Are your skills in demand in Singapore?

A wide variety of professionals across a broad spectrum of industries are in high demand in Singapore and these days it is often skilled Singaporean candidates that are topping a hiring manager’s shortlist.

The Singapore Government’s Fair Consideration Framework has increased competition for local talent in the jobs market as many employers in Singapore are now giving preference to local jobseekers. So are your skills in demand in Singapore?

Right now in accountancy & finance many multinational enterprises are investing in their regional internal audit centres in Singapore and this is generating high demand for quality Auditors and Financial Planning & Analysis professionals.

We are seeing many roles in commerce with employers recruiting Accountants with a strong systems background, especially SAP and Oracle. Any experience a candidate may have in these premier accounting systems is highly valued as it means they can easily assimilate into a new team. Financial Accountants, Remote Staff Managers, and Entry-level Accountants are also highly sought.

In professional practice, the need to recruit regulatory, risk and compliance experts is continuing as the top tier firms are developing their financial services consulting capabilities. We are seeing demand for Management Consultants, Internal Auditors, and Compliance Professionals.

Front, middle, and back office banking roles are expanding with a lot of new jobs being created. Private banks in Singapore want to expand their relationship management teams, and Relationship Managers that already have a client base are particularly sought after. We are also seeing demand for Compliance Officers, Risk Managers, Banking Operations Officers (Middle Office), and Trade Finance Operations specialists.

In construction, Site Engineers are highly sought and candidates with qualifications recognised by the PE board are in particularly high demand. Employers are starting to consider more graduates with one to two years’ experience in this area as they can potentially be developed into Project Managers or Senior Engineers. Demand is also strong for Tunnel Managers, Estimation Managers, Contracts Managers, and Construction Managers.

The IT sector is also experiencing significant growth as there is currently a shortage of skilled professionals in leading edge cloud technology. The steady flow of permanent jobs has led to increased competition from the local and foreign talent pool for these roles. We are seeing high demand for Sales and Pre-Sales specialists, Business Intelligence Managers, Information Architects, and Web Developer/Designers.

These are just a few of the many skills in demand in Singapore. Opportunities also exist in contact centres, finance technology, human resources, insurance, legal, life sciences, office professionals, oil & gas, procurement, property sales & marketing, and supply chain. To see the full list, view the latest Hays Quarterly Report.