I'm a fresh grad with almost 1 year experience.

Just got a verbal offer from a really prestigious MNC, who said they are going to offer me around $3k, which seems to be on the low side. this is a massive drop from the ~RM4.5k I am getting now.

need serious opinions from sifus here. is it worth getting a 30% paycut dollar-to-dollar wise to expand in Singapore? Im very young relatively, so I can take this opportunity to build career in SG

Work exposure wise, i think sg wins hands down, though the projects scopes are quite different from each others

i guess not. Though 20+ fresh grads who came in together with me are paid the same rate. There are multiple batches of seniors before me with similar pay as well. other companies in the same field likely won't be paying so much for someone with no experience

going to fudge the number a bit so I am not easily identified, but I get ~3.5k basic, 0.8k fixed allowances, then 0.4k for OT claims, phone bills, mileage etc

I read a report somewhere saying SG median salary is $3,300. My $3,000k offer is a bit on the low side, especially with almost 1 year of very relevant experience, but I guess it is a price I have to pay to break into SG.

going to bite the bullet better have international work exposure when Im still young and not committed

This post has been edited by strategist: Jul 10 2017, 10:41 PM

Fresh grads median pay in SG starts from $3,300, and I hesitated for a bit because of this.

I believe i might have developed this sense of superiority thinking I am better than the rest, as my pay is MUCH higher than the average fresh grad pay in Malaysia. throughout my graduate program I was treated as the 'elites' who will transform the company, which further stroke my ego. getting offered a lower rate than the average fresh grad salary is a deal to my ego, when I thought i deserve better.

It is not easy to adjust my thinking, but I am willing to be humble, accept that I am not a special snowflake in a competitive SG environment, and start over again in a foreign country.

and to another poster above me, no I am not in accenture. Totally different industry

This post has been edited by strategist: Jul 11 2017, 02:50 PM

its definitely higher in prestige. but maybe not as popular in Asia / SEA region.

I think the main reason is I shoot myself in the foot when I put expected salary as $3,000

I have no idea what SG salary rate was so I put a generic number

any significant difference between S-Pass and E-Pass, or its just a name?

also, i know if we are not PR, we are not entitled to any CPF contribution. Is it possible to ask for extra compensation from the company?

if we successfully convert to PR say after 2 years, the employer is legally required to contribute 17% right?

I'm sure these questions were asked again and again, so please bear with me:


1) My office will be near MRT Lavender. Where are the recommended areas for cheap accommodations? Preferably close to Changi as well. I don't mind long commute times as long as I don't have to switch between trains/lines.

Its difficult to look for accommodations without locking down specific areas.


2) Which bank account should I open? prefers easy / good transfer rate between MY and SG banks. Prefers bank with good online brokerage platform that allows me to invest in S&P 500 index fund

3) Which mobile service provider is recommended? not a heavy data user, maybe need 1GB - 3GB at most per month.

do people usually look for rooms themselves?

Im thinking to use agents instead. Is it recommended, or too expensive?

don't really have time to look for room before I start working. might only have time for room viewing

http://www.freemalaysiatoday.com/category/...tribute-to-epf/

http://www.thestar.com.my/news/nation/2016...tribute-to-epf/

Apparently those who are working abroad in SG can self contribute to EPF in malaysia too. Can anyone comfirm this?

Am thinking to contribute to EPF until I can get PR status and get CPF

This post has been edited by strategist: Aug 10 2017, 02:57 PM

my Singaporean friend talked about a bike-sharing app, where they pay like $0.50 - $1 for 30 minutes of bike usage.

Anyone knows what app is it, and how common is it in Singapore? might want to cycle instead of MRT. stay within 1km to office and cycle there is the dream

are all the rooms in the websites posted by Agents ? does that mean we will have to pay for commission ?

any tips on how to do that ?

keep an eye out for banners / signs when I roam around?

Question, how many of you managed to buy a property in Singapore?


lets say I am 25 and I earn RM5k. I can easily afford a 3-bedroom condo even in Klang Valley, and I don't have to pay for my rent. I can also choose to rent out the rooms for investment.

I can't say the same for Singapore though, around $600-1000 will always go into rent, and a single PR is not eligible to buy HDB. and I don't think i can ever afford a private condo in Singapore

your friend must be 35 year old plus... think of the 10+ years where his rent pays for other peoples mortgage.

well.... I guess I can still get a property in Klang Valley if I want. just that I won't be able to afford any property in SG.

that will suck for quality of life, or any plans of long term stay

yeah, finding a 3B2R condo is still possible at <RM500k range that is not too far from city centre (think <30km, no further than Puchong). 5k after deductions.


starting to slightly doubt my decision to go SG . Pay isn't everything, I believe wealth management and your investment portfolio are actually more important to accumulate wealth. And passive income helps massively in quality of life

This post has been edited by strategist: Aug 25 2017, 06:06 PM

how reliable is it to rely on bus for daily commute to work ? what is the frequency like ?

won't be far, probably around 2-3km.

i will be going Singapore tomorrow, but my EP has not been released until I do my medical checkup.

Is it possible to open a bank account first, or need to wait for working pass / fixed address ?


how about Maybank SG or CIMB SG ? are they more lenient haha

This post has been edited by strategist: Aug 30 2017, 03:28 PM

What is the medical treatment like in Singapore?

For example, if I need emergency treatment, do i need to pay cash upfront ?


I have a medical insurance plan for Malaysia, which can probably work in SG too, but on a claim basis. Which means I still need cash to treat myself (?)

If I am not mistaken, Singapore does not have cheap accessible healthcare for everyone. Does that mean every Singaporeans here have some sort of medical insurance or cash buffer?

so when you guys first arrive in Singapore, you just exchange the money in Malaysia and bring a huge amount of cash to survive the first month ?

I can't open a SG bank account yet...

This post has been edited by strategist: Sep 7 2017, 12:37 AM

any recommendations on how to go back during CNY ?

round trips for flights are RM2k + , crazy expensive!

northernmost part of Peninsular.... 10-hour bus trip is OK. 10 hours stuck in jam is not OK.

guess I will split the journey.

SG - Penang = RM1k
KL - Penang = RM150

Which SG banks online trading services will allow me to buy US stocks?

OCBC or DBS?

So far in Malaysia, only CIMB can do that.