Decision Making, Please Advice.

[vision]

Hi everyone, i'm 21 and serving my ns currently. I have a place @ NTU's Maritime studies and was from SP's maritime transportation management. I can't find my direction and have been speaking to lots of people and reading up on forums but i don't think my situation is getting any better. So here i am.

The reason i picked that particular poly course is because my uncle told me, "if you want to get a good pay, join the maritime industry", then where i don't have any preference. It is only through the course i started to hate the people i've encountered. Not only so, the course itself is just some rotten apple which looks nice on the outside. Without any direction, i just took up maritime studies @ NTU, which is the most "relevant" to me.

Even so, the course at NTU is built on from what i have in poly. Which makes the whole issue senseless as i will be studying what i have studied again.

I have thought of switching field but i have no idea where should i head to. I can't take math/ engineering/ science related courses because i have lost touch with math and science ever since secondary school.

On top of that, i have to start thinking about getting scholarships/ bonds too.

Maybe i am contradicting myself/ confusing everyone, but time is ticking away. If i were to change course, it will be like feb 2012 or something. I can't make the decision!

Oh ya, my poly gpa is around 3.7, which is pretty average i know.

if working in maritime means working in shipyards and such, and for companies like keppel and sembcorp, then i believe it can give you a rewarding career as an engineer.

[vision]

I don't think my course certifies me to be an engineer?

[vision]

I also understand that being 'specialised' will put myself at a disadvantage where others have a wider field of knowledge. They will have a higher chance to move on to other fields if needed to.

I don't know what to do...so helpless deciding on my future.

[Qaz]

Plenty of jobs for maritime graduates.. The course itself is fairly new so there is still a shortage of talents in the industry. There are positions in the offices as well as out in the port/shipyards

pay is ridiculously low in this industry compared to the declarations made in this forum. but if you compare against the data in Singapore Department of Statistics, its not too bad.

"if you want to get a good pay, join the maritime industry".

just curious, how good a pay are we talking about here?

[vision]

No idea, that's the line i heard back when i was still 16?
Honestly, what can people do with this useless piece of paper?

Hi Vision,

You might want to sit down and define what u really look into a career? Is it to be good at something and achieve a name for yourself based on that skill or just for the purpose on going to the industry that earns you the most $?

During my course of work, I have met with quite a fair number of professionals in the Maritime industry, it is a booming industry and it is always short of graduates and new blood, especially ppl with maritime specialisation.

Just give you a short run-thru (from my little experience gained from meetings those maritime professionals) of the career options available as a maritime professional:-

Maritime Pilots
For some optimism as for earning big bucks in the Maritime industry, I have seen PSA pilots earning $3k per piloting task - which involves getting onboard the vessel and direct them in Singapore waters. And imagine that, Singapore is very short of maritime pilots and most ppl working as a pilot are older folks who have been in the industry for many years.

Ship-Broker
Singapore is the world's 2nd busiest port and being 2nd busiest, there are heavy activities on chartering of ships and vessels and the trading of vessels in Singapore. I heard it's hard work but pay very good returns. One of my ex-colleague's brother is a ship broker, he started off as a trainee learning the ropes of a ship-broking and he is now the MD of a ship brokering company.

Bunker Trader
Vessels need bunker for transport similar to cars need petrol. Companies like Exxon Mobil and other petro companies are some of the companies who needs bunker trader. and the job pay well too.

Marine Insurance Underwriter/Broker
Though is insurance, this job underwrites and assess insurance for Marine Cargo, Marine Hull and etc. Or arrange marine classes insurances for client (Broker)

Marine Surveyor (ABS, BV and etc)
Survey and classify the classes of the different vessels and the vessels' adequateness for use for sea-faring

Government & GLC - Maritime Port Authority & PSA
Well, as the heading, it's a pretty stable job and their pay is not as bad also. They are constantly in need of Maritime graduates=)

Well as you can see there are many opportunities for someone like you, as long as u determine on which path you want to take. And by all means, all those listed above are just some of the many career options you have as a maritime graduate, so it's for you to find out the other options.

