STOMPer Alex shares the experiences of a Singaporean overseas grad, who found it tough getting a job both overseas and locally. The overseas grad says Singapore doesn't feel like home anymore because of the large numbers of foreigners here.

Says the STOMPer:

"From a Singaporea​n overseas graduate... "|

The Singaporean overseas graduate wrote in to the TR Emeritus website, and these are excerpts from her entry:

"I feel that this whole ‘Foreigners working in Singapore’ saga is not only unfair, but heart-wrenching.

"I got a Diploma with Merit from one of the reputable polytechnics in SG in 2005. With that, I won myself a bond-less full Scholarship given out by University of New South Wales (Sydney, Australia).

"Reality dawned on me when I graduated with my Bachelor’s, and realised that I couldn’t stay in Australia because the locals weren’t too happy about foreigners (i.e. me) snatching their jobs from them, and their government understood that.

"So it was extremely tough to end up with an employment pass there unless I was a PR. Even getting a PR was tough and I was missing 5-10 points to be able to qualify for PR application.

"I heard that in some cases during the interview (whether it was for PR or citizenship), they ask applicants what local products they know of and some were even asked if they knew the national anthem just so they can know if these new citizens were able to integrate into the Australian society, something I do not think Singapore’s Immigration office would bother asking potential citizens.

"After my studies, I tried to look for work in Hong Kong. I sent 3 resumes out, and a HK company offered me a job after an interview.

"We submitted the relevant documents to the HK authorities and waited. Some of the docs required included proof of the company’s job ads (newspapers, jobsdb, classified etc) trying to hire locals, failed interviews of locals’ applications and how many interviews with locals they have had, they even had to write a passage on why they think a foreigner would be more suitable than a local on the job. Everything in every way, was done so as to protect the well-being of the locals.

"I waited for 3.5 months for the news from the HK immigration office. At the end of the 4th months of waiting, I was told that I was rejected. That was after all we’ve went through.

"Actually, whilst I was waiting for the visa, I’ve tried looking for jobs in Singapore too, and there were very few openings for my profession, and even if there were, most were asking for at least 2 years experience which I do not have.

"Most were through word-of-mouth, but since I was away from Singapore for almost 3 years, I lost touch with the circle, so it was online job portals that I was looking at, plus some recruitment agencies. I even received a survey call from the MOM, asking if I felt any injustice or racism or discrimination. My answer to all was yes. And surprisingly, I’ve received no follow ups at all after that. So… what’s the point for that survey? Wasted 15 minutes of my expensive SingTel bills and time.

"I could not find a job in Singapore for a year. I wasn’t even asking for big pay cheques, looking at how much I agreed to receive from the HK company (SGD1.6K). So the ‘Degree-holder Singaporeans expect big pay cheques that is why we rather hire foreigners’ is a big BULL.

"I tried again to apply for a job in HK, and after a 4-month wait, was rejected once again.

"And looking back at how difficult it was for me to get a job there, and comparing how easy breezy it is for foreigners to flood Singapore, made me wonder if the whole plan, was to get true blue Singaporeans out of the country, and replace them with foreigners.

"P.S. No offense to our foreign workers in Singapore who aren’t like that, but whenever I go back to Singapore, it doesn’t really feel like home anymore. Whenever I’m on the trains in SG, I hear people (I think they are from Beijing from their accents) speaking so loudly in the cabins.

"I was even asked to speak mandarin to one of the Starbucks waitress in City Hall because she couldn’t understand what I was talking about (I asked for serviettes).

"When I asked a salesgirl at Central Mall for directions, he replied me in a machine-gun speed Mainland Chinese, which I didn’t expect because I asked her in English.

"I thought Singapore’s main language is English, no? At least that was what I thought when I left for my studies then."