged. Always look out for opportunities and if there is any, be bold and go for it. Even if it doesn't work out well, at least you have tried. Coz if you ever let go an opportunity, likelihood it will never come back again.   Don Heng: Wait for BTO while also waiting for market to crash and fold like a deck of cards. Meanwhile, have to stay with my wife's family becos my mum's 3rm is too tiny. Was crazy and offered $40K COV sometime ago for a 3rd floor unit. I thought no one's crazier...turns out some PR offered $45K. Dunno to be happy that I saved the $, or sad that even $40K COV cannot get a 3rd floor unit   Shinigami: Stay with my parents. coz no way me and my fiance can afford a damn house. not even a 2 room flat becoz recently while looking at house price, a 2 room flat costs 245k. what a joke!  I'm fortunate that my fiance is living with his mum... He's the only child so he has a room to himself. Only prob is when my baby grow older she'll have to squeeze in the same room as us... And coz my mum is the babysitter I'll have to shuttle between homes... Nope I die also won't rent. Even more no privacy and that's an EXTRA COST! Right now I can't afford any other extra costs already. Renting also not a long term solution and definitely getting quite costly.   Temasek Review: It's amazing to hear so many young couples being priced out of the public housing market and are forced to stay with parents or postponing their marriages. How come these cases are not reported in the mainstream media? Any SPH journalists here care to explain why?   Read the entire discussion on our Facebook here.  Read More →