My Job hunting experience and EP Approval

I just want to post my experience of the long process of getting employment here in Singapore. My experience I guess is slightly unique, so hopefully it will provide some insight to people similar to me. I found a lot of good advice in this blog, so I thought I will give back.

Backstory.
My wife came over to Singapore last August through her work (permanent role) via EP, so I came over at end of December via Dependent Pass, the plan was to take some time off before looking for work. I started to actually look for work in March and from what I had read online was relying on a letter of consent for a job. Advice - look for work asap, unlike in Australia, the process here is long, sometimes one interview in Australia can get you a job.

Who I am.
Male. 29yo. Australian, but technically Hong Kong Chinese. My background is in Finance, graduated from the top University in Australia and had 7 years of experience at one of the top 4 banks in Australia, making a good salary (6 figures).

I was hoping to find a job in one of the banks here also, however DBS, Maybank and OCBC pretty much outright rejected me for roles I thought I would have a chance for (SA,AVP,VP roles, I tried directly applying online). I also tired in industries that were different to my background (Lego, P&G, etc). No real leads there. So I got some help from a recruitment agency (multiple ones in fact, Michael Page, Robert Walters etc)

This was the main catalyst for getting real job opportunities which lead to two roles I interviewed for, one at SC Bank and one with a top Silicon Valley company.

I wanted to try something different so I pushed for the latter one. I won't bore you with the details, however the process was strict and drawn out (multiple interviews ~6 , case studies etc), but eventually I got an offer. This was when things got even more drawn. My offer was subject to a background check and EP approval.

I had nothing to hide from from the BC, however just getting documents to them and them replying back took 2 weeks.

I was actually more nervous about the EP check because everything now was reliant on it, even though I had a backup - letter of consent. The employer submitted my application on Thursday and I got approved on Monday morning (3days turnaround - pretty amazing, given some horror stories of waiting 2 months).

However my advice if you want your EP approved quickly is find a reputable employer, which have a good record of a balanced work place (locals and foreigners) and corporate image - that is in your control in which company you want to work for. The basic requirements like salary (8000+) and university degree (good uni) will get you 3/4 way there, if not more. I am lucky I am Australian, and Singapore and Australia has good ties with each other. The thing I was worried about was my experience in a different industry and that they will view that as unacceptable given my high(er) salary.

The MoM website actual says, there is a 90% chance your application will get approved if SAT says you are eligible.
I was skeptical about this given all the stories I read on this blog. However if your fundamentals are sound, I think you don't need to worry!

Good luck all.