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16 Jun 2012, 1.54PM

31 comments & replies |by Guest | Learn and Earn

I am a fellow Singaporean, 42 years old, who is out of job for the 3rd time now. I was retrenched on two occasions and recently I was again asked to leave as I was not able to perform as well as the “FT”s and the younger generation in my company.

I am an engineering graduate from NUS, and I would say my career was smooth sailing since I graduated until about 10 years later. I was working in MNCs with good perks, and I have never thought about what it’s like being unemployed until the year 2003 when I was retrenched from a company.

At that point in early 2004, I started out in real estate as a property agent as I thought it is good to be self-employed instead of risking being retrenched again. Besides, I know that this career will pay well if I am able to succeed. However, I was not very successful after trying out for close to a year although I did sell some properties.

In mid 2005, I re-joined my previous company as they happened to have an opening for a similar position I had before. I happily started my employment again. However, this did not last long either as the company re-structured in end 2006 and I was asked to leave.

As this was a second blow to me in my career, I was really, really down at that time. I started gambling and before long, all my retrenchment benefits went down the drain. To make things worse, I chalked up a lot of credit card debts as I was starting to use these credit facilities for gambling. I started finding difficulties in repaying even the minimum payment at one juncture.

At that time, I did not know what I can do except to try something risky in an attempt to recoup my losses. I started punting in stock markets. Because I had no capital at that point in time, I was again only doing contra trades and was looking at locking in profits within a few days.

Initially, I did considerably well and I managed to get about $10k on a monthly basis. This helped me clear my credit card debts. However, good things never last long. I did one very bad trade on one of the occasions and I lost everything. I even incurred further debts with the security firms.

I was totally devastated as my total debt at that time amounted to more than $300k.

I did not want to approach my families at that time although I know they can afford to help me. Main reason was I felt too ashamed to do so. I opted on the path of personal bankruptcy and allowed the creditors to file bankruptcy suit against me. By mid 2008, I was made a bankrupt. This was a time when I lost totally everything… literally everything.

I could not find full time employment then, and I therefore could only try going back to property sales at that time. I managed to sell some properties but the income was really pathetic and I could not survive well. At that time, I signed up a full time IT course sponsored by WDA, and I spent the next 11 months studying in NUS. I did quite well as I managed to become one of the top students, and I graduated with distinction.

After the course, I started full time employment again, with an income that was close to what I was getting when I first graduated. After 2 months, I realised that the job was getting me nowhere as I was assigned tasks that were totally unrelated to my studies. For example, I was asked to do presentations internally, review the processes and I was totally unhappy and I knew I had to seek other alternatives.

Before long, I was offered quite a senior position in a recruitment firm and I immediately moved over. However, I left this company after about 5 months as the management was not pleased with my performance. Basically, there were lots of FTs there and lots of micro-management, and I was considered not good enough for the role.

After this last job, I have been spending my time searching for a new job. Although I do get interviews (more than 10 so far), I did not manage to land anything suitable. Now, I am again at a juncture where I am lost and not sure where else I can go. I am solely dependent on my wife who is working and my finances are depleted again.

Sorry for my long winded email. I am sharing my plight and I am hoping to get some guidance as to where I should be going. I am really not sure where my strengths are now.

There are often times when I even considered ending my life as I find no meaning in living anymore.

Any guidance or help will be much much appreciated.

Best Regards,

.

Michael Tang

975 views | 31 comments & replies |

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Guest

17 Jun 2012, 12.36AM

"However, I left this company after about 5 months as the management was not pleased with my performance. Basically, there were lots of FTs there and lots of micro-management, and I was considered not good enough for the role."

Check... after 5 mths, the management found lots of 'FTs' at a cheaper rate to take over your job. As simple as that. It's evidentally not your qualifications but they had to make an excuse to retrench you by saying you're not good enough. YOU'll discover it's happening around in Singapore. That's why Singaporeans are pis*sed off. Didn't you read the amount of letters on REACH site that these people's jobs are being taken over by foreigners? Many were told to teach them the works , only to be shown the door after everything's been taught.

Same thing happened to my friend whose job was taken over by a PRC female - cheaper. She was instructed by her boss to teach the PRC but I told her not to teach everything but to 'let them literally die' but in the meantime to look for another job before leaving.

With your qualifications, you shouldn't be disheartened so easily as you have a better footing vs many ppl worse off than you .
You've got your health. Check your pros and cons, types of work you'd tackle . Take on jobs to tide yourself over while looking for better ones. The only con I can see is 'gambling'. Avoid it like the plague.

