Rilek1Corner

Tag: PMET

  • 38 Year Old Jobless PMET Divorced, Distressed

    38 Year Old Jobless PMET Divorced, Distressed

    Hi Gilbert,

    I truly need help I am feeling suicidal at times. My life has been a challenge since the beginning of my life. I try to get pass through by trying to compare myself to the less fortunate. I do not know how much longer I can hold on. I hope we can meet up and talk.

    I also hope you can publish the following at your site. Hopefully, there would be some like-minded readers who can provide some insight about my situation. If you can, please edit it for me.

    I am just stating facts and grieves of my life, if you want to be critical, please step out of your comfort zone and reply at a logical level. I am a true-blue Singaporean with roots as deep as 3 generations, aged 38.

    While in Secondary school, I started my working life sweeping the streets, literally. My single mom couldn’t afford to send me to a computer school after secondary school which was my interest. Thus, I have to work on school nights and weekends as a hotel cleaner from 11pm to 7am but that took a toll on my health and my education. Not to mention I had family issues. Unable to handle it, I dropped out of school, worked my way up slowly. After a few years of local jobs and my own business, I started my career in a multi-national company with rapid rise to management level. However, armed with only a O level cert, I could not get above $4.5k salary even though the role usually gets more, alot more.

    When I tried to get a new job, I couldn’t as I was not “educated” enough. I even remember when I went for an interview with a local hiring agency, the director of the company asked me why am I getting paid $4.5k with only a O level education. Moving forward, everyone wants to negotiate my salary dependent on my previously-earned salary.

    This would not happen in any other 1st world nation as they would not only look at your education only but your ability and the job role they offering as well. A culture only present in Singapore among developed nations!

    To SINGAPORE HR Folks : Does it really matter, what I drew in my previous role? Would you pay me a roadsweeper’s salary if I did 6 months of sweeping the roads as I cannot get employed? Staff remuneration should be based on the fact that what role you are offering, and a competitive remuneration to ensure retention.

    I stopped work so I can go after a Masters as a maturde candidate. I have passed my Masters without even taking a degree course. For those who are wondering, how?  I not ashamed to say I am pretty smart (Singapore Mensa tested at 142 IQ) and anyone I know would easily tell you I have pretty high E.Q. as well. I never needed to go to school to learn these stuff, I read or learn through life experiences and pretty much grasp almost anything.

    8 months have almost passed since completion of my Masters, and I still don’t have a job. I was even willing to take up non-IT roles as Condo Manager for $3k. Though I was able to impress in the interview, I was not offered a role. Only to find out later, that it was likely they were only willing to offer $2.8k for the position, which is the same they are willing to offer an inexperienced staff with diploma.

    I cannot get government jobs or government-related jobs which are advertised everyday, simply because I do not fit the profiled definition of a normal candidate.

    I have about $100k in the CPF unusable. I can’t afford a HDB, as I need to be employed and I cannot apply for BTO. Furthermore, I went through a divorce, I cannot get a HDB BTO home without waiting for 3 years after my divorce. I would be 39 by then, and by the time I get a home, I would be 45.

    I now sit in J.B. (Malaysia) still applying for jobs in Singapore while trying to figure out if I can start out on my own. Even trying to be an entrepreneur in Singapore is difficult, I cannot afford an office location. I cannot apply for grant for entrepreneurship as I have a previous company when I started my IT business. This is  restricting me from applying for a government grant under the entrepreneurship programme.

    All those people who support the current political administration, please tell me what is wrong with the picture? Am I not hardworking? Am I dependent on the government to spoon feed me? Am I too demanding?

    I am stressed to the extreme, though I don’t show it to people much. I still put up a fighting front, as no one likes a person who complaints too much. But it is getting to me, I needed an outlet.

    I need to know that there are also people like me who seep through the gap so I don’t feel so alone.

    Steve

     

    Source: www.transitioning.org

  • Malaysia Right-Wing Group, Perkasa, Sends Protest Letter To K Shanmugam For Claiming That Singapore Malays Better Off Than Malaysian Malays

    Malaysia Right-Wing Group, Perkasa, Sends Protest Letter To K Shanmugam For Claiming That Singapore Malays Better Off Than Malaysian Malays

    PETALING JAYA: Malay right-wing group Perkasa wants Wisma Putra to send a letter of protest to Singapore for comments attributed to a senior minister comparing Singapore Malays with Malaysian Malays.

