Expat Mag

The Singapore Ministry of Trade and Industry (MTI) published yesterday it's growth previsions for the country in 2012. With an estimate between 1% and 3%, Growth is showing an impressive slow down compared to previous years: 14,5% last year (2010), and a prevision of 5% this year

The figure that was released is the worst since the 2008-2009 crisis (-0,8% in 2009). It could yet be revised if the global economic context continued to degrade, with the debt in the Euro zone, or in case of a global financial crisis.

Such a weak growth perspective should have a negative impact on the job market and lead to pressure to lower salaries. A situation that leads to no enthusiasm on the front of international mobility and concerning the opportunities for job seekers and potential new entrepreneurs.

Rémi Malachin is the creator of French Toast, a young singaporean company specialized in the teaching of French language. Rémi arrived in Singapore in 2008 to work as an architect. Since then, he has sucessfully converted himself in a new profession. Portrait of an entrepreneur full of ideas, engaged in promoting French and turning it's learning into a pleasure.

Rémi Malachin was in no way predestined to open a French learning school. When he arrived in Singapore, in January 2008, it was to work as an architect, a logical move after his studies in this field in Nancy. But in Singapore, his career path has switched rapidly: He met his wife, founded a family and eventually stepped back from a field of expertise where he didn't find enough perspectives. He once contemplated the idea of creating is own architect firm, but such a project was far from being family compatible. While realizing freelance missions as a designer, he started to give French private courses. He soon found it very attractive and his teacher schedule filled in rapidly. In 2010, he decided to make the big jump and created French Toast, a Training center exclusively dedicated to French Language.

International mobility implies change, separation, discovery and adaptation. In this process, it is important to exchange: share one's enthusiasms, comfront ideas, questions and doubts. Some may do so with their colleagues & friends. Some may benefit from the support of a coach, a trainer or an expert. A third way is to find support from a peer-mentor who is ready to share his experience, provide support and guidance. 

Within the framework  of international mobility, mentoring is a solution taht is suitable to a variety of situations. Within the company, a mentor may act as a facilitator, not only regarding the adaptation to the new job and new environment, but also concerning the relations with the Head quarters and career management. Out of the company, mentoring can facilitate mobility and the discovery of a new life in the host country. It can be a way to support an individual in his job search or on his business start up project. It can also be suitable for a manager on his discovery journey of new cultural codes and management parctices in his company. 

The mentoring project

We are launching an initiative in order to promote mentoring among members of Dualexpat. If you want to participate to this initiative, be it as a mentor or as a mentee, please simply join our mentoring group or send us an e-mail

The news had been released in a number of media, it is still only a project:  offering 10000 free tickets to Japan in order to encourage tourists to rediscover the country. Beneficiaries of those free tickets would as a counterpart publish a report on what they have seen and visited.

According to the Japan Tourism Agency, the project is currently non confirmed, pending budgetary approval. The Agency is otherwise warning the public not to be deceived by would be intermediaries for the program.

More information on this website, as soon as the program will have been officialized.

KPMG has recently released it’s survey 2011 on global assignment policies & practices. Herebelow is a summary of the findings.

1- International assignments are still on the rise

A large majority of companies are considering either to maintain or to increase their international assignments.

Future use of expatriates in next 5 years :

• About the same: EU:46%; Asia:40%; US:41%
• Somewhat more: EU:33%; Asia:21%; US:34%
• Considerably more: EU:12%; Asia:17%; US:8%

A game developer and a scientist, Jane McGonigal presents in a video her latest research findings on a project that may appear overambitious: "trying to make it as easy to save the world in real life, as it is to save the world in online games".

Many expatriates make the choice of becoming entrepreneur, because they are able to spot opportunities in their host country using their native country's experience and knowledge. Nowadays, when setting up a business, to have an Internet presence (e.g. to have some kind of visibility on a local and global scale), is often a requirement. Depending on the nature of your business and your knowledge of technology, there will be several options available to you: HTML pages, CMS, etc.

The tech behind Dualexpat

In this article, we will talk about the technology that is being used for Dualexpat, why we picked up that specific technology and why it matters to select the right tool for the job.

The NTUC, by the voice of Labour Chief Lim Swee, is reported to be advocating an economic policy that would still be enough foreigners friendly not to compromise the country's global competiveness but would provide Singaporean with privilege.

As Singapore growth paces down and the singaporean society gets more mature, there is a visible tension amongst Singaporeans who want more visible signs of what's for them in the development of their country. While the general economic model, based on facilitating Foreign capital investment, is not questioned, the increasing number of foreign workers is seen as having a double side impact on Singaporeans daily life. On one hand, they consider they are increasingly competing with foreign workers on the job market. On the other hand, they feel the pressure of speculation, linked to the rapid growth of the population, feeding inflation and Real Estate prices.

The French based outplacement cabinet NEXMOVE joins ARBORA GLOBAL CAREER PARTNERS, one of the most important outplacement network, with a presence in 29 countries in Europe, Asia-Pacific and America.