Advice needed for a 30 yo male diploma holder for the next stage of his life / career
 

it's gonna be a super long post. so thanks to all for reading everything and offering your views / suggestions.

my info:
30 yo male diploma holder (from Singapore Polytechnic)
46k/pa (as stated in my IRAS Notice of Assessment)
currently employed in a ministry in the Civil Service. i thank my lucky stars bcos idk how i got the job when i said no to all the interviewers' questions LOL

O-level (L1R4): 22 points, (R5): 30 points with 4 credit pass in Eng / Chi / E-Math / Comb Sci. yes i know it's terrible, but back in the past, i had no one to guide me on how important studies is in SG due to our lack of natural resources, paper chase and rat race. i also didnt like to study for the sake of studying and furthermore it didnt help when i had an undetected medical condition which i think prevented me from studying to the fullest of my ability.

Poly GPA: around 2.5, lucky that my GPA wasnt shown on my dip and transcript.

my NS medical status: im currently Permanent PES E9L9 due to lifetime incurable sleeping disorder (one that makes me fall asleep uncontrollably in the day). i seriously think i have no more reservist / IPPT obligations as i gotten my Reservist Long Service Award (usually only given to ppl who have clocked 5 High Key ICTs or more)

with all the above info in mind, especially my results and medical status...what options do i have if im seeking a job that pays 4k/pm to 5k/pm at most (i just want higher pay but am not greedy to the extent of seeking 5 figures monthly)? below are the only possibilities i can think of:

1) stay at my current job with an annual increment of $120, which will probably take me another 7 to 8 years to hit 4k.

2) sign on as an uniformed personnel, which honestly i think i cant due to my PES status?

3) apply to be MOE teacher. but it would mean that i have to restart my paycheck all over again from $1800+ as i only have a dip and they would give me GEO2 scale.

4) try Oil and Gas industry? i dont have any lobang and i dont like long working hours so i think this option is out.

5) try working in banks? same as 4) i dont have business background and dont like long working hours. also absolutely hate auditing and accounting. guess this option is out as well too.

6) go for further studies? but that would mean i can only enrol in unisim due to my poor poly results and the fact that im only interested in Civil Service jobs due to its good work life balance.

7) be a professional gambler / trader? the most LOL of them all.

TLDR: just read the bolded parts.

what makes you think you can command a 25% to 65% increase in pay?

fyi, a typical local uni grad from civil service earns around 5k a month. and the median income for a 30yo dip holder is somewhere around 3-3.5k...

wat unique skills do you have that make you think you can priced yourself way above others who have the same academic qualification?

so assuming if i have ZERO unique skills, what would u recommend me to do in order to have a pay increase?

So in another word, you got no special skills, no network, unwilling to work long hours, no industrial experience, and weak academic qualification. But you expect employers to pay you well.

Put yourself in the employers shoe. Would you pay $10 for a hard boiled egg at a kopitiam?

Employers don't pay workers bcos they are charitable. They pay because the employees value add to the business. And how much you are paid is tied to how much value you add.

I would have recommended sales, but it is not for ppl who are not hardworking.

So my advice for you is to treasure your current job in civil service.

no special skills - mind stating what special skills are u talking about?

no network - i agree with u i have no network

unwilling to work long hours - i have seen ppl in senior positions with recognized degrees @ MX12 onwards working with avg workload n leaving on the dot. honestly i dont see them adding much value to the organization, just that maybe their academic qualification is strong? so i dont really know what are u talking about? i dont mind working long hours and half a day on wkend, but definitely not 12 hours daily, if that's what u meant. most, if not all of the MX12 in my organization dont even clock 60 hours a week. btw my definition of senior position = employee under degree scheme.

no industrial experience - having started from CS, sad to say i think it's quite difficult to bring forth my experience from CS to private sector. but it would be easier if one will to transit with exp from private sector to CS. feel free to disagree with me though...

academic qualification - i could enrol in unisim part time. but what's the point seriously if my future job cant even offer me higher than what im earning currently? pointless isnt it?

Just ask yourself, what makes you better than others in terms of skill? From the way I see, you dont have any technical skills, no softskill, no motivation to work hard(since u say u dont want to work long hours) and also dont want to upgrade yourself.

Pte sector, forget it, u will start from zero. Just stick to ur job

I think you have been in civil service too long and have a distorted view of how the world outside works. You make it sound as if working 12 hrs a day is some super jialat thing, in some industries 12 hrs a day is off peak only. And nobody in pte sector will consider a MX12 a "senior position", you are quite off base here as well.

You can't just sit around with no useful academic qualifications or marketable experience and just go online and expect people to teach you how to get a massive pay rise while maintaining the same sort of civil service go through motion every day.

Either up your socks and start being more hardworking and willing to take stress or just treasure and be content at where you are.

