Say what?? Who said all non-scholar has CEP to DD? There's only one DD in each department (directly below D) of 10-20 staff. Also, may scholars in their early 30s will parachute to be your DD (in ministries, almost all DD/D are AOs). There's also Snr AD, and I've seen some people in their late 40s still holding Snr AD positions.

So your pt being a non scholar might not even make it to be DD until very late in life even with a local degree?

You gotta be practical here, default ceiling at DD means you will get it near retirement, i.e. late 40s or early 50 yrs old for average performer.

Pay is not bad, ceiling for DD is 14k IIRC. 14k monthly salary might seem peanuts to you now; When young everyone fantasize they can make it big in pte sector reaping in millions of dollars annually, but ask people in their late 40s or 50s degree educated around you, how many even make it past 10k pay?

Many are lucky if they can cling on to their job w/o getting retrenched. If u join some SME I think can reach 5k by 40 already very heng.

The keywords are "non-scholars" and "local grads". You gotta realise the number of scholarship holders has increased exponentially through the last 10-15 years, both local and overseas (more prestigious) . Folks who are now in their 40s and 50s did not have to compete with the many overseas scholars. Practically all stat boards are giving scholarships now. From what I see, it's now very hard for local grads nowadays to compete with these many overseas scholars and the local grads would not be a happy bunch.

This guy has sum it up pretty well (taken from ST not too long ago):
----------------------------
Good grades cannot equal experience

I GREW up believing that Singaporeans should work hard and strive for stability. However, I have seen attitudes change as a new generation entered the work force. With the introduction of scholars, many young bright students with excellent academic qualifications leapfrogged ahead of their peers as well as many experienced senior workers.

This has left behind a group of very unhappy Singaporeans. This large group, coupled with the generations X and Y who are not among the selected scholars, will be the forces that the PAP (People's Action Party) Government will have to deal with.

Finding willing and capable Singaporean leaders to step forward to lead a group of unappreciative followers may become a problem for us as a nation. We have to continue with the basic building blocks of family and community bonding. We need to continue to discipline our children as they grow up.

We also need to continue rewarding experienced workers with higher salaries. Intelligence and academic achievement can never equal experience.
- Joseph Lim Beng Huat

I rejected SMU biz for NUS sociology, now abt to graduate. Never regretted the decision cos I thought business can be learnt. Just as those peeps above are saying soci is a 2nd tier degree, biz is a general degree that isn't worth 4 years of your time...

If you're good, you're good. This nonsense abt the private sector and the possibility of making millions is a pipe dream for many. Only some make it, not all. Don't get lulled into that rhetoric.

Just do what u like, it's very impt. As for getting rich and being proud of what you've done, u probably ought to do a business. I woul think it's much fulfilling than banking etc. And to do a business u don't need to be a biz grad. Ideas don't only come to them.

Best of luck

You haven't even start working for 1 day yet, isn't it way too early to declare you "never regretted the decision"?

Once you hit 40 drawing a crap pay struggling to pay mortgages and kids bills and you can still say you never regret becasue you like doing sociology then I will respect you. Undergrad bravado means nothing now.

That 20 years between now and 40 is impt, much more impt than the 4 u do to mug in university. Just like how my bravado counts for nothing, so does of those who spout the idealised story of the private sector.

In summary, do sociology degree means be prepare to join academic or government. dun try & act hero to test water in pte sector.

67837 demor
 

Haha ok i get what you're saying. So do you have any idea what you'd be venturing to once you grad?

lol. i think you are about to regret that decision once you start looking for a job.