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Job Seeker FAQ

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Enquiry About Services

	1. What kinds of services are available at CareerLink@ NTUC & WDA? That really depends on what your needs are. We have different services catered for different job seekers Counter service This service caters to those who need to seek our Officers’ advice or help for a job match. If you are able to use the computer or read simple English, you can help yourself to our self-help facilities such as our vacancy listing or the computer to check out jobs available in the web sites. Computer self-help stations At the computer stations the public could log on to various jobs related web sites. (e.g. JOBS at www.wda.gov.sg/jobs). You could use the system to find a job match online or browse the job database. Besides you could also prepare your resumes and post job applications through email. Resource and Information Corner For those who choose to view all job vacancies in hard copy as well as use our books and brochures for their job preparation.
	2. How soon can I get a job form here? As every job is subjected to employers’ selection, we cannot give a time line as to when one would be able to get a job. It would also depend on what kind of jobs you are looking for, and the availability in our job bank. Once you are registered in our job bank you can be assured that our system will continue to search and job-match candidates to the potential employers.
	3. How long will my data be kept by the center? All job registrations will be valid for 2 months. If you wish to renew your registration, you can either call our hotline at 6213 8580 or come down to the center personally to renew your registration after 2 months. Alternatively you could renew it on the web site at www.wda.gov.sg/jobs.
	4. What is the success rate here? For a job match to succeed, it needs both employers and job seekers to agree to accept each other’s conditions. Hence it is often a question of meeting the needs and wants; it is not so easy to predict whether the result is successful or not. More importantly, for the job seeker if he/she can be flexible in their career search, he/she will stand a higher chance of being employed.

Job Related Matters

1. Why is it so difficult for older workers to find jobs / Is my age a problem ?

Generally that is the perception that most people have but what everyone thinks need not be so, unless you believe it. Certainly there are jobs that require strength and stamina that may not suit mature workers but there are also jobs that could make use of their experience and skills. Employers are more concerned with finding the right fit for their openings.

Besides the work-related skills and experience, employers also look for soft skills such as flexibility to change, adaptability to new tasks, creativity and interaction skills with one another. Age is never a problem but mindset is. If you refuse to change and improve while others have gained new skills, then you are in danger of becoming unemployable. That is what really made the job search difficult.

2. I have been out of job for quite a while now, and have thought of starting out on my own instead. Where could I get advice and assistance?

Self-employment could be very challenging. It is advisable to have proper planning, insights into business-specific issues and the legal aspects of formation of businesses.

Organizations like SPEC and SNEF provide advice and information for their members. You may wish to find out more details from them. SPEC’s contact number is Tel: 6221 0229 or email: enquiries@spec.org.sg. SNEF’s information on the Self employment training program is available on http://www.sgemployers.com/. CDCs may also have plans to promote entrepreuneurship. It’s best that you check with them individually for more information.

3. Why is there no response from employers after the interview ?

Depending on individual companies’ practices, some companies do inform candidates about the outcome after the interviews. But most of the time, employers will only inform the shortlisted job seekers. This could be due to the overwhelming response from job seekers or because they lack the manpower to inform all the candidates. You could always check with our careerlink centre about 1-2 weeks after the interview.

4. Where should I go to find a job in schools or polyclinics?

For jobs in schools, it is recommended that you apply directly to the respective school.

For jobs in the polyclinics, you will need to check with the Ministry of Health or Classified sections in the newspapers. Most ministries do publish their recruitment in The Straits Times. Alternatively you could check out their web sites for any job openings.

5. Can you help me to get any job in Government Departments or Statutory Boards?

Most of the jobs available in our job-bank are private-sector jobs. If job seekers want to apply for jobs in Government Ministries or Statutory Boards, they can check The Straits Times (Classified Ads or Recruitment Section) or SINGOV website (www.gov.sg/career). Most Government Ministries and Statutory Boards conduct their own recruitment exercise. Each ministry has its own selection criteria, hence we are not in the position to help anyone in the application.

6. Why is it that the jobs are always closed when I called up companies to make job enquiries?

This happened partly due to the current job market situation where there are more job seekers than job openings. It is not unusual that vacancies are taken up very fast. Quite often employers also did not inform us in time to update this info in our system. We would only find out that the vacancies are closed when job seekers call up

7. Why I can’t find any production (or factory) jobs or banking jobs in the market now?

Since the Asian economic crisis in 1998 many businesses in Singapore have changed in the way they operate in order to stay competitive. Some moved out of Singapore for a cheaper production location, some changed the way of production by using high tech machinery. Others underwent mergers or acquisitions. In the process of restructuring, some jobs disappeared from the market (e.g. bus conductors) while others were no longer in high demand. Those companies that could not adjust to the competition ran out of business. Hence certain jobs are no longer available.

8. What types of jobs do you have?

Our job bank has a wide variety of jobs. It could range from managerial and executive positions, to technical positions and general labourers.

Examples of managerial and professional positions in different industries:

	Accountant
	Computer Engineer
	PR Manager, HR Manager, Management Executive
	General Manager in Manufacturing, Retail, Restaurants
	Mechanical/Electrical/Marine Engineer

Examples of Technical and blue-collar positions in different industries:

	Electrical/ Semi-Conductor/Mechanical/ Building Technician
	Storekeeper
	General Cleaner/Room Steward/Chambermaid
	Delivery Driver
	Kitchen Assistant

The types of job openings and number of vacancies will vary from time to time depending on market conditions.

Salary Related Matters

1. What must I put for my expected salary? I don’t know the market rate for the job.

Every job has a range of salary that employers are paying their staff. You must at least give us your minimum expected salary so that the computer system could perform a job match that is closer to what you want. You may take a look at Ministry of Manpower’s publication on Wages in Singapore (also available in www.employmenttown.gov.sg) to have some ideas about the salary range for some of the jobs. This publication should be available in most libraries’ reference section.

2. Why is the current salary offered by the companies so low compared to the past?

Salary is often affected by demand and supply of labour, as well as your skills level. You should also understand that salaries are pegged to your skills, relevant experience and qualifications. Also, one should not just look at the dollars and cents, but also consider other intangible benefits such as training opportunity as well as welfare and career interest when searching for a job.

Other Types of Queries

	1. Is the labour market very bad now ? It all depends on which industry you are looking at. In fact in some industries such as the service industry, the demand for labour is actually growing. The semi-conductor industry is also picking up. The labour market is always changing. What is in demand today may become redundant tomorrow. For example, bus conductors are no longer engaged in public transport. More important of all one should continue to learn and improve on their skill set so as to stay employable.
	2. Can I take out my MBA Qualification (or other higher qualification) in the resume (in order to get the job?) This would depend on what kinds of jobs you are looking for. Some lower-entry positions would not require an MBA holder and thus, it’s up to the individual to exercise their flexibility during job search. One will have to consider both the pros and cons before making a sensible decision as to what to exclude in their resume.
	3. Where can I go to apply for a cooked-food stall in the school (or school related jobs) or hawker centre? To apply for a stall (or school attendant) in school, you will need to check with the school itself for availability. To apply for a stall in a hawker centre, you will need to look out for stall tender notices in newspapers and apply directly to the Ministry of Environment.