life experience working in singapore

Hye everyone, there is nothing much i want to share but i have new interest i would like to share with everyone. there is little info you can google about malaysian who have experience working in crossing border , singapore so here i have decided to put some info for whoever out there still looking for an alternative option of financial condition.

The idea of working abroad has never come into mind even the day after graduating. My first job was in kl. I was totally excited went to few interviews in kuala lumpur, city of hope. After several interviews i've attended, i finally decided to join VERITAS ofice which located opposite KLCC, simple reason - their reputation, strategic location and scale of ofice. To cut it short, I end up servicing them only for a month, the results of everyday late up staying to finish work, drag my ass to office over weekends, big scale of project for fresh graduate totally didnt please me. I tender for resignation and collected my first rm2300 pay check and set my goal to find other archi offices, this time smaller scale with preconsive notion in mind smaller office, less work and less pressure. My 2nd time interview went pretty successfull so I landed at smaller office at Hartamas - 20th floor if Im not wrong, I totally forgotten the name of the company but they had cute guy boss, a mixture of malay + irish which motivate me to go to work. The 2nd lady boss is indonesian mixture of malay but i totally hatred her , hahaha, reason - she always stand behind my desk and instruct me to do what she think is preffered , i felt like autocad / design operator instead being an architect. There is even when I recalled back, I myself alone stayed over the midnight and till the next day just to meet the dateline for office presentation to clients for the next day. Right after lunch hour, I almost black out due  lack of rest n sleep. Therefore I told her I hv almost finished the  design , so  balance of the them   have given to other designer to finish them up because I was feeling unwell but she in the other hand didnt give green lite , instead requested me to wait till the guy boss came back to permit me going off . I told myself on that very moment, im going to quit for all the basket bosses I am working for. I collected my rm2400 paid that end of month and vanish from hartamas.

My  next move after working with two architectural consultants company, hoping to do other different lines. I had few options as such interior designer firm or maybe joining insurance ( can you believe how tough life after school can be ?) real working life is even tougher , how desperately I wish lecturers  prepared me for all these. To make the story shorter my next office is TESCO headquarters in Damansara opposite IKEA. After quite some times, felt bored designing TESCO everyday for nearly 4 months, it was challeging  for me as fresher to be able doing commercial building but the excitement shrinking down, but at least I know there are only 4 architects including myself whom are responsible to design TESCO for whole nationwide , what a saving for TESCO in hiring architects. Being there , done that , thats it. Bye bye TESCO.

Oftenly people said, family is the best place where one should belong. After 6 months being in kuala lumpur , the so called city of hope , is not a hope for everyone , at least it didnt leave good impression on me - traffic jam , the non-efficient ltr @ mrt , the long waiting queu for movie goers before puchasing ticket, tol orang kaya yg tumbuh mcm cendawan liar and no soya sauce to dip with pisang goreng panas. There and then , I realised how I miss my hometown and mama n papa n our house. I pack my stuff from the apartment Im renting, flat DBKL which opposite RTM and drive off to jb.

After 1 month break, I tried looking for few vacancy for architect position in jb town. Thank you Allah , for making it easier to find one since there is not enuff architects in jb but sadly the pay is low compare to KL. Looking back with the pay I ll be getting, how would I survive with rm2k - my rm600 car installment , my insurance, my allowances , my petrol , few hundreds xtra to give to mama n papa, surely I ll end up kosong , or perhaps balance of rm100 to go into my saving account. Life definitely will be pretty hard and not worth for the effort of many late up staying back at office to chase datelines and weekends at office.sigh...

One day I have  suggested papa that I really want to look for job oppurtunity in Singapore. At first he was disagreed but again thank to Allah for soften his heart allowing me to go and find job in Kota Singa. It iwas at first quite dissapointed for all the and resume and portfolios I have send, turn out no reply. I went to google at SIA, singapore board of architecture to search for firm lists. Some did  reply but some did not. Here is some email verification they have reply me for your viewing:
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Hi Ms Nurul Aini,

Thank you for your interest in Design2000.
Attached is the employment form for you to fill up and email to us once completed.

Regards,
Siti
Design2000 Pte Ltd

On Wed, Aug 27, 2008 at 9:28 PM, Peter Chew <posts@jgp-group.com> wrote:
Dear Nurul,
Could you drop by about 5pm or so next tue or wed for an interview.. Pls call our Ms Cherlin to let us know. Thanks.
Peter Chew
JGP Architecture (S) Pte Ltd 

Dear Ms Nurul Aini,

Thank you for applying for the above post.
However, we are looking for someone more senior and with many years of experience.
We wish you success in securing a job with another suitable office.

Regards,



Janice Koh
Office Administrator

We thank you for your recent email and taking interest in our humble establishment.

We have no immediate plan for expansion and enable to offer you any position sought.

We take this opportunity to wish every success in your present endeavour.

Regards

Yi Architects

Dear Nurul,

Thank you for your application. Would you be available for an interview on Tuesday 26 August at 4.30 p.m.?

Best regards,

Ee Lin
eelin@ipliarchitects.com

Hi Nurul,

Please kindly submit your application to .....

Thank you.

Regards,

ICT Department

DP Architects Pte Ltd

There is quote who said, "when there is a will , there is a way" . I am telling you that Singapore is truely city of oppurtunity, the way the responded is much faster and more pleasant for I am being Malaysian lady especially with scarf. It is true indeed one will find it difficult to see glimpse of  muslim lady in scarf walking or loitering in a street of singapore, even in professional sector it is very rare to see my own kind. I started with small scale office in Outram Park with approximately 7 workers including myself. Really small but the learning curve is higher since architect in Singapore need to do everything , at least from my point of view here. I was really fortunate and blessed surround by a positive attitude of people who sincerely teach me how to walk and act in this tough line. Mr Goh is maybe a boss but he was also a daddy to me. Very few occasion I can recalled he was angry or scolded me. most of times he let me walk and swim myself facing the up and down of my projects. I learn to take mrt to go to meetings , I learn how to prepare minutes of meeting, I learn to see construction site people doing work, I learn to dress up like one architect, I learn to speak like Singaporean did- at least pick up some of them, I learn to handle fussy clients, I learn to say no to client, i learn to scold and get mad at contractors and I learn how to coordinate with other discipline. For above  all , it did not take 2-3 months , it takes one sacrifices to learn and if others might never notice you for being other nations, that is a good accomplishment.

Now I have landed at at 2nd company in Singapore. It is big company with huge office politics. I have prayed evryday my reporting person to be Singaporean. I prefer to work with Singaporeans than other races honestly for they share similar culture as malaysia apart of abang adik relationship.hehehe.No offence but sadly true.