Being an employee nowadays is more siong than an entrepeuneur

[Logisex]

I was headhunted for a job in Singapore and since this job looks interesting, I just went along and got to speak to the regional heads for the second interview.

Halfway through the interview (or you might say - drilling), one question suddenly popped up in my mind. I asked myself "What the fark do I still need to go through all these esp at my age?". I had no mood to go thru it anymore and just wanted to end it asap. I'm just totally fed up, not with interviewers but with how things are going. I'm fed up with being an employee and having to kiss assess or probably even have to beg for a job when I'm over 40yo (unofficial max employment age in Singapore) - just like what happened to my ex-boss when he was retrenched after working for 30 years in the organisation.

The situation gets worst with the influx of cheap alien trash. Salaries are now a joke and you don't need to worry about inflation because you will never be able to catch up with it looking at how things are heading nowadays. Retirement seems to be a legend that exist only during our great grandfathers time.

Bosses are more greedy and demanding than ever. They want you to do a thousand things (in the name of innovation and keeping up with the competition) just so they can get their next promotion asap. You are being judged everyday by so many people and one wrong step could totally destroy your career so it really doesn't matter how God will judge you in the end since you will probably be way dead just before you reach heaven. Burning out is a really cool thing to say nowadays because it shows that you are still employed and is very very busy (which equates to being very successful).

One uncle told me that being an employee is better than being an entrepeuneur as "you don't need to risk losng all your capital". Well maybe..........but I serously think now that it is more difficult, more demanding and even more risky nowadays being an employee than an entrepeuneur. Being an employee nowadays, you need to be a good manager/coach, an analyst, a risk taker, an innovator, a juggler (between work and family etc), a forecaster, a networker, an ass kisser..............the list goes on and at the end of the day, how many peanuts you will get at the end of the month is dependant on whether your how much your bossess like your monkey face.

Being an employee could even kill you. I seriously think that stresses that we face everyday as an employee is one of the major cause of cancer. And if you have a major illness, your company will be more than happy to organise a little retirement ceremony for you.

So isn't being an employee nowadays is more siong, demanding, risky and hazardous than being an entrepeuneur?

 

[ahleebabasingaporethief]

If you are a business owner or hawker, you MUST OWN the property where your business operates from.

If you rent, you are working for your GREEDY LANDLORD.

Do not even try to start your own business with a rented place in expensive areas. You will only ENRICH your landlord.

Go walk around new expensive shopping malls. Many FOR RENT sings you will see.
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[krafty]

bro, i feel that way too! I did not pen down my thoughts as I am afraid that you guys will laugh at me! phew...someone did pen on my behalf

I was headhunted for a job in Singapore and since this job looks interesting, I just went along and got to speak to the regional heads for the second interview.

Halfway through the interview (or you might say - drilling), one question suddenly popped up in my mind. I asked myself "What the fark do I still need to go through all these esp at my age?". I had no mood to go thru it anymore and just wanted to end it asap. I'm just totally fed up, not with interviewers but with how things are going. I'm fed up with being an employee and having to kiss assess or probably even have to beg for a job when I'm over 40yo (unofficial max employment age in Singapore) - just like what happened to my ex-boss when he was retrenched after working for 30 years in the organisation.

The situation gets worst with the influx of cheap alien trash. Salaries are now a joke and you don't need to worry about inflation because you will never be able to catch up with it looking at how things are heading nowadays. Retirement seems to be a legend that exist only during our great grandfathers time.

Bosses are more greedy and demanding than ever. They want you to do a thousand things (in the name of innovation and keeping up with the competition) just so they can get their next promotion asap. You are being judged everyday by so many people and one wrong step could totally destroy your career so it really doesn't matter how God will judge you in the end since you will probably be way dead just before you reach heaven. Burning out is a really cool thing to say nowadays because it shows that you are still employed and is very very busy (which equates to being very successful).

One uncle told me that being an employee is better than being an entrepeuneur as "you don't need to risk losng all your capital". Well maybe..........but I serously think now that it is more difficult, more demanding and even more risky nowadays being an employee than an entrepeuneur. Being an employee nowadays, you need to be a good manager/coach, an analyst, a risk taker, an innovator, a juggler (between work and family etc), a forecaster, a networker, an ass kisser..............the list goes on and at the end of the day, how many peanuts you will get at the end of the month is dependant on whether your how much your bossess like your monkey face.

Being an employee could even kill you. I seriously think that stresses that we face everyday as an employee is one of the major cause of cancer. And if you have a major illness, your company will be more than happy to organise a little retirement ceremony for you.

So isn't being an employee nowadays is more siong, demanding, risky and hazardous than being an entrepeuneur?

 

[Ash007]

The grass is always greener on the other side. Employers would always says being an employee is better and vice versa. There are more employees in Singapore for the simple fact that the price of failure in Singapore is higher. No A's in Primary school equates to a difference in the jobs you get later in life. Entrepreneur, even the successful ones, complained about the life of being an employees. More time for family, personal hobby etc.

