Really that bad for engineers?

[aimless74]

hi unregistered,

thanks for encouragement.
i cant help losing heart as the day goes by as there is no calls from headhunter or job agent (in SGP and in China)

yes i do agree with u on the technical capabilities, these days most R&D software stacks are all reused, not much coding, it is just porting and fixing bugs here and there.

thanks for the tip for interviewing and experience sharing
i am trying to think is it a mid life crisis and is it engineering " time over" or "game over" for me.
trying to search for new greener patch of grass


thanks again!
appreciate it

Originally Posted by Unregistered

don't loose heart, i got a worse start as i got degree in Maths ... came back to find a teaching role and failed... then i found a lowerly paid $2200 contract IT job in 2002 (during dotcom bubble burst)... imagine the horror i have to go thru when i start...

Don't worry about the technical capabilities as that is this is least important. The good product company don't requires brilliant coder (btw no clients don't build from scratch nowsday, it is plug-n-play).. .. 99% of the project is more on your capability to align the business needs to the product capabilities (our main motto: Less is more)......

... the main aspect you need to demostrate during interview is your ability to conceptualise and innovate...

(example: FMCG, Supermarket..etc)....Example: Tesco sells millions of FMCG products from medium-size company Mundella, Dairy Farm.. etc.. a lot of times this smaller companies will need loans to manage their cash flow, bank may view them as high risk. Trade Finance/Risk management comes into play as it is able to measure the monetary values of the deals or trade executed between the group and offer loans to them at minimum risks .... our system is able to demostrate this n the ROI is ....blah blah..

it doesn't mean that you are on the other side of the business, and don't understand how trade financing...

Originally Posted by aimless74

hi unregistered,

thanks for encouragement.
i cant help losing heart as the day goes by as there is no calls from headhunter or job agent (in SGP and in China)

yes i do agree with u on the technical capabilities, these days most R&D software stacks are all reused, not much coding, it is just porting and fixing bugs here and there.

thanks for the tip for interviewing and experience sharing
i am trying to think is it a mid life crisis and is it engineering " time over" or "game over" for me.
trying to search for new greener patch of grass


thanks again!
appreciate it

While searching for jobs, try to also pick up iOS or Android development, and start freelancing (or "consulting") - who knows you may hit jackpot this way.

I myself am building multiple streams of income through software products (mobile and web), giving tuition and doing adjunct teaching.

Already left my IT job in a bank. I wasn't retrenched. I left because I realize there's a limit to career advancement and job security is not 100%, though I was well paid (by your definition). And I was a little ambitious in wanting to be a business owner and hopefully make a few million dollars before I get too old (don't laugh). Fortunately, I'm now reaching about 60-70% of last drawn pay, with more streams of income in the pipeline.

I'm same age as you. Good luck!

[aimless74]

hi,
i did manage to pick up android deve while i was working 3 yrs ago
it was 1.6 (initial version), i had helped the company made the first protoyping of tablet and powering it up. it was meant for OEM/ODM business.
currently i dont know what to do freelacning or consulting. as u know there are many freeware and developers around.
u developed software products? by contract ?
i support in whatever u are doing and in the end it is your effort that make the million mark. i too is searching for a path/career which i can see the light to million mark but right now the setback of finding a job again, it just look unreachable for me at the moment.

regards

Originally Posted by Unregistered

While searching for jobs, try to also pick up iOS or Android development, and start freelancing (or "consulting") - who knows you may hit jackpot this way.

I myself am building multiple streams of income through software products (mobile and web), giving tuition and doing adjunct teaching.

Already left my IT job in a bank. I wasn't retrenched. I left because I realize there's a limit to career advancement and job security is not 100%, though I was well paid (by your definition). And I was a little ambitious in wanting to be a business owner and hopefully make a few million dollars before I get too old (don't laugh). Fortunately, I'm now reaching about 60-70% of last drawn pay, with more streams of income in the pipeline.

I'm same age as you. Good luck!

Originally Posted by aimless74

hi,
i did manage to pick up android deve while i was working 3 yrs ago
it was 1.6 (initial version), i had helped the company made the first protoyping of tablet and powering it up. it was meant for OEM/ODM business.
currently i dont know what to do freelacning or consulting. as u know there are many freeware and developers around.
u developed software products? by contract ?
i support in whatever u are doing and in the end it is your effort that make the million mark. i too is searching for a path/career which i can see the light to million mark but right now the setback of finding a job again, it just look unreachable for me at the moment.

regards

No, not products on contract. I create products by myself, and market and sell by myself. Check out the "micropreneurship" and "MicroISV" movements in the US. What I'm doing is similar. On top of that, I'm also giving private tuition and teaching as an adjunct lecturer in a poly.

Cheers.

[aimless74]

hi,
wow that's good for u as u got secondary source of income.
i have not done tuition or teaching before and certainly u had done much better
than me.
i will look at what u mentioned
"micropreneurship" and "MicroISV"

Thanks for the tips

regards

Originally Posted by Unregistered

No, not products on contract. I create products by myself, and market and sell by myself. Check out the "micropreneurship" and "MicroISV" movements in the US. What I'm doing is similar. On top of that, I'm also giving private tuition and teaching as an adjunct lecturer in a poly.

Cheers.

@aimless74 - which chinese city are you working in now? have you explored talking to the wholesalers in your city?

[aimless74]

Originally Posted by Unregistered

@aimless74 - which chinese city are you working in now? have you explored talking to the wholesalers in your city?

hi,
i am at shanghai. my current employment has everything provided for me
accommodation, mobile, internet etc
however, my contract is coming to an end.

Why are engineers paid so badly in Singapore and yet are paid so well in other countries. In no other country have I heard that engineers are barely living on ends meet as compared to other occupations.

[aimless74]

hi ,

for my case, i left sgp because the engineering on consumer electronics is not doing well at all, high development cost while consumer want cheaper electronics, so it does not seem to gel together at all.

i had attachment in US/EU before with engineer, they are paid well but they
also have high tax and of cse they are also strong union as well as they got social benefit. i was in EU, my france counterpart, he was on constant contract and the company gave him a car and also if he is to be retrenched he will be paid 24 mths compensation. so technically they dont job hopping much.

for SGP, influx of cheaper talents coming to the shore help to bring the cost down and as a SGPean we got our own life and overheads to worry while those from a lower living cost countries can survive in SGP.

may some people reading this thread can share more, this is what i had encountered as a engineer

regards

Originally Posted by Unregistered

Why are engineers paid so badly in Singapore and yet are paid so well in other countries. In no other country have I heard that engineers are barely living on ends meet as compared to other occupations.

this is what my engineering boss told all his engineers, "It is easy to replace you. All I need is to call my HR to look for one and there will be alot of resumes on my table. If you are not happy with the job, you can quit right away."
Being an engineer(esp in electronic) is such a sad thing. You are so very prone to recession, get very little respect, and even after working for ten years, a fresh grad working in finance may be earning the same amount of money as you. Life is too short to waste away like this.