JOBLESS GRADUATE: TEMP CONTRACTS FOR S'POREANS, FULL-TIME POSITIONS FOR FOREIGNERS

I graduated from a local university and my career path is somewhat similar as the author. It took me 1 year and 1 month before I got my first job at a MNC for $1800.

Median pay for grads few yrs ago was $3300 and I am only asking for $2600.

Needless to say, in the MNC, senior staff are FT and support staff local because they need the locals to meet quota to hire FT.

What made me more upset is that, we locals are filled in lower jobs and very often they don’t offer full time positions to us.

Locals are treated like second class citizens, contractors. I was upset why FT are given full time roles and locals contract roles and THERE IS NOTHING THAT THE GOV IS DOING TO RESOLVE this problem

My second job was also in a MNC, same case FT all in senior management and as a local put on a support staff position – again I WAS PUT ON CONTRACT again.

And after 2 years they told me they don’t want me anymore because of reorganisation.

Therefore as a non full time stuff, there is no retrenchment package.

Previously when the company restructures, the FT were given job placement internally either in another dept or in their home country. When it comes to me, I was just told “sorry, we cant hold you anymore due to change in management”.

I had since been looking for a role for more than 18 months and to no avail. Be it within the same or outside the industry, I don’t seem to be able to get anything.

I wrote in to MOM and they say its my CV problem when I had already engaged professional consultant to advise on my current problem therefore I’m not convinced by them.

They helped me contact some of the employers which I applied for jobs in sg job bank then the HR told them “yes, we received and reviewed the CV and we find the CV interesting and suitable. However, we are not considering him for this position now but we will keep his CV should there be a suitable position”.

When MOM told me this, I was upset it is just a gracious way of saying sorry we are not shortlisting him but the MOM staff still take it very positively believing that they will really keep my profile in their mind.

I looked through the JD and the required exp, I think I am of a gd match but I’m not even been shortlisted at all and there is nothing MOM can do to help a poor local like me.

In their email to me when I question them on the minister saying to develop a Singaporean core workforce and for the SG job bank, jobs are for the local workforce (priority).

Their response is like a copy from somewhere FAQ answer quoting that SG job bank is only a channel for prospective employers to advertise but they can’t force them to hire from candidates that apply via the job bank.

I feel that such statements are just telling me that the existence of the job bank is redundant. I can go jobstreet or other sites and I still meet with the same competition.

There is no advantage at all.

I’m very upset about the situation but there is nothing I can do about it.

I feel sour when the news keep reporting about the low unemployment rate, tight labour market and seeing FT are earning the salary, bring their whole family to Singapore etc when I cant even support myself or make a living in Singapore as a local.

W