You are right about the drilling. I find it very strange about the drilling in interviews in Singapore. Either you trust the guy or you don't. Hence, why the intense drilling in the 2nd interview? Work resume should give a rough idea if a candidate is suitable for the job, technical wise, clarification on previous job experiences/projects to see if its suitable for the positions. Finally, face to face if the candidate would fit, personality wise, into the organisation/department. Even if you hire the guy, there is always a clause in the contract to say the first 6 months is the probational period. I think its more a culture of fear that is being perpetuated since a young age in Singapore that is going on. Hence the drilling.

 

[Rogue Trader]

The best option is to join a civil service in your mid/late career and camp there until you die. They are the ultimate landlords.

 

[cooleo]

The best option is to join a civil service in your mid/late career and camp there until you die. They are the ultimate landlords.

That's true. Those leeches have been feeding on public funds for far too long, and won't be stopping any time soon.

 

[Leongsam]

The grass is always greener on the other side. Employers would always says being an employee is better and vice versa.

I've been on both sides of the fence and I have to say that it's definitely a lot more frustrating and hazardous being an employee.

Apart from the "Ass kissing" side of things, being employed is far riskier than running your own show as your fate pretty much lies in the hands of others and hard work seldom brings about the desired rewards.

On the other hand, an entrepreneur has far more control over his fate and his fortune. Astute decisions and hard work are rewarded financially and office politics don't apply to the boss.

 

[saratogas]

Being an employee, as long as you have done what boss ordered you to do - You can sleep well at night. Being the boss will need to think of what is the next move, afraid that I will Sabo him - take all his business contacts and join a rival company.

 

[cooleo]

I've been on both sides of the fence and I have to say that it's definitely a lot more frustrating and hazardous being an employee.

Apart from the "Ass kissing" side of things, being employed is far riskier than running your own show as your fate pretty much lies in the hands of others and hard work seldom brings about the desired rewards.

On the other hand, an entrepreneur has far more control over his fate and his fortune. Astute decisions and hard work are rewarded financially and office politics don't apply to the boss.

Sam....i am sure when we are discussing about being a boss, it does not involve being the boss of a sex forum website.

 

[tanwahtiu]

I was headhunted for a job in Singapore and since this job looks interesting, I just went along and got to speak to the regional heads for the second interview.

Halfway through the interview (or you might say - drilling), one question suddenly popped up in my mind. I asked myself "What the fark do I still need to go through all these esp at my age?". I had no mood to go thru it anymore and just wanted to end it asap. I'm just totally fed up, not with interviewers but with how things are going. I'm fed up with being an employee and having to kiss assess or probably even have to beg for a job when I'm over 40yo (unofficial max employment age in Singapore) - just like what happened to my ex-boss when he was retrenched after working for 30 years in the organisation.

One uncle told me that being an employee is better than being an entrepeuneur as "you don't need to risk losng all your capital". Well maybe..........but I serously think now that it is more difficult, more demanding and even more risky nowadays being an employee than an entrepeuneur. Being an employee nowadays, you need to be a good manager/coach, an analyst, a risk taker, an innovator, a juggler (between work and family etc), a forecaster, a networker, an ass kisser..............the list goes on and at the end of the day, how many peanuts you will get at the end of the month is dependant on whether your how much your bossess like your monkey face.

Being an employee could even kill you. I seriously think that stresses that we face everyday as an employee is one of the major cause of cancer. And if you have a major illness, your company will be more than happy to organise a little retirement ceremony for you.

So isn't being an employee nowadays is more siong, demanding, risky and hazardous than being an entrepeuneur?

Many people has the idea of employment is to work for life with one employer. He/she is not there to learn a trade but for the wages, sad. So let me encourgae you people what to do.

Whether you are in the top post CEO or janitor in the company there is always opportunity to become enterprenur one day, and is off-shoot from your current job. If you are not interested in the company product line or service that you are working with, of course you don't see opportunity in you job specificaton.

I worked for ang oh MNC and in less than 5 years compete with them and take them head on. You must realise that as CEO or janitor job in a company you are either trading you time to learn a skill, trade or service in the company. In real term, you are exchanging your time, transerfable skills and work experiences from previous company.

Leanr all you can in the current company and espically where and how the company made/buy the product from. In Singapore, not many Sinkies created own product, they import. So it is easy to know where they get the products from. Learn where they sell to.

When you are aready to leave the company and set up your own, it is OK to take 20-30% of the customers with you. It is a fair exchange as I mentioned you have already traded your time, skills with the employer. You are employed to gain experienced working for this company anyway, true?

People often think taking customers away from your employer is unethical. I say not true. If it was true then it is your employer who committed the crime first. The m oral of this story is that you think the 20% of the customer will stick with you, not true tihnk again. This 20% are giving you chance to prove your worth and since they know you are from your ex- company and trying to start your own biz. They will continue to support you only if you are as good as you can be when you are with the ex. Youe ex-company knows that you are competing with them and of course they will try to win the customer back. To the company it is another competitors in the market.

There is no dot. behind market shares, example like the market share is worth $300M and this does not mean it stopped at $300M. New product will come up and eventually if you are good entreprenur you will know how to find better products than your ex. When your company expands you will begin to hire people, so be prepared for the same AH BENG like you who will one day want to compete with you.

