Importance of securing Honours Degree?

[badoo412]

I am currently studying mech eng currently having second lower (boderline)...wasn't in the mood for studies after NS but managed to pull up my results after second year. I came across this forum and seen lots of sad stories about being an engineer. I felt demoralised.

Looking at my results now, I am pretty worried that it would affect my future career (eg. promotion ignored due to lousy grades compared to my colleagues with same/lower level of performance as me) and application (eg. applying for new jobs and subsequent jobs).

I have been pondering...

Besides higher starting salary, how important is it to secure a first class honours degree? Would the eng/biz grads with lousy grades be left out since they scored badly?

Some people says that what matters is the person's performance and not results. However, a fresh grad cant possibly have any experience when they are out for a job. Hence, would a third class/pass degree totally affect your chances when you apply for a job and subsequent ones?

I have been seeing people switching field such as taking up ACCA which seems pretty popular. Is it possible for a switch to other field and make it with such lousy grades?

Please share your valuable experience here as I am pretty sian right now after seeing so many negative comments with regards to being an engineer and with my bad grades i am not sure if i would be screwed in future.

Thanks!!!!

You have a few questions intertwined. Let me offer my views / opinions to some of them.

1. Is having good honors important?
Imagine you are competing with your cohort for jobs. As employers of fresh graduates, one of the key things they look at is your academic results. Unless there are other criteria such as your internship at the company, medical or security consideration, it is only logical that the company will select those with better results first. So yes, a good honors degree can be a big advantage.

2. Engineering job sucks.
Engineering work is hard. Pay is not among the highest, but is adequate to set up a family and to lead a comfortable lifestyle. There are many engineers in Singapore with many "seniors" earning over $150k pa. or much more if they progressed into management roles. Many who remained in their jobs since graduation till retirement at 55 would have saved a few millions.

3. Would it be good to take up ACCA?
My take on this is : you cannot avoid competition. If you change from engineering, you will be competing with another group of professionals. You must know where your interest and passion lie. You cannot be mediocre and expect employers to notice you.

By the way, I am an engineer for 30 yrs already.

Originally Posted by badoo412

I am currently studying mech eng currently having second lower (boderline)...wasn't in the mood for studies after NS but managed to pull up my results after second year. I came across this forum and seen lots of sad stories about being an engineer. I felt demoralised.

Looking at my results now, I am pretty worried that it would affect my future career (eg. promotion ignored due to lousy grades compared to my colleagues with same/lower level of performance as me) and application (eg. applying for new jobs and subsequent jobs).

I have been pondering...

Besides higher starting salary, how important is it to secure a first class honours degree? Would the eng/biz grads with lousy grades be left out since they scored badly?

Some people says that what matters is the person's performance and not results. However, a fresh grad cant possibly have any experience when they are out for a job. Hence, would a third class/pass degree totally affect your chances when you apply for a job and subsequent ones?

I have been seeing people switching field such as taking up ACCA which seems pretty popular. Is it possible for a switch to other field and make it with such lousy grades?

Please share your valuable experience here as I am pretty sian right now after seeing so many negative comments with regards to being an engineer and with my bad grades i am not sure if i would be screwed in future.

Thanks!!!!

[Fugutaiten]

Originally Posted by Unregistered

You have a few questions intertwined. Let me offer my views / opinions to some of them.

1. Is having good honors important?
Imagine you are competing with your cohort for jobs. As employers of fresh graduates, one of the key things they look at is your academic results. Unless there are other criteria such as your internship at the company, medical or security consideration, it is only logical that the company will select those with better results first. So yes, a good honors degree can be a big advantage.

2. Engineering job sucks.
Engineering work is hard. Pay is not among the highest, but is adequate to set up a family and to lead a comfortable lifestyle. There are many engineers in Singapore with many "seniors" earning over $150k pa. or much more if they progressed into management roles. Many who remained in their jobs since graduation till retirement at 55 would have saved a few millions.

3. Would it be good to take up ACCA?
My take on this is : you cannot avoid competition. If you change from engineering, you will be competing with another group of professionals. You must know where your interest and passion lie. You cannot be mediocre and expect employers to notice you.

By the way, I am an engineer for 30 yrs already.

Hi, may I know what kind of engineer are you? How does your work typically like when you first started out? Thanks!

[badoo412]

Originally Posted by Unregistered

You have a few questions intertwined. Let me offer my views / opinions to some of them.

1. Is having good honors important?
Imagine you are competing with your cohort for jobs. As employers of fresh graduates, one of the key things they look at is your academic results. Unless there are other criteria such as your internship at the company, medical or security consideration, it is only logical that the company will select those with better results first. So yes, a good honors degree can be a big advantage.

