Category: Insights

For remote software developers, the experiences in product-based vs outsourcing domains differ, and it is essential to understand the differences to choose the career path that best suits one’s temperament and skills. If you are wondering about choosing a product-based or outsourcing company, read more detail. 

Involvement

In product-based companies, you will have a great opportunity to see the product grow and participate in it at every level. You are involved in the project from the beginning, see how it is created, changed, grows, adapts to new requirements, and take pride in a product that works well. As you follow the project from the beginning to the end, you will gain expertise in specific technical skills. 

While working on short-term projects in an outsourcing company does not provide the same sense of involvement. You are involved in a variety of projects in different fields This can help you expose yourself to many different technologies, allowing you to learn a lot, but not extensive about a specific technology because you are working on one project today and another tomorrow.

Client Concerns

Software developers in an outsourcing company focus solely on the client’s priorities and concerns. The developer ensures the final product’s quality, sustainability, and efficiency. You’ll need to understand and meet your client’s needs. Making the client happy is, to some extent, the priority of your work. Singapore culture is also very client-focused, which is beneficial for developing and maintaining strong professional relationships. However, even the best outsourcing professionals may be influenced to focus on pleasing the client rather than meeting standard operating procedures, which can lead to operational inefficiency and further waste of resources. 

In product-based companies, your product and users are now your top priorities. You are fully engaged in the software development life cycle, invested in the company’s growth, and your strategic inputs are critical to decision making, even deciding whether a specific function is required. Not having to deal with customers at work is a huge relief. Reducing unnecessary stress with the client may be a wise decision.

Communication 

The client makes all decisions about what should be implemented in an outsourcing company. As a result, the development team is primarily responsible for the final product’s quality.

In product-based companies, development and business are inextricably linked. Your team are responsible not only for the functionality of a feature but also for its necessity. You can get your voice heard and decide whether something is suitable or not. Especially, when you work remotely as a software developer, communication has become more challenging than working on the same ground. Communication is generally better in product-based companies if there is no middleman to mess things up.

Salary

Which company will offer you a higher salary? Unfortunately, there’s no one clear answer to that. It entirely depends on what outsourcing or product-based company that you work for. However, you must be aware of the following issues:

In the product-based company, which recruits, trains, and nurtures your skills, you enjoy the safety net and stability of growing salaries with seniority and experience. Product-based companies have fewer middlemen and more excellent opportunities to grow your expertise and better pay packages.

In outsourcing companies, developer salaries and perks are satisfying but demand-based because everything is billed hourly to the client, and there’s not much leverage to tinker with wages. Outsourcing companies frequently have more levels between you and the client, which means you will receive less compensation than the product-based one.

Responsibilities

In product-based companies with a smaller chain of command, you will most likely get more experience and more responsibility. Growing responsibility gives you more experience and opportunities for advancement; you are free to experiment, take risks, and contribute new ideas.

On the other hand, outsourcing companies receive direct orders from their clients. Developers who have new ideas must approach the business analyst, who discusses the issue with the business owner and awaits the product manager’s final approval. They must work within the constraints of the client’s priorities, and there is little leverage to push a robust reformist agenda.

If you want to turn up and be told what to do, then outsourcing is probably better, but product-based companies are a better fit if you prefer choice and freedom.

Product-based Vs Outsourcing Company: Conclusion

Consider outsourcing if you’re a junior software developer looking to improve your skills and learn more. If you crave the gut satisfaction of creating a brilliant product and becoming a leader in your domain, a product-based company would be your call.

Make sure you determine your goals. Joining an outsourcing or product-based company makes no difference if you don’t know what you want or what you want to become in the future.

Hopefully, this article will help you in making the best decision. If you want to join a product-based company in Singapore and work remotely from the comfort of your home in Vietnam, Inspius can help! Find out more here.

Remote work trends don’t seem to be slowing down in 2022. For Vietnam software engineers, Singapore’s ICT industry is an excellent market for those looking to advance their careers to the next level. The critical question is: where can a Vietnamese software engineer find a remote job for Singapore companies? Here are three ways to land a remote software engineer job with a Singapore tech firm.

Job Portals

Below are websites where you can find a remote IT job, particularly in Singapore:

• TechInAsia

• ​​eFinancialCareer

• Glints

• JobStreet

Job portals can be both a pro and con when it comes to finding open positions. You can quickly identify companies and open positions by entering the keyword software engineer or software developer using a job board’s search tools, and you’ll find many opportunities right at your fingertips.

On the other hand, while you’ll find numerous opportunities, all the other job seekers have the same search accessibility, increasing your competition for the most appealing jobs. It can also be time-consuming when you have to spend hours filtering the position that might be a good fit for you and checking the information about the companies, products, and culture.

Linkedin

LinkedIn is a professional networking tool that facilitates effortless communication between employees, peers, businesses, and consumers. While LinkedIn is much more than a job board, one of its most important features is its job search functionality.

