4/17/2018

What went wrong with getting a degree in Singapore

“TODAY highlighted employment discrimination against private university graduates. Only 47.4 percent of the current batch of private university graduates secured full-time jobs six months after graduation, compared to 60.1 percent from the last batch.
 

Everybody knows the Big Three: National University of Singapore, Nanyang Technological University, Singapore Management University. There’re three newer ones–Singapore University of Social Sciences, Singapore Institute of Technology, Singapore University of Technology and Design–who enjoy the prestige of being placed under the ambit of the Ministry of Education. Being Singaporean and government-approved, their degrees are recognized everywhere you go in this tiny island.
 

Other schools — Kaplan, Singapore Institute of Management, PSB, INSEAD, James Cook University –don’t enjoy the same cachet. Some aren’t even known at all. But when the rest of your life is staring at you and all you see is a wasteland of bills and broken dreams, you pick the best option you can find and roll with it....
 

Reality kicked in soon after. I had just over twenty people in my classes at Kaplan. A grand total of two people, over two years, were job-seekers....
Eight Years of Silence
 

I’ve sent out dozens, hundreds of resumes. Every month, every week, every day, I applied for job after job after job, hoping that someone would notice. Until then, I crunched numbers and copied clauses, wrote story after story, and picked up whatever freelance job and short-term contract job I could find.
 

I did this for eight years.
 

In eight years, I received nothing.
 

Less than one percent of my applications made it to the interview stage. None of them went anywhere. The other ninety-nine-odd percent was greeted with silence....
The Singapore Dream is dead to me. But I’m not going to give up, and I will not surrender my own dream.”
 

Benjamin Cheah

Benjamin Cheah wrote the above in an article published in the TRE to highlight the plight of Singaporean graduates trying to get a job in Singapore, a little island that could provide 2m jobs to foreigners. He is warning Singaporeans not to anyhow apply to join a not fully recognised university or schools and waste time and money for a degree that would not land one a job.
 

What Benjamin forgot to explain is the ease in which the foreigners are able to get jobs in Singapore with funny degrees from schools or universities worse than those he listed above operating in Singapore. Other than the job market being under the control of foreigners, ie foreigner owned employment agencies, they could also decide who they want when they are employed in Singapore companies or organisations in management positions. The HR dept would be held at ransom when these foreigners insist on hiring only foreigners and rubbished all the Singaporean applicants. They just said Singaporeans are not good enough. Period.
 

Other than this abuse that has been going on without anyone daring to do something about it or talk about it, the other thing of course is to get the same kind of funny degrees like the foreigners to get employed in Singapore. But I am only joking. When the whole hiring process is controlled by foreigners and the daft in charge did not know what is happening or powerless to do otherwise, Singaporeans would not be able to get a job in his homeland. Foreigners are favoured and given more chances for employment under the nose of daft Singaporean management.
 

This is how pathetic Singaporeans have become, losing out to foreigners in their own country for employment unfairly, cheated. Can you believe that? They don’t even know that they are losing their country to the foreigners. The foreigners are taking over their country.
 

PS. Only the 'stupidity has no cure' people would allow a no condition open economy with legs open so wide for everyone to screw. Trump would not do that. The only time these 'stupidity has no cure' type would put up conditions and barriers is when their own interests are affected. Otherwise you die your business.

25 comments:

Anonymous said...

Uncle RB, don't you know that the only reason why Singaporeans are not selected for jobs is because the FTs ask for less salary. Why would an employer want to pay more? FTs are more productive because he knows that his job security depends on his performance. He will take fewer MCs, he does not get call ups for NS, he will definitely be more obedient. Singaporeans on the other hand are none of the above. If I was an employer I would be looking at the bottom line and employ those hard working FTs.

Anonymous said...

Some employers exploit the loop holes of the labor law, example a company can even have a 70-100% EP or employment passes thereby giving a miss to local citizens for fair job consideration, what they have to do is post it in the national Jobsbank portal for fourteen days & after that the employers just go & recruit foreigners, case close, not unless the citizens wake up else it's a lost cause in the local employment scene in this tiny island.

