MAS for Mid Career Professionals

Originally Posted by Unregistered

Looks like this place very toxic, no different from private sector. Then might as well go private sector earn the higher salary.

Private sector cannot have 3 hour lunches and hour long kopi breaks and leave work early hehe. Free money!!

Originally Posted by Unregistered

Looks like this place very toxic, no different from private sector. Then might as well go private sector earn the higher salary.

It all depends on the bosses that you get to work under. Who you report to makes the difference to your MAS experience.

Originally Posted by Unregistered

Private sector cannot have 3 hour lunches and hour long kopi breaks and leave work early hehe. Free money!!

If this is true and it really bugs you, can’t you tell someone in real life so they can do something about it? Though those people can always claim they are leaving early to fetch kids then continue working remotely.

Actually private sector also has flexible working arrangements. The main difference is there are client needs and other business demands means there is always time pressure to deliver output.

Unlike certain places we know where they can take as long as they deem necessary to deliberate, ask countless questions, write and rewrite report, prepare and redo presentation that is a summary of that report, possibly repeat the above process more than once. Some of these deliberative processes can take 1-3 years or more before the output is finally ready.

But when it is time to give others timeline to respond, the turnover expected is short.

Originally Posted by Unregistered

MAS or PSDLP better?

I assume you are asking as fresh grad. You will have to find out more about PSDLP culture, see if there is an updated thread here. There are success stories in every agency, only people who have actually work there will be able to share their own experiences and perspectives. Yes, posters on forums don’t include names. But you can see what are the common themes.

MAS is not all bad. The working level colleagues are mostly (not all) friendly and helpful. Management (referring to leadership) does try to look out for work life balance. Staff benefits in terms of leave and work arrangements are good. At associate/TO level, you are unlikely to encounter too much toxicity as you will be too busy juggling your different workgroups and projects on top of core work responsibilities. In the right environment, there is no doubt you can learn many useful skills or even thrive.

My own view is that leadership positions are limited, so if you assess there is no room to progress beyond a certain point, you should leave. Don’t wait too long to leave, exit opportunities may not be as shiny as it’s made out to be, simply because there are too many ex MAS out there.

If opportunity to rotate to different postings every few years is important to you, PSDLP may be a better fit as it seems more structured. Here, only those who are identified as high potential are transferred round different departments. Others just wait patiently for their turn, which is minimally 2-3 years in the existing department. Meanwhile, you may get stuck trying to climb the ranks. By the time you climb to a certain point, it may get too comfortable to leave. Then, even if you want to leave, you have already become uncompetitive.

Originally Posted by Unregistered

Actually private sector also has flexible working arrangements. The main difference is there are client needs and other business demands means there is always time pressure to deliver output.

The main difference is that MAS any random sh*t also can arrow you to do.

In private sector, the roles and responsibilities, even if there is some room for interpretation, is more or less fixed.

Over in MAS, any random topic also can fall onto your lap and ask you to be responsible for it. Its like asking the credit risk guy in a bank to become the sustainability expert in addition to doing compliance work as well as being the rep for a new IT system.

To me, this is the biggest issue with MAS. It wants to do everything but doesn't want to commit the resources to do so.

The culture is not too bad (for me at least) but this baokaliao mentality is a big thumbs down from me.

Originally Posted by Unregistered

The main difference is that MAS any random sh*t also can arrow you to do.

In private sector, the roles and responsibilities, even if there is some room for interpretation, is more or less fixed.

Over in MAS, any random topic also can fall onto your lap and ask you to be responsible for it. Its like asking the credit risk guy in a bank to become the sustainability expert in addition to doing compliance work as well as being the rep for a new IT system.

To me, this is the biggest issue with MAS. It wants to do everything but doesn't want to commit the resources to do so.

The culture is not too bad (for me at least) but this baokaliao mentality is a big thumbs down from me.

The higher up just wants to claim credit for everything, but get someone else to do the heavy lifting.

Originally Posted by Unregistered

The main difference is that MAS any random sh*t also can arrow you to do.

In private sector, the roles and responsibilities, even if there is some room for interpretation, is more or less fixed.

Over in MAS, any random topic also can fall onto your lap and ask you to be responsible for it. Its like asking the credit risk guy in a bank to become the sustainability expert in addition to doing compliance work as well as being the rep for a new IT system.

To me, this is the biggest issue with MAS. It wants to do everything but doesn't want to commit the resources to do so.

The culture is not too bad (for me at least) but this baokaliao mentality is a big thumbs down from me.

True that, on the baokaliao hero mentality. What about thinking of it as this will train you to become all rounder or jack of all trades?

I think they are lacking in resources because every 2 to 3 years those average pool who are not perfect fit will leave, and their projects may not be depriorotised, so more and more uncompleted projects accumulate. If leadership pool changes, direction to take on certain projects and next new shiny thing may also change.

Originally Posted by Unregistered

Private sector cannot have 3 hour lunches and hour long kopi breaks and leave work early hehe. Free money!!

Add to that: You can get away with murder as long as you have a godfather/mother/sister! Free get out of jail card!

Originally Posted by Unregistered

The main difference is that MAS any random sh*t also can arrow you to do.

In private sector, the roles and responsibilities, even if there is some room for interpretation, is more or less fixed.

Over in MAS, any random topic also can fall onto your lap and ask you to be responsible for it. Its like asking the credit risk guy in a bank to become the sustainability expert in addition to doing compliance work as well as being the rep for a new IT system.

To me, this is the biggest issue with MAS. It wants to do everything but doesn't want to commit the resources to do so.

The culture is not too bad (for me at least) but this baokaliao mentality is a big thumbs down from me.

Second this, not once i am properly trained to do anything when i joined. And yes, your scope keeps changing like the stock price.

And you know what's the best part?: If you even so as to make a smallllll mistake (not say you cannot do it entirely), you will get skewered for "underperforming".......

Originally Posted by Unregistered

Add to that: You can get away with murder as long as you have a godfather/mother/sister! Free get out of jail card!

Pls be careful with the words you use. I know what you mean, that those who are more liked by their higher ups may get away with bad conduct compared to those who are not liked.

But HR guidelines also got list offences where supposed to send for disciplinary or other processes. How exactly the procedure will be administered by HR I cannot comment since I am not HR. So I get your meaning but the way you phrased it is not exactly right.