9/16/2015

How relevant is international experience?

‘Mr Chan said companies which set up headquarters in Singapore look for people who know the regional market in Southeast Asia and can connect with the international market as well.

"They need teams of people who have the global and regional perspective. They don't care whether it's a Singaporean or non-Singaporean, that's the blunt truth, they only care about whether their team has the global perspective," noted Mr Chan, secretary-general of the National Trades Union Congress (NTUC).’

The above is quoted from an ST article dated 27 Jul 15.

I think this is a practical advice, go for your overseas exposure to earn that spur to compete with foreigners in Singapore. Without the international exposure, you don’t stand a chance against the 3rd World villagers that came here to work and claimed Singapore as an international experience. To these villagers, Singapore  is big city and they can go around flashing their working experience here. Does working in Singapore for Singaporeans mean anything? Or does an American or British who had worked in New York or London meant so much difference from Singaporeans working in Singapore? Would someone from Mumbai, Manila or Shanghai coming to Singapore be more advantageous because they already got experience in their home countries but no experience here?

What if a Singaporean is working in a local firm or MNC whose business is local, in Singapore, like a ‘chai tow kuey’ company or kopitiam? What about local banks/businesses when the operation is all local with local clients? Do they need international experience like working in London and New York? Must a Singaporean seeking a job in a local bank whose business is here needs to compete with a foreigner, like a New Yorker or Londoner, and lost out because they had worked in the two big cities and coming to work in a local bank here, whose business is here? Would he also lose out to someone from Mumbai, Manila or Shanghai? Is local knowledge and experience more important for working here?

I am just asking questions about this very important criterion called international experience as a badge of honour and a rite of passage. A MNC operating here, doing business here, would it be more advantages for the organisation to employ Singaporeans with local knowledge? What is the relevance of working experience in New York and London, when the businesses and customers are Singapore and Singaporeans? What is the advantage if he comes from Mumbai, Manila or Shanghai?

Actually I dunno the answer. I only hear people said got international experience must be good.  Do we need our politicians to work in London and New York or for that matter in Jakarta or Medan to make him a better politician? At one time everyone said must have a MBA then good. Does an organisation need to hire an MBA to run his ‘chai tow kuey’ or kopitiam store?

Please enlighten me? If international experience is that important, we better recruit our politicians from New York and London.

By the way, when all the talents are coming here to make their fortunes, why are we telling our PMEs to go overseas to make their rupees and rupiahs? And why are we issuing so many employment agency licenses to foreigners to bring in foreigners to work here and putting our Singaporeans at their mercy? Our country, jobs in our country, Singaporeans need to beg foreigners running recruiting agencies for job placements and allowing foreigners to tell the Singaporeans that they preferred to bring in foreigners, because foreigners best and Singaporeans no skill sets?

11 comments:

Anonymous said...

By the way, when all the talents are coming here to make their fortunes, why are we telling our PMEs to go overseas to make their rupees and rupiahs?
RB

Why?

Because they have the mandate to tell mah. And after Sep 11, a even bigger mandate to tell.

Like Kenneth (son of JBJ) said, I don't want to hear any complaints. So don't complain and don't ask why they tell as they have the mandate of 70% of Sinkies to tell.

Anonymous said...

RB and others also can tell but don't even have any, let alone a strong mandate, to tell.

So when RB and others tell, it is as good as not tell. Except by telling at the ballot box. But sorry, not strong enough.

Anonymous said...


Sad! Very Sad! Very Very Sad!

Having to compete for a job opening with foreigners in
your own country is indeed sad, very sad, very very sad.

Is this the New Normal?

Sad! Very Sad! Very Very Sad!

Anonymous said...

70% of the voters approved!
It must be good.

Anonymous said...

I think RB should give this matter a rest. He has been harping on this issue well before the GE and he is not letting go , even after the 70% mandate to the PAP during the last GE. RB is not giving up this little matter.

Let me say this. OF course oversea experience is important in any business. New ideas and new ways of doing things, Better ways to increase productivity, new methods to encourage incentive amongst the workforce, better management techniques etc etc. I am not saying that Singaporeans lack these qualities, but Singaporeans have this tendency to be too soft and too choosey. Singaporeans have been mollycoddled for too long and most Singaporean parents consider their boy-boy or girl-girl too good for most jobs that require a little hardship.

The lean and mean from India, PRC, Vietnam and Malaysia are more resilient to a little hardship. No?

Virgo 49 said...

Wonder whether Ho Jinx and her Tema sick team of directors and speculators got overseas experience???

Anonymous said...

What international experience is needed or will be better for a manager in POSB or SMRT or in a stats board?

Virgo 49 said...

Right Bro, Singaporans posted overseas are those who can impart and transfer their skills and knowledge to the countries that they are posted to. The employers local or otherwise put you there to put value to their companies or employees. Or to safeguard their interests.

If not, what the hell you are there?? Expat salaries and fringe benefits.

Might as well get a local employee. Not the other way round.

What hardships and resilence?? Hard labour??

Those who.tolerated hardships and have resilience have to. Because they need to.

If not how to have employment in a foreign land???

Have been posted overseas to take care if local bosses interests and trained their staff.
Not the other way round. Minister, don't talk cock ok??

Anonymous said...

Come on la, today's company are like the clans associations of the british colonial days. They are for the purpose of bringing more people.
In the past, it was meant to bring in more people to work.
Now, it is for the new comers to buy or consume to be exact.

What's economy today if there is no consumption? No need Adam Smith or
Warreb Buffet la, ah ter ah kow oso know no consumption no market, all will be dead.
Who's buying the properties in Sg? Sinkies? U must be joking!
The foreigners are here to do business, work and CONSUME.
In the latest ge, not only instant citizensvoted PAP, the hawkers, taxi drivers and other small time business operators, contractors mostly voted for PAP.
Put it this way la, there are business and job, but few make much from long hours of work and operation, leaving little time for other pursues, leisure and rest. In the end suffer physical, emotional and mental breakdowns and loss of space and freedom.

Singaporeans voted to be screwed for eternity.


Anonymous said...

Singaporeans & their children are the most well travelled people in the world.
Which planet is this Mr. Chan, NTUC secretary general from?

Looks like every year he and his family do not travel overseas.

A typical Singapore child from middle income would have travelled overseas 15 to 20 times by the time he/she graduated. High income...no need to say.

Singaporeans are the most international & tolerant people in the world. The evidence: It still voted overwhelmingly for a government that loves FTs to mess up their lives. Bravo!

Ⓜatilah $ingapura⚠️ said...

@ can't see the wood for the trees, Redbean:

>> why are we telling our PMEs to go overseas to make their rupees and rupiahs? <<

Because no one wants "welfarism" i.e. paying higher taxes to be redistributed to these useless fuckers as DOLE, i.e. REWARD them for their supposedly self-responsible situation and PAY THEM not to work.

That's why.

Unlike that fake-fake "compassion" redbean, who would throw scraps of rupees and rupiahs at these scrounging vagabonds, I would urge them to aim higher and go for the Euros and US Dollars.

Since Lee Kuan Yew already put a "spur in your hide" to garner your "competitive spirit", you might as well compete like a champion and take on the western world.