Companies pay to have their jobs posted so you can trust the positions are legitimate and serious. You can learn about potential employers by reviewing their LinkedIn activities. Join Groups to find and connect with industry professionals and find related job opportunities under a Group’s ‘jobs’ tab.

LinkedIn has over 690 million professionals, so there is fierce competition in the applicant pool when applying for a hot job. To stand out from the crowd, you need to polish up your LinkedIn profile to catch the eyes of the recruiter. It also takes your time digging a lot more to find which opportunities fit you best. Furthermore, because LinkedIn jobs do not publish salaries, it will be challenging to determine which job has the best compensation for your needs.

Inspius Viet Nam

Inspius is a third party that can help create opportunities for Vietnamese developers to work for tech companies in Singapore. 

When compared to other channels for finding remote software engineer jobs, Inspius is different because:

• You will get a permanent role in product-based Singapore companies, Inspius will support providing work equipment if needed.
• Inspius ensures that the Singapore company is legitimate by checking the information of the company, the background of employers’ CTOs, tech leads, project managers, etc. 
• Insipus guarantees and complies with labor regulations in Vietnam, and handle issues that may arise between you and the client.
• Inspius focuses on a people-oriented culture to make sure that developers have immense opportunities to learn, grow, and be successful.

Bottom Lines

There are numerous opportunities for Vietnamese software developers in the global technology market, particularly in Singapore tech firms, that help you rapidly advance to the next level. If you have much experience in job searching and are willing to spend a lot of time scrutinizing job and company information, you may seemingly face no issues finding a proper position on job portals and LinkedIn.

If you want to find a job that you love while saving time and effort, Inspius can help. Visit our job post now to learn more!

While the US has become the world’s leading technology with advanced innovation hubs like Silicon Valley, Singapore has been named the most promising world-leading technology hub, positioning it to become Asia’s Silicon Valley. With such developed technology markets, which country will be more suitable for Vietnamese remote developers? Here are a few things to keep in mind that’ll help you decide which one suits you best if you want to focus on finding a long-term remote job.

Salary

According to data collected from over 20,000 ARC employees, there is an enormous disparity in the wage changes for software engineers in the US and Singapore. Remote developers in Singapore earn an average of $71,408 per year, while this figure counts as $96,999 per year in the US. 

You must consider all of the factors that influence your remote work salary. Your education, experience, and job title may all raise or lower the average we discussed today.  Here’s what the data says about work-from-home salaries:

Developers in the US earn significantly more than those in other countries, but they also face stiff competition when looking for remote work. You are not just up against people locally, but applications will come in from worldwide. There are 26.8 million active software developers globally, and most companies receive hundreds, sometimes thousands of talented applicants.

You need to differentiate yourself and demonstrate that you’re the best candidate for the job. It is necessary to research each company to which you wish to apply to, understand their values, culture, and product, and be able to position yourself to fit their needs.

Time zone

Working for a remote company based in the US while living in Vietnam may require you to work 12 hours later than you originally planned, which means it would be mid-morning for U.S. folks, and anyone in Vietnam would end up with late-night meetings. Working late at night can also throw off the body’s circadian rhythm, which may cause adverse health effects in the long run.

On the other hand, Singapore is only one hour ahead of Vietnam, minimizing time zone inconveniences. You can have a regular 9-5 job and still have time to spend with your beloved ones and family and avoid health-related consequences.

Work visa

Even if you work remotely, you will need permission to work in the United States as a full-time employee. The US company must register as an employer with the Vietnamese government and pay all applicable taxes. As a result, to get a permanent job, you will need to find a US company registered in Vietnam, but the number of companies willing to sponsor a visa is minimal. 

On the flip side, remote employees who are not physically based in Singapore do not need to apply for a work pass to work for Singapore companies. If you are going to be stationed in Singapore, you must have a valid work permit. To ensure maximum benefits while saving your time and effort, you should get a third party to assist you with all aspects of international remote working, such as law and tax services, people consulting, and communications.

Final words

To Vietnamese developers, the average salary of both countries appears to be a significant disparity. You can earn a staggering wage compared to the low cost of living in Vietnam, but you will face fierce competition to get a remote job offshore. Before you work remotely for a foreign company, make sure you understand the country’s laws and regulations, particularly in terms of work visas, taxes, and benefits.

If you want to work remotely for a Singapore tech company while living in Vietnam, Inspius can help. Explore the latest jobs here! 

Episode 1: How to nail your English test

You’ve cleared the first hurdle, CV qualification, and are one step closer to landing your dream job as a software engineer for a Singapore tech company. Now, it’s the technical interview round. It’s your chance to make a big wow to your future tech lead and colleagues.

But wait, you should do some prep, a thorough one, indeed.

Where should you start then? Don’t worry, we got your back. Check out our 2-episode series “Ace the technical interview with Singapore tech companies”. You’ll get well-prepared and ready to enter your dream job.

