Engineering and Technology Careers are Not Valued - Singapore is "High Cost Low Tech"

As long as the government value the finance industry more than engineering, finance grads will always earn more on the whole, regardless of whether they are bright sparks or average performer. We're talking about what's the best industry to go into for the average student. If you're a bright spark, no matter where you go you'll still do well (with a bit of luck of course).
I give you 2 extreme examples to illustrate my point:
Imagine you're average, and you decide to do ballet. How to survive in Singapore as an average ballerina?
Now imagine you're an average back office operations guy in UOB bank or MAS. You'll have a stable career with above-average pay barring unforeseen circumstances like retrenchments (UOB has no retrenchment thus far in this crisis and MAS has never retrenched any staff).

hi
m i still doing well, if i m bright spark going far in a low cost low tech place ?

To Undergrad:

U misunderstand my qns. Anyway, what I am trying to tell you is for engineering graduate to go into sale/bank is hard, but we will still try, becoz of the limitation of engineering in spore. The biggest of all challenge coming from China. In a nutshell, cost. Meaning that our manufacturing plant which is owned by foreign MNC will move out one day. can be very fast. And giving the environment banking will be one of the key pillar to be developed in spore. And trust me, a lot of engineering graduate succeed in banking

To Drachir,
Sorry that I misunderstood your qn. Anyway, I do agree with you that a lot of engineering grad succeed in banking, especially in finance related jobs due to the analytical nature and good handling of figures present in most engineers due to the nature of their course. A lot of banks are actually holding recruitment drives in NUS and NTU engineering to recruit engineers into financial sectors.
To lower cost-lower tech,
I suggest that before you post anymore comments, go check out the recent news and development of education and careers in Singapore.
Firstly, President Nathan has already revealed the commencement of a 4th university in Singapore, and MOE has just held a press conference stating that the 4th university will be a university of applied technology, situated in Changi.
Secondly, if you are a bright spark in engineering, you will most probably won't go into production or manufacturing, but rather research areas in which singapore is pouring a lot of money into. You can go check out how much good researchers earn in institutes like Astar. I know they earn a lot. Alternatively, if you are a bright spark, you may even excel if you venture in the banking/finance sector, or even become an entrepreneur.

[bjhchong]

Undergrad--,

Sorry to pour cold water on your concept of AStar: they don't pay that much for researchers... unless you r a foreign talent... I was from there...

Getting a PhD could help somewhat, but you still need to be savvy & in-the-know & hoped like HELL your PhD thesis is the latest & hottest (like for eg. quantum computing or nanotechnology or experimental brain surgery or something like that)... I have interviewed a few PhD graduate which we reject because they are too focused on doing research & did not conduct implementation... it's... well, tough... so summarize in ONE word... I think even Einstein will get rejected by AStar if he just talk his Relativity...

Originally Posted by bjhchong

Undergrad--,

Sorry to pour cold water on your concept of AStar: they don't pay that much for researchers... unless you r a foreign talent... I was from there...

Getting a PhD could help somewhat, but you still need to be savvy & in-the-know & hoped like HELL your PhD thesis is the latest & hottest (like for eg. quantum computing or nanotechnology or experimental brain surgery or something like that)... I have interviewed a few PhD graduate which we reject because they are too focused on doing research & did not conduct implementation... it's... well, tough... so summarize in ONE word... I think even Einstein will get rejected by AStar if he just talk his Relativity...

Researchers enjoy the stability and the freedom. They have free time to dabble in anything they want, simply by justifying that it's related to the general research direction set by management. Look at the profs when you were in uni. Do they look stressed at all?

But if you want money and you're energetic and enjoy meeting people, go for sales, presales and consulting jobs in technology.

This is true. Engineering is having the one of the worst pay in Singapore. Even though, you are a A star scholar or whatever, the pay is still worse than those of your peers that ventures out into business sectors.

If you are thinking of having an engineering background degree and ventures into other occupation successfully and getting better pay. I can tell you, then you shouldn't go for engineer at all, at the 1st place.

I do know of people who do career switches, and they do it only investing in 2~3 years in engineering. And those that are highly paid and rewarded engineers are in fact known as entreprenuer.

I was a NSTB scholar in local university. NSTB is now known as A star. That's was 10+ years ago. After gradated, I work in few MNC. Now hold a manager position. But constantly, we are face with recession, and lay off. In fact, even though I consider myself lucky. My salary was not even comparable to those classmate I know of in IT or business line.

Engineering can be market as very rewarding. But in fact it isn't. These are all marketing lines...as engineers are needed to be the base for the industries.

To the private sector, PhD is known as permanent head damage. If you don't have working experience, but have PhD. There isn't much an advantage at all. Either what you have research on is very niche or it is still commercial not viable. Many PhD, you will have 1 entreprenur. But that probability is still much worse off that other business lines.

In fact, what in real life. Those that works for a few years. And they got a managerial post, they will go for MBA. It is more of a networking through the course.

Put it in simple fact. You are the hiring VP. You are looking for senior managerial position. Do you think you get someone in just because of his education background. Or more on recommendation and creditations?

Not forgeting creditation is also due to recommendation and networking. Fact in real life, it is all about networking and also your talent also counts.

Certification is just a knock on the door for the 1st few years. After that, it doesn't really have a big impact.

In school then, my perspective is narrow. What inputs I got is limited. Once working for few years, I see and understand what the real world.

The grass looks different when you are over the fence. They looks like gold. In fact, grass are just grass. So be humble.

I am still learning. But no longer only in career, but how to growth my retirement fund.

Originally Posted by bjhchong

Undergrad--,

Sorry to pour cold water on your concept of AStar: they don't pay that much for researchers... unless you r a foreign talent... I was from there...

Getting a PhD could help somewhat, but you still need to be savvy & in-the-know & hoped like HELL your PhD thesis is the latest & hottest (like for eg. quantum computing or nanotechnology or experimental brain surgery or something like that)... I have interviewed a few PhD graduate which we reject because they are too focused on doing research & did not conduct implementation... it's... well, tough... so summarize in ONE word... I think even Einstein will get rejected by AStar if he just talk his Relativity...

I was from there. Looking back and reflect on the achievement of all the scholars when we met for gathering.

All are okay, but doesn't pay well. It is truth.