Do consider carefully before taking up a scholarship with such long bonds. The main draw for the scholarship is the overseas exposure and experience. Do note that for 4 years of overseas experience, you will be bonded 6 years locally in Singapore. Secondly, will the job scope and industry (defense) be of interest to you?

Let me share my personal experience with you. I was also awarded the PSC scholarship back in 1999 with a 4 years bond. I was attracted by the prestige (as was with most of my peers back then). Thankfully, my brother told me to reconsider and to study the field where I am most interested in. I declined the scholarship, got into NUS and signed up for their Student Exchange Programme where I spent 6 months studying in a overseas university. (I read that currently there are more programmes with up to 1 year.)

Upon graduation, I choose a job which gives me opportunities to travel overseas. Normally jobs with overseas travel, the pay is good, twice of what your average peers are earning. After spending 3.5 of my 6 years in my company overseas in China, Japan, Taiwan and Korea, here I am back to Singapore and ready to make a job switch.

I enjoyed every bit of my overseas exposure and the best part is I am interested in the industry I am working at. I learnt Japanese during my working years and have made many friends around the different countries and learnt many different business cultures.

So if you are considering for overseas exposure, do not only look at your education span but also beyond when you are working. The contacts and people you meet will greatly give your career a major boost. I'm not sure about the defense industry, but normally once you spend more than 5 years in the civil service, it's quite difficult to jump back into the private sector. Leaving the comfort zone is difficult once you reach the 30s as that is the time you may have mortgage loan to pay, family and young kids to support.