Job Discussion Forums

[RiverMystic]

I have an interview with Nanyang Tech Uni coming up. It's for a postdoctoral fellowship, in a social-science related area. I'd appreciate a little inside info about a few things.

What kind of salary offer might be considered reasonable?
I've heard that working conditions are pretty tough in Singapore. Are unis generally the same?
What would be considered standard number of weeks of holidays per year?
Do unis provide housing, or housing allowance?

Thanks,

RM

[Henry_Cowell]

Postdocs don't generally carry a "salary." You'll probably receive a stipend. Whatever it's called, you'll need to live on it.

If Nanyang (one of the nation's premier universities) doesn't provide on-campus housing, you can probably find a 2-BR flat to rent for less than S$1800 and a 1-BR for even less. If you want to go the really cheap route, you can find a room to rent in a shared condo or large flat for S$500 or less.

craigslist.com has become a very popular rental site in Singapore. Check out the current listings, under the categories "Apartments/housing," "Rooms/Shared," and "Sublets." A problem with Singapore is that one-year and even two-year leases are often required. Shorter-term rentals are a bit more difficult to negotiate and generally more expensive.

[RiverMystic]

Thanks for the info, Henry. Whatever you call the cash, I suspect it'll be a big salary downsize from being a seconday teacher - probably 50% or less. University salries are pathetic these days, and hardly make doing a PhD worthwhile. One job I was considering in Taiwan was about 30% of my secondary school salary. I didn't do my PhD to go into uni teaching, but it would be nice to put it to some use. The position at Nanyang is quite a specialist field, so that's why I applied for it. I had a phone interview last week, and haven't heard back, so probably didn't get it. It's OK, as I have other options I'm just, if not more, keen about.

As for doing the cheap on rental, there's no way I'm bunking with some college kid to save a few bucks - I'm far too old for that!

[wailing_imam]

5000-7000SGD per month.

Any less than that for a PhD is a joke.

Rental - two bedroom HDB flat SGD1500 a month with no probs. Rental prices are falling.

Party on.

[RiverMystic]

Well, months later they are still running me through the selection process. Back for another interview in a month. They sure move real slow down south... However they are putting me up for three nights and four days, which makes me feel real important. Have no idea how many other people they are offering the same deal.... See ya all soon...

[Polka Waltz]

I was a lecturer at NTU for nine years (three contracts.) On the plus side: nice, generally sweet, respectful students, very good money, decent leave (6 weeks a year) and good facilities. On the negative side: very unfriendly local colleagues (all seemed to feel threatened by the non-local faculty), not a great deal of autonomy in what you actually could cover in lectures, a total lack of intellectual curiousity from most people around (both faculty and students), and an atmosphere where most people tried to avoid doing any work at all. I enjoyed living in Singapore a great deal. I did NOT stay in campus housing as for me it is important to separate one's work and life. The campus is a fair distance in Singapore terms from the center of things.

[RiverMystic]

Thanks for that, Polka. The lack of intellectual curiosity doesn't surprise me that much. Asian/Confucian education basically destroys that good and proper by the time a kid reaches high school.

The lack of work ethic? Not overly surprised. Despite the cliche that East Asians work themselves into the ground, I have foound the reality behind appearances to be a very different story. There's a lot of wasted time spent at the office.

Anyway, I'm looking forward to the interview. I have a good feeling about this one, and my gut feelings are usually correct.

[Polka Waltz]

Yes, the "trick" amongst a lot of the faculty and administration was to look busy, and failing that, to tell everybody how busy you were! The reality was precisely the opposite.

Having said that, I enjoyed my time there, by and large. My time there allowed me to publish a fair amount, travel to conferences, and pursue my research interests.

Good luck with your interview!

[NYCME]

BA George Washington U
CELTA
Experiencing teaching and tutoring ESOL (mainly to adults) in Japan and New York City
Currently teaching Chinese immigrants in NY at a nonprofit.
Native English speaker from NY, USA.
Former newspaper reporter with publications (articles, not books; consumer, not academic)
--What can I apply for?

How can I apply for it?

How much can I expect to make? Benefits?

[Solar Strength]

[March Hare]

[WantToKnow]

I, too, found living in Singapore to be an excellent experience and was able to travel to present at conferences while there. Being in the office five and a half days a week (including Saturday morning) and not having a car were adjustments to my college/university teaching in the USA.

[Tiger Beer]