Need Career Advice (Chem Eng)

If you are good, you make big bucks wherever you go. Doesn't matter if it's chemical engineering or accountancy. If you aren't good, you won't make big bucks anywhere you go. It's as simple as that.

So choose something that you like. There's a higher chance that you will do better in that course. Remember, the degree is only the key to open up your career. It doesn't really matter after that. Everything after that is dependent on your performance.

I'm a chemical engineering grad myself, all I've to say is that it's definitely not an easy course. Everyone in chemical engineering has straight A's for their A level. So if you are someone who struggled to ace your A level, then you will just be part of the statistics in the course. Bell curve is a very cruel thing.

Hi. I have a stat board scholarship. I have an offer from Shell, to start in the Netherlands (Amsterdam) on a local contract (non-expat). Any advice?

alright i shall offer some advice to a junior topic starter over here. i was a NUS chem eng graduate, but i have moved into the banking sector right after graduation.

to cut things short and make things simple, i shall not mention much about my history.

just some words of advice to this mis-conceived fresh undergraduate:
yes chem eng doesnt let you have a paycheck as good as those working in the finance sector, but that doesnt mean that being in the finance sector is much easier or rosier than in an oil company. its true chem eng education is much much harder than finance.

Pros of chem eng:
-i can assure you the training you get is a solid one, in terms of your thinking. with that kind of training you get (all the CN mods design project or whatver), you will be ready enough to handle a master in finance or whatever masters you want in future.

Facts about banking sector:
- yes you can get a better pay check but it comes with alot of sacrifices.
- its not as glam as it seems outside.
- the probability of office politics is much much higher.
- you can lose your job anytime i.e higher salary compensate for instability

I can see clearly your motivation is about money. if you have plans to setup your own business, i guess you may be much better off being an engineer or banker.


Some final word of advice: Please start avoid the thinking that right after graduation, the jobs will come to you or if money start pouring to you cos you are entitled to just becos you studied engine finance or whatever courses.

In short, "You need more than what a degree provides you"


Get through university first. once you start working, you may realize your thinking would have changed.

Originally Posted by Unregistered

Hi. I have a stat board scholarship. I have an offer from Shell, to start in the Netherlands (Amsterdam) on a local contract (non-expat). Any advice?

Don't you need to work in the stat board to fulfill the bond? Or are you saying you'll break bond (repay back the loan). Then why did you take up the scholarship in the first place?

Originally Posted by Unregistered

Hi. I have a stat board scholarship. I have an offer from Shell, to start in the Netherlands (Amsterdam) on a local contract (non-expat). Any advice?

Look at ur statboard. Is it a good one that you want to be in? Have u been on internship or have inside information on the working culture in it? Are scholars really fast tracked anywhere?

Working overseas as a non-expat is not necessarily a good deal. Ask urself these cold hard qns:

Is rental covered? If not, how much do u need to pay for rental?

How much r u earning after taxation? How long will u be there? 1-2yr or long term? 50% tax is not a joke. Some schegen countries have a pension system which requires u to 'clock a number of years' before you qualify. Tax makes no sense to you if u don't have a family (education, medical) here or u dun purchase properties that are tax deductible.

Do you speak dutch or the language there? Do you intend to learn? English alone severely limits you in EU countries. You'll know if you've been there.

Are you an outgoing person? The ang moh culture is much more outspoken than asian ones.

All these being said, it is a good experience to work and experience a different country. Netherlands is a good country to travel around EU from. Is this important to you?

Personally, I would say that it is generally quite lonely if u r overseas. Working overseas makes most sense if u r on a good package and when u r young. Or if you want to emigrate.