Originally Posted by Unregistered (Post 10923)

You are so wrong...

Originally Posted by Unregistered (Post 10926)

You are right in that at the end of 6 years, you'd be in middle management.. typically DSTA staff start at grade 6. If as a scholar you do well, in 4-5 years you would make grade 8 (senior engineer) and would have held the title of "project manager". Note that this title is not taken lightly in dsta context because it sounds trivial but you bear full responsibility for your project. You would then likely be seconded out (perhaps DrTech or MINDEF) or rotated within DSTA (unless of cse you express a strong desire to continue what you are currently doing) for more exposure to upper management (more "tests" for you). The main thing they are looking out for is your ability to make things happen out of your own initiative. Because that's the kind of leadership that they want. (actually what all organisations want)

Originally Posted by Unregistered (Post 10926)

You are right in that at the end of 6 years, you'd be in middle management.. typically DSTA staff start at grade 6. If as a scholar you do well, in 4-5 years you would make grade 8 (senior engineer) and would have held the title of "project manager". Note that this title is not taken lightly in dsta context because it sounds trivial but you bear full responsibility for your project. You would then likely be seconded out (perhaps DrTech or MINDEF) or rotated within DSTA (unless of cse you express a strong desire to continue what you are currently doing) for more exposure to upper management (more "tests" for you). The main thing they are looking out for is your ability to make things happen out of your own initiative. Because that's the kind of leadership that they want. (actually what all organisations want)

Ok i have not heard of DSTA people becoming technical consultants on their own and providing services back to MINDEF (maybe i havent seen widely enough) though i have heard DSO people forming their own technical consultancies.. examples are LOOP (RF electronics), Dr Chew Siou Teck (icredo) and Dr Anthony Ng (d-crypt) and provided services back to the defence industry. But note that these people are very very established in their chosen fields, very well-known in the defence circle before striking out on their own. It may sound glamorous having your own consultancy but i've heard its very very tough to survive outside. nobody owes you a living.

again like i mentioned in my previous posts, you take up a scholarship BECAUSE you've already decided to make it your life-long career. Example, a teaching scholarship from PSC because you've already known early on you really really want to be a teacher or DSTA scholarship because you want to be an engineer in our defence industry. The scholarship thus makes your original choice sweeter because it gives you a headstart over your peers who want the same thing.

Its NOT the other way around where you become an engineer in the defence industry because because you took up the DSTA scholarship for watever reasons like: to study overseas, to make your parents proud, to go one up over your non-scholar sibling or whatever.

Originally Posted by Unregistered (Post 10945)

thank you for your enlightenment. it is indeed very insightful.
any idea whats after grade 9 and the remuneration? tks

Originally Posted by Unregistered (Post 10817)

The other good choice would be to go into CSIT. They are into Infocomm research. Essentially, this is the technological arm of SID. Scholars such as yourself get the chance to join the Intelligence Officer (IO) Scheme upfront (Although i heard that recently, they are tightening the entry criteria for this scheme of service). This is a pension service and the renumeration is 2nd only to the Administrative Service - the only other remaining pension service, short of joining politics and the AO scheme is by invitation only. The pension scheme requires you to serve 8 years but then your bond already takes up 6 years. You serve well you get paid well. Comfortable living. What for take the risk of joining the financial industry where there is no guarantee of big bucks?

Originally Posted by Unregistered (Post 11328)

Please guys, someone please tell him how his life will be from 25 yrs till retirement, with accurate details of work, salary, moeny, status. he has no confidence so please outline his life for him. make him feel that DSTA will be a great choice and he will never regret looking back at the past. please convince him.

Originally Posted by Unregistered (Post 10928)

you said he was wrong in estimating DSTA CE making ~900k. what would be your estimate?