Undergrad SOS.
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*nods* In this society, very few pursue what they reali one in life le. everybody is just joining the rat race, following the so-called "safe route" in life.Originally posted by VivId CrItiQuE:those pple who tink that its harder to score in engine as compared to biz is so terribly wrong.. it might b true that engine has more modules to clear, u haf 20+ hours of lessons each week.. but EVERYONE in engine goes through the same thing.. in biz, although we haf less than 20hrs of lessons a week and we haf more free time, it means EVERYONE is using the free time to study, and if u do not put in the equal amount of effort, ur gonna lose out. ultimately grades are decided by a bell curve, so no matter which course ur in, it boils down to effort..
also, those who said tt grades ain't everything, i agree, but they are still extremely impt.. look the the banks and GLCs, the minimum requirement is 2nd upper class honours. if u do not achieve that, u r not even given a chance for the interview. so tell me, how r u gonna show these companies that u r gd when u r not even granted an interview? these are facts of life, we just haf to face them. no point deluding and consoling urself that grades ain't impt. in my point of view, just study hard.
For example, my frens all told to chose malay language for my elective> jap simply because i'm a peranakan and have a certain level of proficiency in it. This will there by allow me to pull up my gpa, instead of taking jap, which i haf passion in but noe nuts about it. It's just a pratical pratical world.
Yes, if we don't get a certain type of degree, we are denied of many many chances.
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i dun believe that grades matters a lot in ur career planning. yes, it do give u an edge if u have a 2nd upper degree rather than a lower. but it will not get u anywhere if u show no interest in the job u do. comparatively, if a 2nd lower work hard, shown enthusiaism in his/her work, his/hers promotion is on the way. this is the fact of life. there are few 1st class honours out there wondering why after so many years they cant get promotoed.
u have to study smart, forcing urself to study and study will head u no where. understand the concept and apply it on the right stuff. jus simply based on memory will jus give u a few hour energy, after that, u wun be able to remember whatever u have learnt.
biz admin is not a dead subj. unlike engineering, unless u are in research area, then u may find new stuff while u r working on a project. however, mainly the formulae are dead. for example, speed = distant over time. can u change this formulae? but biz ad is a very live subj, it depends on how u perceive and turn the topics. of course u must be giving a relevant answer. u may see this in one way while another person in another way. but if both of ur statements make sense, then both of u can be correct.
so.... try to study the main concept wisely. read up a lot and see how different corporation handle their business. once u found the key to the topic, then u will be able to diversify from there, without even the need to remember from your text. this is activity based learning. i believe u will be able to absorb more than the conventional memorisation.
so dun put urself into too much stress. be relax and plan ur time management properly. i m very sure u will be able to do well and push up ur grades. but remember class of honours isnt anything. ur work attitude is the one determine how far u will go.....
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my friend in year 2 NTU Biz. He is extremely stressed too, mostly by his classmates and friends around him who always study whenever there is an opportunity too, and a grade not higher than the best is considered end of the world to them. And then when he thinks about how the top companies will definitely hire those with 2nd upper and above, leaving people like him to look for small companies makes him depressed too, and he is now also trying 2 study very hard in a bid to make his GPA look better.Originally posted by lifeissian:yeps i'n NTU biz. haha. Is ur fren veri stressed over there too?
ok i'll be going back to dance class after my exams?
Glad that at least u are doing the thing u love! Hope dancing can relax u, even if it is for an hour!! -
This is not the reality of the world - at best, it's only a reality of what the civil service(and include other statutory boards for that matter) in Singapore is about.Originally posted by VivId CrItiQuE:also, those who said tt grades ain't everything, i agree, but they are still extremely impt.. look the the banks and GLCs, the minimum requirement is 2nd upper class honours. if u do not achieve that, u r not even given a chance for the interview. so tell me, how r u gonna show these companies that u r gd when u r not even granted an interview? these are facts of life, we just haf to face them. no point deluding and consoling urself that grades ain't impt. in my point of view, just study hard.
If you need any convincing the world doesn't operate on the basis of one's honours, just look around at the CEO's of some of your Fortune 500 companies around and see how many of them actually had a first class honours degree. I've seen enough people with 2nd Class Hons (Upper) or better who have done worse than those with supposedly "inferior" degrees in the corporate world. To accentuate this point further, there're tonnes of other factors that come into consideration when one applies for a job in the real world(even looking at your degree alone, the university/institution conferring that degree speaks volumes!) - let's face it, are you sure an employer would definitely prefer a first class honours degree holder from NUS/NTU over someone with just a bachelor's from Harvard?
It's indeed a sad reality of life in this society that so many people, like you, think that one's degree means absolutely everything. In a way, I'm glad I was fortunate enough to attend one of the top colleges in the US in the company of peers who valued play as much as studies and, in the process, learn much more than just aceing exams... -
Originally posted by walesa:
firstly, ur were wrong, i said that grades isn't everything. hope u read properly before replying.
