I was reading this thread yesterday and asked my sister if there is a difference in terms of level the individual is teaching. She told me no...and she said an NIE diploma cannot become teacher but just a teaching assistant. So, I guess one has to graduate with an NIE degree to teach and the starting salary should be the same irregardless of what levels you are teaching and the difference only comes based on seniority and positions i.e. HOD. Do correct me if I'm wrong.

My sis went on to do NIE dip after poly, she has been a teacher for about 8 yrs now, and has just started to take her NIE degree.

The difference is in the payscale. Not all primary or secondary teachers are paid alike, it depends on their qualifications.

Correct. Where you teach doesn't affect your pay. Your qualifications are the one.

Was quite shocked to hear that my army friend was only drawing 2.2k/month. He graduated with one of the distance learning degrees from SIM with a 2nd upper. Before that, he was unemployed for almost 8 months and was never called up for interviews in MNCs for degree positions. He went for several interviews for positions meant for diploma holders though and turned them all down eventually.

sim grad
 

Agree whole heartedly here. Experience counts for everything and where/what you studied counts for very little.

I'm 27, in the finance industry on a relationship management role drawing 90k basic. I believe that is quite decent for someone who graduated from SIM UOL just 2 years ago.

This is the true "food chain" in finance. who you know > EQ > what you know > where you studied > what you studied. This doesn't really apply to all roles in finance, but really my point here is that is way too much importance on where/what you studied relative to its importance.

Exploited?
 

Hey just want to get a sense on the ground if 2500 is adequate for internal audit associate at foo grant Thornton. I have had prior 3 years worth of internal auditing working experience.
I'm also graduating with first class honors.

I feel really discouraged cause it seems like my degree classification doesn't mean anything, I thought with FCH, I could at least command 2800 having had prior relevant experience.

Also applied for big 4 internal audit division but have not heard back from them

Sadly it's the stigma of an sim uol degree. You would have better luck pursuing your masters at a more reputable uni and then find a job. Lots of sim uol people keep boasting how their graduates get sponsored to do masters at lse. Don't tell me that its all fake? Try for post grad at local uni also if you are keen. Private grads have not used the moe tuition grant that is entitled to them. If you go local uni for poatgrad, you can use your tuition fee subsidy there and it will be cheaper. Shouldn't be a problem for a FCH from uol right? Since you guys keep boasting on how good you are....

2500 wasnt bad at all, should not care too much for 300-400 difference in expectation. In audit firm, you will get promoted / progressed every year until you hit manager. By then you will be earning a decent salary and ready for your next big position.

Think of your career as a journey. Important to have dream, clear target, and work hard.

Hey it s only 2/3 out of 100 plus FCH get selected for sponsorship in lse. It isnt easy, got certain criteria to hit and usually those selected are the elites among the FCH. Well, from what i heard, FCH doesnt guarantee u a job in big 4, but there are people who are 2nd upper or first class chosen for it. It all comes down to how well u present yourself to them. In addition, i believe luck plays a part in it too, just like 2nd lower local grad in accountancy course in ntu cant get into big 4. So don't be discouraged, just work hard. Or u can try to source for more options.

Face the fact, you are just not good enough for local uni and reputable MNCs. Advice is just accept that fact, try not to raise the bar so high and feel disappointed in the end. FCH for DL degree is just like a white elephant, looks nice but nothing inside. 2.5k is good for a sim grad, be happy with what you have and things would be alright.

Dont be in denial like some posts in this thread where they are living in denial about the reality, instead they flaunt their glorious SIM degree which allows them to breaking into banking and what not.

What the writer wrote is true - FCh for DL degree is a white elephant. Ministries will never call up someone who gets FCH for an interview. Even if you get a call up;it is just to fill up their quota but ultimately they won't hire you.

1. perhaps the new company might have a different job scope from which u are expecting and thus treat you as on a fresh grad on the pay scale.

2. how much were you earning previously? perhaps the new salary offered could be a decent jump from your previous'. some companies might go: 'hey this guy is asking for a 50% jump, lol'

Grant Thornton is a decent mid range auditing firm, it's very lucky a SIM can actually get an offer there. My advice is be realistic about your lack of acadmics and accept the offer. At least can gain a foot and exp in a decent firm and move on few years later. Dun accept wait later end up like other SIM grads working in those small local accountancy firm.

Actually I know of someone, who got third class honors in uol Econ and finance with zero job experience who got hired for an internal audit position and was being paid 2800

Sim graduating in 2014
 

I was earning 2250 in my previous position as a diploma holder. Thus, 2500 makes me feel like my degree is only worth $250.

I'm not treated as a fresh grad, apparently fresh grads only get 2300

Sim graduating in 2014
 

Firstly, I don't think you should say I'm not good enough for local uni or reputable mnc. I have ever worked in an mnc. And the reason I didn't get into a local uni was because of my laziness and not because I wasn't smart enough.

