[emclau]

Hi,
I'm an Irish accountant who is considering moving to Singapore. I have four years experience of working in banks and would like to work in this area when I move there.


I would like to hear from Irish people who have lived in Singapore. What did they think of the culture? What are job opportunities like? Is there much of an Irish community there? What are the visa requirements if you are Irish?

Thanks!

[Jim2007]

Originally Posted by emclau

Hi,
I'm an Irish accountant who is considering moving to Singapore. I have four years experience of working in banks and would like to work in this area when I move there.


I would like to hear from Irish people who have lived in Singapore. What did they think of the culture? What are job opportunities like? Is there much of an Irish community there? What are the visa requirements if you are Irish?

Thanks!

Assuming you are ACA or ACCA, with 4 years banking PQE it should not be a problem - Just contact one of the big agencies operating in this market!

[michael1_2_3_4]

Originally Posted by emclau

Hi,
I'm an Irish accountant who is considering moving to Singapore. I have four years experience of working in banks and would like to work in this area when I move there.


I would like to hear from Irish people who have lived in Singapore. What did they think of the culture? What are job opportunities like? Is there much of an Irish community there? What are the visa requirements if you are Irish?

Thanks!

Hey Emclau

I was reading your post from a few months back and I am wondering whether you ever made the move to Singapore.

I am arriving there myself next week and would be delighted to get a few pointers in attacking the job market. I have made a few initial enquiries with recruiters but nothing concrete has resulted as yet.

I'm an accountant like yourself and would love to hear about your experiences.

Cheers
M

[daveco23]

Hi,
I moved to singapore a few months ago with my family. I`m not in Finance, am in IT.
A few pointers.
1 - Do NOT move here unless you have a job sorted. Apart from being very expensive, you can`t do things like rent an Apartment, etc without an Employment Pass, which is kind of like a Green Card that your employer organises for you. Have a look at jobstreet.com.sg, or Hudson.com.au for jobs. The visa you get on arrival is a 90 day vistor pass, and you cannot work on it. No special requirements for Irish, just fill in the arrival card on the plane and give it to the immigration officer at the airport.

2 - That said, finance industry here is booming, so you shouldnt have much of a problem. Salarywise, it will depend on your experience, but keep in mind that "Expat packages", ie apartment, schools, flights home paid for etc, are becoming a thing of the past, so you will need to reflect this in your salary demands. If you have a family, you need to be looking at 150-200k Singapore dollars, lower obviously if you are on your own.

3 - Apparantly there are a lot of Irish over here, but I have only met a few. Lots of nationalities over here from around the globe.

4 - Have a look at singaporeexpats.com. Great forum for newbies with a heap of information on ebrything

5 - PM me if you want more info, and the best of luck.

6 - You`ll love it here! Something here for everyone.

[emclau]

Hi! Thanks for the advice! I'm currently based in Sydney and it's got slow on the jobs market front... Did you move from Ireland to Singapore?

[daveco23]

Yes, I moved from Ireland. Had interviews remotely via skype and signed a contract before I booked the tickets! Push for a relocation allowance - this is a lump sum used at your discretion for flights, moving expenses, etc, in lieu of the Expat package I was talking about earlier.

[kraggy]

There seems to be loads of Irish in Singapore as they entered in a lot of teams, both ladies and mens, in the Asian Gaelic Games in Seoul last year.

Tons of them travelled over from Singapore to Seoul for that weekend.

[silverpuppy]

Hello,

I have a business in the United States, and would imagine that I could easily start a similar one in Singapore (computer service.) I do not have any venture capital at this time, but I could have some in about a year. I do not have a college degree, but I have attended two colleges, and received good marks at both. I have an IQ of 147 according to a test I took some time ago. I am very well read, testing in the 98th percentile in the nation in High School, and could easily teach ESL if it were necessary for either obtaining a visa or providing some income during startup.

My questions, then, are as follows:

1. Would it be possible for me to get into the country without a college degree or a large amount of money?
2. How difficult is it to start a business in Singapore? Should I plan to use ESL or another standard job to gain residence first?
3. How difficult is it to move a family to Singapore? I have a wife and three kids.

I welcome your input. I am presently in the United States, and I am terrified that this nation is going to become Zimbabwe or North Korea shortly! I would like to get out while I still can.