Earlier last week, we listed down some of the companies that are cutting job this year, painting a gloomy outlook of Singapore’s economy. While Singapore is indeed gearing for an economic slowdown, there are still some sunrise industries and some sectors that are experiencing growth.
Here’s a look at some of these companies that are still actively hiring.
1. Singapore Airlines
Singapore Airlines has just announced that it is looking to hire more cabin crews to support its growth plans. This is different from all the years before this, where typically SIA hires to replace those who leave, but instead, it it hiring now to increase its total headcount.
2. Google
Google has recently announced that it is going on a hiring spree in Singapore, as it sets up an engineering centre here. In a recent blog post announcement, Caesar Sengupta, Google’s Vice President said that they are building a new enginnering team in Singapore, “to get closer to the next billion users coming online and to develop products that will work for them.”
Here are some of the jobs Google is looking to fill in Singapore:
3. Local banks DBS, UOB and OCBC
While global financial institutions like Standard Chartered are facing pressure from the economic slowdown, local banks in Singapore are still growing strong, and are actively hiring.
A DBS spokesperson revealed to TODAY that some of the areas they are looking to hire include retail banking, wealth management, as well as key support functions such as technology and operations, finance, risk and compliance.
“As the bank embarks on its digital journey, we have also started to bring in talent who are versed in technology and digital, who bring with them a digital skill set,” the spokesperson told TODAY.
4. Airbnb
Airbnb, a website that allows you to find home-stays around the world, is also actively looking to hire in Singapore. Based on a quick job search on LinkedIn, some of the roles it is looking to fill include social marketing lead, public relations lead, as well as managerial position in various roles.
5. Facebook
Facebook, the world’s largest social media site, is also actively looking to fill both local and regional positions from Singapore. Based on a quick job search on LinkedIn, some of the roles include marketing managers, business account managers as well as other sales managerial roles. There are a total of 32 new job openings which can be found on LinkedIn.
6. Apple
Apple, which recently set up its first-ever Southeast Asian Apple Store here in Singapore, is also actively hiring to increase their headcount. Based on a quick job search on LinkedIn, some of the roles it is looking to fill include managerial roles in positions such as reseller operations, iTunes, editorial and others.
There are a total of 97 new job openings which can be found on LinkedIn, although not all for the Apple Store, but the indication is they believe there is sufficient talent here to fill the local and regional posts.
7. Netflix
Netflix, which recently launched with a big bang here in Singapore, is also actively looking to hire to here in Singapore. Again, a quick job search on LinkedIn yielded that some of the roles it is looking to fill include managerial roles in positions such as corporate communications, marketing operations, marketing director and others. Our last check showed a total of 13 new job openings.
8. Singtel
Singtel, one of the biggest telcos in Singapore, is also actively looking to hire. Some of the roles that showed up on LinkedIn include managerial roles in some of its business units such as Dash, Alatum, HungryGoWhere, and others.
9. PWC
Consulting companies such as the big 4 has always been on the look out for talents. Take PWC for example, although hiring might be slow (based on what we heard), it is still looking to hire talents.
Here are some of the roles PWC is looking to hire:
10. Government Engineers
If all things fail, the Singapore government has also shared that it is looking to hire up to 1000 engineers this year.
This will increase the total engineering pool by over 13%, up from the current 7,700 engineers in the public service. Singapore also announced that it will be looking into a salary review of public sector engineers and also to start a leadership scheme to groom engineering talents into leaders in the public service.
“As we transition into an innovation economy, we need to build up capabilities in newer engineering and multi-disciplinary fields,” Deputy Prime Minister Teo Chee Hean shared.
Don’t Have The Right Skills For The New Jobs?
If you take a closer look at the roles that these organisations are looking to fill, a substantial number of them are in the digital space or new economy. Of course, some of us might not necessarily be equipped with the right skills to take up some of these jobs, so then what do we do?
If you’re already in a job, speak to your superior or HR about your learning and development needs and charting your progress. But what if you’re looking for a job, or thinking to move to a different industry of job? Then you can speak with your seniors or mentors. Sometimes it helps to hear from someone with more experience, or even if just to get a second opinion. A new perspective sometimes helps.
If you prefer some privacy and wish to speak to a career coach, you can try approaching e2i by NTUC, which has a Career Services Centre.
Or, if you’re a PME, you can also approach the U PME Centre, set up by NTUC to help the needs of PMEs (Professionals, Managers & Professionals). The U PME Centre also has a rather interesting initiative called Career Activation Programme (CAP) to help mature PMEs who are 40 years old and above.
All Eyes On The Budget 2016
To spur the economy too, all eyes are on the upcoming Budget 2016 which will be announced on the 24th of March. NTUC has also presented the Labour Movement’s recommendations to ensure that the Government takes care of the working people’s needs. These recommendations could give us some clues what to expect from Budget 2016.
After rounds of feedback and discussion with different worker groups, NTUC has put together suggestions based on these four themes:
- Strengthening the Singaporean Core
- Improving productivity
- Enhancing training and skills upgrading
- Improving retirement adequacy
Let’s have a closer look at the first part of NTUC’s recommendations on strengthening the Singaporean Core, which will affect many of our readers.
The Labour Movement has urged the Government to do more to support the younger workers, especially the PMEs, as well as those currently in school, to ensure that they are able to capitalise on job opportunities. NTUC has asked for an integrated career counselling system which starts from school to the workplace eventually.
NTUC has also called on the Government to review the Employment Pass criteria with a view to meeting the variegated needs of the industries, whilst incentivising industries towards building a Singaporean Core. It calls for tighter enforcement on companies that show no intent to develop a Singaporean Core of workers.
We will be sure to keep you updated of the upcoming budget. In the meantime, as we’ve pointed out above, while there are various help and programmes in place for you to leverage on, the most important thing is perhaps to be proactive in acquiring and practising new skills – be it through taking up new courses, freelancing, actively finding a mentor. We have to take the initiative so that we can be future ready.
As Minister Chan Chun Sing recently put it and we reiterate yet again, workers who survive the disruption are those with the skills to take on new jobs.
