So I recently graduated from Singapore Polytechnic with a diploma in Media & Communication and I’m a Burmese national. When I was on Student Pass, I worked a few jobs with ease, part-time then full-time until the expiration of my pass. Now I have applied to more jobs and went to interviews that went really well until I see the interviewer’s face drop when I told them I need a Work Pass. Instant no.
The obstacle is…well, very inescapable and I’m constantly disappointed at the fact I may have gotten a job if it wasn’t for my foreigner status. Not gonna cry about it, obviously, there will be a local preference and I don’t do anything that’s high in demand. And often the companies I apply to have no foreigner quota.
I come here to ask for advice. What do I do? I cannot go home to Myanmar. I don’t have the option. There is no possible way to advance a career there at the current state, let alone find a job. I had the option of going to university in the UK until I decided over 20,000 pounds a year was way too much for a path I wasn’t even terribly excited about. My goal is to literally just support myself in Singapore, to pay for rent, food, survive, yanno?
Is there anyone on the same boat? Would appreciate any advice. I keep on applying to jobs, aiming for bigger companies but there isn’t a lot I qualify for although I think I have a decent portfolio and amount of experience. Thanks everyone.
Here are what netizens think:
- there are some jobs which ask for a specific language like Burmese, Thai etc.
- Startups might be a bit hard bc they do not have the resources to pay for and process the work passes with the current policy… once you get a job offer make sure your boss advocates for you or the pass might never get through!
- Most of my foreign diploma friends had to leave because of the work pass minimum pay requirement. Sadly it’s precise because foreign students were willing to take very low pay to stay in Singapore, so the entry-level pay as a whole fell. Certain industries were worse off as there were way more candidates than jobs available.