Stanley Ho's a huge casino owner in Macao, I'm sure you've heard of him. His son who presides over the gambling empire revealed on CNN some time back that their family members don't gamble. He doesn't too;
because the gamblers usually lose in order for the casinos to prosper. See casinos and gambling make pots of money at your expense.

Contra trade - no good
Stocks - You must have enough to buy the Blue Chips, and must be a long time investor to hold on, due to volatility.
Get- rich- quick schemes are always disastrous. Men lie and cheat, women sell themselves.
NEVER buy anything unless you understand the products very well.

Money isn't everything. Many people look good on the outside driving fancy cars and living in fancy homes to keep up with the others but are so deeply mired in debt - they won't tell you, of course.

Have you tried applying as a teacher for sports activities, teaching subjects that you like? KIDS n teens are fun to teach when they look up to you as their mentor.
Interesting jobs that give less stress are better.

I will wish you all the best because you've got what it takes. I figured that you ran too fast..
One thing I just remembered that you wrote..your family. Your mother is always a son's best friend, ally and confidante. Confide in her.

I am a Mother. I know. Take care.

Guest

17 Jun 2012, 10.27AM

Actually, with so many FTs Singapore productivity has been lowered for the past 5 years.

Even in financial institutions, FTs working here for 8 years just happily go home at 6:15pm everyday! So the Manager has to complete their work for them!

My friend in another MNC find it madness to check FTs report regularly as they are prone to mistakes. Customers do call- up and make lot of noise to complain. Then, the Manager had to re-do her work!

Even in presstigious US manufacturing, when the economy picks- up, the FTs were not able to cope nor handle. So, at the end, expensive locals had to be recruited and then sacked during bad economic times.

Try speaking to CS in SingPost or SG CAr Mart. Gosh . . all they can do is waste your time on the phone instead of solving problems.

There is no way for Supervisors/ Managers with so many uncapable FTs under them to improve. It is important to bring in qualified FTs instead.

Guest

17 Jun 2012, 10.33PM

Applying for your ideal job is as easy as searching for one......

At stjobs.sg - your ideal job isn't hard to find. Ad on the Sun Times Jun 17:

Get job alerts via your email informing you of job matches.
Get headhunted. Post ur CV and let top employers find you. (You'll have full control over the confidentiality of your resume.)
Apply for jobs easily with Resume Scan. Upload your CV online with just a click of the mouse!
Applications - manage and keep track of your applications in an effective manner.

Hey, you're all set to go!

Guest

17 Jun 2012, 4.23PM

I've read that the construction companies pay well. They have need for people like you...diff environment can be interesting as well.

Guest

17 Jun 2012, 7.16AM

Have try contacting CALIBERLINK ... www.caliberlink.com.sg ... they maybe able to assist you

Guest

17 Jun 2012, 7.56AM

When you reach age 40 .. and you are retrenched .. you are considered "HOPELESS"

There are numeruous agencies .. like e21i, Caliberlink, SPEC, CDC .. which have been around for soemtime .. and yet we hear such horrid storeies of PMETs above 40 unable to find employment

Should not all these agencies get together and analyse what went wrong ... hold job fairs and career counsellin seems NOT to work .. as the goverrnment has encourage "INNOVATION' .. isn't it time to "innovate" and resolve this.. at least for the time timebing ..

Guest

17 Jun 2012, 11.55AM

I LOVE OBAMA!

He even proposed that jobless can sue! It is not their fault for being jobless nor granted any interviews but resumes were disposed off by recrutiment agencies because they were "jobless".

I want to sue Capita, Michael Page. . .etc! I also want to sue Gan Kim Yong for negligence in his work.

Guest

17 Jun 2012, 4.28PM

See? you write....Singaporeans offer our help. A religion helps you to talk to God. When we're too busy with our chase for materialism, we've forgotten to listen to God.

Guest

16 Jun 2012, 6.34PM

another transitioning.org note of a man lamenting his life, blaming FT for his incompetencies in staying on a job.

Just because he graduated top means his textbook knowledge is good, but inability to stay on a job also mean he suffers from lack of adaptability in team building.

Should we question why Gilbert is feverishly promoting his website in anti-foreigner sentiments?

