unfair employment terms...

i think it is no secret to some of my fellow friends of my desire to work overseas for a few years. i have worked in singapore for most of my working life and i think i am somewhat ready to work in another continent... well, specifically, france... perhaps because yours truly would like to be able to practice her french on a daily basis - je veux parler en francais tous les jours - i speak a bit of french - not very well - here with some of my customers and my parisian colleagues almost everyday but if i could be based there, it would mean i am forced to speak the language all the time.

i asked about a job in a french establishment a few months back but was told that the human resource department were reluctant to hire non-french nationals. and a few months before that, i was asked to research my way through to get an employment pass in france by a french organisation and if i could get an employment pass, they would only then consider hiring me - key word here is consider. then, recently, i asked again and was told that they would only accept european citizens only.

honestly, i was very upset to hear about all these and the last one really made me angry. i just felt that it is so unfair that people like me are unable to get a job in a foreign country while our government are allowing the hiring of foreign nationals and local companies are quick to resort to hiring foreign nationals like there is no tomorrow. local companies here turn to foreigners to fill in positions because they felt that singaporeans are choosy and always asking for more money while if they hire foreigners, especially for jobs which singaporeans don't want to do, they are able to get more value for money - cheap and good.

so, singaporeans not only have to try very hard to get a job overseas because foreign governments imposed strict rules that local employers give priority to locals rather than foreign nationals for positions opened in their position, but also we have to compete with foreign talents in getting a job in our own country. employers here will be quick to hire foreign nationals because foreign nationals from countries around asia especially, would work for a much less salary than a typical singaporeans would ask for. as far as i can see, there are no rules or laws in place that protect singapore citizens in getting employment in our own country without having to compete with foreign talent. i think it is pathetic and i am depressed just thinking about it. it is just not fair.