Last month, my colleague Tonny and I brought together a group of US and UK students to visit Singapore on our inaugural Experience@Singapore: Finance Immersion Program (you can read more about it here: http://www.contactsingapore.sg/home/index.php/eng/events/past_events/the_inaugural_experience_singapore_immersion_programme_9_13_june_2008).

To enable the students to experience what it’s like to work and live in Singapore, the program incorporated both recruitment (visits to top financial institutions) and social aspects (visits to tourists spots). Accompanying the students during the week gave me a chance – a born and bred Singaporean – to view Singapore from the eyes of a foreigner and I was amazed at what that perspective offered.

Take Singapore’s financial sector as an example. It never fails to leave me in awe of how a small island state like Singapore that only gained independence slightly over 40 years ago have come so far and is now a key player on the world stage. During our visits to the financial institutions, many executives shared that they remained positive on Singapore’s economic outlook and were confident of the sector’s resilience despite the slowdown in the US economy. The exciting career opportunities that were showcased to the students offered a sharp contrast to the increasing layoffs on Wall Street.

On the social aspect, it was incredible for me to see Singapore as a tourist. The Singapore Flyer, newly opened in February this year, presented spectacular views of the Singapore skyline. The duck tours were similar to the ones in Boston and offered an exciting amphibious journey through Singapore’s downtown. And the Night Safari was as entertaining as many of the world’s top zoos I’ve visited (although I’ve never been to a safari so I don’t have that as a comparison).

Throughout the week, I couldn’t help but notice an emerging theme: that to a foreigner, Singapore can probably offer a lifestyle as similar or as different to your current one depending on your preference.

A banker from Wall Street or the City can work in the same global bank in Singapore’s financial sector, drink espresso from the same coffee shop chain, enjoy a meal at a restaurant serving familiar food and watch a summer blockbuster that is also showing in cinemas back home. In short, nothing has to change if one does not want it to.

And yet on the other hand, Singapore offers so much historical and cultural uniqueness that those who want a completely different lifestyle can easily do so. One could drink a traditional hainanese coffee [“kopi"], eat out at an open air food court [“hawker centre”], watch a local play and learn to speak Mandarin, Malay or Tamil since most Singaporeans speak a second language depending on their ethnicity.

So global flair or local flavor? It’s your choice. Or you can be like me and have your cake and eat it by enjoying the best of both worlds. That’s why I love Singapore. Come experience it for yourself.

Every year, the months of September and October have always been some of the busiest months for Contact Singapore (North America) as they coincide with the peak recruitment season at most universities. This year was no exception. The Contact Singapore (North America) team held 24 events and reached out to more than 2800 people across 10 cities in the US and Canada between the months of September and October.  We have provided a quick recap of the events below to update everyone.

Contact Singapore presents “Work in Singapore” Campus Series

US

1. New York University  
2. University of California-Berkeley  
3. Yale University
4. Harvard University
5. Columbia University
6. University of Pennsylvania
7. Princeton University
8. Stanford University

Canada

1. Simon Fraser University
2. University of British Columbia  

The team would like to thank everyone who supported us at the campus events. We were very happy to meet with so many people who were interested to learn more about working opportunities in Singapore and hoped that we were able to provide adequate assistance to facilitate your job or internship search in Singapore. If you have further queries, please feel free to contact us at boston@cs.org.sg. 

For those who are not from the universities listed above or whom we did not get a chance to meet, please also feel free to let us know when would be a good time to visit your campus.

Contact Singapore and the Monetary Authority of Singapore present “Singapore: International Financial Center – Opportunities and Careers”  

Contact Singapore (North America), in collaboration with the Monetary Authority of Singapore, held the “Singapore: International Financial Center – Opportunities and Careers” recruitment events for the second year running. This year’s events in New York and Chicago saw more than double the participants from last year, and our inaugural event in Boston was received with overwhelming response. Close to 500 participants attended the 3-day event to learn about the exciting developments and opportunities in Singapore’s financial services industry. The participants also had the opportunity to network with representatives from 6 Singapore-based financial institutions.

Contact Singapore (North America) hoped that the events provided a good platform to link Singapore-based employers with the talent in the US. For those who were unable to attend the events, we are planning to launch a video podcast of the event on our website so do watch out for it. We will also continue to organize more of such events in various cities and with different industry themes so do keep a lookout for us when we are in your neighborhood!

Next stop: Contact Singapore and the Economic Development Board (EDB) present “Singapore: Opportunities and Careers in Technology Sectors”. If you are interested in pursuing a career in

• biomedical sciences
• energy, chemicals & engineering services
• electronics
• infocomm & media
• transport engineering
• precision engineering
• logistics
• alternative energy

Contact Singapore and EDB will be holding information sessions at the following universities in the US Midwest:

• Nov 12: University of Michigan – Ann-Arbor
• Nov 13: Purdue University – West Lafayette
• Nov 14: University of Illinois – Urbana-Champaign
• Nov 15: Northwestern University
• Nov 16: University of Wisconsin – Madison

We warmly invite you to join us. More details will be posted on our blog very soon!

