SIM-UOL fresh grad starting pay

Aft reading some of the posts, I want to contribute.

Here's some of my friends who work I'm banks
A) a dip grad from tmc working as senior analyst in a foreign ang moh bank
B) a dip grad from shatec working as credit analyst working for a local bank
C) my ex boss (no longer a banker) has only a string of pte dip n deg( not even sim) was earning more than 10k doing audit in a local bank( he worked more than a decade as rm)
D) a USA grad working as analyst in an ang moh bank... She was some wat an elite coz she's from the better jc

I know a lot of local grads r trying to get into banking now but have no chance

But now I know it's harder to b a banker...
All these people got into banking way way way before the financial crisis...

True story

I swear to god that it's true.

Originally Posted by Unregistered

Its good offer. I have a 3rd class honors and was offered 2.3k from one of the largest accounting firms. I will grab it with both hands if I was in your shoes. Do you have any prior exp?

Ya I took it up already, make do first. Em I wouldn't say exactly relevant experience. Maybe alittle.

Originally Posted by Unregistered

This whole thread is like a ding-dong between pro and anti SIM grads. A wave of response one after another condemining SIM UOL followed by another wave one after another of supposed SIM grads who claim to have made it big with fantastic career. Sometimes I wonder if its just 1 or 2 person talking to each other.

There are SIM grads who really went out there and made it. Heck, I have friends armed with only ACCA and N levels but earning way more than his peers in the same age group (28y.o).
Although, they are not in the banking sector but still doing finance in major O&G / maritime sectors. Not hard to guess which company,just along Beach rd or pasir panjang rd there's only that few big coys.

But we / the SIM grads or soon-to-be grads have to acknowledge these points:

1) Prejudice against pte / DL grads are usually frowned upon and they do not have equal standing with local grads, even if companies constant preaching about equal opportunities,etc.

2) Pte grads are often exploited and/or hired at a lower cost than their local u counterparts. This is debatable, heavily dependent on hiring manager's POV and HR's policies. It is a known fact that many companies have different pay structure for pte grads, not just limited to public sectors.

3) Pte grads capability are usually perceived to be lower of their local U counterparts. i.e Pit a NUS FCH vs an UOL FCH, NTU pass vs an SIM pass, etc. This is very much debatable, but whether you believe it or not there's some truth in it.

4) Lacking in presentation skills. Could be from presentation in meetings to individual level of conversing with others in proper sentences, without stuttering entirely or adding in singlish to 70% of your sentence.

These are some of the points I could think of now. I'm sure there will be heroes coming and rebut me saying, "BS, im earning xxx" or " my brother's gf's sister's bf's cousin is an UOL grad drawing 8s in goldman".
Whatever floats your boat but my point is - pte grads already have disadvgt against local ones. Not the end of the world, and you shouldn't degrade yourself cuz of that. Sometimes, just take a deep breath, chill out and look at the broader picture realistically. You'll b able to see more, and not just being myopic, focusing on the wrong things.

- From somebody who graduated from SIM 3 yrs ago, not at the top echelon of earning power yet. But not too shabby for somebody who only has 3 years of full time working exp.

Originally Posted by Unregistered

1) Prejudice against pte / DL grads are usually frowned upon and they do not have equal standing with local grads, even if companies constant preaching about equal opportunities,etc.

2) Pte grads are often exploited and/or hired at a lower cost than their local u counterparts. This is debatable, heavily dependent on hiring manager's POV and HR's policies. It is a known fact that many companies have different pay structure for pte grads, not just limited to public sectors.

3) Pte grads capability are usually perceived to be lower of their local U counterparts. i.e Pit a NUS FCH vs an UOL FCH, NTU pass vs an SIM pass, etc. This is very much debatable, but whether you believe it or not there's some truth in it.

4) Lacking in presentation skills. Could be from presentation in meetings to individual level of conversing with others in proper sentences, without stuttering entirely or adding in singlish to 70% of your sentence.

Your points are hardly sound.

1) Is it considered discrimination if an employer promotes a polytechnic grad over an O-level grad? No, it is not. It is the employer seeing that a poly grad has more potential, more skills and is overall smarter and better due to his education than the O-level grad. Same thing applies to a local uni grad vs a pte uni grad. Not all degrees are the same. Like that we can all cry foul and say that employers are paying Oxbridge grads thrice what they would pay normal grads mah. But basically, its because not all graduates are the same. Some graduates are just of a better calibre than others. Most employers want to retain these talented individuals in their company, hence they give them a higher pay so that they wont jump ship.

2) Same thing applies. Is an Oxbridge grad worth the same as a 'graduate' from a 9-month distance-learning degree course? No, they are not. Hence, the difference in pay.

3)Once again, is the capabilities of a FCH Oxbridge grad the same as a graduate from a 9-month distance-learning degree course?

4) I thought SIM grads are always harping on their street-smartness and outspokenness? Shouldnt that make presentations a whole lot easier for them?

