Don't become a teacher, in Singapore.

Teachers are, supposedly, a respected profession but, in speaking to expats, here, in Singapore who have taught, respect is not always what they receive.

Two different people have had very similar experiences, here. One of them had done many senior and interesting jobs in the US before coming to Singapore: he had covered a variety of types of work and responsibility, after all he had been working for over twenty years before he got here. His CV was, therefore, full and interesting.

In Singapore, he had no contacts and thought that teaching would be a straightforward job to get given that he could offer native English. So, he began to teach English. He was good at it, and the years passed and he secured quite good teaching jobs, ones that might be termed "sought after" (by teachers, at least), however, he began to grow bored, describing every day as "the same". Thus, he decided to send out his CV to potential employers. Surprisingly, very few got back to him. For the few who did, the conversations tended to go a little like this: "But you are a TEACHER...what makes you think you can work for us?"

He tried to direct their attention to his vast prior experience of relevant work obtained in the US...but it was all to no avail. They could not see his experienced past. All they could see was his most recent work as a teacher. The way they used the word "teacher", you'd swear they were saying "handicapped". It was clear that they had no respect for, or understanding of the skills that a teacher is adept in - particularly the communication skills which were directly relevant to the recruitment manager position he was applying for. They couldn't see any of that: all they saw was some stuffy guy in a classroom.

This dismissive experience of his, with employer after employer, eventually made him give up trying to seek other types of work in Singapore. He continues to be a teacher but is presently making plans to return to the US. He is an expat leaving precisely because he cannot find a congenial position, here, in Singapore, despite having a lot of experience to offer.

Another expat I am aware of had a similar problem. He was dismissed with the words: "What do you have to offer besides teaching?" by someone with whom he was to work. Again, all they could see was the most recent work as a teacher - somehow being unable to read the fifteen years of relevant experience on his CV. It is notable that, again, the word "teaching" was used as if it were some kind of defect.

Now, that two expats of my acquaintance should have had the exact same experience in Singapore suggests either one or both of two things. Firstly, it could be that employers, in Singapore, only see the relevance of one's most recent job and are unable to realize that any job that has been done before, could be done again - or any related job, for that matter, or one that used similar skills. If this is the case, then Singaporean employers lack imagination (but then, that wouldn't be a surprise, would it, in a nation that lacks imagination?) Secondly, it could be that there is genuine prejudice against teachers and former teachers in the Singaporean marketplace. It is possible that there may be the erroneous impression that teachers can't do anything else. They forget that Socrates was a teacher, that Aristotle was a teacher, that Richard P. Feynman was a teacher. Sometimes, teachers are among the best of people...not the worst, as some local Singaporeans seem to think. Perhaps they had bad experiences in school and are taking it out on job candidates.

Whatever is the case, it would seem to point to certain difficulties in the Singaporean job market. Foreigners coming here to work would be well advised to be careful what kind of work they chose, lest that box them in. It may be that local employers will not be able to see you doing any other kind of work after a few years.

This raises one thought in my mind. It may be that local Singaporeans generally are only able to do one kind of work and that they may be projecting this characteristic onto foreigners for whom doing many kinds of work is normal. There could be a lack of cross-cultural understanding going on.

So, stride carefully in the Singaporean marketplace - and, just to be on the safe side, don't ever become a teacher here - for it may be the last job they allow you to do.

(If you would like to learn more of Ainan Celeste Cawley, a scientific child prodigy, aged eight years and seven months, or his gifted brothers, Fintan, five years exactly, and Tiarnan, twenty-eight months, please go to: http://scientific-child-prodigy.blogspot.com/2006/10/scientific-child-prodigy-guide.html I also write of gifted education, IQ, intelligence, the Irish, the Malays, Singapore, College, University, Chemistry, Science, genetics, left-handedness, precocity, child prodigy, child genius, baby genius, adult genius, savant, wunderkind, wonderkind, genio, гений ребенок prodigy, genie, μεγαλοφυία θαύμα παιδιών, bambino, kind.

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