Guest

17 Jun 2012, 12.24AM

"another transitioning.org note of a man lamenting his life, blaming FT for his incompetencies in staying on a job. "

Look, if you've nothing better to say, keep quiet. No one will know that you ***

Guest

17 Jun 2012, 10.15AM

Sorry to wake you up in your dreams.

There are about 20K NUS grads and NTU grads who were replaced by useless foreginers ie poorer quality in terms of skills, adapatability and working knowledge, too. This issue has been around for the past 6 years. I am very surprised that you do not even know.

Are you a Citizen born here? Or just another fly- by-night immigrant?

Guest

17 Jun 2012, 10.19AM

@ 6:34

I am surprised you yourself like to blame foreigners as well. Did they show better attitude in the job and better mindset than you? How so?

No point bringing FTs into the picture when 30% of them are not even qualified. I have a British with a Degree in Fashion who works here as in-house Recruitment but cannot do the job.

There is nothing wonderful about PAP's mistake for bringing- in trash for the past 10 years. And absolutely no point joining them in their folly.

In all, you should UN-LEARN what MoE has taught you. Never be arrogant and RE-LEARN that listening skills should be nurtured.

Guest

17 Jun 2012, 2.54PM

Read this and you'll discover that YOU AND SO MANY SINGAPOREANS ARE AFFECTED.

Something is so very wrong with our' job climate'.

It went so wrong that even Bloomberg had to report it. Thanks to Bloomberg or we wouldn't have known about this!

...in an article published on 25 May 2012,

Bloomberg revealed the majority of jobs created in Singapore last year went to foreigners and not locals:

"Of the 122,600 jobs created in Singapore last year, about 70 percent, or 84,800 positions, went to foreigners!!."

YOU are not alone.

Guest

17 Jun 2012, 11.17AM

My company recently adevertised on the internet for a HR manager .. we got over 100 odd applications .. to my suprise, we had one 60 odd PMET Singaporean applying .. the rest are FTs .. we offered the Singaporean this job ..

Why blame FTs when you as a Singaporean do not even bother to apply .. as you expecting to be spoon fed ... Singaporeans are spoilt with all the "goodies" the govt has dish out .. rather SAD!!!

Guest

17 Jun 2012, 11.51AM

Why you so lazy to think? Time to sack yourself for immediate retirement?

Do you know that on average, WDA mentioned that jobless people submit more than 200 application per year? Some up to 300 per year.

Guest

17 Jun 2012, 3.03PM

Do not call a kettle balack .. if using the traditional method of just applying fro jobs does not work ... why beang your head against the wall .. start THINKING of other means to get employed .. don't just ctiticise others and it will get you no where ..

Guest

18 Jun 2012, 1.23PM

haha . . .I agree that the stooopid company do not know even How to advertise. Just for one position, I get easily receive 300 resumes. Of course, 85% of which are all from foreigners in Asia and cannot come for interview.

Guest

18 Jun 2012, 5.37PM

Finally .. do your FTs or locals?

Guest

19 Jun 2012, 1.46PM

I would say we Singaporeans are part of the problem.

When Singaporeans run or own a company, we seem to have little loyalty to our own. We will readily hire foreigners over locals even if the company is profitable enough to have the luxury of considering Singaporeans for the job.

Similarly, when Singaporean employees shop, we have little loyalty to local brands. For cheaper goods/services, we'd readily jump at cut price poor quality output made/performed by foreigners. Even when the product/service is equally good, the local businesses face an uphill challenge to win patronage of locals.

Look at some of the foreigners. They are so far away from home and they look out for one another. You won't often find Singaporeans looking out for one another, in Singapore or abroad. We could do likewise but we choose not to. So what is there to complain about when others are cohesive and we choose to be divided?

Every day and every year this perpetuates in a vicious cycle. And the public sector isn't any better - cut price is best. No ethics, no consideration and no extra points during the contract selection process for fellow Singaporeans. All of us should look at ourselves in the mirror. It is very disappointing and nothing to be proud of. For the most part, we are as divided as can be and are sorely lacking a sense of community and empathy for fellow Singaporeans.

We need to be reminded that what goes around comes around. If we don't support each other, we cannot expect other Singaporeans to reciprocate. For those of us who have much to complain about - did you support fellow Singaporeans when you were an employer or consumer?

Guest

19 Jun 2012, 3.06PM

So why blame FTs if Singaporeans are the problem .. unfair .. correct?