Chua Chin Leng aka redbean said...

Anon 9:23, do you think Piyush Gupta, CEO of DBS asked for lower pay to get the job? Do you think all the foreign bankers here asked for lower pay to get their jobs? This includes many top jobs that foreigners are employed.

Virgo 49 said...


This Anon 9.23 is a typical PAP Stooge who only cares for his pockets. If you were an Employer,I pity all Singaporeans whose fore fathers had built up this Singapore for you Traitorous Lots to have your good lifes.

Wait till the day you are stricken with some sicknesses and see whether you take MCs or not. You think the Foreign Trashes DONT take MCs when they are sick? ?

Passed all the diseases and virus to you.

Just saved a few hundred S $$$ to have more Hell monies to Hell and you sell your social Responsibility to your fellow men.

Whats Pee Ayam and his wife preached about Social Responsibility are all Bullshits.

What a the farking point to be called Singaporeans when you are not treated as Singaporeans? ?

Anonymous said...

RB, unfortunately they would not be affected as there are thousands of jobs in state owned companies for kakilang😀😀😀

Anonymous said...
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Anonymous said...

The 'they' you talked about wrote their own pay cheques.

Anonymous said...

Do you know this and do you know that, to those who are concerned

Do you also know that the people in the government, from the PM right down to the lowest ranking clerk, also know ALL THE "DO YOU KNOW" Questions and Answers as well?

Do you also know that in every country, their government is constitutionally, institutionally, and duty-bound bound to protect their own citizens against foreign invaders, intruders, infesters, infidels, incorrigible crooks and criminals (especially those white-collar crooks) and incestuous foreign investors, employers and managers, and foreign employment scavengers?

Do you also know that when the chips are down the government cannot depend upon foreigners to defend Singapore? Only your own citizens can be relied on to defend and protect you?

Do you also know that the PAP is dependent upon Singaporeans to vote them into power every five years? How many more five-year periods can the PAP continue to short-change, sideline and discriminate Singaporeans, your own countrymen, in favour of foreigners.

Do you also know that it is very foolish to continue to fly test balloons for another ten years and see if the baloons will suddenly explode in your face in mid-air?

Do you also know that when your citizens are loyal and support you, it is your paramount responsibility to protect them of their livelihood? For if you deliberately engineered to fail to do so, the First-ever High Wind that comes along will blow you far far away?

Do you also know that once the PAP falls, it will be like ballons exploding in your face mid:~air suddely without warning?

Do you also know that nobody can gaurantee that the PAP will rule Singapore FOREVER and EVER?

Do you also know that:

CHANGE IS THE ONLY CONSTANT and

IMPERMANENCE IS THE ONLY RULE OF LAW IN THE UNIVERSE?

Anonymous said...

Hi Fortune
Now I know !!!!!
All component things are impermanent
Cheers!

Anonymous said...

Cannot find jobs for a livelihood due to the 2.3 million foreigners working here, more may be forced into underground activities to survive. Cannot blame them!

Anonymous said...

Bayer AG said late Monday that investment company Temasek has signed an agreement to increase its share capital in the German company.

Temasek has subscribed to 31 million new Bayer shares, which equals around 3.6 percent of Bayer's capital stock, for 3 billion euros (US$3.71 billion) in total gross proceeds, Bayer said.

Under the agreement, Bayer will issue the new registered--no par value--shares to a subsidiary of Temasek at market prices with an entitlement to dividends as of Jan. 1, 2017, the German company said.

Once the capital increase has been completed, and together with its existing shareholdings, Temasek will hold approximately 4 percent of Bayer's issued capital stock, Bayer said. The issued shares won't be subject to any lock-up period, it said.

Ⓜatilah $ingapura⚠️ said...

Alamak. Another case of not know how the real world works.

First, all over the world there is "degree inflation". Too many different degrees, especially for areas which no degree is necessary. So many degrees, means the market is "diluted".

Secondly, most employers are paying less attention to degrees. OK, in certain industries like the hard sciences (soft sciences...fuck off lah), law, engineering---the "real" stuff. Art's degrees are next to useless. Maybe there's some value in Liberal Arts...provided math and some hard science is included.