Fact is, not all grads are perceived the same way. Even in the same university, a FCH graduate from aerospace engineering might not be seen in the same way as a FCH graduate from mechanical engineering. Even if they both have the same relevent skills for the job.

The only way you can break out of this mold is to PROVE yourself to your employer that you are better than your colleagues. There are tons of SIM grads that have done so. But there are also many who have not, and then harp on how they've been discriminated from a job. Wanna know whats discrimination? When you apply for jobs and get told that they want 'chinese-speaking' only in a country where the official language of administration is English. That's what true discrimination really is.

Originally Posted by Unregistered

There are SIM grads who really went out there and made it. Heck, I have friends armed with only ACCA and N levels but earning way more than his peers in the same age group (28y.o).
Although, they are not in the banking sector but still doing finance in major O&G / maritime sectors. Not hard to guess which company,just along Beach rd or pasir panjang rd there's only that few big coys.

But we / the SIM grads or soon-to-be grads have to acknowledge these points:

1) Prejudice against pte / DL grads are usually frowned upon and they do not have equal standing with local grads, even if companies constant preaching about equal opportunities,etc.

2) Pte grads are often exploited and/or hired at a lower cost than their local u counterparts. This is debatable, heavily dependent on hiring manager's POV and HR's policies. It is a known fact that many companies have different pay structure for pte grads, not just limited to public sectors.

3) Pte grads capability are usually perceived to be lower of their local U counterparts. i.e Pit a NUS FCH vs an UOL FCH, NTU pass vs an SIM pass, etc. This is very much debatable, but whether you believe it or not there's some truth in it.

4) Lacking in presentation skills. Could be from presentation in meetings to individual level of conversing with others in proper sentences, without stuttering entirely or adding in singlish to 70% of your sentence.

These are some of the points I could think of now. I'm sure there will be heroes coming and rebut me saying, "BS, im earning xxx" or " my brother's gf's sister's bf's cousin is an UOL grad drawing 8s in goldman".
Whatever floats your boat but my point is - pte grads already have disadvgt against local ones. Not the end of the world, and you shouldn't degrade yourself cuz of that. Sometimes, just take a deep breath, chill out and look at the broader picture realistically. You'll b able to see more, and not just being myopic, focusing on the wrong things.

- From somebody who graduated from SIM 3 yrs ago, not at the top echelon of earning power yet. But not too shabby for somebody who only has 3 years of full time working exp.

dude, I think no. 4 is just you lah. My friends and I all have no problems with public speaking. yeah we do speak singlish but we control it according to the situation

As a fresh grad, an employer would obviously take local U over private U. Take it that one does have anything under their belt such as a CFA or other certifications, fresh grad to fresh grad, private U candidates will have a harder time finding the type of employment they want. I say this because a lot of business students always want to aim for a banking position which is a joke to begin with seeing as how these people have to idea what the business organisation entails and what is the job scope.

That being said, SIM love to pride themselves on being street smart. Lets face it, if you have good academic qualifications, you wouldn't need to latch onto these intangible qualities to try and feel relevant to society. You will never hear SMU NTU NUS business students claiming they are street smart even though they are. These people know that to get a foot through the door in the finance industry, they have to more than being loud mouths.

SIM people, be humble and ask yourself. Its simple
Didn't make it to local U? Fine, you aren't smart enough. Go private U.
Go private U, employment prospects not as even.
So face it, your not smart enough. Be it genetic or lazy, you are where you are today, accept it and move on. Stop harpering on the fact that you see yourself as equal or more to local U students.
Seriously, just admit it. "I didn't study hard enough". "I just can't". "I'm not smart enough"

I find it pretty disgusting that people are unwilling to accept their flaws and try to bring themselves up with arrogance or bring others down with jealousy.

I totally agree, I played to much in JC and ended up with terrible grades and hence was forced to go SIM.

However it has been 5 years since I graduated and I now work in a bank and have a local NTU grad with second upper and NTU masters working under me muhahaha. And all I have is still my crappy UOL 2nd lower.

[Joshua]

I am currently still studying but am freelancing for various platforms. Hopefully once i graduate my base pay will be bumped up by the projects I did. More xp = more money

Hopefully =X

Originally Posted by Unregistered

I totally agree, I played to much in JC and ended up with terrible grades and hence was forced to go SIM.

However it has been 5 years since I graduated and I now work in a bank and have a local NTU grad with second upper and NTU masters working under me muhahaha. And all I have is still my crappy UOL 2nd lower.

For every one "success story" you have in SIM, you can easily find ten from each of the local U.

Having said that, I am seriously doubting the authenticity of this post.

Originally Posted by Unregistered

This whole thread is like a ding-dong between pro and anti SIM grads. A wave of response one after another condemining SIM UOL followed by another wave one after another of supposed SIM grads who claim to have made it big with fantastic career. Sometimes I wonder if its just 1 or 2 person talking to each other.

its starting all over again...