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Testimonials from Previous Employers - something you cannotWhy do some domestic helpers earn less than others with similar experience? Is it just luck? Perhaps a little of it is luck. If a domestic helper (or DH) has only two weeks to find a new employer and during this time she has only one job offer, will she accept the offer or wait for another one? What happens if no other offer comes? When the time is up, will her employer cancel her work permit and send her home, as required by the Ministry of Manpower?This situation of not having enough time to look for an alternative employer can be avoided if DH takes enough trouble to ensure that she is always in Madam's good book. Then Madam will be willing to give DH enough time to look for a job with better pay. Another consideration is how DH conducts herself at an interview. It is not much use to have ten interviews and all are unsuccessful. Perhaps it would be better to have four good interviews out of five. Then hopefully she will have four offers to consider. Often how DH conducts herself at the interview will influence not only how likely the prospective employer will make her an offer, but also much she is willing to pay her. For example, if cooking is important to the prospective employer, then obviously the applicant must be able convince her that she can cook well. And of course, her current employer must also confirm that DH cooks well. But what if DH and Madam her employer are not on good terms? When questioned by the prospective employer will Madam reply, "Her cooking is not bad" instead of "Her cooking is excellent. Her chicken curry is superb and often my dinner guests praise her cooking." In other words, if DH hopes for a good salary, she should have a good reference. Madam's verbal recommendation is usually good enough but what if things do not work out with the new employer and DH has to transfer again? Then DH will have to approach her (by then previous) employer to put in a good word for her when approached by a prospective employer, again. But then, what happens if Madam has moved or has changed her mobile phone number or both? I have come across many domestic helpers who are not able to "prove" what they say. Some claim to have worked for one employer for 3 years, 4 years for another, 2 years a third, etc., but is unable to provide any reference or contact previous employers for a verbal or written reference. On the other hand, I have also come across domestic helpers who not only can provide a reference, but has kept in touch with some of their employers who were pleased with them. In cases such as this, even if the former employer is not able to provide a written reference because she hates to write or is too busy to write, one can be sure that when approached, she will give her former employee a glowing reference. The better her relationship between DH and Madam, the more glowing will the reference be. Motto: Don't leave your job without a good reference. |