Employers ask the questions: Why should I hire you? What's in it for me? They don't give a shit what's in it for you. The employer can fire you anytime, for any reason....legal or otherwise. That's REALITY. No one owes anyone a living or a job. If you cannot bring "VALUE", why the fuck should anyone pay you a wage?

So these assholes who complain and complain, never take the time to figure out WHY no one wants to hire them, and then address the issue. Instead they write long screeds on the net blaming everyone instead of taking responsibility for their choices.

Just because the govt "approves" of an institution, doesn't mean SHIT. All the "approval" does is allows the institution to conduct an edu business, and that their shit conforms to some arbitrary "govt standards". Those "govt approvals" have nothing to do with The Job Market, which is where the rubber meets the road.

Ⓜatilah $ingapura⚠️ said...

Those fuckers who took courses in these "approved" private schools: did they check The Market's Reputation for these institutions? What is the data of graduates? How many were hired? What is their median pay? What is their media pay after 10 years?...and so on. They just chose the school because...for every other reason, except the reasons based on careful research.

Today's job market is highly competitive. In a globalised world, you are competing with foreigners all the time, and due to global labour supplies, de-centralization, ease of relocation...there's downward pressure on wages. i.e. The reality is you will probably earn less, that is if you manage to score a job in the first place.

So you need "extra firepower"---much more than your no-longer-so-special degree. The big tertiary institutions have long track records. They are involved in RESERACH, many private U's are not. The big ones have more published academics. And the kicker: the big institutions have long-standing, trusted and connected networks of current staff, students, visiting faculty and ALUMNI. You need these "extra tools" if you want to remain competitive in a market where fuckers from other cuntries will work harder and cheaper than you.

Top of my list is NETWORKS. Guan Xi. I can never stress enough how downright crucial this is. You need to meet people, foster good relationships, and keep growing those relations for as long as possible. By my observations, many Singaporeans are excellent networkers, and they are genuine. They love going makan etc, and introducing their business associated to their families, so that even the families bond. You will find many, if not most of these people are top earners and wealthy.

Then you get the dead shits. They are rude, inconsiderate...and when they run or work for an enterprise, they fight with customers...trying to "win the argument" instead of winning the customers' patronage, and make a fucking SALE! Zero social skills. No network larger than their drinking or kopitiam kakis, always talking and complaining about the same fucking things. Misery loves company, and so do losers.

So you choose lah. What can you bring to the table which is more valuable than a hardworking, trained fucker from the Turd World who is willing to beat you on every front?

Every boss is an asshole. He's only concerned about his business. He doesn't give a shit about you. Why should he? Who the fuck do you think you are? 👻🤣🤡

Anonymous said...

In sg not so simple lar Matilar. Example in many banks, you find high concentration of India Indian cause they already control the institutions. Irrespective of your skill and value, u may not be hired cause u did not come from the same village leh. So Matilar, Knn, it's time you get sodomized to clear your thought again.😰😰😰

Anonymous said...

In sg not so simple lar Matilar. Example in many banks, you find high concentration of India Indian cause they already control the institutions. Irrespective of your skill and value, u may not be hired cause u did not come from the same village leh. So Matilar, Knn, it's time you get sodomized to clear your thought again.😰😰😰

Anonymous said...
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Anonymous said...

What's wrong with the education system?

Yesterday, PAP MP Tan Wu Meng was punched by an angry resident but Singaporeans have instead rallied behind the assailant. The incident seemed to have United many Singaporeans.

So, is the education system good for PAP MPs or good for Singaporeans? Or neither?


Anonymous said...

The voters voted govt has in place certain handicaps for Sinkies in the job market:
1. NS & reservist yearly out time
2. High costs n high costs support for competitive schooling in a typical family
3. Exorbitant car costs for sales & marketing jobs.
Only by voting in more opposition n a much reduced power in the hand of the ruling Pappies will the considerations n welfare of Sinkies be truly n practically implemented.
Only your votes can change the policies. If status quo nothing will change. Why should the Pappies changed? They are having such a great n good time. Its has been a very very good home run for being a Pappies. Thanks to the votes of majority of Sinkies.