People test your English before any technical interview rounds

To get on the technical interview with a Singapore tech company, software engineer candidates typically have to go through their English assessment and algorithm test in the first place.

This episode’s focus is proven tips gathered from our experience of shortlisting Vietnam candidates’ English communication skills for Singapore tech companies.

What exactly happens in our English test?

• It’s an online test: Due to covid-19 situation, we conduct the test over Zoom for candidates’ safety.
• Candidates have to turn their cameras on during the interview to ensure transparency.
• Type of test: 1-1 interview. This is exactly the same as any 1-1 interview you have done, but in English. It’s 20-30 minutes long. Candidate gets the result right after they finish their test.
• Only pass candidates will go on with the algorithm test.

Clear? Now, let’s jump into your most waiting part:

Top 3 most asked questions and how to crush them

Tell us about yourself

• Interviewers don’t want to know everything about you, so carefully select noticeable points about you and your career growth related to the job you’re applying to share with them.
• 1-1.5 minutes should be enough for the self-introduction. Keep it coherent and clear, and make sure you don’t use any informal slang or make any basic grammar mistakes.
• You can start with: “I’ve been working as a junior Java developer at a small startup in Vietnam for over 2 years and I have worked both on product features as well as on building team and capabilities. I have always been interested in coding which was why I chose to follow this career path. I studied at Hanoi University of Science & Technology, where I gained my first Bachelor’s degree in Computer Science.“

Describe an important project you’ve worked on

• Pick an example that’s most relevant to the responsibilities of the job you’re applying for and start explaining the project’s size, timeline, purpose and complexity.
• Be specific: The interviewer wants to know not just what you’ve done, but tools, technologies, and platforms. They also care about how you worked with your team.
• Emphasize what role did you play in the project’s success: what were your contributions to that important project? Note the tangible outcome of the project by using numbers, employers like quantifying answers.
• Here’s an example:
  “It must be the mobile app development project at my previous company X that I’d like to share with you. I joined the project as a backend developer with 1 more backend guy and 1 frontend developer. We were assigned to create the mobile app version that works on both iOs and Android for an online-learning website called: Y-learning in 3 months.
  
  We used Swift, Java, and React Native to build the app. As we didn’t have a tech lead and my teammates were quite junior, I was in charge of managing the team, setting the tasks and deadlines, and ensuring we get the project done in time with the result as best as we could.
  
  Even though those 3 months was really a tough time for us, I learned a lot along the way. We successfully launched the app after 2 months and a half. Our client really liked the product and gave us another project to work on.”

Share a technical challenge you faced and how you debugged it.

• Remember to provide the context so that the interviewer can easily follow your story.
• Describe the challenge: What’s the technical issue? Describe how tricky it was and how it might affect the project.
• Explain how you solved the problem and the positive impact it had, if any
• This following answer from Jane – a developer did illustrate well our above note:
  “In one of my previous roles, I was looking into our error rates using NewRelic. I noticed that 80% of our errors were ActiveRecord::RecordNotFound errors, meaning a request from the client was being made, causing a database call that was then erroring. When I investigated further, I realized that restful routing had not been set up, and a lot of the extraneous requests we were getting to the / route were caused by bots.
  
  I came up with a fix for this that required two main steps. The first step was changing all of the places within our codebase that were /<item> to /items/<item> following the RESTful pattern. This was actually non-trivial, as there were many places within the codebase that needed to be changed and fully manually tested to ensure there were no broken links.
  
  The second step was making sure that old links with /<item> were backwards compatible. For all items previously created, there were links that already existed in emails and on social media that still needed to work once this routing change was in place.
  
  For this, I created a special redirect controller that would get called every time a request to /<item> was made. I then added a map with all of the previous items up until the change was made – for any request to /<anything> the redirect controller would check if an item was in that map, and if so, redirect to the appropriate route. If the item wasn’t in that map, it would simply send a 404 response, preventing the call and round trip to the database.
  
  Once this was implemented, we saw a significant reduction in the original ActiveRecord::RecordNotFound errors, making our overall error rate dip sharply. This also decreased the overall load on our database by preventing unnecessary requests in the first place.“

In a real English test, there will be more questions waiting for software engineer candidates to answer, yet those 3 mentioned are considered the most prominent ones. One more thing is that, besides the abilities to communicate well in English, employers also investigate your attitude and seriousness about the job during this interview so ensure your answers show them you’re the perfect match for the job.

Ready to get your dream job?

Now you have a good sense of what the first round of a technical interview with a Singapore tech company is like and how to ace it.

Inspius blog compiled a list of all the resources you should study, practice, and build the confidence needed to land your dream job as a software engineer in a Singapore tech company. Subscribe to our blog and we’ll keep you posted on our latest insights.

Happy coding!

Work for product-based Singapore companies remotely from Vietnam with Inspius