Here's my advice:

1. Stick to your current job. You are paid well based on your credentials (or lack of).
2. Find a high paying graduate wife, a person who is desperate to get married, esp those aged 35 and above.
3. Buy a cheap 4 room BTO flat after you get married. Cost only $250k. You can take a 25 years mortgage. Pay slowly.
4. Live happily ever after.

If it make u 'feel' better.
I'm also 30m in CS, <40k/pa.
Unsim graduate in MSO position for 5yrs+.
Unable to find suitable MX positions, most require 1st class, honours & more specialise degree.

Working >12hrs every other days is a norm for me due to workload.
+Ad-hoc weekends.
+Regular Shift with no allowance.
Have been striving hard, to learn skills from advance Microsoft Office, presentation to project management.
Plan to get more involved in committee project soon, hoping someday should a position open. will be capable enough to get the job.

U speak about MX12, avg workload, leaving on the dot & not adding much value to the organisation.
Well, its an unfair world. Just like I believed i worked harder, smarter & contributed so much more yet i'm compensated so much lower than you.

About the previous post's advice. 2 & 3 is not realistic.
2. Find a high paying graduate wife, a person who is desperate to get married, esp those aged 35 and above.
3. Buy a cheap 4 room BTO flat after you get married. Cost only $250k. You can take a 25 years mortgage. Pay slowly.


2. Better chances of finding a foreign wife.
3. Buy a resale 3rm flat with 25 yr mortgage or apply BTO 4rm with ur SG child.
then hopefully Live happily ever after.

U already know u could not go to lucrative industries such as banking, O&G. Due to ur pes status uniformed service is out. With ur lousy grades u think MOE will want u to 'mould' our future generation? And MOE teacher on average definitely work more than 12hr daily. It is lucky that u r in a safe haven of CS. U seem to be enjoying ur stay there after all.

I believe u already know what u want and just want to find validation here.

Consider part time UNISIM and hopefully ur organisation is willing to emplace u into graduate scheme and appreciate what u already have.

Many of these kids thought they are cool when they skip school, don't do homework, go hang out at arcade and play games all day.

Fast forward 10-20 years and this is what they become. Those "nerdy losers" who attend classes 100% and completed their homework are enjoying the fruits of their labour, like those you mentioned in MX12. Is life unfair? Not really, you chose to enjoy earlier in life while they chose to enjoy later in life. 先苦后甜.

It is people like you that will get on other's nerve & deserve all the bad karma in your life.
You quoted my post thinking you knew everything while criticizing with your twisted perspective.

Fact: I juggle with Parttime job in Secondary school all the way till Poly, with above average grades.
Side income from Ebay during NS, got a FT job in CS and after 3 yrs of PT studies graduated from University.

Your reply suggests your immaturity & lack of responsibilities for your words & actions.
Therefore, i will not comment nor defend myself further on my original post & let karma do the rest.

first of all, my bad if u thought i was in MSO scheme. actually, im not. the scheme im in requires me to work indoors and outdoors. my jobscope also requires me to drive long distances around singapore regularly. so maybe that's why im earning higher than your avg dip holder, who does the usual stuff in front of the computer...

additionally, no offence, but i rly think u shld quit / change your current job as it seems that your organization is undercutting u by ALOT. completed NS and 5 yrs as MSO in CS with a degree below 40k/pa? rly? time to move on bro...

it aint over till the fat lady sings. it's like my current job. i didnt expect to get it after such a negative interview. how would u know that MOE will not even consider me under diploma GEO2 scheme?

anyway thanks for your opinion, not gonna try for MOE since u said teachers work >12 hours daily on avg.

idk whether to be angry / laugh at your statement. im pretty sure i wont achieve MX12 now, even if i were to travel back in time, attend classes 100%, complete my homework diligently and punctually as what u stated above :p

but hey, maybe it's just me....

Why are you answering a bunch of irrelevant distractions?

What exactly is the purpose of this thread?

I don't see any initiative or preliminary thoughts from you on how you intend to fulfill your goal of getting a hefty pay raise. Seems to be just you declaring you want to carry on with what you are doing and asking people to teach you how to make big money without any effort.

If we are wrong, then tell us more...

You are lazy beyond belief. It takes less than 5 sec to find ://.moe.gov.sg/careers/teach/diploma-education/

Diploma holders need to apply as a trainee and enroll in a DE program for 2 years. Whats this BS about fat lady sing to join GEO2. Jeez slack until cannot even do basic google still dreaming of big money.

that's exactly what he is doing. make no effort but expect to get paid.

how about u learn to read ppl's reply first?

"anyway thanks for your opinion, not gonna try for MOE since u said teachers work >12 hours daily on avg."

im asking what is the forum's opinion on what i should / must do to get higher pay. after all, this is a forum regarding salary right?

from here, it seems the consensus is i need to 1) upgrade myself by getting a degree 2) have special skills 3) work long hours



whether i wanna carry out 1) or 2) or 3) ultimately still lies with myself right? i feel i dont owe u all an answer / decision, since it's my personal life.

i just wanted to know some opinions / answers that's all.

