Are a lot of you guys from KL, and living in your parent's house before coming to SG?

I notice most of you say that rental in SG is expensive. It's expensive in KL also.

I rent a HDB for the same rental I paid for a terrace house in PJ. In that sense, I don't see any change in rental expense at all.

I don't compare my salary with her salary.

I want to check whether my salary is below average salary in the market. Fyi, although I'm a fresh graduate, I have more hand-on experience and wide knowledge than others. Salary increment is important to me as I want to save money for other purposes (startup in the right time and venture) in the future

First couple of years, spend a bit more to live comfortably so that you don't get increasingly pissed off having to "sacrifice" your lifestyle in order to work in Singapore. Treat yourself better, live better and you'll work better.

If you do well at work, you will get larger jobs, get promoted and draw higher and higher salaries. That's why you're here in Singapore in the first place.

So, in the first couple of years, don't concentrate on saving a big % of your salary. Just ensure whatever you spend on is worth it and contributes towards making you better than your peers/competitors. Concentrate instead on making your salary bigger. My starting salary was 1300 when I graduated. That's crazy low, ok. But the next year, it was 2500 with a promotion. Third year 4500 when I qualified professionally and promptly changed jobs. Since then... expenses (reasonable expenses) have not really been an issue anymore. Get ahead of the curve... and things will work out.

Fair enough.

But the fact is that if you earn 2500,.. saving 50% (1250) and saving 20% (500) will make at most a minor difference to whatever nest egg / safety funds / rainy day stash you're trying to accumulate. But spending that extra 750 each month will make a HUGE difference to your quality of life (and of food) in the beginning... and by extension (if you spend on the right expenses), will make a correspondingly large difference to the quality of your work.

When I say 'right' expenses, I mean transportation expenses, for instance. If you want to save money by taking public transport, that's absolutely fine. But if you're sleepy, sweaty or a follower of flexible time... then it's a good move to spend on taxi fare when you have morning meetings or have to work in such close proximity with your colleagues that they can smell you. Otherwise, get up an hour earlier and enroll in a nearby gym to use their showers mid day. All it takes is being the last one to come into a meeting and interrupt the big boss while he's presenting. That is what we call a CLM (Career Limiting Move). For your personal life, you save time, move around more comfortably and generally feel less annoyed that you had to leave your dad's car behind in KL to move to Singapore. Same goes for food, getting comfy & convenient accommodation, self grooming etc.

And the theoretical 750 savings deficit you incur in the first 2-3 years... you will more than make it up when you save 20% of your 5000 salary in the next few years. And most people's expenses (living expenses, not buying stuff, travel etc!) will top out at 3000-4000 or so per month unless they really do a lot of restaurants, pay for the gf/bf etc. So by the time you earn 10000 or 15000, you'd be easily saving 5000-10000 a month.

I acknowledge the power of compounding... but it far better to get more salary earlier. Never compound savings at the expense of slowing your salary growth. Saving more doesn't make you rich. It just determines how long you stay rich. But you have to become rich first by increasing your income. Only then will you have something subtantial to save.

Hi, I am Malaysian going to be graduate in sep 2012.I am interested to work in singapore and my major is analytical economics. although my major is economics, but I dont feel like want to work economic-related job if possible (boring... )until now, I only started apply 2/3 companies.Actually I am interested in Korean language where i can do the job related to this. I know there may hard to find the work something like this because my Korean proficiency is normal and company may rather hire korean for the korean language-related jobs. besides that, shall i have some comment or recommendations on which companies to apply for the job?I have search on the singapore job searching machines. my considerations is if I simply apply many companies, it would be costly for me to go singapore to interview upon the company request. I am confusing now.
Thanks in advance someone can give me so advise.

Hi all,

looks like its quite a trend to shift the career to Singapore. As for me, i would like to know which HDB/Condo/apartment best to stay near to Orchard road? Might b starting on 1st of October after all cleared (permit and watsoever).
My budget is 1,000 Sgd and below.

how nice   . I rarely get a break, work like kuli

I am also sim grad. Back for good. In malaysia,mnc will offer u rm3k

then why not secure an international firm in Msia 1st? cuz I think being in International firm in Msia is still better than being in an unknown firm in Sg

well it will depends on which MNC u talking about cuz I doubt it'll be easy to jump into big4 from a small audit firm.

ie from small firm in Sg most probably u'll only jump on to med firm and they will still discount ur exp cuz there's a significant difference between a small audit firm and international medium firm.

I dont like employers who take advantage of their workers. Like exploiting Malaysian to work harder than locals and complain less. This is unfair.

I'm keen on areas like research with exposure to valuation, financial modelling etc. So either with exposures to those areas would be great. I'm a fresh grad from Melbourne Uni actually, so you reckon opportunities for entry level are in abundance too?

Hi guys,

Recently this company has offered me to join them. They will make a work permit for me, however I need to pay the levy fees on my own because they said that this job has no basic salary, only full-commission.

Anyone experience such case before or if you have any advice, enlighten me