With the DR come into force 1 July 2012 ... companies are force to hire Singaporeans .. but companies are finding difficult to find them

Guest

19 Jun 2012, 4.30PM

There are many factors interacting to create this problem. And we, the Singapore Government and Singaporeans, are a big part of the problem but we seem to be pointing our fingers at everyone and everything else. It is amazing because so little is discussed about the lack of a sense of community amongst ourselves.

We can forget about expecting the Government to lead by example. They appear to lead only by profit maximisation and cost minimisation through whatever means legal and possible.

Guest

20 Jun 2012, 6.41AM

If so .. and you do think the govt is interested nor able to do so .. what will you suggest that we, as coimmunity people, do about this?

Guest

20 Jun 2012, 8.02AM

What better way than engage the mainstream English, Chinese, Malay and Indian newspapers and various pay TV channels investigative reporters, stir their interest and run a series of one hour documentaries? A program like Get Real on Channelnewsasia to start with. These days reporters are accessible via email and social media.

This may help with social attitudes amongst Singaporeans and may go some way in having Singaporeans help one another.

But the Government is a different matter. After all the hunky dory messages of support and encouragement put forward by the Government on supporting and growing local entrepreneurship, they go back to their ministries and allow JTC properties to be put into REITs for profit and significantly reduce affordable commercial space, do not appear to give any leg up to local enterprise in public procurement, do not appear to award points and preference to companies that hire local and treat their workers fairly and still seem stuck in gunning for the lowest (or near to it) and spent the past 10 years or so seeming to think we are some American mirror image and benchmarking themselves against US financial industry pirates and suggesting many top public officers might be in those seats had they chosen to go into the private sector.

Demanding high standards of accountability from the private sector and then it seems public sector mistakes are usually committed by good people who are unpenalised for honest mistakes (save for the recent alleged sex scandals). Asking that organisations hire older workers and ex-offenders and housewives who have been out of work for a long time, also give people good pay and on flexi arrangements and hours. And did the Government and their GLCs do any of those? Did they show the lead and publicise the success stories? Because if they didn't, it sounds like another case of double standards and engaging in their usual "do as I say and do not do as I do" policies again. They like to keep all the benefits and push the costs out to the public. Too clever by half. And hypocritical. Such conduct cannot be expected to win support in the medium to long term.

Guest

20 Jun 2012, 10.11AM

Your comments on the civil service and GLCs are excellent .. they should take the lead.

Maybe PM Lee can "order" the civil service and GLCs to STOP hiring FTs .. when vacancy arises, hire only LOCALS ... measure the performance of the civil servants on how they perform in this regards .. also Sr Management of GLCs draw million and million of dollars of salry each year ... penalise them if they do not achieve the KPIs on hiring locals

Guest

20 Jun 2012, 11.12AM

So tired of the Government's double standards on some of their recent campaigns.

They sure have some causes worth supporting. But these causes cost money and introduce some form of inefficiencies. As usual they will spend money on publicity campaigns to push the message out and convince the public to do it. They cannot expect to earn the respect and trust of people when they cannot even put their money where their mouth is and support local people get employment at their GLCs and contractors to the public sector and local enterprise.

How about the public sector and GLCs hiring some housewives coming back to the workforce, giving them flexi hours, giving them promotions and publicising it? How about hiring some ex-convicts and showcasing how the public sector has helped them become better citizens and contribute meaningfully to Singapore? Where are all these???

Any leaders worth their salt must walk the talk. Anything otherwise is hypocritical.

Guest

21 Jun 2012, 6.19AM

How about GLCs and government hiring senior citizens .. especailly with their push to extend retirement age to 65 .. if you 40 and above and cannot find job .. poor senior citizens .. NO HOPE