This is [b]not the reality of the world - at best, it's only a reality of what the civil service(and include other statutory boards for that matter) in Singapore is about.
If you need any convincing the world doesn't operate on the basis of one's honours, just look around at the CEO's of some of your Fortune 500 companies around and see how many of them actually had a first class honours degree. I've seen enough people with 2nd Class Hons (Upper) or better who have done worse than those with supposedly "inferior" degrees in the corporate world. To accentuate this point further, there're tonnes of other factors that come into consideration when one applies for a job in the real world(even looking at your degree alone, the university/institution conferring that degree speaks volumes!) - let's face it, are you sure an employer would definitely prefer a first class honours degree holder from NUS/NTU over someone with just a bachelor's from Harvard?
It's indeed a sad reality of life in this society that so many people, like you, think that one's degree means absolutely everything. In a way, I'm glad I was fortunate enough to attend one of the top colleges in the US in the company of peers who valued play as much as studies and, in the process, learn much more than just aceing exams... [/b]
may i ask wad gave u the opportunity to study in a top college in US? either u r a scholar (which contradicts ur point that grades ain't impt), or u grew up wif a silver spoon and do not realli noe the realities of life.
if a first class honours isn't impt, y would so many universities around the world use such a ranking system? if it wasn't impt, y would so many companies set their minimum requirement for application as gd honours? for ur info, not onli the GLCs demands gd honours, most of the established banks require the same.
its true that there r some 1st class honours grads who do worse than those without a 1st class, but y don't u say those r the minorities? its a fact that 1st class grads r earning more, u can't deny tt fact.
its true tt alot of CEOs r not 1st class grads, but may i ask u, among those grads who did not obtain a gd honours and did not become a CEO, r they more successful than their 1st class peers?
lets face it, if a 1000 resumes were sent in for job application, onli the gd honours will be given a chance for interview. the rest will end up in the shredder machine.
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Originally posted by walesa:
Eh, i tink we shouldn't fault Vivid for that.. It's seriously how Sgporeans are moulded to be.
This is [b]not the reality of the world - at best, it's only a reality of what the civil service(and include other statutory boards for that matter) in Singapore is about.
If you need any convincing the world doesn't operate on the basis of one's honours, just look around at the CEO's of some of your Fortune 500 companies around and see how many of them actually had a first class honours degree. I've seen enough people with 2nd Class Hons (Upper) or better who have done worse than those with supposedly "inferior" degrees in the corporate world. To accentuate this point further, there're tonnes of other factors that come into consideration when one applies for a job in the real world(even looking at your degree alone, the university/institution conferring that degree speaks volumes!) - let's face it, are you sure an employer would definitely prefer a first class honours degree holder from NUS/NTU over someone with just a bachelor's from Harvard?
It's indeed a sad reality of life in this society that so many people, like you, think that one's degree means absolutely everything. In a way, I'm glad I was fortunate enough to attend one of the top colleges in the US in the company of peers who valued play as much as studies and, in the process, learn much more than just aceing exams... [/b]
My teacher once said even MOE is giving the wrong idea. Their motto is "Moulding the future".
Moulding, means that u use raw materials ( ppl in this case) and create them into a specific shape ( wad the mainstream ppl wants), thereby, discaring the excess( the lousy and not up to standard).
Our society (Sillypore) has drilled in the thinking that grades are impt. Of coz, i would like to go against this but when 98% of the ppl arnd u are striving for good grades, u'll conform to it sooner or later.
That's why, i can always only admire from afar ppl who choose to pursue their dreams ( my dance teacher) coz they haf the courage to step outta society norms.
US culture is different from us. They onli study during weekdays and party hard during weekends. If we do tt over here, our parents will nag. When we fail in studies, people will pity us.
so, hai.. we can onli blame ourselves for being born into a ctry tt put so much emphasis on getting to the top of the corporate lvl.. -
hai vivid, our lives sound veri sad hor..Originally posted by VivId CrItiQuE:firstly, ur were wrong, i said that grades isn't everything. hope u read properly before replying.
may i ask wad gave u the opportunity to study in a top college in US? either u r a scholar (which contradicts ur point that grades ain't impt), or u grew up wif a silver spoon and do not realli noe the realities of life.
if a first class honours isn't impt, y would so many universities around the world use such a ranking system? if it wasn't impt, y would so many companies set their minimum requirement for application as gd honours? for ur info, not onli the GLCs demands gd honours, most of the established banks require the same.
its true that there r some 1st class honours grads who do worse than those without a 1st class, but y don't u say those r the minorities? its a fact that 1st class grads r earning more, u can't deny tt fact.
its true tt alot of CEOs r not 1st class grads, but may i ask u, among those grads who did not obtain a gd honours and did not become a CEO, r they more successful than their 1st class peers?
lets face it, if a 1000 resumes were sent in for job application, onli the gd honours will be given a chance for interview. the rest will end up in the shredder machine. 
