IT jobs: Singapore or Sydney?

[manish1980]

My Internet research shows that Singapore IT job markets (specially for those in Siebel CRM consulting or SAP ERP consulting or Product Management) is better and more developed then Sydney.

Can someone share his opinion or experience?

Manish

[amaslam]

Hi Manish:

Also try posting this to the Singapore forum to get their opinion of the situation. Also define what you mean by 'more developed'.

Links to your research would help in deciding whether it's truly the case or not.

***
I've found Oz businesses don't go for cutting edge, they go for necessary and 'proven works' IT. Doesn't mean they're years behind in any individual skill.

Originally Posted by manish1980

My Internet research shows that Singapore IT job markets (specially for those in Siebel CRM consulting or SAP ERP consulting or Product Management) is better and more developed then Sydney.

Can someone share his opinion or experience?

Manish

[manish1980]

Thanks for the reply.

What I mean by more developed is

- Higher number of job openings (obviously I am talking in terms of my jobs related to my skills Siebel CRM consulting, SAP ERP consulting and Product Management)

- Higher number of IT service and product companies in Singapore

- Domestic IT spending and Offshoring business is more Singapore.

Source of my knowledge are openings in top jobsites (seek.com.au,jobsdb.com.sg etc)

Have posted in Singapore forum too.

Manish

[mpgrewal]

Originally Posted by manish1980

Thanks for the reply.

What I mean by more developed is

- Higher number of job openings (obviously I am talking in terms of my jobs related to my skills Siebel CRM consulting, SAP ERP consulting and Product Management)

- Higher number of IT service and product companies in Singapore

- Domestic IT spending and Offshoring business is more Singapore.

Source of my knowledge are openings in top jobsites (seek.com.au,jobsdb.com.sg etc)

Have posted in Singapore forum too.

Manish

There are two caveats before considering on more job board search results as superior IT market
1. Most of the jobs are duplicate. If you see on Seek they different recruiters will pubish the same job (duplication), same job will be published at different dates(duplication)
2. Many of jobs are fake where recruiters don't want to hire but just build up the queue of resumes.

What I know is Singapore has far more number of banks than Sydney and most of jobs in S'pore are dependent on the banks like Barclays, RBS, UBS, HSBC, etc .. For us developers there very less to learn while working for a Bank for the work mostly comprises of maintaining system which run on old technologies like ASP, VB6, mainframe, etc... No opportunity to work on cutting edge.

Sydney can be considered as mini-S'pore. If you are willing to work for a bank both places should be your hot-spots. FYI, Banks do pay really well but make you do boring and crap work.

[amaslam]

Here's my take on it:

Job openings: Talk to the recruitment firms in both companies. The online postings are simply a link to whats out there, but AU companies take a very long time to decide these days. I'm not sure if Singapore companies hire any faster than AU ones.

Number of IT service companies: Do a per capita comparison. Also bound your result by having a minimum size to filter out all of the small contracting companies.

I'm not sure about the offshoring. AU companies for the most part offshore to Philippines and India. I would think S'pore companies keep it in-house or offshore to India. I haven't heard of offshoring to Singapore. Singapore usually is a regional Asia office for many AU based companies (just like Hong Kong, Tokyo, Shanghai, Beijing).

Originally Posted by manish1980

Thanks for the reply.

What I mean by more developed is

- Higher number of job openings (obviously I am talking in terms of my jobs related to my skills Siebel CRM consulting, SAP ERP consulting and Product Management)

- Higher number of IT service and product companies in Singapore

- Domestic IT spending and Offshoring business is more Singapore.

Source of my knowledge are openings in top jobsites (seek.com.au,jobsdb.com.sg etc)

Have posted in Singapore forum too.

Manish

[santosaed]

Hi...

Currently i am residing in Singapore... and work on ERP field - SAP. Currently in Singapore, if i compare to seek.com.au; yes you will see that in the jobsdb.com.sg had more positions to offer. But most of this position is duplicate of one another, not many company do hiring now but so many recruitment agent...

In Singapore, not many manufacturing company, so far as i know... so i guess.. for module.. i see more position available on Sales, HR, Finance, BW, Material Management... But for Production Planning and Plant Maintenance may not be a lot of opening.

Most of the IT Service Provider here, do project outside Singapore like Malaysia, Thailand, Indonesia, or even China.... This also supported by big company which always made Singapore as their HQ to grab Asia Pacific market (I guess it because its convinience location to travel, not to mention the stability of the country).

I think in Singapore not many company work as offshore sevice provider (you're right amaslam)... in fact most of the company here, offshore to China or Malaysia.

