Originally Posted by Unregistered

And that's the problem with youngsters these days. They say "sky's the limit", "you are what you limit yourself to be" and the likes, and fantasize about quick success. No doubt there will be successful stories, but most probably in the range of one in million. And can you be that one?

We are not trying to demean people from SIM, or that we are defeatist (in fearing people from Ivy Leagues). We are just setting expectations, that more often than not, we see people from Ivy Leagues getting those better jobs. Ask any HR folks and let them compare, and see who they will short-list. It's the harsh reality.

Singapore pride itself on meritocracy. Those who graduated from Ivy Leagues put in efforts to enter them, and therefore received a prestigous "brand". If for some reason or not you are unable to get that, the society won't go easy on you and let you have equal opportunities as these branded graduates would have. Unless of course you're well connected, or that you have outstanding CCAs/Internships. But if you're the average Joe from local Uni or SIM, even with outstanding academic credentials but nothing else, don't get your hopes high too up. Though you have higher chances than those with mediocre results.

In short, there is a hierarchy of graduates in the market, whether you choose to believe it or not. Afterall, it is the employers game, especially with everything now being "international". How are you to distinguish yourself from the rest, especially if you know your competitors are tough, and that you have nothing outstanding to boot? Youngsters these days really need a whack on their head to wake them up from their fairy tales.