Jobs, Careers, Employment

[Tyerve]

Hi babes! Im considering of taking up a career in real estate..
But still contemplating hard about it...Especially since the market has not really revived yet. Hope to seek some advice from u guys!

[grace]

Originally posted by Pixash
Adecco advertised for it today in the papers. You can go to the recruit section today and in the second last page, look at the bottom middle and theres this ad by adecco events and exhibitions thingy...

I used to work for adecco and their pay was terrible! never got paid more than $6/hr

[islande]

try Kelly Services. i know they are vendors for Singapore Exhibition Services but don't quote me!

i do know Recruit Express has a fair amount of temp/contract jobs too.

[qiu]

I had a job from Kelly Services before and was paid $6/hr too. Heard that Adecco pays better, a dollar more iirc

[puffy]

I've applied the position of DXO in the Airforce. And they have asked for my certs and stuff like that. But i would like to know how many years is the contract if i was to sign and that if i can quit within the contractual period. Any ideas? Or does anyone has experience in working as one? Please advice. Thank you.... :bye:

[islande]

i think you should ask your superiors that they'd certainly be able to help you on this.

[popsicle]

Any one in this line? I just received an offer from one of the big 4 firms but I've yet to say yes officially. I want to know if it is a good thing to start specialising on a particular industry (banking, or consumer markets, retail) as a freshie? Because they've asked if I want to focus on specific industries, thanks a lot! Any advice appreciated

[Ann]

Hi Popsicle, I was from one of the Big 4. Which firm are you joining? You may have a chance to opt for a specialisation later, instead of deciding now, depending on where you go. You may also want to find out the client pool before opting for a specific industry, unless you are really sure that you like it.

Personally, I did not specialise in a specific industry, so I got to audit various industries - manufacturing, trading, banking, insurance, and whatever else there is.

I kinda of preferred that I didn't have a 'speciality', cos I got to see the different industries and if I had stayed on, could have opt for specialisation later. However, it meant that I had to 'catch-up' quite a lot...imagine someone who mainly audits companies in a specific industry day in and day out, vs another person who only have only one or two smaller audit jobs in the same industry. Life does get a little easier for the former.

I guess I can say that I was fortunate to have the chance to audit companies across various industries, and not starting off with a specialisation. It helps in ticking off which industry I'm not going to join in future . But then my resume kinda looked like 'Jane of All Trades, Master of None'.

I hope the above helps...starting off your career as an auditor can be pretty demanding, but you learn fast too!

[popsicle]

Hello Ann! Thanks so much for the response

After 3 years in uni and I'm still not very sure what I want out of a career and when 2 of these firms offered, I think I'll just take it up and see how it goes. I've been offered by kpmg and EY and chances are I'll be joining the former. I've heard lots of horrors stories though but I'll still give myself a chance. Which firm were u from? It's a pity I didn't get selected by deloitte.....

If I'm not wrong, it's expected that kpmg will not be rotating me among different industries. Does auditing banks & financial institutions really up one's market value? I'm really not that keen on the banks and wouldn't mind consumer markets etc... What do you think? Thanks!!

[namida]

i hope i could get a marketing assistant post in stb

[Ann]

Hi Popsicle,

Congrats on your job offers, both kpmg and EY have quite a big client pool, so exposure-wise should be good. I can't recall if EY still has the unit that audit 'SMEs', I think it has already absorbed into other units during the 're-org' that EY had sometime back when they merged with AA, but you may want to check out which unit you're joining i.e. the audit clients. If you intend to move out of audit into another accounts-related field, having a portfolio that is not 100% 'SMEs' would make your resume look better.

IIRC, EY has also set up it's banking unit, separate from the rest of the units, so if you opt to join EY, you may not necessary be rotated to banks unless your managers 'second' you out during your lull period.

KP is also quite unit-based, so you'll probably work closely with your unit people, and I think they do not rotate staff amongst units that often.

My personal view is that if you intend to go into the banking & financial institutions (FIs) in future, having some background in auditing FIs certainly help, but if you're looking at MNCs, listed cos, etc...trading, manufacturing, retail, etc experience would do well. Ideally, it's best if you get a mix of big and small cos.

You may start off doing mundane jobs e.g. photocopying, cross-referencing, etc, especially if you have bigger clients - a first year graduate is usually the most inexperienced staff and will have to cover some of the simpler aka boring tasks. On smaller jobs, you'll get to cover more sections. Sometimes, a good attitude is all that matters.

Audit is a good starting point for an accountancy grad - you learn fast and have exposure to different cos. Plus you build up on your soft skills too.

Both KPMG and EY do offer opportunity to join their overseas offices, something to consider if you're interested. I've heard of EY offering lateral transfers to tax, but that happened when they were were over-staffed in audit, so it may not be a yearly thing.

From what I heard, both KP & EY are pretty demanding, as you've heard all the horror stories about audit life, just be prepared for the worst (you may be lucky & pleasantly surprised!) and take it as a learning experience.

I agree that Deloitte's probably one of the better firms to work for, but the staff are not as well-paid as the others (according to my friend in DT).

You've not applied to PwC? When the then-Big 5 came down for recruitment, I admit I was most impressed by EY, then AA and was not that excited about PwC. It was only after a chat with a hall-senior from AA that I realised that PwC is not a bad choice.

[chox]

Hi Popsicle,

Just FYI, EY is actually actively recruiting for China operations as there is a high demand of accountants here. EY does do lateral tranfers so that's something for you to think about.

Hope you have a great experience.

[nutty]

Hi,


I am interested in working for magazines or any companies that involve research or writing.


Anyone has suggestions on how to go about looking for these kind of jobs?

Thanks

[lumos]

looking for a job in retail line, any recs girls?

[sunflower]

Hi Popsicle, congrats on getting the job offers! FYI, KPMG is very specialised and different units serve different industries. As for horror stories that you hear, it really depends on which unit you get. I was formerly from there and my unit was considered one of the best in terms of working hours. That was due to the unit having a wider range of industries and a mixture of small and big clients. I would say the people in the banking and manufacturing units work the latest due to the tight deadlines that they have. Actually I'm suprised that you chose KPMG, as EY is bigger. KPMG does have overseas secondments, but those would only be given to seniors and assistant managers who have worked there for at least 3-4 years. However, I heard that the managing partner is pushing for new clients in China as there are going to be alot of IPOs being launched in China. So you may have a chance to go even as a Graduate Assistant. As for secondments to other units, you may have the chance to be seconded to Tax but it really depends on whether you are booked for alot of jobs. Be prepared to work very hard, but you'll learn alot and make lots of friends. Its fun to work with people who are all around your age.