This year Singapore is celebrating 50 years of independence and what a journey it’s been. Originally a small fishing village, it has been transformed into a thriving global financial hub and popular tourist destination.
The opportunities for companies and business people seem endless and that’s why it’s become home to a diverse population which includes Aditi, an internal recruiter for SThree who’s a passionate advocate of her adopted home. We asked her what she likes most about her city. Let’s take a look.
How long have you been living in Singapore?
I arrived here in 2008 and haven’t looked back. I love working and living here. Singapore is a very multi-ethnic and multi-cultural city; which is why expatriates are welcomed with open arms and treated as a part of the family.
What is so special about working in Singapore?
Singapore is amazing, it’s a thriving, busy, entrepreneurial mixing pot and of course it’s considered one the world’s biggest financial hubs which drives so much activity. If you enter the Central Business District, you’ll see many Fortune 500 companies across lots of different industries which means there are opportunities within sectors such as IT, Supply Chain, Shipping and Oil & Gas.
It helps of course that Singapore’s taxes are much lower than in many other developed nations which is great for business, making Singapore very attractive to business.
Personally I love its location. There are the great travel opportunities to exotic Asian destinations. You can have a quick getaway to locations such as Phuket, Krabi, Koh Samui, Vietnam, Bali and Malaysia and the best thing is that flights are usually rather cheap. It’s also easy to travel within the city itself thanks to the really good public transport.
And the food is amazing, as you’d expect in a country with some many nationalities rubbing shoulders you can eat just about any cuisine you can think of. Whatever you fancy you can find it on your doorstep.
What do you enjoy about working for SThree in Singapore?
I love the fact that our team in Singapore is wonderfully diverse, comprising people from all parts of the world. At the last count we had 13 different nationalities working under one roof.
There’s also a great atmosphere, we have an open door policy and the office is always busy and alive with noise and activity, though personally I don’t take part in the marathon lunch time table tennis tournaments. You can take part in team competitions and you’re rewarded with lunch clubs and incentive trips to exotic locations.
I also really appreciate the great training provided by our in-house Learning & Development Team which has really helped me progress in my career.
Is there anything different about working in recruitment in Singapore?
Recruitment is a big industry in Singapore and there are about 2,300 licenced recruitment agencies working on the Oil & Gas Sector so it’s a very competitive and a buoyant market. As SThree is an international company with offices all over the world we are constantly in touch with peers from other countries and this allows us to compete really well with other local recruitment companies.
Where do you see your career go from here?
SThree Singapore has massive expansion plans across all our recruitment brands. I see us being one of the biggest global Specialist Staffing Businesses in Singapore in 5 years.
For me personally that means I can grow with the business and progress in my career even further, maybe into a management role. I’m really excited about what my future at SThree has in store for me.
If you’re interested in more information about SThree in Singapore, click here or browse our most recent local job opportunities.