Time is precious, my friend. I have seen a 27 years old fresh A1 (male) working under a female manager 1 who is also 27.. and they happen to be classmates in pri sch.

It was kinda awkward.

You have not addressed the issue correctly at least not in monetary terms. The difference keeps on snow balling until you leave big4. Unless an undergrad is able to make use of the extra one year to do multiple internships to enter a financial institution, then an additional year is worth it.

The guy maybe is Sec 5 + Poly + NS + 4 year Uni route.

Then the girl is Sec4+ JC + NTU route.

Then yes, A1 meets M1.

Not awkward at all. i see before 29 yo A1 working under 26 yo manager and 25 yo female senior. All treat him like king. Meanwhile, those younger guys all kena the worst engagements and treatment

People see you older so give you more face and respect

Omg 29 yo still A1? Probably is an experienced hire, quite unthinkable to have a fresh A1 who just graduate out of school.

They probably showed him more "respect" due to his prior working experience before joining as an A1.

You think a 27 yo M1 will "respect" a 27 yo fresh grad A1 who just came out of sch with no working exp?

I think life is abit more than maximising efficiency. So don't need to be too obessed with it.

First thing. NBS 3year direct honours is faster. But NBS will always be faster regardless of career choice, and there are NBS accounting grad who did other stuff besides big4. So there is better choice among the three uni, if we want to maximise efficiency.

Second thing. I am not sure if maximising that little bit of efficiency actually matter in our world and life which is non linear and not like for like. Career in big4 is linear and largely the same for everyone, but your life is not. If you were to eventually leave big4, your career is nonlinear and not comparable too. In greater scheme of things, that extra one year 'wasted' doesn't impact your life, your retirement plans, your family plans.

I was from NUS and started in big4 . I have never heard of NUS friends lamenting the one year of difference.if any, I do hear my NTU friends complained about NS wasting two years. That probably explained why they and I chose different schools since we have different concept of time and thinking horizn.

Tiagong is career change and family damn rich one so different treatment. Probably job n big 4 to gain experience before starting own biz or take over family biz. The rest OT like dog while he gets the easiest engagements

Have one

N levels > ITE > NS > Poly > Uni route

Will start work almost close to 30 years old with no prior working experience lol

Shag. Work so hard just to becum A1 lololololol

This kind of story is usually featured on Straits Times: from delinquent to running my own successful biz with 10m annual turnover

Might as well hv studied harder in sec school instead of hanky panky with schmates in void deck. In the end so much effort still auditor only nia

This is the route least travelled. We are not in this situation so is difficult to really understand the job holder except to applaud him/her for the efforts. As for me I would have chosen to be self employed or be in direct sales line than working in a coporation with little hope of moving to a much higher position due to being a late starter.