Signing off against a backdrop of the beautiful New England fall scenery,

Jynn

Area Director, Contact Singapore (North America)

As a recent graduate from the United States headed to Singapore for a year on a research grant, I had no idea what to expect. My university professors had encouraged me to journey to Singapore with descriptions of skyscrapers, a multitude of cultures, excellent health care services (much to the pleasure of my parents) and amazing food. On the other hand, my general guide book to Southeast Asia had suggested I travel with enough supplies to last me until I returned to the United States. I decided to play it safe and arrived at the airport with a heavy suitcase full of soap and toothpaste. Before long, I realized this was really unnecessary as I could find all my favorite toiletries and groceries in any supermarket. All these concerns were minute compared to a world of new exciting possibilities waiting to be explored!

Singapore is a fantastic place for a young expatriate to live and a great way to experience Asia.   It is as energetic and exciting as any American metropolis, with all the usual amenities and services. I worked near Singapore’s business hub, Raffles Place, where I experienced first-hand the buzz and excitement of the energy and activity. Only the tropical heat reminded me that I was in Southeast Asia, as I could have been anywhere in the world with the diversity of people in the city. There was no language barrier to speak of since everyone spoke English.  

What I really love about the Singapore is its thriving scene in the arts and culture. I truly feel that Singapore typifies the description of a melting pot in this regard. On a walk through the city you will pass Hindu and Buddhist temples, Christian churches and Muslim Mosques. Throughout the year I experienced amazing cultural events and celebrations like the Chinese Lunar New Year, Deepavali and Hari Raya Puasa, to name a few. The arts scene is also flourishing and on any given night, there is a gallery opening, a concert, a performance or a film screening somewhere. Before attending one of these events, I would often meet friends for dinner along the Singapore River at Clarke Quay or in the bustling Chinatown district with its quaint shops and colorful sights.

For an American girl used to driving around town in a car, Singapore’s public transportation is an excellent alternative. I did not miss the autonomy of having my own vehicle as trains, buses and taxis could get me anywhere around the country in under an hour’s time. I could attend meetings or meet friends at a moment’s notice. Most housing options are within an easy distance to public transportation. I stayed in a nice, but affordable, condominium in the Orchard Road area in the heart of the shopping district, complete with a pool, gym and Koi pond.

Now I am back in Boston, Massachusetts and working for Contact Singapore North America. I loved my time in Singapore and now I enjoy introducing people to the possibilities in Singapore for them. While I was only in Singapore for a year, I consider it to be my second home as I have many fond memories of my time there. I hope to return to sunny Singapore someday soon!

This is the sixth year that I have lived outside of Singapore, both as a student previously and now as the Area Director for Contact Singapore (North America). So I guess that qualifies me to be an Overseas Singaporean (OS) and since I meet many fellow OS during the course of my work, I thought, what better way to pen down my first blog entry than to share some of my thoughts as an OS?

“Absence makes the heart grow fonder”. Clichéd as the quote may be, it describes what I feel as an OS perfectly. Singapore’s year-round summer heat, which I have always complained about, is now a welcome reprieve from the bitter cold of Boston. Traffic congestions in the Central Business District (CBD), once a nuisance, now convey the dynamism and buzz of a booming economy. Singapore’s small land area, which sometimes account for why Singaporeans grumble about there being nothing to do except shopping and watching movies, is now much appreciated because everything is easily accessible within minutes.

And it seems like my fellow OS share my sentiments, judging from the number of OS associations in virtually every university and city in North America that have been formed to connect us to Singapore and to other OS. It is heart-warming to see so many OS willing to come forward to volunteer their time and resources to build communities where we share a common national identity despite being overseas. From New York to San Francisco, Chicago to Dallas, Vancouver to Toronto, the same Singaporean spirit and love for food continue to bind us as if we are back in Singapore.

So perhaps, this year’s National Day song “There’s No Place I’d Rather Be” performed by Kit Chan, best sums up our feelings as OS (visit http://www.ndp.org.sg/multimedia/audio/index.html for song download and lyrics). Some OS may not come back to Singapore due to personal circumstances but Singapore will always be the place where they grew up in and think of fondly. Others may relish the experience of living overseas to broaden their perspectives but see Singapore as the place they will ultimately return to. And for these OS, I hope that Contact Singapore will be able to help you be plugged into the latest developments and employment landscape in Singapore and make your transition as smooth as possible.

Stay tuned for our next blog entry featuring thoughts from an expatriate in Singapore!