Advice Needed!! Pls read (Career in RSN)

[Cassette]

Hi everyone, i have sign on with the navy as a naval officer.
i hold a diploma in marine & offshore technology and was accepted in SIT with a degree in Naval Architecture. If everything goes smoothly, i will start my 2 year study in 2013 and after i graduated, i need to serve my 4 year bond which will finish when i am 28 years old.

I am in a dilemma whether to sign as a naval officer or a Military Expert 4 (officer equivalent) as i still can be able to change. ME4 is more to engineering which is a bit more related to my course whereas a naval officer is more to warfare and navigation.

The pay wise after my degree would be around 3.5k-4.8k for both vocation.

What i would like to know is which is the better choice for getting a civilian job after my bond. As a ME4 or as a naval officer?( I would most probably go to the marine industry after my bond)
Also, what are some examples of the jobs i could get as a naval officer and as a ME4.


Anyone with any experiences to share?
Appreciate very much.

[Bean]

As ME4>>>>after bond can join ST marine as engineer

Originally Posted by Bean

As ME4>>>>after bond can join ST marine as engineer

agreed, based on what u have said ME4 seems to be the best option.

thank you guys.
how about as a naval officer? can i land a job in PSA or keppel? or can ME4 get into those as well?
Also, with the experiences gain in navy as a ME4, how is the pay difference if i were to stay in the navy compare to being a engineer in ST marine? will it be a big paycut and how many years would i have to stay on to get back to what i get in the navy?

[Bean]

Originally Posted by Unregistered

thank you guys.
how about as a naval officer? can i land a job in PSA or keppel? or can ME4 get into those as well?
Also, with the experiences gain in navy as a ME4, how is the pay difference if i were to stay in the navy compare to being a engineer in ST marine? will it be a big paycut and how many years would i have to stay on to get back to what i get in the navy?

I still think that as engineer as ME4, the skill are more transferable to the private sector.

If you jump ship from ME4 to Engineer in ST marine, please prepared for MAJOR pay cut!!

Assume this scenario:
Male with NS
1st class honours NTU engineering
Assume both "average performer"

Mr A join ME4:
-Starting pay (ME4 Trainee): $3570- $4760 (Graduate)
-Additional allowance: Shipboard: $200 - $300

so 1st class will get 4760+300 = 5060 (trainee)
if pass out from OCS, I assume give you 300 more
>>5060 basic + 300 allowance = 5360

After 6 years in navy, he will more probably to be ME5(aka MAJOR rank) with last drawn pay between 6.5k to 7k

assume annual salary = 16 month(could be more) = 16 x 7000 = 112000/year

----------------------------------
Mr A join ST marine as engineer
-Starting pay for 1st class(with NS) as of 2011 ~ $3400
-typical in ST engineering, average engineer get to be promote every 3 years
-so in 6 years, he will be promoted twice
-for average performer, annual increment = 3.5%, promotion increment = 4%

so after 6 years, his salary would be =
3400 x 1.035^6(6 annual increment) x 1.04^2(2 promotion) = ~$4521
So he will get ~$4521 as an asst principal engineer

assume annual salary = 12 + 1(aws) + 6(pb, could be lesser) = 19mth = 19 x 4521 = 85899/year

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from my comparison, you can see that you can't even hit the starting pay of ME4 as an engineer with ST marine after 6 years exp..

So what you think.....I no need to elaborate more

[Hermit]

My vote: ME4

its a sad thing that being a malay in singapore, we cant get into any of this. no airforce no navy n yet they say we are multi-racial. im not starting a racial riot but it just sux being in singapore as a malay.

Originally Posted by Unregistered

its a sad thing that being a malay in singapore, we cant get into any of this. no airforce no navy n yet they say we are multi-racial. im not starting a racial riot but it just sux being in singapore as a malay.

Heard the my malaysian chinese friends say the same thing as you, that's why these days a lot of malaysian chinese are coming into Singapore to work....... Why not you try your luck over in Malaysia if you think you are being shortchanged in Singapore? It's worth a try rather than to stay resign to things you can't change...

Hi may i ask if you sign on with the scholarship attached (no need to serve bond first and depends on performance)? or you are sucessful with the sponsorship first then you sign on?

You guys are funny. Both Officer and ME4 got nothing to do with his Naval Architecture degree, or Marine and Offshore Technology.

Your job as ME4 is to ask your lower ranked MEs what is the ship's status? And then they report to you, then you report to Officer.

Your job as Officer is to rotate among certain positions starting from Admin Officer, then Navigation Officer, Communications Officer, Operations Officer, Executive Officer, and finally Commanding Officer. In your 4 yr bond, you will probably only reach Communications Officer max.

Since you had already sealed your doom by signing on, my advice is to go forth as an Officer.

MEs got no respect.

From an ex Navy Regular.