a bummed life!

Review of the movie “Captain America: The First Avenger” Salute to the Captain! I'm not really a fan of Capt. America, i think he is too virtuous and patriotic (plus the story about a super-soldier experiment is a bit cliché by now). However, this movie was so much fun to watch! Read on for my reasons along with a healthy dose of spoilers <don't worry, they are minor and wouldn't ruin your movie experience. hehe> The movie starts off with the discovery of a World War II aircraft, where a particular shield (one that is familiar to all) was found. And, where this red-blue and white shield is, a certain Captain is probably nearby. Flashback some years back, in the 1940's during the rise of Germany under Hitler's leadership, the movie tells the story of a decrepit lad from Brooklyn and how he came to be, the star-spangled Capt. America.

This is Part 3 of my guide to working in SG. Again, to avoid an irritatingly long-er post, the steps were grouped. The list of the steps are in the first post. 4. Get Interviews and Get Offers. How you do this is totally up to you and your style at getting a job. However, as tips for our particular situation: Make sure you have your latest, most updated, best-est resume. Have your credentials ready (scanned and if need be, printed). Have your passport with you (scan it as well) Follow up your job application status as soon and as much as you can (just avoid being too annoying). For the last tip above, it is important that you follow up as you currently only have less than 30 days to process things. You should always ask the interviewers/HR how long it would take for them to process your applications. Voice out your concern regarding the limited time you currently have for a social visit. HR people are already aware of this.

This is the second part of my ‘uber-simplified’ steps on how to work in SG. The steps in this post would lead up to you getting at Singapore Airport and what to do there. Check my next posts for later steps. Part 1 : How to work in SG 1. Get to SG. Okay, you already have your passport, your money, tickets and everything you would need to survive for at least a month. Now, just bid your friends/family goodbye for a while and board that plane. <i’ll have a separate post on how to deal with Airport people> 2. Have your passport stamped with visit pass. If you followed the previous tips, you should have landed safely on Singapore shores, right in front of Singapore Immigration. But to remind you (one more time), you need at least the following: a roundtrip ticket itinerary a known address where to stay pocket money, an ATM or credit card your disembarkation card a confident smile and look on your face

As of July 1, 2011  January 1, 2012 the MOM will be using the following salary requirement for their work passes: Pass Type Minimum Salary (SGD) E-Pass (P1) $8,000 E-Pass (P2) $4,000  $4,500 E-Pass (Q1) $2,800  $3,000 S-Pass $2,000 Other passes have also been adjusted. So, to people who are looking for a (new) job in SG or is planning to, please consider the above adjustments as this could affect your chances of getting a pass. This would probably also affect the number of job offerings/openings that companies here would provide. Please refer to the MOM website for the details and official announcements. Update 1: adjusted the values based on the new MOM salary requirements. Please do note that apart from the adjusted minimum salary, qualification requirements have been tightened.

Basically, here are the uber-simplified steps that you need to accomplish. Get to SG. Have your passport stamped with visit pass. Have your money changed to SGD. Get a Singapore SIM card. Get interviews and get offers. Sign a contract. Get your IPA. Do the biometrics for worker's pass. Get your pass id. Apply for OWWA (and OEC) Work, work, work! Spend, spend, spend! *okay, you can always replace the last step as “Save, save, save” but that would be quite a boring existence. If all goes well, that should be it. However, it isn't always as smooth sailing. To help you out, let's give you a little more detailed description of the steps.. in my next posts! Lol. note: the draft of this post was getting awfully long that i had to break it down into several posts. please bear with me. Use this Part 1, as the guide to the rest of the steps.

So, you've decided with all your heart, beyond the shadow of any doubt that you're going to SG! Well, it's okay if you have doubts and worries. Actually, it is normal that you won't be 100% sure. Just 'mostly convinced' should be enough. Of course, at this time, i would assume that you already have considered your options in the Philippines (or in other countries) and have an intelligent and well-informed decision (for this one, wag i-asa lahat kay batman. hehe).   Here are some tips BEFORE that fateful day of flight to SG. Again, we are taking this one step at a time.. 1. Check for available flights   Tickets to SG is now really cheap - thanks to budget airlines (Cebu Pacific, Air Philippines, Tiger). They are budget flights, yes, but it will only at max take 4 hours (excluding the boarding/waiting time). And, coming from Manila or similar cities in PH, that's actually a common experience when travelling. Just think of it as being in a 'luxurious...

Before booking that ticket to Singapore, you would need to consider a lot of things. First, would be to accept that going to Singapore (or any other country) for work is a risk. We've all heard the story of a Pinoy going out in the hopes that he'd find a better job and a better life abroad but came back home disappointed. Those stories are true and can happen. However, with perseverance and a little luck, we can find ways to avoid that. Here are some tips to prepare yourself for a new life in SG (Singapore). I've arranged it in a sort of chronological manner so it would be easier to understand when and what to do. Considering SG Before even buying that ticket to SG, try to consider the following items first: 1. Consider your options at home. What are your options at home (PH or where you are currently working). Then, weigh in your options in SG. Try to ask friends or former colleagues (i'm sure we all have one) who are now working in SG. Ask them about the foll...

Let’s keep things as simple as possible. Well, at least for now. Here are the following set of things that you should do to work and live in Singapore as a Pinoy considering a live in Singapore: Preparation before SG Going to SG (Airport, Immigration) Applying for Job (and getting one) Getting a Work Permit  Settling to a your new life I’ll setup my succeeding posts based on these groupings. Please, do be patient at this blog is a work in progress. I’ll try to put info in bulks so as not to leave anything hanging. hehe. Okay, let me star with my very first official post for the guides…

Barely 3 months of stay in SG and yet a lot of things have already happened. It wasn’t so long ago that i decided to venture out here to find work and now, i want to share my experiences before their details completely fade out of memory. This blog is for those Filipinos who are considering working in Singapore or is already here for work. I tried looking for some guide or reference before i actually booked my tickets but there doesn’t seem to be a lot on the net. Since, Pinoys are notorious for word of mouth information dissemination, I guess Internet resource on this matter isn’t as necessary. Well, anyhow, i still decided its something the virtual world needs. The main resource would always be pinoysg.com though. There are also other information that could be useful to Pinoys working abroad other than Singapore. And, some info for living in Singapore in general. I’m even hoping that some non-Filipinos would find something useful. Enjoy the read!