Guest

16 Jun 2012, 4.36PM

You should have joined the life insurance industry as an insurance agent. This is where the gold mine is and also to get rich quick. No need formal qualifications in finance just know how to lie,con, CONvince, hide , have glib tongue, how to twist and turn and get away from these. Worry about exams? don't worry, lah. These exams your pets can also pass. Monkeys have proven they passed with flying colors. Some of the so called practitioners took as many 20 times to 30 times to pass. I say that not to frighten you they are difficult but to tell you they are tikam tikam exams and you can try and try and take until pass.(you can't do that with your engineering degree, right?) Once you passed , you are licensed to loot, plunder and rob your customers of their hard earned money. Of course I am not saying you do literally but the effect will be the same.
Why do you think engineers switched from high paying job to become insurance agent? Accountants; MBAs; teachers; of course retrenched secretaries, receptionists and bus drivers in the old days also look to this indsutry when they wanted to get rich quick..
Featured in the Sunday Times sometime ago an engineer gave his reason why staying as engineer he could not become rich as an engineer but he could ,not only can get t rich but can get rich quick as insurance agent. This is representative of the feeling of the people who joined , from graduates who too look to this industry and throw all tertiary training out of the window. there is lots of MONEY out there. Even one local insurance company CEO lamented that the industry will not be able to attract this type of people if MAS cleaned up the commission driven model and switch to fee based.His humongous salary also depends on this get rich quick, greed driven model .
Imagine getting paid $600 for conning someone to set aside $100 every month in a regular ILP product with very high coverage many young customers will fall for it. Specialise this product and close 10 of this every day...that is $18,000 a month. Successful salesmen only have 2 products to sell and they can get rich quickly..Forget the crap about financail planning...this is for the idealistic agents . They will soon leave the indsutry. Too much in their ways...ethics will stand in their way of success.
If you are lawyer with 4 years of legal education, can you earn so much. Can you go on the street to solicit? Can you give rebates or free gifts to lure your victims into your traps? But as an agent you can if you feel that they become neccessary.
To cut short...........this is a get rich quick "profession"(they claim they are ). Instead of languishing in your sorrowful state get in there and loot and plunder the consumers while you still can. IT IS LEGAL...so, don't worry.
Caveat: It is legal BUT you must be good to cover up your footprints. Join insurance companies.They have very foolproof compliance that will take care of the 'unforeseen' while you just bring in the deals.. Your supervisor will guide you in the best practice and anyone above will too. Your CEO will grin from cheek to cheek and award you the highest honour the industry can bestow on you. He doesn't care how you achieve it. His motto is JUST DO IT. Also You will automatically qualify for the industry awards measured by commission you earned to have a logo on your name card to show how successful you have been to con your customers without the pain.

(Guru)

Dreamknight

18 Jun 2012, 7.57AM

Please read.

If he can con, lie and cheat then he will not be out of a job.

Some people get things done. However in doing things, it hurts certain people. Since most people are just flowing along with the wind, any disruption to this wind is called not cooperating, unable to fit, unable to perform etc etc.

Diplomacy is the key.

The world ahs change. Performance is no longer the key, as long as you can cheat, lie or sell your body, you are the winner.

So sad, but it is true.

Incompetent people are earning millions and then running away after creating so much havoc. So common nowadays.

Guest

17 Jun 2012, 11.14AM

People in the manufacturing sector will encounter at least 3 retrenchment exercise in their lifetime.

That is why the government set- up E2I but it failed to cope with the retrenchment rate. So now, we have Caliberlink to duplicate their work.

PAP love to waste tax payers money with all sorts of rubbish and ineffective ideas. So, it is better that 100k jobless people just que -up in CDC to ask for welfare.

Anyway, why worry about medical fees when you are old. The hospital will / must write-it off once you are not able to pay it ie $120k for a British with cancer and here for 4 mths and can pay with installments from her grave.

Guest

19 Jun 2012, 10.32AM

From ST forum : June 19, 2012

www.straitstimes.com/STForum/Story/STIStory_812456.html

A different ball game now

PROFESSIONALS, managers and executives (PMEs) should adopt a new mindset in seeking employment, be it full-time or on a flexible, fluid basis ('Well-paid flexi-work hard to come by' by Ms Lorraine Boon; last Thursday).

The business environment has changed. Businesses must innovate more often these days and adopt a different model to remain profitable or grow.

One fundamental shift the PME class should wrap their heads around is not to expect a fixed salary and associated benefits that come with it.

Professionals, managers and executives should consider themselves as independent contractors, which means that the size of their remuneration depends on the quality of their performance.

This also puts the onus of defining what being well-paid means on the employee, rather than the businesses that engage them.

For instance, the hiring protocol of a local software firm offering cloud computing technology to improve productivity in small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) will not offer a fixed salary in the traditional sense.

What it may offer PMEs who partner with it to persuade SMEs to use the software is monthly remuneration based on whether an SME continues using the company's technology.

So, the PME class must be prepared to consider
a different way to get paid.

Liew Meow Koon

Guest

24 Jun 2012, 4.33PM

Is the originator of this thread still "kicking" or has committed suicide .. or he is luck now to be able to find a job at 42 yrs old .. through NTUC (e2i) or Caliberlink or on its own? Curious know if he is still live .. certiainly no response if he has gone to see GOD