huh? It's precisely because it's much easier to enter the civil service, I'll recommend threadstarter to choose the first choice.

If you choose civil service, and realize that you don't like it, it's much harder to get an opportunity like IPP.

I don't see anything wrong with going into a specialized field after you have graduated from uni. The best paid professionals are always those from very specialized fields.

I'm guessing your field is in environmental engineering? I think the prospects in this field are pretty good (I'm working in environment-related field too), especially so if you are in the private sector.

Please think long term - while the starting pay for civil service may be higher, it stagnates very quickly. Whereas if you complete your PhD and go into consulting, your pay would easily rise past and rise faster than your civil service peers. You've just gotta tough it out for the four years.

It is precisely because of the rising living cost in SG that I would recommend the first option.