I am very realistic and I don't expect to be earning 3-4k and breaking into the banking industry. How internal audit is a niche area, and there aren't that many people who can use the data analysis software that I can use. However, I can't speak mandarin and that's a major disadvantage as companies have operations in china.

Your words are a powerful tool, you can either make someone feel utterly horrible or you could offer constructive advice. Please reflect upon that the next time you write something down :)

This is just subjective self-praise that means nothing. Whatever fancy reason you might think of, the fact remains that you only have DL degree and failed to enter the big4 as admitted earlier. This is a fact that you need to face, not come up with self serving excuses that you are actually local uni smartness but just lazy.

This is yet another excuse to justify your worth. Not sure why you bringing your supposed specialised niche computer data skills into the picture, the fact is the big4 are not interested and apparently Grant Thornton didn't think too highly of that either.

As for people not hiring you because they have operations in China and you don't know Chinese, I think this is another one of the self-serving excuses used to lessen the pain and increase self worth. The fact that so many non-Chinese serve as audtiors is proof that this is not true.

People are already offering constructive advice, i.e. 2.5k is good so take up the Grant Thornton role to build up your CV since you cannot compete effectively with your stronger peers currently. You obviously have a much higher opinion of yourself and listed many justifications to explain your current predicament like how smart you are, special data skills, disadvantaged becasue of Chinese etc.

Main thing is are you here to hear people's opinion or you just want people to cheer lead you? 2.5k is pretty much the norm for DL degrees, other than the big4 which you fail to make the cut, the only other alternative is RSM Chio Lim which also pay around there for freshies. I doubt the other mom & pop outfits can even match 2.5k.

Another co you can consider is Stephen Mclaren. IIRC they are allied with Thompson in some way, it's a smaller co so pay maybe a bit lower 2.2-2.4k, but I worked there and the people there are quite nice and working hours much better than FKT.

agree that 2.5k for GT is quite good.. But if you are more keen on the big4 offers, just keep on trying for them. I'd probably join GT and keep applying to big 4. Big 4 also offering about 2.7-2.8k nia. Not much diff in salary there if u were to compare.

A UOL fch is useless. You just need to score a distinction for five out of the twelve units. Only need to study 12 units. Don't even have to get an average of A for all of them like real universities.

How about SIT?

is 5 out of 9 subjects bro.. Well it might not has the same intensity as local degree but if u think it s easy, come and try it.

1. that's a 11.1% jump. Considered decent. Rule of thumb - ask up to max 20%. HR will negotiate down to 15% most likely.

2. your degree is worth on average $3,000 per year. but that worth, i can confidently say to some degree, will increase exponentially when experience.

3. last piece of advice, choose a job that can bring u benefits in future, not in the present. once you have proven your worth, you will be able to reap in your harvest when the time is ripe. many grads want to collect the harvest like right away, but they never think how long that will last them.

Lol. Not helping. Even LESS subjects. If you can't get an fch I'm not sure what to say. Matter of fact is, the amount of subjects you take in 3 years is probably less than what a local uni engineering student takes in one year. On average, that type of workload could be completed in 1.5 years or so. Not to mention the bell curve in a local uni is crazy. Only by scoring 90% in some mods can you get then get an A. And you have to keep an average of A to get a FCH. Unlike sim just need 5/9 can call yourself an fch graduate.

Yep, i don't disagree with you that local deg is more valuable than Dl degree but if you think it s easy to study, u can come try. They clear 5 modules per sem while we clear 5 modules or 4 for some per year. But our year start from sept to may, so that s like 8 months, basically not much difference. I would say that fch in sim is doable, it isnt tough but it requires alot of effort and hardwork too. It s not as easy but it s sure not as tough as local degree fighting out with each other. I m referring to certain course the bell curve is competitive, if u are referring to other courses such as arts or social science, i doubt the bell curve is competitive as my friend didnt study also can get second upper, it speaks alot.

how is that not much different? local uni usually start around mid august and end late april or early may... and by den they have already taken 10 modules. there is even a 1 month break in between.

n i dont believe there is any course in local uni that is not tough if u wan a fch... in any course, the top is always filled with ppl who are passionate in their study, or simply smart and hardworking... And in addition to their own course modules, they have to take alot of other non-core modules where they have to inevitably face competitions from the other faculties. All these and they have to maintain an average of A- of the 30+ to 40 modules they have to take AND atleast an A- for their fyp.

FCH from UOL A&F here.

Really discouraged after looking through this thread and the replies gathered from the various companies.

No point debating over such issues.when i graduate then i ll see what my options are..

FCH private degree is still a useful cert as long as expectation is realistic. Too many pte degree holders fantasize they are on par with the FCH local grads, want to join top banking jobs, mgt consultancy, global MNC etc end up disappointed only in the end.