This forum is not just about salary but the effort required to get that salary that you desire, No matter what we suggest, with your this one cannot, this one too long attitude, seriously, it wont get you anywhere even if we provide suggestions for you.

1) Your results are really poor. Take degree got high chance fail and waste a lot of money.

2) Does not sound like you got any special skills.

3) You not willing to work long hours.

Conclusion, stay at your current job and continue dreaming.

It sure is within your legal right to ask questions, but I am quite astounded that a 30 year old who is educated with a diploma and has worked for 10 years (?) can ask something as dumb as that...

Seriously, what on earth have you been doing in the past decade?

A lot of jokers drift through life without any motivation, but after a while not content and jealous when they see others do better. That is when they dream about making big money the easy way.

For TS to work so many years already still stuck at 46k (IRAS include bonus, OT, allowance, CPF etc.) just goes to show his performance rating and CEP must be below average. Even a fresh diploma with NS can get 35-36k (IRAS all in) currently.

For TS all I can say is you heng CS at most just hantataki you, if outside pte sector would have terminate/retrench you long time ago.

yes yes, you are very smart. congrats.

not everyone has proper guidance along the way in their lives, unlike you.

ok i guess 4 Cs and 2 Bs for my performance bonus during my stay in CS is considered below avg? do take note the avg dip holder gets only C grade for his / her PB.

dont just talk and rely on hearsay. name me an avg ministry / statboard in CS which is actually willing to pay 35k/pa to a male fresh grad who completed NS with zero fulltime working experience. not some elite ministries / statboards because they are so difficult to enter.

and even if i were to use backwards math to calculate your figures, it just seems impossible / unrealistic.

most ministries / statboards pay fresh dip holders 2k on avg.

12 months X 2k = 24k
i give u dec 2 mths bonus = 4k
24k + 4k = 28k
your 35k - 28k = 7k to fulfill

pls dont say u can get A grade for your first year in CS. it's literally unachievable and unheard of. and dont tell me the crap that economy doing very well either for your mid-year bonus to be few months. 7k drop from the sky? LOL

It's not about proper guidance, it's really just basic common sense and fact of life. You don't go out work for a decade then go around asking people how to get a massive pay raise while expecting to do nothing on your end. This is something that even most sensible students in poly will know, much less a 30 years old tertiary educated civil servant.

why u all waste time on this clown.

Please cherish you job, you are a civil servant. Got many perks especially this year, huge bonus and the jubilee $500. Why not just stick to it?

If you don't want your job, I will take it because up till now I am still searching for one and its already 3 months. I want to get into stat board or civil service until now no news. And in terms of academic qualifications I beat you by a mile, I got a masters degree from NTU and I am still jobless.

Cherish your job please, there are many others out there struggling to find one.

you are way overpaid for a diploma guy with no useful skillsets . stop dreaming and count urself lucky in public sector

when i was a diploma holder, i got an A grade in my first year.

A lot of people say its impossible, but the impossible does happen.

I was then told to tell my peers that I got C grade, because a lot of people more senior than me will be given C grade.

But then again, it is obvious that long term diploma holders in CS are already entrenched, at best average performers, and will not be given higher than B grade unless they are due for promotion.

It doesn't matter as your A grade does not mean you are better than your seniors with C grade. Seems like you don't know how the grading system works.

Hello!

I think you should consider studying part-time at UniSim, might help your advancement prospects in the civil service, since you are already in it.

I'm curious... is your sleeping disorder narcolepsy? May I recommend modafinil?

To the original poster.

Hi bro, your english very good. You took any extra courses?

You must be from a bottom tier CS. Seems like you know how the grading system works also useless. Still a C grader.

are u serious? it is at best below average to average by singapore standards...

My advice is to go Singapore pools. Play 4D.

Pray hard that u tio number.

Win millions. Then retire and enjoy. Spend ur $$$ on pussies and u will never regret.

Living the dream dude.

Can I ask you how much have you won from SG Pools your whole life?
I've won $200 after playing for 2 years now.

Maybe you should start a forum "How much have you won by playing SG pools?" :)

Keep your current job. Start looking for side income i.e Uber or online business. if your sideline can generate $30 profit a day also got extra $900 a month already. Just a suggestion instead of trying to look for new job

Thats a good idea. Maybe u can start and I will contribute.

I don't have an account but you can because your username is temp111

Wtf sia u cb.

Why u keep twisting your words??

U ok or not? Wake up ur bloody idea leh u noob.

Wtf is wrong with you? I said I don't have an account on this forum.You NEED an account to start a thread.Since you have one I'm asking you to start it.

Don't curse and swear so much,if you want to do then submerge your head under water and then do.