    Singapore Home Affairs Minister K Shanmugam had been reported as saying that Singapore Malays are better off in terms of education standing, skills and wealth than those of similar ethicnicity in Malaysia or Indonesia.

    Perkasa deputy chairman Sirajuddin Salleh said the statement made by Shanmugam was uncalled for.

    “I am concerned about the statement. It is not diplomatic and is an insult to the King and the government of Malaysia,” he told FMT when asked to comment on Shanmugam’s statement.

    Sirajuddin said Malaysia and Singapore were close neighbours and there should be greater diplomacy between both countries.

    “I hope Wisma Putra will issue a strong protest letter. To me, the remark is not good. I will not touch on the content because it is very subjective.

    “It is just like if he comes to my house and says something that is not nice. Whether he is right or not, that is subjective, but in this case, it is not very nice,” Sirajuddin said.

    Earlier Channel News Asia quoted Shanmugam as saying that “with a stable, strong political system, with a strong government, with a guarantee for the minorities … with this framework, we can become the community that Muslim societies in other countries look towards and say, this is the example.”

    Shanmugam had also suggested that Malay, Indian and Chinese PMETs (professionals, managers, executives and technicians) from Singapore were better off than those of the same race, respectively, in Malaysia.

    However, the minister had cautioned that while Singapore was doing better compared with many parts of the world, “within Singapore there is still a gap” and they were no longer just competing with Malaysia or Indonesia, but instead competing with the world.

    He said the proportion of Malay Primary 1 students who go on to post-secondary education had doubled from 45% in 1995 to 93% in 2015. Those who eventually receive polytechnic diplomas, professional qualifications or university degrees have “gone up over a five-year period to 21%.”

    Shanmugam added that the proportion of Malays working as PMETs increased to 28% in 2010 and their median real monthly income per capita had doubled since 1990.

    Nearly 90% of Malay households in Singapore own their own homes, according to Shanmugam.

    However, he singled out three challenges facing the Malay-Muslim community in the country – radicalisation, loss of jobs and the over-representation of Malays being caught for crimes and drug abuse.

    Citing a Pew Research Centre study which showed that 10% of Malaysian Malays had a favourable opinion of Islamic State (IS), and that nearly one-quarter were not prepared to come out and say that IS is wrong, Shanmugam said that Singapore Malays must not get to that level.

    “A key part of that depends on you, the leaders of the Malay community, and whether you can make sure that the right religious values are put forth. We have to work hard at this because the influences are on the internet,” Shanmugam reportedly told a seminar organised by the Association of Muslim Professionals in Singapore.

    On drug abuse, Shanmugam had said 53% of those arrested for drug abuse last year were Malays. This is an increase from 10 years ago when the proportion of Malays arrested for the same was 32%.

    Singapore Malays better off, claims minister

     

    Source: www.msn.com

  • MOM: Retrenchment In Singapore At 7-Year High Since 2009 Financial Crisis

    MOM: Retrenchment In Singapore At 7-Year High Since 2009 Financial Crisis

    The number of workers laid off in Singapore hit a seven-year high in the first nine months of 2016 – the highest since the global financial crisis in 2009, figures released on Tuesday (Dec 13) by the Ministry of Manpower (MOM) showed.

    A total of 13,730 workers were retrenched in the first nine months of this year, an increase from the 10,220 retrenched during the same period last year and the highest since the first nine months of 2009 when 21,210 workers were laid off, according to the ministry’s quarterly labour market report.

    During the third quarter, 4,220 workers were retrenched, down from the 4,800 laid off in the previous quarter but higher than the 3,460 retrenched in the same quarter last year.

    Professionals, managers, executives and technicians (PMETs) were more likely to be made redundant, the MOM report said. These workers formed the majority (73 per cent) of Singapore residents laid off during the quarter, and those with tertiary qualifications also formed the bulk of resident layoffs.

    The overall unemployment rate remained unchanged at 2.1 per cent. Among Singaporeans, the unemployment rate was 3 per cent in September, down from 3.1 per cent in June, and among residents, it was 2.9 per cent, down from 3 per cent.

    However, more job seekers were taking a longer time to find work, with the resident long-term unemployment rate rising to 0.8 per cent in September, up from 0.6 per cent a year ago and the highest September rate since 2009.