2. Engineering job sucks.
Engineering work is hard. Pay is not among the highest, but is adequate to set up a family and to lead a comfortable lifestyle. There are many engineers in Singapore with many "seniors" earning over $150k pa. or much more if they progressed into management roles. Many who remained in their jobs since graduation till retirement at 55 would have saved a few millions.

3. Would it be good to take up ACCA?
My take on this is : you cannot avoid competition. If you change from engineering, you will be competing with another group of professionals. You must know where your interest and passion lie. You cannot be mediocre and expect employers to notice you.

By the way, I am an engineer for 30 yrs already.

Hey, earning 150k p.a as an engineer?! I thought most ppl are struggling with 60k p.a even after 10years of work. Please dont compare the engineers from oil/chem industry...

[rubberbus]

Originally Posted by badoo412

Hey, earning 150k p.a as an engineer?! I thought most ppl are struggling with 60k p.a even after 10years of work. Please dont compare the engineers from oil/chem industry...

Your progression depends on how well you perform. Yes there are ppl who are struggling with 60k p.a but if you perform well every year, you will be promoted and taking up higher management role where you enjoy higher salary. I just finished my internship at XXX company. My manager only 34 year old and enjoying $8k/mth ($96k p.a) and another uncle who raise from technician to AVP. so every job sector got it good and bad. you just maintain your result, getting a 2nd lower is not that bad. Be positive! my fren just grad with 3rd class in environmental eng and her starting pay $3.7k. bloody hell. Luck might be on your side!

Originally Posted by Unregistered

By the way, I am an engineer for 30 yrs already.

Hi, may I know which sector are you from?

you grad with what degree & honors?

how is your pay?

[badoo412]

Originally Posted by rubberbus

Your progression depends on how well you perform. Yes there are ppl who are struggling with 60k p.a but if you perform well every year, you will be promoted and taking up higher management role where you enjoy higher salary. I just finished my internship at XXX company. My manager only 34 year old and enjoying $8k/mth ($96k p.a) and another uncle who raise from technician to AVP. so every job sector got it good and bad. you just maintain your result, getting a 2nd lower is not that bad. Be positive! my fren just grad with 3rd class in environmental eng and her starting pay $3.7k. bloody hell. Luck might be on your side!



Hi, may I know which sector are you from?

you grad with what degree & honors?

how is your pay?

Well, he said non management role...that's why i am pretty shocked.
Wow! So being an engineer isn't as bad as it seems? Why everyone is badmouthing engineer here? :S

[rubberbus]

Originally Posted by badoo412

Well, he said non management role...that's why i am pretty shocked.
Wow! So being an engineer isn't as bad as it seems? Why everyone is badmouthing engineer here? :S

This is because everyone know engineering path are sightly rocky. or maybe it is stereotyped by others?

Starting salary for mech engineer, $3k+. every year +3-5% depending on your performance. then if you perform well, normally promotion will come every 2 years. if you change company, you can expect 10-20% increase of your last drawn salary. so everything lies on your performance and your boss! NEVER NEVER NEVER GO AGAINST YOUR BOSS! OR YOU ARE SCREWED FOR LIFE!

Originally Posted by rubberbus

This is because everyone know engineering path are sightly rocky. or maybe it is stereotyped by others?

Starting salary for mech engineer, $3k+. every year +3-5% depending on your performance. then if you perform well, normally promotion will come every 2 years.

promotion every 2 years maybe 1st few times nia, otherwise all the engineers will be directors within 10 years liao, not struggling with mid life crisis at mid/late 30s with a 5k pay.

[badoo412]

Originally Posted by Unregistered

promotion every 2 years maybe 1st few times nia, otherwise all the engineers will be directors within 10 years liao, not struggling with mid life crisis at mid/late 30s with a 5k pay.

Yeah...that's what some of the engineers told me...they got a few promotion and they kinda got stuck with 5k...They said that it's hard to job hop after that because most of the jobs out there although they met the amount of experience, theres a certain criteria with regards to the skillset required for the job which caused them to be left with no option but to stay on their current job for stability... They also might experience pay cut if they were to switch companies...

[rubberbus]

Originally Posted by badoo412

Yeah...that's what some of the engineers told me...they got a few promotion and they kinda got stuck with 5k...They said that it's hard to job hop after that because most of the jobs out there although they met the amount of experience, theres a certain criteria with regards to the skillset required for the job which caused them to be left with no option but to stay on their current job for stability... They also might experience pay cut if they were to switch companies...

Originally Posted by Unregistered

promotion every 2 years maybe 1st few times nia, otherwise all the engineers will be directors within 10 years liao, not struggling with mid life crisis at mid/late 30s with a 5k pay.

Ya whatever you all said, makes sense and sad to know that will normally happen. But if you have capability and your performance are good, I don't see a reason that you will struck with a lousy role of 5k pay at the company.

Your future lies on your own hand. Unless you got zero luck.
Aim high to reach the top , not the average group!