may i know which class of hons u are and wat class of hons other hi-pos are. Although it is said to be based on work performance, just want to see any trends in hons class/ unspoken rules.

Hi Anonymous, thanks for sharing. I'm a scholar who's about to graduate, and I'm a little apprehensive about my future. Sorry if this is too personal a question, but could I ask what made you stay on even after your bond has been completed? Especially since you are aware of the motivations behind the hi-po scheme. I'm worried about finding a comparable private sector job if I do leave after my bond.

1st. but i don't think it's about hons class per se although that might affect your initial cep which i believe would be one of the eligibility criterion. as i had mentioned previously, cep can be adjusted.

hmm i suspected it was a good honours.. I am only a 2nd lower, so I dont rate my chances well at all

my stat board also have hi-po program.

I am nt sure wats my CEP but my confirmation appraisal grade is B. The norm is C for newcomers. Our system is A, B+, B, C+ , C, C-, D.
I am fresh grad 2nd upper hons.

hows my chances to be inducted into hi-po?

Actually I always wondered, who are those who get an A grade, and how do they get it? Is there any absolute scale of performance measurement (ie how do you quantify the work done), or is it all relative to the worst performer in the organization?

When I started my career as a civil servant, I was confident and enthusiastic about public sector work. Civil service as a lifelong career was a very real possibility and I didn't entertain thoughts of joining the private sector.

Things didn't start out that well for me in the first 2 years, but in the subsequent years, my luck improved and I was given many opportunities. Hence, I did quite well. The knowledge I gained opened my eyes to many things. My entire world view expanded. It was a good learning experience but yet at the end of it i was confronted with a dilemma that would eventually lead me to consider moving out to the private sector. Let me explain why.

You will come to realise that there are generally 2 paths an officer can take in the civil service: (1) Specialist, or (2) Generalist. [NB:I'm use these terms very broadly here.]

By Specialist, I refer to job scopes like resource management (i.e. HR, Finance, technology, corporate communications), operations (e.g. front-line jobs like SAF, Police, customer services, etc), research, etc.

By Generalist, I refer to job scopes like policy and planning work, international relations, etc.

Over time, I came to a conclusion that my preferred area of work is public policy formulation and implementation. It is gratifying to see the public policies which I have a hand in be implemented to the benefit of the people. It is also what I find most interesting and challenging, although of course I won't mind doing other things from time to time if the organisation so needed me.

However, I came to realise that unless I was in the admin service, I will never have the opportunity to cover a broad spectrum of public policy making, nor rise to a position where I contribute in a bigger role. There are exceptions to this, but not many. It is not even about the remuneration but about the opportunities for development, to expand my horizon and learn more things.

To have a sustainable career as a management executive officer, one has little choice but to pursue the track of a specialist. Unfortunately, I've considered most MX 'specialist' options but did not find anything which I'm truly interested in.

The way I see it, if I'm not able to reach my fullest potential in the civil service and have the opportunity to do what I like to do best, I should at least give myself a chance to spread my wings outside. Otherwise, I might live to regret it. There will always be a possibility that I will return of course, if my priorities change. I don't think that is a problem either because I would be able to bring back some outside experience which could be of relevance.

As for you, if remaining marketable is already a concern for you before you even join the civil service, then you should consider a post in an agency that is at least closer to the private sector (e.g. economic agencies such as MOF, MAS, MTI, EDB). This way, should you eventually decide that a civil service career is not for you, you can at least tout your working experience to be of some relevance when you apply for a job. You might also want to consider taking part time courses such as CFA to beef up your CV in the meantime.

My own view is that as a scholar, you have a moral obligation to serve out your bond so I won't advise you to break it. You might hear differently from other scholars of course. To each his own.

Consider your stint in the public sector as an opportunity to look at the bigger picture and be educated about issues at the national/international level. If nothing else, you will be able to appreciate public service issues at a different level from the man in the street, when you leave.

I won't know, but I don't think appraisal grade is that significant, compared to your CEP.

Best way is to compare yourself with the people in your division/unit. Does your big boss like your work output better than those around you? Does he value your counsel?

If the answer is yes, you will probably get a reasonable grade. If you think you're in the shadows, and no one notices the work that you do at all (not even quietly notice), then good luck.

The A grader is probably someone who did something spectacular that year. Not many people get A grading. But does it really matter? I've never gotten an A before either. Doesn't mean the organisation doesn't value me. To me, anything between a C and a B+ is fine.

Thanks man. I suppose you were under the PSC scholarship, since you're talking about the Admin Service? Unfortunately I've come to the same kind of conclusion as you have, perhaps a little prematurely but nevertheless true. Admin Service offers the best combination of intellectual and personal satisfaction and epitomizes the kind of work I signed up for. On the other hand, a non-AO career does seem bleak, like what you have described. Overall, when I signed on the dotted line, I was like you - never entertained a career in the private sector, passionate as I was - but I've since come to the realization that the kind of broad policy work I signed up for is by invitation only. I also got a shock when I looked a HDB prices with my girlfriend, and realized that perhaps I should have listened to my parents and gone into finance.

However, since you're in the HiPo scheme, have you thought of staying on to be a Director? As HiPo + scholar, perhaps you're 99% gonna be director? I'm told that Directors do have considerable influence over policy, even if non-AO, so if you can be a D in a policy area you're interested in, it might be a good option. I'm not sure if this is true though - you would know better than I do. At least, Director pay (MX9 + bonuses) isn't bad from what I've heard - about $250k and upwards depending on performance? Again, correct me if I'm wrong!

Lastly, if you don't mind me asking, what kind of salary and progression should I expect if I don't make AO but can stay on in the HiPo scheme?

Anyway, I'm glad you've made the decision to leave. No matter what other people might say, you're not too old in the early 30s. Which industry are you headed for?