I am an engineering graduate from NTU. One word of advice, I encourage you to take up minors in NTU, for eg, in business or economics, this will give you more options in the future, for example to go into banking or other finance related areas.

Well, a degree at times is just a portal, a portal to the many opportunities out there. I have heard engineering grads becoming great bankers and stuff. So no matter wat degree u go for, jus work hard in it, get the best results and your future will be there for you to be created and developed.

Hope my 2cts helps, Good Luck!

TS problem is not about maritime pay or the course he is taking, the deeper issue is that now he is an adult studying uni and still acting like a 12 year old kid. With this kind of mentality, study what also end up the same lar.

Look at the sequence you know already

1) Signs up for maritme course in poly because Uncle say got good pay, didn't even bother to ask what is good pay and what co. and jobs are there. <-- Complete idiocy, but maybe can cut some slack because still young that time

2) Complains the course is "some rotten apple which looks nice on the outside" Complains about the people in the same class etc etc <-- WTF was that for? If he really so hate the course and the people, how come dun transfer out within 6 months or a year?

3) After lambasting how bad the maritime course is in poly, proceeds to sign up for the same course in NTU because "this is the most relevant" <-- Again WTF is this moronic rationale?

4) Proceeds again to complain how NTU course is a repeat of what he learn in poly <-- I don't believe that. Based on experience there is significant gap b/w a degree and diploma course, maybe first few intro modules got overlap, but definitely not the entire course itself is a overlap with poly.

5) Now say cannot take course that have to do with Maths, Science or Engineering because lost touch <-- Complete BS, lost touch cannot brush up har? Or isit too lazy?

End result is he can either stay in the current course and bitch about it daily or change to some boliao degree like Social Science or General non-finance Business Admin. Come out maybe can take some general admin or sales jobs, but like I say the jobs not the problem, with this kind of childish attitude, go where do what will also fail.

[vision]

Originally Posted by Unregistered

TS problem is not about maritime pay or the course he is taking, the deeper issue is that now he is an adult studying uni and still acting like a 12 year old kid. With this kind of mentality, study what also end up the same lar.

Look at the sequence you know already

1) Signs up for maritme course in poly because Uncle say got good pay, didn't even bother to ask what is good pay and what co. and jobs are there. <-- Complete idiocy, but maybe can cut some slack because still young that time

2) Complains the course is "some rotten apple which looks nice on the outside" Complains about the people in the same class etc etc <-- WTF was that for? If he really so hate the course and the people, how come dun transfer out within 6 months or a year?

3) After lambasting how bad the maritime course is in poly, proceeds to sign up for the same course in NTU because "this is the most relevant" <-- Again WTF is this moronic rationale?

4) Proceeds again to complain how NTU course is a repeat of what he learn in poly <-- I don't believe that. Based on experience there is significant gap b/w a degree and diploma course, maybe first few intro modules got overlap, but definitely not the entire course itself is a overlap with poly.

5) Now say cannot take course that have to do with Maths, Science or Engineering because lost touch <-- Complete BS, lost touch cannot brush up har? Or isit too lazy?

End result is he can either stay in the current course and bitch about it daily or change to some boliao degree like Social Science or General non-finance Business Admin. Come out maybe can take some general admin or sales jobs, but like I say the jobs not the problem, with this kind of childish attitude, go where do what will also fail.

Hey Unregistered, I appreciate your honest input with regards to this topic. I admit i am "childish" in a manner where i don't know what is my direction.

However i believe you didn't bother to check out the facts before you start shooting people down over here. Maybe you had a bad day, or you just need to vent your frustrations or whatsoever. I have no say over that but i will advice you not judge people on whether will they "fail" or not so quickly.

I believe different people have different approach. Maybe from your perspective, i am a "failure". Perhaps this is the way you put your point across or even, you could be sharing your personal experience! But I will like to see myself in the process of finding my direction, thus seeking inputs from the more experienced netizens out here.

I thank you once again for taking time off, and your effort replying to my thread.