DSTA (under Mindef)

Hi all,

Recently, I have been awarded both DSTA and STE local scholarships.
Even though both organisations may seem similar, they are quite drastically different in terms of roles and responsibilities. A DSTA engineer's role mainly revolves around project management while an STE engineer's role consists of technical and engineering design work.

Personally, I would accept STE scholarship as I really enjoy what they are doing. However, a number of my friends encouraged me to accept DSTA scholarship as it has a higher starting pay and better environment/culture as compared to STE.

Really hope any insiders/veterans can shed some light.

Originally Posted by guestchr123

Hi all,

Recently, I have been awarded both DSTA and STE local scholarships.
Even though both organisations may seem similar, they are quite drastically different in terms of roles and responsibilities. A DSTA engineer's role mainly revolves around project management while an STE engineer's role consists of technical and engineering design work.

Personally, I would accept STE scholarship as I really enjoy what they are doing. However, a number of my friends encouraged me to accept DSTA scholarship as it has a higher starting pay and better environment/culture as compared to STE.

Really hope any insiders/veterans can shed some light.

DSO does technical stuff as well. You can take the DSTA scholarship and join DSO at the end of your studies. One downside is that DSO has quite significant number of scholars so you don't really stand out from the rest.

STE is famous for paying their engineers like technicians as they have to pay their bloated management made up of retired SAF personnel. Nevertheless, as a scholar in STE, you could be fast tracked up to management as their scholar ratio is quite low.

Originally Posted by Unregistered

DSO does technical stuff as well. You can take the DSTA scholarship and join DSO at the end of your studies. One downside is that DSO has quite significant number of scholars so you don't really stand out from the rest.

STE is famous for paying their engineers like technicians as they have to pay their bloated management made up of retired SAF personnel. Nevertheless, as a scholar in STE, you could be fast tracked up to management as their scholar ratio is quite low.

I have friends at DSOm from my understanding is DSO now offers their own scholarships. But dsta scholars can still appeal to stay at DSO after their WEP( many beg to do so than to go dsta esp after their education overseas). I suggest that your stay at DSO or ST to build up technical conpetency first then decide down the road where you wanna go. Unless you get to do development or cyber work in DSTA, you wont develop much technical nor transferrable skills, speaking from experience. And you wont get to build on much from your uni education. My 2 cents worth of advise.

Originally Posted by Unregistered

I have friends at DSOm from my understanding is DSO now offers their own scholarships. But dsta scholars can still appeal to stay at DSO after their WEP( many beg to do so than to go dsta esp after their education overseas). I suggest that your stay at DSO or ST to build up technical conpetency first then decide down the road where you wanna go. Unless you get to do development or cyber work in DSTA, you wont develop much technical nor transferrable skills, speaking from experience. And you wont get to build on much from your uni education. My 2 cents worth of advise.

DSO does offer their own scholarship, but I don't think they offer a scholarship that allows a undergraduate overseas education after one has completed JC.

If you study science majors rather than engineering, it's likely that you'll go to DSO.

But if you're doing engineering, make sure that you go to DSO for your internship as that's the time when you choose between DSO and DSTA. There is really not much turning back after that, unless you serve your 6 years bond in DSTA before transferring to DSO.

If you are unsure of what you want to do in life, then DSTA scholarship will be the better choice. Stable environment but can get too comfortable, and as pointed out by someone earlier, not much transferable technical skills as most of the engineers in DSTA are doing project management i.e. they engage contractors to do the real work to put it bluntly, they are the middlemen between MINDEF people and contractors. Culture wise, I suppose it is pretty standard for a public sector so if you are ok with bureaucracy and red tapes, then take the scholarship. Otherwise, think twice as getting the money is one thing, being happy during your stay is another and probably the longer term consideration.

I applied a week ago and no response so far

[juniordude]

Hi guys, will like to ask usually how long does it take for CAT 1 security clearance to be approved?

Originally Posted by guestchr123

Hi all,

Recently, I have been awarded both DSTA and STE local scholarships.
Even though both organisations may seem similar, they are quite drastically different in terms of roles and responsibilities. A DSTA engineer's role mainly revolves around project management while an STE engineer's role consists of technical and engineering design work.

Personally, I would accept STE scholarship as I really enjoy what they are doing. However, a number of my friends encouraged me to accept DSTA scholarship as it has a higher starting pay and better environment/culture as compared to STE.

Really hope any insiders/veterans can shed some light.

Take DSTA for sure... end of the day ... money speak the loudest....what dreams and aspiration those are bs........

Hi, does anyone know what is the estimate starting pay for a male graduate with second upper engineer degree from local university. NS is also completed.

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