Summary
It is OK to take 20% customers from your ex company if you want to start a biz. This new venture must be the product line or services that your familiar with or currently working, unless you are inventor. The 20% customers will give you a chance to prove your worth so you have to work harder to keep them than you are working for your ex. You will likely to lose the 20% if you screwed up the biz. Most people will give you a chance (the 20%) and you only has one time to do it right from the begining.

Competition is healthy to survival of the fittest. So one more competitor does not means the end of the industry, it in fact open up more choices for people to go to to buy things.

If you have a family biz, it is best to compete with your family than to work for them. No point sibling rival to fight for top CEO position when you are spoon fed or given to you because of your paper qualification. Compete with your family business and if you win and managed to make your family biz broke, you have proven among your sibling who is enterprenur, not by paper qualification but by sheer hardwork and determination.

 

[Balls2U]

If u let Clinton666 see your thread, he'll surely insult u terok terok with his silly snide remarks. he'll also take the opportunity and brag about his wealth!

 

[Logisex]

The best option is to join a civil service in your mid/late career and camp there until you die. They are the ultimate landlords.

Civil service pay is damn low unless you are some super scale type or ministers. Workload also damn heavy these days if you are low/mid level people.

 

[Logisex]

Being an employee, as long as you have done what boss ordered you to do - You can sleep well at night. Being the boss will need to think of what is the next move, afraid that I will Sabo him - take all his business contacts and join a rival company.

Being an employee - you will not know what will happen next! Haven you heard of employees happily going to work in the morning only to find that they cannot log into their PC and are given 1 hour to pack and go?

And how much does the boss get and how much do you get? If its 10 times your pay, does that mean your boss works 10 times harder than you?

If you quit your job, you got nothing. If your boss or sell off his business, he probably could retire on that money.

Your boss can anytime go GL call chicken, can you?

Last time you can still lead a decent middle income life with a job, nowadays as an employee, you are working more for less. Just go Raffles place to take a look, its normal to find people working 12-14 hours a day for a few thousand dollars. Divide the pay by the hours minus all expenses of going to work, you are left with peanuts!

 

[Rogue Trader]

Civil service pay is damn low unless you are some super scale type or ministers. Workload also damn heavy these days if you are low/mid level people.

aiyah.. donch expect no work at all and just get paid. Workload will be there but it is nothing compared to the private sector. Low/mid management level personnel are generally contented with a stable pay scale and time to spend with family. I actually almost joined a major civil service outfit last year. Was seriously tempted to sign my life away but decided I was still too young to 'retire'. Maybe in 5 or 7 years.

 

[Logisex]

aiyah.. donch expect no work at all and just get paid. Workload will be there but it is nothing compared to the private sector. Low/mid management level personnel are generally contented with a stable pay scale and time to spend with family. I actually almost joined a major civil service outfit last year. Was seriously tempted to sign my life away but decided I was still too young to 'retire'. Maybe in 5 or 7 years.

My very first job after graduation was a CS job. Cannot stand the people working there so left after 1 year.

Its not just the pay and I'm not saying no workload. the thing about CS is that it is very difficult to promote (unless you are some scholar) and its really not based on merits. Very frustrating.......

 

[rodent2005]

The only logical conclusion one can draw from your analysis is "throw out the PAP or perish".

 

[cooleo]

My very first job after graduation was a CS job. Cannot stand the people working there so left after 1 year.

Its not just the pay and I'm not saying no workload. the thing about CS is that it is very difficult to promote (unless you are some scholar) and its really not based on merits. Very frustrating.......

Were you ashamed of telling friends and family that u are a Civil Serpent back then?

 

[Rogue Trader]

My very first job after graduation was a CS job. Cannot stand the people working there so left after 1 year.

Its not just the pay and I'm not saying no workload. the thing about CS is that it is very difficult to promote (unless you are some scholar) and its really not based on merits. Very frustrating.......

yah. that's why my advice is to go in mid career and park at a relatively senior level. You must leave all your ambition at home. Forget about promotion once you are inside.

Take no responsibility. Hide behind the mires of red tape and numbing bureaucracy. Be the invisible man.

Start at 8 and end at 5:30 sharp everyday. Plenty of time for dragonboating or mountain climbing.

 

[silverfox@]

I was headhunted for a job in Singapore and since this job looks interesting, I just went along and got to speak to the regional heads for the second interview.


So isn't being an employee nowadays is more siong, demanding, risky and hazardous than being an entrepeuneur?

All those regional heads you are talking to are just employees of the company like you. Just that they hold a higher position. The ones who are your bosses are the shareholders. Even a CEO is not your employer. He is just your superior.

The only kind of risks that an employee can have is getting retrenched and being sacked when he is 40. What the kind of risks of an entrepreneur? Far more than an employee. There are people who says employer earns more, of course but what if an employer is losing money in business, will employee bear the loss too?

In the past 5 years, Singapore has changed where the employee has far lesser risks and could be earning much more than their employers