LOL Bobo, really direct of you, but many thanks for your replies.

i'm 27 turning 28 this apr.

anyways, which is a ministry that is easy to enter? I'm actually looking at the DXO, however from the feedbacks that i have gathered it seems difficult to enter with all of the psychometric tests.

yes, regarding your comments on the HR, i have the same opinion from my engineer frens that it is essentially a support position and seems like there is no room for growth.

what would you recommend for me?

I hope to achieve the following:

1. 5 days work week
2. regular hours
3. low in politics (my damned work now is 60% politics work)
4. stability and hopefully recession proof (hospital roles like admin?)
5. so for 2.6k starting, would i be placed at the MX13
6. you mentioned that i am too old for my first job so will i be at a disadvantage?
7. what are the chracteristics/traits that i should possess for govt positions?
8. which govt would you recommend me with my hopes as above

thank you once again

anyways, this has been what i was doing since last year nov.

for me in the educational sector, not looking at pay wise, i am doing well, however, seeing that my director working for 7 days a week, I'm not inclined to his work life balance (or no balance)

• Upper Secondary Science Curriculum writer (Assistant Curriculum Director)
• Assist the Curriculum Director in planning, coordinating, implementing and monitoring of projects and initiatives relating to curriculum development, and ensure they are in line with the Centre’s overall strategic direction.
• Implementation of the overall learning and development framework for the chemistry department. Suggested and conducted focus groups for senior teachers relating to policies (teaching focus, terms of service on every subject topic), systems (standardized teaching methodology for Science) and standardized procedure for development of assessment tests and bi annual examinations
• Co-plan and manage the learning needs of teachers in the Science department (skills upgrade)
• Conduct teacher training programme and working with the various Secondary level departments to design, develop and implement customised teaching materials to improve the XXXXXXXX brand of education.
• Customised materials, methodology and processes will be used in licensing agreements with XXXXXXXXXX Centre and XXXXXXXXX Franchise.
• Instructor for teacher skills update quarterly (XXXXXXXXXXX department)
• Written complete “O” level XXXXXXXXXXX curriculum (pending copy right and publish in co-initiative with SAP Pte Ltd)
• Co-author and development of first series of recently published books of "XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX"
• Business development – implementing policies related to development of tuition materials and teaching methodology for Integrated Programme Students. A new initiative for 2011


does this constitute reasonable experience? I only started work last year nov, but as i have told you before, i work close to 7 days and have done a lot, learnt a lot in a short time

To Bobo
 

Hi Bobo

Since your are from HR, I go a question to ask you. About annual leave.
I have not cleared any of my annual leave of 20 days for the work year (2010), and is bring forward to work year (2011), and by end of Feb 2011, I would have a total of 20(from 2010) + 3.5(from 2011) = 23.5 days.

If I want to tender and given 1 month notice, I would used all my annual leave to cover the 1 month notice, but I found out that my 23.5 days of annual leave is more than enough to cover my 1 month notice period (I got about 2 days of annual leave in excess after deducted the rest to the 1 month notice).

So what will happened to my 2 excess days of leave, can I en-cash it back? What would you do? Will my 2 days of leave be 'eaten up' ?

Need your wise opinion.
Thanks.

I'm not from HR! I just happen to have been hiring people for a while and old enough to have what people call a 'network' so we exchange info regularly.

I would tell you that if you tender and suddenly disappear the next day is no good, no matter how bad the place is.

So why don't you first take leave 1 1/2 week (if possible), come back to work...then on tuesday throw your letter. then you work one more wk and can say bye bye forever.

This way you use all your leave and don't leave so suddenly.

How about an office job with MOE? Apply for all Ministires and can see how you feel during the interview. No point ideintifying Ministries, it's more about exactly who are you going to work with. For govt jobs, they are looking for people who are not cool. Think, behave, look and act uncool. This is the general personality you should adopt despite them telling you otherwise. You see how a civil servant looks. Just not cool. You won't be at a disadvantage if you start older, just explain what you were doing.

I also want to tell you that politics is everywhere. You should learn to deal with it instead of avoiding it. The bigger the company, the more the politics. Just look at it as human relations and a skill you need to master. Avoid office gossip and badmouthing, pretend not to hear a lot of things and keep your mouth shut and smile.

Only you can answer what you reallly want to do.

the point is that boss dun allow people to clear leave now or anytime n i cant even clear few days for cny..my other colleague even worst, have 5 days of leave from 2009 to be clear by 2010dec, but because of work load no time to clear (boss dun allow too), his 5 days leave kanna eaten, because cannot be bring fwd to 2011 already....that y i am seeking my advice here

hi bobo,

sorry, pls enlighten me. what does it mean to be uncool? as if acting stupid and not aloof and blatantly or brutally honest?


BTW, is it really true that besides invrstigation postion in the MOM, most of the other postions are 8 to 5 or office hours and that they do not work during the weekends?

pls do let me know

thank you!

i'm not sure if i can ask this but which is a ministry that is easy to enter?

I suspected you may have a prob clearing leave. Have you found a new job? If you have, I suggest you talk to your boss. Or if that is too difficult, drop him/her an email and say you found a new opportunity. Say you're thinking of leaving at the end of the wk and then discuss a solution.

I'm afraid your leave will be eaten up by one or two weeks, no choice. Just take it as charity. Otherwise when a company does a background check in future, you may have a problem.

Yes to my knowledge. Uncool is very difficult to define but not what you are thinking.

I can give two examples:

1. They like to see white shirt and black pants and ugly tie (no brand). Don't dress too slick. If you wear armani from head to toe, make-up too well done, they cannot understand.
2. And then during interview, you cannot say things like, "I do enjoy socialising with my colleagues after work over a BEER." They cannot handle alcohol. You must pretend you don't know what is beer. Civil service got nobody socialise after work. Say you like jogging.