Anonymous said...

8.09pm anon, the reason they get so much support likely to suggest that sinkies are quite happy. If the majority is suffering why they continued to support them? It's beyond logic mah, Tio bo?

PG and Baby Boomers Gen SUCKS? said...

Stupidity has no cure PG Oldie //PS. Only the 'stupidity has no cure' people would allow a no condition open economy with legs open so wide for everyone to screw. Trump would not do that. The only time these 'stupidity has no cure' type would put up conditions and barriers is when their own interests are affected. Otherwise you die your business.//



Who created this economy (& {"monstrous" system)?

The generation Z who are born 2000 and onwards?

But then even the oldest in Gen Z are only 18-yo?

Not even eligible to vote?

Not even at legal age to buy MAHbodoTan ... oops ... cigarettes?

So stupidity has NO CURE is not applicable to them?

PG and Baby Boomers Gen are the ones who SUCK (BIG TIME)? said...

In a nutshell, which generation created this system?

Whichever GENERATION that created this ("monstrous") system are the ones BOR YOK KEW?

AnyboLEE WHO knows which generation or 2 generations they are?

Pls chiu kee ... oops ... kee chiu ... anyboLEE?

Ⓜatilah $ingapura⚠️ said...

@ 628:

Hi mate, I'm from the Baby Boomer generation. I can't agree with you more---we're the fucking worst.

We were the so-called "peace and love hippies---anti establishment", and then when we got our turn to run things we fucked up the show, grabbing all the money in the process, and saddling future generations with DEBT.

BBs turned corporations into "weapons" more powerful than nation-states. I fucking HATE my generation.

Most of my epic battles are with BBs. I try to avoid expensive entanglements. But with BBs, they just can't seem to quit or go away. They have to "win". They are assholes. You shouldn't trust them. You should rip shit into them as best you can.

Start an "inter-geneational WAR". BBs, because of their numbers are going to destroy the public healthcare system, and other social welfare systems in other cuntries.

You younger fuckers are going to end up paying the bill...and probably your children and their children. If you don't fight the Boomers now, you'll pay a huge price.

Go for it, Good luck

Matilah---The Baby Boomer Traitor

Enough Said About What the Future Will Be BLEAKINGLY HOPELESS? said...

11.26am //... we fucked up the show, grabbing all the money in the process, and saddling future generations with DEBT... //


Don't say ...

Some years back happened to drop by a good class bungalow in Mt Timah district. How this BB rich guy with a few flashy cars including a lambo parked in his spacious garage TREATED his children welfare is beyond appalling

Though was at this guy's house for a few hours but the observation of this BB really leave a horrendous taste ...

Mb one day might write about what was observed and how he treated even his own children

Basically one can trust the devil more than trusting this Baby Boomer Generation guy.

Obviously not all like that but many sucks?

Virgo 49 said...

Hi 11.42

First Generation Sinkies those in the 1930s to 40s are the ones that are the most selfish and uncaring lot.

They are born in the Era of wants and poverty.So their survival instincts only on SELF.

Many still behaving these ways even though they are the Ones who benefited the Most thru opportunities to sweep all the wealth.

Prices of landed, condo and apartments affordable. Shares and stocks also gain a lot including cars.Till now many are still not satisfied and still as Greedy

They are still MONIES grabbing and rubbed all these traits to their children.

Only in their coffins than they will stop their undesirable traits.

See them in Group Travels, how they grabbed their food only for themselves and their love ones

No thoughts for.others. In.Buffets all.the Best staff into their plates.

Hope they low sai if there is a virus breakouts. Most of the time, they have to be hospitalized as they whacked a lot

POST INDEPENDENT GEN said...

@ 11.26am Mati TERMINAL INCURABLE CANCEROUS STUPIDITY
>>>Start an "inter-geneational WAR". BBs, because of their numbers are going to destroy the public healthcare system, and other social welfare systems in other cuntries.<<<


Siao?

No wonder this lao hero think no cure liao?

Best thing to do:

NOTHING

Let it rot ...