Transitioning.Org [Blog]
Dear Sir,
My name is Abdullah, 27 years old and currently working as a security officer earning around $1400. Before this, I was working as a Restaurant Manager in a F & B outlet.
I’ve been working in the F & B industry since I’m 16 years old. My first job is a part timer working in Long John Silver’s – I was promoted to Floor Manager and then to Assistant Manager.
I have to stall my career due to N.S. Upon leaving N.S, I rejoined the company and worked for a long while before deciding to further my education.
I took up Diploma In Hotel Management, thinking that it was a good prospect to go into. But halfway through my course, I have to drop out due to financial reasons.
My father who was my main sponsor for the course got retrenched and was jobless.
I managed to get an interview with Secret Recipe and work with them for a good year before office politics took over and I was then replaced by a foreigner…
So began my journey looking into for jobs in all the wrong places. For the very first time, I experienced difficulty in searching for work even in the F & B industry which many Singaporeans shun. Now it is flooded with foreigners…
On one occasion that I went for an interview with ‘Starbucks’, I was dismayed that I was competing for a “trainee manager” job with many foreign talents who have degrees and masters to offer.
I remembered vividly how the interviewing officer retorted: “Give me one good reason to employ you - a local – who demands $2000 basic pay when I have loads of foreigners with masters and degrees wanting the same job for less?”
My reply was simply this: ” I have loads of experience in running an operation on a day to day basis. If my pay is really an issue, it can still be negotiated. I chose $2100 because its the median pay, as given by MOM. I don’t mind working for a few hundred dollars less BUT it must be reasonable.”
To which he replied that the foreigners too have experience overseas – which is much better than local experience. And again he stressed, for a person with that kind of qualification, asking the same pay as a local worker, dollar for dollar its much better in value. This sadly happened to many of the job interviews that I went to.
I was then job hunting for nearly a year without any success so I went to the CDC pleading for help. The best they could offer is recommending me jobs such as security officer, cleaning supervisor and general worker.
Beggars can’t be choosers I guess, so I decided to join the security industry. Thinking that this is good prospect and at that point of time the government was “professionalising” the industry, I decided to give it a go.
To my dismay, the basic salary is very low – only $600+ for some companies, but after adding in allowances and overtime, it reaches the very most at $1400.
You are talking about working 12 hours daily on a 6-day basis from 10am – 11pm and you can’t get pass beyond $1400 a month. Sometimes, I have to volunteer for 24-hour work shift so that I could earn enough to pay for all my bills!
And the “professionalising” that was so hyped about was only the implementation of a “SIRD” licence card - the low wagse and long working hours have not changed much. I worked for 2 security companies to date and was unhappy with the work conditions.
I cant see myself working like this till I grow old and weary.
I believe I’m still young and still have a lot to offer. I’m interested in info-comm. I even sourced around for upgrading courses that I can keep improving myself.
And as you know, private education is oh so very expensive. But Mendaki gave me a ray of hope.
They say that I can apply for their subsidy, provided I’m employed for 3 months prior to the course. It’s impossible for me to further my education with the kind of job that I have, because the courses mostly start at 7pm, and most of the time, at 7pm I’m still at work.
With that in mind, I tried looking for a 9-5 job with a minimum salary of $1400 as stipulated by the terms and conditions given by Mendaki Sense.
Here’s where I’m stuck - I can’t seem to find any employers that is willing to take me in as I don’t have any working experience in info-com.
I’m really really at a loss for what to do – I’m planning to get married in a couple of years’ time, but I can’t allow myself to have any long term commitments when my bread and butter issue is still very unstable.
Please sir, I really really don’t know what to do. I’m at my wits end. Any advice/coaching pertaining to this matter will be very much appreciated.
Abdullah
Dear Sir,
My name is Abdullah, 27 years old and currently working as a security officer earning around $1400. Before this, I was working as a Restaurant Manager in a F & B outlet.
I’ve been working in the F & B industry since I’m 16 years old. My first job is a part timer working in Long John Silver’s – I was promoted to Floor Manager and then to Assistant Manager.
I have to stall my career due to N.S. Upon leaving N.S, I rejoined the company and worked for a long while before deciding to further my education.
I took up Diploma In Hotel Management, thinking that it was a good prospect to go into. But halfway through my course, I have to drop out due to financial reasons.
My father who was my main sponsor for the course got retrenched and was jobless.
I managed to get an interview with Secret Recipe and work with them for a good year before office politics took over and I was then replaced by a foreigner…
So began my journey looking into for jobs in all the wrong places. For the very first time, I experienced difficulty in searching for work even in the F & B industry which many Singaporeans shun. Now it is flooded with foreigners…
On one occasion that I went for an interview with ‘Starbucks’, I was dismayed that I was competing for a “trainee manager” job with many foreign talents who have degrees and masters to offer.
I remembered vividly how the interviewing officer retorted: “Give me one good reason to employ you - a local – who demands $2000 basic pay when I have loads of foreigners with masters and degrees wanting the same job for less?”
My reply was simply this: ” I have loads of experience in running an operation on a day to day basis. If my pay is really an issue, it can still be negotiated. I chose $2100 because its the median pay, as given by MOM. I don’t mind working for a few hundred dollars less BUT it must be reasonable.”
To which he replied that the foreigners too have experience overseas – which is much better than local experience. And again he stressed, for a person with that kind of qualification, asking the same pay as a local worker, dollar for dollar its much better in value. This sadly happened to many of the job interviews that I went to.
I was then job hunting for nearly a year without any success so I went to the CDC pleading for help. The best they could offer is recommending me jobs such as security officer, cleaning supervisor and general worker.
Beggars can’t be choosers I guess, so I decided to join the security industry. Thinking that this is good prospect and at that point of time the government was “professionalising” the industry, I decided to give it a go.
To my dismay, the basic salary is very low – only $600+ for some companies, but after adding in allowances and overtime, it reaches the very most at $1400.
You are talking about working 12 hours daily on a 6-day basis from 10am – 11pm and you can’t get pass beyond $1400 a month. Sometimes, I have to volunteer for 24-hour work shift so that I could earn enough to pay for all my bills!
And the “professionalising” that was so hyped about was only the implementation of a “SIRD” licence card - the low wagse and long working hours have not changed much. I worked for 2 security companies to date and was unhappy with the work conditions.
I cant see myself working like this till I grow old and weary.
I believe I’m still young and still have a lot to offer. I’m interested in info-comm. I even sourced around for upgrading courses that I can keep improving myself.
And as you know, private education is oh so very expensive. But Mendaki gave me a ray of hope.
They say that I can apply for their subsidy, provided I’m employed for 3 months prior to the course. It’s impossible for me to further my education with the kind of job that I have, because the courses mostly start at 7pm, and most of the time, at 7pm I’m still at work.
With that in mind, I tried looking for a 9-5 job with a minimum salary of $1400 as stipulated by the terms and conditions given by Mendaki Sense.
Here’s where I’m stuck - I can’t seem to find any employers that is willing to take me in as I don’t have any working experience in info-com.
I’m really really at a loss for what to do – I’m planning to get married in a couple of years’ time, but I can’t allow myself to have any long term commitments when my bread and butter issue is still very unstable.
Please sir, I really really don’t know what to do. I’m at my wits end. Any advice/coaching pertaining to this matter will be very much appreciated.
Abdullah
