Originally Posted by Unregistered

At the end of the day, because of the different schemes of service, different agencies (stat boards have autonomy), different CEP etc. No one actually has the full picture of the entire civil service, how the pay is like, and the career progression etc. One thing's for sure, if you're in for the money, please do go to the private sector.

Typically local grads will end up as Director, just depending on how long it'll take them (normally around 30 years). Promotion and career development, like with striking lottery, cannot be explained. It's a combination of luck, people's help, and ability. Being at the right place, doing the right thing, under the right boss plays a huge part. Who's to say that the average Joe who gets his first promotion after 4 years, might not end up with a higher position, as compared to a bright Jon who got his first promotion after 2 years?