Since currently i plan to move to Oz... not so sure whether the company in OZ had been more open for overseas recruitment. When I migrated here, i got my current job via phone interview, then when everything had been settled... they send me legal letter by mail.. and i met my boss only on the first day i step into this office. So I had experienced that... Company in Singapore is open for overseas / long distance recruitment.. all they care is.. you can do your job and also you know what to do with their assigned task. Anyone had expriences about it in Australia (phone interview, or overseas recruitment)?

[manish1980]

Thanks for sharing your Singapore experience.

Is it true, working hours in most Singapore IT companies are over stretched like till 7-8 pm most of the days? I have worked in Europe and used to cool 9-5 pm jobs and have similar expectation from Australia.

Manish

[santosaed]

Originally Posted by manish1980

Thanks for sharing your Singapore experience.

Is it true, working hours in most Singapore IT companies are over stretched like till 7-8 pm most of the days? I have worked in Europe and used to cool 9-5 pm jobs and have similar expectation from Australia.

Manish

Anyone want to share their working situation in Oz....????

But let me share mind first over here.
Based on the regulation from Minister of Manpower here, regular weekly working hour is 42 hours, which i think this already more than Australia (i read from elsewhere its 38 hours per week.. pls clarify).
Then, i will share you my own experience, previously i assigned to the maintenance project which ussually i cam around 9 am and roughly around 6 - 7 pm... the officially working hour is 830 to 6. So I thought this one is not so bad.
But, this last two months, I had been assigned to the implementation project.. don't ask me about the working hour... i came around 9 am ( it's a flexible hour) and ussually can only left my office until 9 pm. Sometimes in the weekend.. i also need to come to the office... All of these was due to the working load.... a lot thing to do but minimum resource... however.. they still want to have a good quality in deliver... sigh...
Anyway, i am not complaining... since "Act like a roman when you are in Rome..." so just follow the working style and you will not stand against the flow here.

The other thing, i realize that actually in SG not a morning person, but they're more evening person. Overhere, even in the suburb area, there are a 24 hrs coffee shop, food court, or Convinience Store... So, 9 pm... not so bad... all the shop are still open... (I heard this situation will be different in OZ.....). The other thing, crime rate is so low... so when you walk even in the middle of the night or in the dusk... you will feel so secure.

You know... this kind of working style is one of the thing that i decide still to pursue my dream to go to Oz.... eventhough i have no idea what kind of situation will i face over there.

[amaslam]

Hi Manish/Santosaed:

AU hours are typically:

8-5 or 9-6 with a 45 min/1 hr lunch break.

Most people work those hours and with consulting it varies depending on project demands. Also in the evening only some restaurants are open and most malls/shops close by 5:30 PM. Only Thursday night is considered 'late night' shopping so the shops stay open till 9 PM.

In that specific respect there is a huge difference between AU and SNG.

So AU people do tend to be morning people.

Originally Posted by santosaed

Anyone want to share their working situation in Oz....????

But let me share mind first over here.
Based on the regulation from Minister of Manpower here, regular weekly working hour is 42 hours, which i think this already more than Australia (i read from elsewhere its 38 hours per week.. pls clarify).
Then, i will share you my own experience, previously i assigned to the maintenance project which ussually i cam around 9 am and roughly around 6 - 7 pm... the officially working hour is 830 to 6. So I thought this one is not so bad.
But, this last two months, I had been assigned to the implementation project.. don't ask me about the working hour... i came around 9 am ( it's a flexible hour) and ussually can only left my office until 9 pm. Sometimes in the weekend.. i also need to come to the office... All of these was due to the working load.... a lot thing to do but minimum resource... however.. they still want to have a good quality in deliver... sigh...
Anyway, i am not complaining... since "Act like a roman when you are in Rome..." so just follow the working style and you will not stand against the flow here.

The other thing, i realize that actually in SG not a morning person, but they're more evening person. Overhere, even in the suburb area, there are a 24 hrs coffee shop, food court, or Convinience Store... So, 9 pm... not so bad... all the shop are still open... (I heard this situation will be different in OZ.....). The other thing, crime rate is so low... so when you walk even in the middle of the night or in the dusk... you will feel so secure.

You know... this kind of working style is one of the thing that i decide still to pursue my dream to go to Oz.... eventhough i have no idea what kind of situation will i face over there.

[manish1980]

This is really good discussion guys. One sitting in sydney and another on is Singapore..

I got a reply in Singapore from an Australian presently in Malaysia (though his name sounds very Indian)

"If you want good quality of life and better pay, then Sydney is best option. If you have Australia PR, you can work for a contract and earn min AUD 800 per day.
In Singapore, tax is less, they wont pay you much and you have to work 10 to 12 hrs a day."

Seems like Singapore working hours and way of life (shops/resturantant open late in morning and close not before 9PM) is more Indian Types and Australian is more European Types.