It is not that bad for Engineers, it is indeed very very bad for Engineers.....Engineers are suppose to be professionals but sad to say the salary does not really reflect we are professionals at all...If you are a local uni engineering grad, please think back how much hard work, time, energy and effort you put into earning your engineering degree, only to realize that this degree does not get you anywhere.....I have a Masters and a Bachelor both in engineering from local uni, ultimately after 2 years working as an engineer, I realize I study the wrong course and definitely working in the wrong industry....No offence to the engineers out there, this is only my humble personal opinion, of course, you may disagree with me....

After just 2 years? Is it due to lack of prospects, lack of interest, lack of work life balance or something else?
Just curious.

Can study engineering but dont work as one. I studied EEE 12 yrs ago but now doing IT presales and postsales, close to $200K per annum and I stay in a freehold landed ppty. My other EEE friends went into other fields like private banking, insurance, derivatives trading also all doing well, most earning around $200K

What kind of advice is " U can study engineering but don't work as an engineer??!!
Since engineering is confirmed the road to "poverty, life-long regret, low social respect and dignity" in singapore... U might as well advise him to choose the "right" degree program from the start!! It will save the poor chap a lot of late nights cramping in all those useless engineering formulas, wasting time in the lab rushing lab experiments and reports, u go thru so much stress and in the end learn useless skills that cannot make you $$ in singapore ...

No point lah... Just choose a business, accountancy, finance or commerce degree that is relevant to Singapore.. You will enjoy your University life more and come out and earn higher salaries than engineers...

and orwits
 

Don't study engineering.....it is one of the worst,boring and unrewarding course....Most Engineers don't make big bucks, unless you are the top few...my advise is never to even step into this field because you will realize what you study is of little relevance to real life....the formulae and all the complex calculations are really "crap", after exam we forget everything...that is how meaningless engineering can be...For me I study engineering is merely just to get a degree, but when you had earned that piece of paper, you find that it is more rewarding and meaningful to go for your passion, irregardless of which industry it is.....in Singapore,engineers are never or seldom valued, that is why when you flip the papers every saturday, there are lots of vacancies for engineers, theses are the jobs that I believe more and more people want to avoid doing......Sorry to burst the bubble of any rising engineers, but this is the reality.....

A very simple experiment: just ask around in the top JCs which courses they will be taking. I'm sure engineering ranks last.

However, the "converse" is not necessarily a good indicator --- during the life sciences hype, many top students wanted to take bio- and life science-related programmes, which we now know in hindsight is to the detriment of their working careers.

So, avoid the courses at both ends of the popularity spectrum. I suggest that you go with 2nd or 3rd most popular course.

Fully agree, graduated from electrical engineering NUS in 1999.
Most of the females classmates quit engimeering jobs and become teachers.
Some 1st class honours guys also quit to do teaching. Others are found in property agency, or insurance agency. A few lucky ones move into banking and earn big bucks.

Only a handful of them remain as engineers, and if you meet them, they will complain endlessly of their boring engineering jobs, low pay and zero prospect. Very sad scenario - after working so hard, it so hard to afford even a hdb flat and a small car at age of mid to late 30s

Some are facing retrenchment now as motorola just announced 20% workforce cut, other companies shifting to Penang or China.

how about you yourself? :)

I graduated in 1999 in EEE as well. Was lucky I chose to go into IT instead of electronics. Not as highly paid compared to front office banking, but pays enough for me to able to own a landed property and a bmw 5 series.

Graduated from a local uni with a Mech Eng degree, and specialisation in Offshore Oil & Gas Tech a few years back...

Tried out the banking and finance industry for the 1st year, and realised it's not what I really want in life - Pay was good (if you get commission); but long working hours. You have to work for it.

Currently in the O&G industry as an engineer for slightly > 2 years already, and I'm taking my Masters in Offshore Tech...

I can't say that my salary is very good (> S$50k p.a.) with just 2 years of experience in the O&G industry, as compared to my friends who are in the public sectors or banking and finance industry...

But I can say that I definitely have more work life balance and time to do whatever I want after work... so there's really nothing much to complain about... :)