Cold Calls from Recruitment Firms

Recently received quite a number of calls from recruitment companies, I already set my jobstreet profile to private so I don't think they got my details from there. So I asked one of them how they managed to get my profile, the guy told me they have it in their system from last year, told him currently not looking for job, he then asked me if I have any friend to recommend can call him.

Sounds like they are getting desperate, digging through old profiles and making cold calls, machiam telemarketing.

Anyway I have been working in current company for slightly over 2 years now, the project that I am working on has recently launched, no doubt very buggy but at least didn't have to rollback which we almost did due to some missing migrated data, luckily managed to discover and fix it and go ahead to rollout.

Still many outstanding problems though but I suppose it's only natural, new system sure have teething issues, maybe another 6 months to 1 year it should stabilise.

I saw this news from PM Lee, really shake my head: https://www.straitstimes.com/singapore/singapore-needs-top-tech-talent-to-build-world-class-teams-says-pm-lee

"They must see that tech companies are bringing in people with expertise and experience, whom Singaporeans can learn from, he said."

I don't disagree, in fact I strongly agree with him, but does that mean all along we are not bringing in foreigners with the "expertise" and "experience" that "Singaporeans can learn from"?

Just thinking how come my project is struggling so badly, more than half of my team are foreigners.

I see other government IT projects also on fire, one particular project the whole team pretty much from India, not sure how they can even hire a whole team from India though, burn until crispy, delays after delays still cannot rollout, then rollout already rollback, later rollout then rollback again, then rollout and roll until cannot rollback because data in irreversible state, not sure how it can happen if we really have foreign "talents" that "Singaporeans can learn from".

And the people from that particular project, they waddle in at 10+, 11+, 12+, by 6 PM all disappear, strange that the project is burning but they can still work such short hours, doesn't make any sense. I'm not in their project so maybe they have their own ways of doing things so I cannot comment much, but then you don't really need to be in their team to see that their project is burning crispy.

So maybe just look at my own project, I don't really see what I can learn from these foreigners, in fact they are learning *cough*leeching*cough* from me, asking me the most basic questions which can be easily googled and get the answer within 10 seconds, surely they know how to use a computer right, I mean their job titles are actually "software engineer"... but don't know how to google... some even "senior software engineer"... seriously.

This Indian guy in my team, at first I heard everyday he work until 9+, thought he very hardworking, end up another colleague told me he actually come in 10+, 11+ sometimes 12+. Hmm, if like that not much of a difference then, after that I realise everyday he take taxi home, because in our company, from 9PM onwards can claim taxi to home. Now I know why everyday he work until 9+. Then I tried observing him for the past one week, because just launched the system, everybody so busy, seems like everyday he just do one or two things only, just take some logs, check like ONE issue but never follow through, for the whole day, for each day. Like that also can. So this is the "expertise" and "experience" that Singaporeans need?

My Indian project manager lagi best, he is always busy, but nobody know what he is busy with, because everything he just arrow out, doesn't meet user, doesn't drive meetings, doesn't drive the project, end up the director is doing all the leadership and management roles. During system cutover he actually sleeping one corner, yes, sleeping one corner, everybody so busy he still can sleep one corner. After a while I turn my head again he disappear, my colleague told me he went to sleep somewhere else. Now system launch already also play disappearing game, but actually doesn't make any difference, he doesn't do anything anyway. Is this really the "expertise" and "experience" that Singaporeans need?

I'm not by any means racist towards "India Indians", but my observation of them has ALWAYS been consistent, those of you in the IT line and have worked with or is working with them will know exactly what I'm saying. Of course not all of them are "like that", I know and respect a few truly talented individuals but to be brutally honest, the vast majority simply do not have the "expertise" and "experience" that Singapore needs, sometimes I even wonder if anyone actually validates their paper qualifications or resume.

MOM should immediately take action and look into this. There should not be a situation where a Singaporean pays good money for our expensive education and yet struggles to find a well paying job, and then you have these fake talents just coming in with their dubious qualifications with no real skills or experience and yet getting paid S$5000 as a "software engineer", or S$7000 as a "senior software engineer" (who doesn't know how to google), or even S$10,000 as a "senior project manager" (who pretty much have 0 responsibility) when all they do is essentially nothing, meaning they act busy but deliver nothing.