Advice needed for Ivy-L Grad down on his luck.

Hello, are you already back in Singapore or still in the US? My company (GLC) is hiring engineers and you sound like you have the right profile for what we are looking at. We are not an engineering company but we do need some smart people with engineering background to help us with local and overseas expansion. With the black belt, it makes you an even more attractive candidate. I am pretty sure that we can offer you more than what you are being offered by SMRT at the moment.

If you are interested, we can take this offline. Please provide me with your email address and I can explain more. Thanks.

[Flyinghome]

Originally Posted by Unregistered

Hello, are you already back in Singapore or still in the US? My company (GLC) is hiring engineers and you sound like you have the right profile for what we are looking at. We are not an engineering company but we do need some smart people with engineering background to help us with local and overseas expansion. With the black belt, it makes you an even more attractive candidate. I am pretty sure that we can offer you more than what you are being offered by SMRT at the moment.

If you are interested, we can take this offline. Please provide me with your email address and I can explain more. Thanks.

Hi,
Thanks for your interest in me. I'm not with the SMRT though and I am currently in Singapore.
Would you be willing to contact me via my email flyinghome123@gmail.com ?
I would prefer to receive mail from your company account.

Am Looking forward to getting in touch with you.

[Flyinghome]

Originally Posted by Unregistered

I think no one really answered your questions. So i am going to try.

Qns : If I enter and finish a Management Trainee program, with the intention of leaving for a different company/role when I'm done is it a good idea? Does just having a Management Trainee program without further experience look ok on your resume?

Ans : You seem rather clear that you want to leave the job even before accepting it. From what you said, i sense the reason is due to pay (because it cant be other things like job prospect, working condition etc since you havent started work yet)

If this is so,it means you do have an acceptable pay figure in your mind. Ask yourself honestly if you believe that you can get a company to pay you that salary in this job market. If yes, then go for it with the idea that you are pursing a dream.. You never know unless you try and try again.

The otherside of the coin is, give yourself a clear deadline, with clear goals on how you plan to execute this dream. Like any other business venture you will encounter in the future, you need to know when things are going off track. If the conditions and signs are all pointing the otherway, you must move on from your dream and accept the situtation. It is not about giving up, it is about knowing how to recognise the situation and making the best of it.

Qns : Is accepting a pay grade of 3300 going to dictate my further earnings forever?

Ans : Of course not. But to double it in 2 years will also be unrealistic in terms of expectations. In good years, most companies only give 6-9% pay increment. Promotions are double digits. You do the maths and see if this is something you can live with.

Beyond pay, there are many things you may want to consider in your job. I am going to list a few
1. Time out to do other things : eg grow your non employment money , spend time wih love ones , sports, interest
2. Working conditions - learning opportunities, colleagues , culture,
boss expectations
3. Family support and personal needs - Do you need to support anyone in the near future in terms of $, time, emotional support ?

These are things that make a person work for a living. Not only a pay check.


Qns : What should I be doing now?

Ans : Finally, i sense you are young. On my part, i understand that as well and often wish i can be like some of my peers who are earning out of the world salaries and seeming to have to it all. But i now ask myself why should i be comparing myself to them. Why not compare myself to the others in the world that are worse than me ? Isnt it really just pride/ego that is driving me to want to be on the top of the world.

Having an IL education means you are already separated from the vast majority and are achieving dreams that others cannot imagine.

You asked what you should be doing now.

I challenge you to use your education and dreams to decide the path you want your life to be. No one is ever going to answer you this question better than yourself.

Btw thanks for your reply. I have alot to think about now, but I really appreciate the clarity you have provided here. I like the job and the profile but am concerned about the future prospects and career path of the program. I haven't alot of information about the program and what role I might be offered in the company after completing it.

seems u found your big break on this forum . so hows the job so far? btw, an IL education can only get u so far. i would suggest u forget about starting pay or how much u get for starters, and focus on the prospects of the career ascension. there are dip holders i met making in excess of 30 -40k in the fin industry. but started really measly pay. u just need the opening now to the right opening in the future. i'd see it that way.

Hi, I have sent you an email already. Sorry it took so long but I was busy travelling. Please make contact with me if you are interested to discuss further, cheers.

Hey your pay's a bit low from what I know. You seem to be drawing the same pay as any other 2nd lower degree. Your Master's don't seem to count.

My info: 2nd Upper NUS is 3.7k for an engineering job.

I have somewhat similar experience, got offered the $3k plus salary, thought it was a joke, but didn't have a choice since I needed a job. Don't forget that you're competing with cheaper, more desperate FT in SG.... my advice is to TAKE THE JOB NOW, work for a couple years, then move back to US if that's still what u want then.

NUS is also ivy-leagued in Asia. usually people look at 1st degree first.

SMU ivy-leagued? Why their graduates can earn 4k -12k fresh?

Little info about SMRT: from annual report 2010 go to website

Top 6 earners in SMRT only 1 engineer-trained and the oldest.

(age=62) Engineering
(age= 39) Accountancy
(age 50) Human Resource
(age 46) Science
(age 46) NUS Arts
(age 55) Biochemistry

Engineering pay is really good? Think again.

Sorry for bumping this old thread...

I just want to ask, is having an Ivy-League masters still so worthless???

I thought that it would be better than having a Masters from a lower tier university but from this thread that doesn't seem to be the case?