So, you have decided to go to Singapore and try your luck here. You have done the necessary steps of applying online and following up the result of the phone interview, but luck seems to be not on your side. You want to take your effort a notch higher and increase your chances. You are now decided. Then by all means, I say, Welcome to Singapore! Here are 5 survival techniques for a tourist Pinoy like you.
1. Book your plane ticket in advance. Typical 2-way (Manila-Singapore-Manila) ticket costs about Php 15,000 upwards at Philippine Airlines. If you can, try to book in advance and use cheaper alternatives to PAL like Cebu Pacific or Tiger Airways. They often have promos and their rates are generally cheaper. The only thing you’ll be missing is on-flight meal. Note though that travel time is just a little more than 3 hours so you should be fine. I was able to get a 2-way ticket before at CebuPac for only Php 6,000 under a promo. You might wanna check it out too.
2. Bring ready to cook grocery items from Philippines. Since you don’t have an assured job yet, you want to save as much Singapore dollars as possible. Easy way to do this is by bringing grocery items like hotdog, corned beef, sardines, pancit canton and the likes. It serves 2 purpose: 1) you can survive a meal without having to spend and; 2) the friend you will be staying with will be happy that you brought these items because they miss it a lot. Typical meal here costs about S$5 or Php150 and those are just the basic ones.
3. Stay with a friend/relative/acquaintance or whoever. Avoid hotels! At all costs, avoid hotels, or even a transient room that charges S$20 a day upwards, although if you are really a nomad and have no friends whatsoever, there are a lot available. My point is, try to find a friend, a relative, an acquaintance or anyone you know who has a place here already. Rent in Singapore is very expensive and will drain your precious “baon” if you’re not wise.
4. Buy a Singapore SIM and update your contact details ASAP. First thing you have to do upon checking out your baggage at the Airport is buy a Singapore SIM card. They will require you to present your passport before they let you buy so be sure you have it with you. The main reason why most employers don’t call overseas is because of the cost. Having a local (Singapore) number makes your resume more attractive. As soon as you get a local number, update your contact details. Put Singapore number and Singapore address in it.
5. Apply online in the morning. Enjoy the scenic spots in the afternoon. Since your main mission in going here is to find work, your first order of the day should be “sending resume”. Every morning, visit Jobsdb.com.sg and Monster.com.sg and search for new job postings. There are a lot out there. Send your resume to as many companies as possible. Your objective should be to get an interview so highlight in your application that you are “presently at Singapore and will be willing to attend a personal interview at any time most convenient” to the employer. Morning is the best time to send resume because this is the time most HR’s review applications. Then in the afternoon, it’s time to enjoy. Singapore is a beautiful country so go out and explore the city. There are a lot of good places to go to. Here are some must-see places in Singapore: Sentosa, Esplanade, Merlion Park, Fountain of Wealth, Orchard Road, Snow City, Singapore Science Center, Singapore Zoo, Lau Pasat.
There you go. The Survival Techniques for Tourist Pinoy. Let me know your thoughts. Send in your comments or suggested topics at sugarpinoy@gmail.com. Click on the links below for other useful Singapore and Pinoy information
1. Book your plane ticket in advance. Typical 2-way (Manila-Singapore-Manila) ticket costs about Php 15,000 upwards at Philippine Airlines. If you can, try to book in advance and use cheaper alternatives to PAL like Cebu Pacific or Tiger Airways. They often have promos and their rates are generally cheaper. The only thing you’ll be missing is on-flight meal. Note though that travel time is just a little more than 3 hours so you should be fine. I was able to get a 2-way ticket before at CebuPac for only Php 6,000 under a promo. You might wanna check it out too.
2. Bring ready to cook grocery items from Philippines. Since you don’t have an assured job yet, you want to save as much Singapore dollars as possible. Easy way to do this is by bringing grocery items like hotdog, corned beef, sardines, pancit canton and the likes. It serves 2 purpose: 1) you can survive a meal without having to spend and; 2) the friend you will be staying with will be happy that you brought these items because they miss it a lot. Typical meal here costs about S$5 or Php150 and those are just the basic ones.
3. Stay with a friend/relative/acquaintance or whoever. Avoid hotels! At all costs, avoid hotels, or even a transient room that charges S$20 a day upwards, although if you are really a nomad and have no friends whatsoever, there are a lot available. My point is, try to find a friend, a relative, an acquaintance or anyone you know who has a place here already. Rent in Singapore is very expensive and will drain your precious “baon” if you’re not wise.
4. Buy a Singapore SIM and update your contact details ASAP. First thing you have to do upon checking out your baggage at the Airport is buy a Singapore SIM card. They will require you to present your passport before they let you buy so be sure you have it with you. The main reason why most employers don’t call overseas is because of the cost. Having a local (Singapore) number makes your resume more attractive. As soon as you get a local number, update your contact details. Put Singapore number and Singapore address in it.
5. Apply online in the morning. Enjoy the scenic spots in the afternoon. Since your main mission in going here is to find work, your first order of the day should be “sending resume”. Every morning, visit Jobsdb.com.sg and Monster.com.sg and search for new job postings. There are a lot out there. Send your resume to as many companies as possible. Your objective should be to get an interview so highlight in your application that you are “presently at Singapore and will be willing to attend a personal interview at any time most convenient” to the employer. Morning is the best time to send resume because this is the time most HR’s review applications. Then in the afternoon, it’s time to enjoy. Singapore is a beautiful country so go out and explore the city. There are a lot of good places to go to. Here are some must-see places in Singapore: Sentosa, Esplanade, Merlion Park, Fountain of Wealth, Orchard Road, Snow City, Singapore Science Center, Singapore Zoo, Lau Pasat.
There you go. The Survival Techniques for Tourist Pinoy. Let me know your thoughts. Send in your comments or suggested topics at sugarpinoy@gmail.com. Click on the links below for other useful Singapore and Pinoy information
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