If the goal is to get an executive job in a decent size company, a pte degree with good grades can still help.

Agree with the fellow bro..of course private fch cannot be compared with local fch..they took more modules and etc. I would say there s a handful like 2-5 ppl per batch of uol graduates is able to compete with them as the best would get handpicked by sim to be sponsored to study master in lse.well a handful of them is still brings hopes n dreams to those in uol.

hi all, just graduated from uol e&f last year, FCH.

my salary progression is -

$1.6k (worked as contract bank ops during my final year of pt studies in 2012)
$2.4k, June12- oct12(fixed term contract with a foreign bank,mainly in domestic cons banking)
$2.7k, nov12 -sep13 ( perm role with another foreign bank,mainly in APAC markets and corp banking,fugging underpaid!!!)
$3.5k, oct13- now (perm with another foreign bank, same role as before)

So until now I only got barely 1year exp. But hey, when u got some experience under your belt, job search becomes relatively easier when i just finished my exams.
Probably will hang around for a year or 2 after getting my professional cert, by then my pay should be somewhere near high 3s and I'll hop again for $4.2~$4.5k.

Unlike some of the super lucky guys here who've gotten high 3s or 4s as their starting pay, i went on to take the hard route. When i finished my exams last year, i had a $3k offer from a fund accting firm (located in changi biz park,i tink many know which 1 lah haha). But i rejected and took on a $2.4k contract role doing something i like. Reason ? Experience lor. If u dont wanna go out and grind for some experience, nobody will take you seriously. It's like a chicken and egg problem. You want a banking job? But you got no experience. Banks want to hire ppl for junior positions but they want ppl to have experience. Anyway, pls dont think having a FCH is a very big deal. I've worked with ppl graduated from local u with top results and some from reputable overseas U. None of them did yaya about their academic credentials. When u step out to work, its all about KPIs, appraisals, who is eh gan and who is buay gan.

anyone graduating in 2014 with UOL FCH, managed to get any interviews with big 4 yet?

I had quite similar advancements when i graduated in 2004 too lol! UOL-SIM 2nd class lowers nia.

$1.8k - $2k Jan05-Sep06 (6 mths contract with foreign bk doing ops, convert to perm +200)
$2.2K Sep 06 (internal transfer to middle office, underpaid lol)
$4k Jun 07- Sep 09 (move to jap bank front office)
$4.4k - Oct 09 - Aug 10 (move to local bank, lousy increment)
$5.4k - Sep 10 - May 12 (small foreign bank branch)
$6k - Jun 12 - Mar 13 (back to another jap bank)
$6.3k - Apr 13 (another foreign bank branch, prev jap bank like ****).

Not fantastic pay but comfortable and stable for the amount of work done. Sometimes no work to do in office and can leave on the dot at 6pm good for spending more time with family and children.

SIM-UOL AnF. Will be graduating with a FCH. I got offered a position in Deloitte. I did an internship, actually not much of an internship but a temp job actually during the holidays last year. I performed pretty well and they offered me a permanent position. None of my UOL friends have got anything yet though, hopefully they will soon. I was offered because the company is trying to further expand into Indonesia and since I was from there when I was younger and spoke the language, they though I'd be valuable to the company.

But I had to turn them down because I'm looking to take my masters and completing my ACCA first. I started taking my ACCA when I started school and will be completing it soon too.

not a wise move, turning down Big4.. a masters will not get you anywhere if you have no work experience.

of course if you chose this path cos you are a rich indon kid who wants to study as long as possible, then enjoy!

I agree totally. Always feel that a Masters won't get you anywhere unless it's an MBA from the likes of Stanford, Harvard or Wharton. Even then experience counts for alot. Would be wiser to start a job first before moving on for masters. That way you'll also know what graduate programme you wish to study after knowing your career move better with years of experience.

Haha. I'm taking my masters because my parents are making me do it. They want me to take a masters from a more prestigious university. Its a matter of face la. When going visiting and all so that they can say their child is from a more reputable local university. I didn't want to turn down the big4 offer in the first place. But I hope that my contacts will still be there once I complete my masters. Hopefully still can get the job.

Big 4
 

so anyone else offered a job by big 4? AnF FCH here, I applied 'two weeks ago for KPMG's advisory associate position. haven't heard from them. Just wondering what my chances are in hearing back from them? I do have 2 years relevant working experience, however I have not done an internship nor do I have connections in the big 4.

Hello everyone. I am currently a SIM-UOL student and going to graduate next year (2015), provided that all goes well and I don't fail any module lol. Even though I am thinking a year ahead, I would like to ask how do you guys find jobs after graduation?Is it through job websites and newspapers?

What job positions can I look for after I graduated with a degree in Business from SIM-UOL?

Thanks so much in advance and sorry for the stupid questions.

higher chance if u apply for assurance....