Ask A Headhunter!

[Kyoji83]

1) Which stage do you consider 'background check'? Recruiter call you up, before interview or shortlisted after interview?

2) Will you reveal and provide your last drawn pay slip if HR is at the stage of background check?

3) You have the right not to reveal your salary or provide them your last drawn pay slip under PDPA but Recruiter/HR also have the right not to process your job application since you are unable to provide them information like last drawn salary or supporting documents like last drawn pay slip.

hi, can we insist on not revealing our last pay or give interviewers our last pay slip? Why can't they do it at the stage of background check. Whether ex employers give or not, i do not care.

This asking of last pay is simply a way to low ball you, and a breach of personal privacy..haa..really wonder why government allows this when at the other end they implement the PDPA. As if these companies will burst their budget if my last pay is more than their given budget.

MOM should really step in to put a stop on this practice.

 

[Kyoji83]

What is your new & old position in your organization?

What is your qualification?

How many years of service with your company?

How many years of relevant experience do you have before you work in this organization?

What is your age?

-----------------------

Salary increase of 9% is not a lot if it comprise of merit increment and promotion. However economy is not good which will affect the salary increment. This is common in certain industry or SMEs. Your salary of below $2000 is low which you can consider changing jobs.

is salary increase of 9% alot if it comprise of merit increment and promotion?
basic is still <2000 after the increase.

 

[Ask A Headhunter]

Just want to ask what will be the career progression like for AML compliance when one did Post-transaction monitoring (backend) and real-time screening (front end)?

There will definitely be more prospects to do real time screening but at same time the work hours are longer and more stressful job (can get promoted twice as fast for example)

Will move on to do advisory and level 3 investigations

 

[Ask A Headhunter]

1) Which stage do you consider 'background check'? Recruiter call you up, before interview or shortlisted after interview?

2) Will you reveal and provide your last drawn pay slip if HR is at the stage of background check?

3) You have the right not to reveal your salary or provide them your last drawn pay slip under PDPA but Recruiter/HR also have the right not to process your job application since you are unable to provide them information like last drawn salary or supporting documents like last drawn pay slip.

1) Offer stage
2) Yes it is mandatory
3) Yes.

 

[Ask A Headhunter]

Hi headhunter!

Is it still possible to find a job at 60 yo?

Recently my uncle is in retrenched list because of his age.

He's been with that company for 20 years. He's in offshore industry.

What kind of job can he get at his age?

Thank you!

Yes but mostly as contract staff

 

[Ask A Headhunter]

hi Mr Ask The Headhunter,

I am very interested in the compliance industry however my degree is totally not related to finance. It is a drastic career change. I have graduated from uni for about 1.5 years. Do you think i will stand any chance say i enroll for ICTA certs/dip?

Yes, but even if you don't have relevant finance qualification as well you will be considered due to the shortage of people

 

[Shion]

Assuming you are fresh graduate, do you have any specific achievements?

Also be open to contract roles, some might be able to convert to perm in the long run

Nope, not yet graduate.

Accounts - Partial full set (AP/AR, fixed assets, some GL)

Somehow no one wants to call me for interview

 

[xxslayer]

Yes, but even if you don't have relevant finance qualification as well you will be considered due to the shortage of people

that is good to hear. any idea what kind of banks will be a good starting point? I am very sure the bigger banks is less likely to take in people with zero experience in compliance or irrelevant degree.

 

[Henrypoo]

Hi. Im an ex insurance agent for a few years and i want to venture into compliance,aml,kyc,cdd industry. How can i go about doing that? Take up courses,exam etc

 

[xiao_seah]

Hi HH,

I was offered a contract compliance job by a bank but a few days before my initial start work I was told by the agency that my employment was delay without any timeline. Was told by the agency that background check was also cleared. I waited for almost a month and they told me the offer was being pulled out due to unapproved headcount. Was that the real reason? I was hired to clear backlogs which they clearly needed manpower.

I am also being offered another contract job, as a UAT analyst. What is the career prospect on it? What is the salary range for the job for a fresh grad?

Is work location important? Will it be a mental torture in the long-run? I will need at least an hour to and fro the workplace.

Also, is it better to be offered 2.5k with OT pay or try for a higher pay that's unable to claim OT pay, assuming there will be OT sometimes?

Thanks for your advice!

 

[neanea]

Do you think mom care if you are paid $2k and above?

hi, can we insist on not revealing our last pay or give interviewers our last pay slip? Why can't they do it at the stage of background check. Whether ex employers give or not, i do not care.

This asking of last pay is simply a way to low ball you, and a breach of personal privacy..haa..really wonder why government allows this when at the other end they implement the PDPA. As if these companies will burst their budget if my last pay is more than their given budget.

MOM should really step in to put a stop on this practice.

 

[Ask A Headhunter]

Do you think mom care if you are paid $2k and above?

No they do not.

 

[Ask A Headhunter]

Hi HH,

I was offered a contract compliance job by a bank but a few days before my initial start work I was told by the agency that my employment was delay without any timeline. Was told by the agency that background check was also cleared. I waited for almost a month and they told me the offer was being pulled out due to unapproved headcount. Was that the real reason? I was hired to clear backlogs which they clearly needed manpower.

I am also being offered another contract job, as a UAT analyst. What is the career prospect on it? What is the salary range for the job for a fresh grad?

Is work location important? Will it be a mental torture in the long-run? I will need at least an hour to and fro the workplace.

Also, is it better to be offered 2.5k with OT pay or try for a higher pay that's unable to claim OT pay, assuming there will be OT sometimes?

Thanks for your advice!

Possible for headcount to be pulled, but does not usually happen especially if it is a big company, because contract headcount is usually seperate from permanent headcount.

Work location is important if you find it tedious, and depends on your work hours

Better to get higher base salary with no OT pay

Definitely the compliance job is better even if the pay is lower (long term prospects better)

What would be the best way to thank a headhunter after a successful placement? Thank you.

Treat the person to lunch

Hi. Im an ex insurance agent for a few years and i want to venture into compliance,aml,kyc,cdd industry. How can i go about doing that? Take up courses,exam etc

Can try ICA cert or ACAMS

that is good to hear. any idea what kind of banks will be a good starting point? I am very sure the bigger banks is less likely to take in people with zero experience in compliance or irrelevant degree.

local banks, or the bigger foreign banks, usually the smaller banks won't take people with no experience but the bigger banks will.

 

[foo9883]

How likely are banks willing to employ you if u have AML CDD experience but would like to try / jump to transactions monitoring or sanctions filtering?

 

[Firexxgun]

Hi will it be hard to find a job in compliance role after a gap year of one year due to study? I was from compliance with 2 years exp.

 

[neanea]

Once employer know that you are being retrnech they will squeeze you and give you the lousiest salary out there. Why Singapore is such a lousy employee market?

 

[kcatissue]

If one is a CEI (KAH) holder, can he do a one man show without setting up a employment agency?

 

[zzz5678]

Hi HH,

Wanna find out which have the better prospect in the Long run. logistics , accounts or compliance ?

 

[Kyoji83]

You pass the exam, you are only certified. You needs an EA in order to register yourself as EAP (KAH) regardless if you are one man show or not.

To answer your answer, the answer is no. You needs to set up an EA or join a EA as freelance EAP (Basic or KAH) cause demerit points involve.

If one is a CEI (KAH) holder, can he do a one man show without setting up a employment agency?

 

[ray1987]

Hi mr headhunter, I have no experience in aml . But I went ahead to take acams and managed to pass . However seems like still have difficulty finding aml roles . Initially I was targeting aml advisory or financial crime but seems like both require some experience of some sort