Your Guide in Finding a Job in Singapore!

There are several reasons why students choose to study abroad. Not only can they gain new knowledge and experience, they can obtain a respected degree from a prestigious university. More importantly, it provides the opportunity for overseas employment. 

University is an expensive investment, and we all hope to receive the best returns. Overseas employment provides greater remuneration as well as unique experiences, which will be useful regardless of your decision to leave or remain in your home country.

Students who are studying in Australia will be familiar with the Post Study Work Right (PSWR) visa. It allows you to extend your stay for two years on the condition that you complete at least two years of a full-time degree program. Are there similar visas in other countries that will aid international students in their job search? Let us begin with Singapore, the island city right in the heart of Asia, as we learn about its employment situation. In Singapore, it is necessary for the employer to sponsor your work permit. The types of work permits are as follows:




Personalized Employment Pass (PEP)

The PEP is for high-earning professionals, e.g. writers, business leaders and professors. It is the highest level of work permit category.

Salary: Monthly salary must not be less than SGD$18,000 in the past six months; Employment Pass holders must earn more than SGD$12,000 a month.

Qualifications: Applicants must hold a bachelor's degree and above; they must have a certain number of years of work or business experience, or an innovative business idea.

Eligibility for Permanent Residency (PR): Applicants can apply for PR directly; they can apply for their family as well.

Entrepass

The Entrepass is for entrepreneurs who are looking to start a business in Singapore. Upon approval, applicants will need to set up a company in Singapore and conduct at least six months of regular business operations.

Qualifications: There is no education qualifications requirement, but applicants must have a certain number of years of work or business experience, or an innovative business idea. The new company must also be relevant to the government's investments.

Eligibility for Permanent Residency (PR): Applicants can apply for PR directly; they can apply for their family as well.

Employment Pass (EP)

The EP is for foreign professionals working in managerial, executive or specialized positions. It is the highest level of work permit category.

Requirements:

Salary: Applicants must earn a fixed monthly salary of at least SGD$3,600. They must earn a fixed monthly salary of at least SGD$5,000 a month to apply for a Dependent's Pass (DP) for their family members.

Qualifications: Applicants must hold a bachelor's degree from a prestigious university.

Eligibility for Permanent Residency (PR): Applicants can apply for PR directly; they can apply for their family as well.

S Pass (Mid-Level Skills Work Pass)

The S Pass is for foreign mid-skilled technical workers.
Requirements:

Salary: Applicants must earn a fixed monthly salary of at least SGD$2,200.
Qualifications: Applicants must hold a local degree or diploma, or a foreign bachelor's degree.

Company Quota: S Pass holders must not make up more than 15% of the company's total workforce in the service sector; they must not make up more than 20% of the company's total workforce in other sectors.

Eligibility for Permanent Residency (PR): Applicants can apply for PR directly; they can apply for their family as well.

Work Permit (For Foreign Workers)

The Work Permit is for foreign semi-skilled workers.

Requirements: There are no salary and education qualifications requirements.
Age: Malaysians (18 to 58 years old); Non-Malaysians (18 to 50 years old).

Company Quota: Work Permit holders must not make up more than 8% of the company's total workforce in the service sector (for every Work Permit holder in a regular industry, the company has to employ 12 locals; for every local employee in a specialized industry, the company can employ 7 Work Permit holders).

Requirements for Employers: Employers must purchase and maintain medical insurance coverage of at least SGD$15,000 per year for each Work Permit holder; employers also need to place a SGD$5,000 security bond for each Work Permit holder.

Now that we have learned about the different types of work permits, we see that fresh graduates are able to apply for an Employment Pass, S Pass or Work Permit.

Which work permits can graduates of different universities apply for? 

The Ministry of Manpower offers an Employment/S Pass Self-Assessment Tool (SAT) on its website. Although the final application result is dependent on various factors, the tool still serves as a point of reference. Instructions to use the tool are as follows:

ESSEC was invited by the Singapore government to set up an offshore institute with local campus here. As such, you will find both the Singapore and French campuses listed on the Ministry of Manpower's website. After providing accurate information about your major, graduated year and salary range, the system will determine your eligibility for the various work permits. For example, an ESSEC master's holder earning a fixed monthly salary of SGD$4,000 is eligible to apply for a S Pass.



If you're interested, you may access the tool via the link below. This will help determine your work permit eligibility based on your education qualifications.

http://www.mom.gov.sg/eservices/services/employment-s-pass-self-assessment-tool

What are some of the job search channels in Singapore?

JobsBank

Established companies often utilize familiar job portals like Jobstreet, JobDB and Indeed. Studies
show that more than 73% of Singaporeans and foreigners residing in Singapore have utilized the abovementioned job portals. However, we shall discuss about another job portal today. JobsBank is a joint government initiative between Workforce Singapore (WSG) and the Ministry of Manpower, and it is monitored by SkillsFuture Singapore (SSG).


Launched in 2013, JobsBank is an official government-run job portal for Singapore job seekers, and Singapore businesses may use it to post job vacancies as well. In the first four years of launch, it was only available for Singaporeans and Permanent Residents, but it has now expanded to include certain work permit holders (Employment Pass and S Pass). In 2017, it expanded its reach to include registered students of any Institute of Higher Learning (IHL). After graduating from any Institute of Higher Learning (IHL), you may apply for a Long Term Visit Pass (LTVP) which extends your stay for one year. You may use your LTVP FIN number to apply for a SingPass, which can then be used to log onto JobsBank. We have compiled a guide below on how to utilize JobsBank to find your ideal job.

Firstly, you need to ensure that you are eligible to apply for a SingPass. According to the requirements laid out by the Immigration & Checkpoints Authority (ICA), you must be eligible for a LTVP. In order to obtain a LTVP, you must have graduated from any Institute of Higher Learning. (This includes 6 local universities, 5 local polytechnics, 8 offshore institutes with local campus, 2 arts institutions and the MPA Academy.)


You should be able to apply for a LTVP before graduation. Once you have obtained a complete transcript, you may submit an application online. There is an application fee of SGD$30, and application processing takes around 6 weeks. You may check the status and results of your application online.


After obtaining a LTVP, you may register for a SingPass, which will be used to log onto JobsBank. There are many advantages to the JobsBank portal: it only shows job listings posted within 30 days; you may filter by industries and job levels; each published listing contains details about the company, job position, job requirements and salary range along with benefits.




Job searching in Singapore does not seem as hard as one might imagine. As one of the offshore institutes with local campus invited by the Singapore government, and home to a top ranking Global MBA program globally, graduates of ESSEC will be able to seek employment in Singapore successfully. ESSEC also has a team of career advisors that will help graduates prepare for employment. With comprehensive support from the school as well as government-backed initiatives, seeking employment in Singapore is the obvious choice. If you're interested, you may log onto the ESSEC official website to find out more: