Learning Experience Macau 1 - 2

22 December 2008

Sitting in Macau Holiday Inn lobby, it just cross my mind to share with you about ...... What has Macau, Dubai and Singapore has in common..... foreign workers.

Yes for those of you who are thinking of working oversea or are currently working oversea ... it is about you.

I look at the scene of a hotel reception area and the receptionist is from Philippines, the housekeepers/cleaners are from China and the Hotel Manager is from UK. This reception scenario is similar in Dubai, in Singapore and also in Macau, where I am. These countries has a shortage of skilled labour and hence resort to use of these foreign workforce.

To me there are three kinds of foreign workforce. On one end is the Foreign Talent and the other end is the foreign labourer. The foreign talents are those in the high end of the hierachy, where their skills and knowledge are in demand. These are the better paid and better recognised foreign workforce. The other end of the hierachy is the lower skill level and the type of work is where not many of the local workforce are keen or available, like cleaners etc. Can you imagine a Dubai citizen doing a cleaning job :-)

In between these two ends is a middle ground where I believe most of you comes in. Better skill and better knowledge and in jobs where there are local interest.Because you in the middle ground, there will be local competition and also prejudice... you may be preceived to be taking their jobs away. Unlike in the lower end, the local are not interested, in the upper end, the local may not be able to do it.... but in the middle ground this is the "battle ground" of the local labour force. Be prepared and be tolerance ;-) Some of you will feel it and some of you will not...... It is all to do with how you see your position and also your plan for your career.

Back to the money laundering learning tomorrow...