    Total employment shrank by 2,700, the first decline in more than a year, MOM findings showed. The decline was primarily due to contractions in the manufacturing and construction industries, affecting mainly work permit holders. Over the first nine months, total employment grew by 14,500, but it was the lowest such growth since 2009.

    “The contraction in total employment, heightened redundancy levels and decline in job vacancies to unemployed ratio reflect the current subdued global economic conditions and ongoing economic restructuring,” the ministry said.

    It added that tripartite partners will continue to help affected workers look for new jobs.

     

    Source: www.channelnewsasia.com

  • 29 Year Old SMU Accountancy Graduate Jobless For 2 Years, Losing Hope

    29 Year Old SMU Accountancy Graduate Jobless For 2 Years, Losing Hope

    By: Ivan

    I am a graduate of SMU, and have trouble finding a job for 2 years.

    I am wondering if there are any opportunities here because I have been looking on craigslist, indeed, jobsdb, regionUP, all for jobs but I suspect most of them are fake or just recruiters trying to collect resumes for the companies which are not even hiring.

    I have a Bachelor’s in Accountancy and Finance from SMU.

    At 29 years of age, I don’t see much opportunities in the PMET sector especially for males.

    I don’t know why. But I think employers generally prefer females in the accountancy sector because they will not shout out as loud as males, and are generally perceived as more meticulous than men.

    I am deeply worried that my 2 years of unemployment gap will affect my future career (if it even exists now).

    Right now, I am feeling that local government do not support unemployed workers, and just cover it up with the news saying that unemployment is low. Truth is many people are underemployed.

    I tried approaching friends and family, but none of them have opportunities for me. Instead they keep telling me supposedly helpful advice like “have you tried this… or that” etc.

    Almost implying that it’s my fault that I did not hang on to my previous job.

    Also, I don’t have much faith in the governmental national job bank. Seems to be touch and go in this pro-business government.

    Globally, I do sense restructuring trend affecting many young people like me, especially in Spain, Greece and other cities. In some cities like NY or London, people at my age are being paid peanuts or working for free as interns, just to get a foot into the door of corporations.

    In fact, one may argue that Singapore has real jobs but only as casino croupiers and waiters.

    That is not a career many want, yet they do it just to get by. This is highly unhealthy for the economy to keep ‘pushing down’ the burden to the young. Singaporeans are smart and good, why should they be ‘cheap’ and devalued by our own government?

    If businesses are so powerful already, why is the government not empowering the people to balance this?

    Why is the employment market ‘rosy’ in Singapore when there are so many people complaining on your website?

    I feel the government has failed us all. Especially my generation who graduated in the post-recession.

     

    Source: http://theindependent.sg

  • Former PMET Unemployed FOr A Year, Now Drives Taxi And Shares One Room With Family

    Former PMET Unemployed FOr A Year, Now Drives Taxi And Shares One Room With Family

    Dear Gilbert,

    My name is Terence.

    I am a 48-year-old Singaporean who is currently driving a taxi. I am a father of 2 very young children, age 5 and 7.

    I was formerly a training manager for XXX.  I was dismissed for not meeting targets.

    However,  at this time,  no other manager was meeting targets as we were going through challenges brought about by the introduction of the DNC (Do Not Call) regulations in Singapore under the new PDPA (Personal Data Protection Act).

    My dismissal was also coincidentally timed with a complain I made to my direct report about racist remarks made against me which I had overhead in a telephone recording between 2 managers who were reporting to me at one time.

    To cut a long story short, I was unemployed for almost 1 year. Eventually,  I have to settle for a taxi driver position.

    I do not have a flat of my own and my family of 4 are sharing one bedroom in a 3-room HDB flat.

    I have applied for over a hundred jobs through various job portals including WDA and have been unsuccessful.  I was willing to take a pay cut of 30% of my last drawn salary but still I was unsuccessful.

    Within 3 months of driving a taxi, I have been nominated for service excellence as a couple of satisfied passengers wrote in to SMRT commending me.

    I need your advice oh what to do.  My highest education level is A levels and I made my way up the corporate ladder through much hard work

    I was for 2 years the Regional Asst. Vice President for XXX. I have been in the call center industry for over 20 years and have trained over a thousand people from agents to team leaders to team managers and trainers in 6 regional countries including Singapore.

    My wife who is an Indonesian PR got employment within 1 week of getting her PR status. WDA seems to be helping her more than me.

    Awaiting your advice and recommendations.

    Thank you and warm regards

    Terence

     

    Source: www.transitioning.org