were you a fresh grad when offered the salary?

and also did this offer come to you after all the medical checks and security clearance (ie in the finalised contact)?

did HR along the way quoted you that figure?

What are the work benefits as a DXO?

Anyone cares to share some?

im not sure if your info is correct. i signed over 3 years ago and FCH is about 4.3-4.4k

unless mindef decided to cut budget for hiring. then i guess this batch is unlucky.

this is assuming you are talking abt local uni. As elite as this sounds... NTU, NUS. if not, then i will think FCH from SIT, SUTD, SIM is probably 3.5k as you mentioned.

if you are talking in general terms, we get dental benefits, medical subsidies, up to certain amt only. we also get extra 1% medisave. You will also enroll into group insurance.

if you are talking about work, there is work life balance, no need to do duty or work shifts (in 90% of the jobs). we get to choose our own career path(well.. the catch is thats if your prospective boss wants to hire you.)

what do you mean by 'prospective boss wants to hire you'? does that mean you will apply go for interview again?

4.3 - 4.4 is quite high for FCH, if it still remains to be true. Wow.

Are sit sutd Suss treated on par as Nus ntu smu in terms of fresh grad salary?

May I clarify, this year, 2018/2019? Basic + variable, without bonuses?

I have heard countless people gasp when I told them how bad the payscale of a dxo is now. However to be fair, I didn't study hard enough to be entitled a big salary from the gov so... I can only blame my lack of foresight when I was younger. Who knew, so many MNC would pull out of this red dot within a short 10 years.

I think you were very fortunate buddy. 3-4 years ago was okay, gov didn't have so many programs to save the jobless then. It was a big bubble. Mindef used to set aside just one day per week for PT. Now they have three sessions in a week to clear backlog. With the beeline, not surprising if they take advantage of the very soft employment market.

DXO have a internal hiring system where openings are opened up to mindef applicants first. and if no one is interested, then it will go to public.

and yes. so when you 'plan' for your career, you can apply for that opening but its still subjected to interviews with your prospective bosses(immediate boss and maybe also his boss). If you apply for a higher 'rank' opening, as long as the bosses says ok, you can have the promotion.

Simplified... There is no such thing as promotion. Every job is posted, and every dxo goes through the same interview as an outsider but 1. Gets priority 2.gets preference. At least this is what HR suggest.

Actually HR is super unclear about this. A job can be dx9-11. Does this mean if your boss thinks you are good, starting from dx9 there is no need for interview for the next 5 years? Assume 2 years, 2x C+ to jump 1 grade.