Did you just apply for any random HQ position though? Based on what I've seen for OPE, good HQ positions seem quite uncommon.

What do you mean by good HQ positions? All HQ positions are opportunities.

Ok maybe I should rephrase. Rather than "good", perhaps "suitable" would be a better word.

The reason why I say this: this JC teacher I know wanted to escape the school environment and randomly applied for schools division, pre-school education...didn't fit in but tried to blend in here and there. After some years of enduring HQ life, got posted out and forced down to secondary school (don't think there was a choice for that).

I don't wanna end up like that.

Look for positions that you don’t mind trying. Go in with a positive mind and you’ll be fine. JC teachers will unlikely be posted back to JC because there is an excess of JC teachers. This is a fact. There are so many hundreds of openings every OPE. Surely there will be something that will interest you.

Another school was willing to consider me for HOD but I went for an SH position. Not that it matters anymore heh.

More flexibility to wfh. Treated like an adult in the workplace and don’t have to succumb to nonsensical rules like “still must report for 4 hours to school even if not down for oral invigilation” or “can only leave after 1pm bell even if your last period has ended earlier”. Post-COVID world but back to pre-COVID practices. I’ve worked in ministries and now private sector, and nowhere else but school is the principle of equal misery so apparent.

Good job for finding something you're happy with! Which industry did you transit to? Did you previously have relevant experience or certifications from that industry?

Yup I understand your point. It's just that when I last looked at OPE positions, there actually weren't many "suitable" ones available. I believe that was what happened to the teacher I mentioned (from JC or not doesn't matter) - not much choice so randomly apply just to get into HQ lol, and end up in some unwanted place.

Also heard from middle and higher management that HQ positions are limited and extremely competitive too (at least for the "highly valued" branches). Most positions seem to be reserved for scholars first.

If you are applying to something you are interested in, it’s not randomly applying. What kind of roles are you interested in? There are so many divisions in HQ and you might not even be aware of.

It is true that HQ positions are competitive because if you compare the hundreds of positions to the tens of thousands of teaching positions, how many people can become HQ officers? But it doesn’t mean you can’t if you don’t try. I find my middle managers in schools like to demoralise their teachers by saying such things because they themselves in the first place can’t get a HQ posting and they are only being sour grapes.

What are the “highly valued” divisions? All divisions are important. The so called “highly valued” divisions might not even be the most suitable place for you.

You need to see what you are interested in? Technology (ETD), Curriculum (CPDD), Curriculum Policy (CPO), Special Needs (SpeD), CCE, teacher training (AST), communications (Corporate Communications), higher Ed?

There are so many divisions. And I must say every division take in OPE (not just scholars) and if you prove yourself, you will get your enhanced posting.

Average looking JC teacher salary progression, what would it look like?

Years 1 to 5, starting, yearly increment, bonus, etc.

Was informed recently that I was selected for FHQ. Am interested in a policy wing position asi would like a system view of where we are/where we are headed. But some seniors have warned me to reconsider as they said that compared to. Professional wing, policy wing officers are more out of touch with the ground and would affect my chances for enhanced posting back as a HOD. Currently, I'm an SH now. Is that assumption groundless if I continue to keep myself abreast of the latest developments in schools