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haha.. i wouldn't say our lives r sad.. treat it as a challenge lor.. to study hard.. make frens in uni.. i'm quite lucky to haf made some frens in uni tt can click well.. haha.. life can b gd realli, when the going gets tough, the tough gets going.. haha.. i tink the subjects we learn in accountancy is quite fun already, at least alot of what we learnt can be applied to the finance industry almost immediately.. u see what the engineers r studying.. sian ar.. hahaha..
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paiseh haf to wait for 5 mins lol..Originally posted by VivId CrItiQuE:haha.. i wouldn't say our lives r sad.. treat it as a challenge lor.. to study hard.. make frens in uni.. i'm quite lucky to haf made some frens in uni tt can click well.. haha.. life can b gd realli, when the going gets tough, the tough gets going.. haha.. i tink the subjects we learn in accountancy is quite fun already, at least alot of what we learnt can be applied to the finance industry almost immediately.. u see what the engineers r studying.. sian ar.. hahaha..
ACC IS FUN OH!! i'm studying AA101 and i tink it's bullcrappppppp~
My uni frens are nice peeps but u noe.. gurls making frens are less ez den guys making frens.. ok.. fault me if i'm wrong.. tt's how i feel.. -
ROFLOriginally posted by Darkness_hacker99:Japanese got a say that if you wake up at 5am in the morning, you are hardworking person.. but I forgot about the sleep time. -
haha.. my click got guys n gurls.. hahaha.. i'm taking 101 too.. ok leh, not too bad la.. compared to stats, 101 rocks lo.. hahahaha..
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Stats open-book... AA101 closed-book leh... tt makes a lot of difference!
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It's obviously you who haven't read my point before replying. Firstly, do go over what you've quoted from me to begin with - I agreed with you as far as the civil service(and its statutory boards which extend to include your GLC's) goes, but that's hardly what the corporate world(on a global scale) is like! Of course, if you see your long term future with the civil service (or a statutory board) in Singapore, mug hard for your first class honours then - I'm sure it'll come in very handy for folks like you.Originally posted by VivId CrItiQuE:firstly, ur were wrong, i said that grades isn't everything. hope u read properly before replying.
may i ask wad gave u the opportunity to study in a top college in US? either u r a scholar (which contradicts ur point that grades ain't impt), or u grew up wif a silver spoon and do not realli noe the realities of life.
if a first class honours isn't impt, y would so many universities around the world use such a ranking system? if it wasn't impt, y would so many companies set their minimum requirement for application as gd honours? for ur info, not onli the GLCs demands gd honours, most of the established banks require the same.
And what has the system adopted by varsities worldwide got to do with attaching the degree of importance to a particular degree? By the same token, an honours is a step above bachelor's; a masters is a step above honours(whatever class it may be) and a PhD is a step above masters. It's just a rank in an overall scheme of things - if you regard that "status" to be so important, why stop at first class honours? Why don't you aim for a PhD or even a post-doctorate?
More importantly, what gives you the impression only scholars and people born into an incredibly privileged background will get a chance to attend the top colleges in the US?
If you genuinely believe that to be the case, then curse your luck for not being born smart/rich enough to attend one.
It's a fact that first class honours (compared to their peers from the same institution) graduates earn more in the civil service (and statutory boards) on the basis of a higher starting pay and also a career path with more promising prospects (which, by extension, would pave the way for quicker promotions and pay raises) - to a lesser extent, this policy also holds for many firms in the private sector although the disparity between first class honours graduates and the rest may not be as acute as that in the civil service. That is just about the only fact you can't deny. Then again, that's just a reality of how life in Singapore is - it is by no means remotely representative of the hiring culture on a global basis.Originally posted by VivId CrItiQuE:its true that there r some 1st class honours grads who do worse than those without a 1st class, but y don't u say those r the minorities? its a fact that 1st class grads r earning more, u can't deny tt fact.
its true tt alot of CEOs r not 1st class grads, but may i ask u, among those grads who did not obtain a gd honours and did not become a CEO, r they more successful than their 1st class peers?
lets face it, if a 1000 resumes were sent in for job application, onli the gd honours will be given a chance for interview. the rest will end up in the shredder machine.
As a matter of fact, grades aren't everything in the sense that it isn't necessarily the single most important factor in determining whether you get a job interview as you claim - I'm speaking from experience in working for an established firm (belonging to the private sector) in both the US and Singapore (among a few countries) and have conducted my fair share of job interviews. In essence, your mindset and approach will serve you very well if you plan to pursue a career in the civil service, its statutory boards and some private firms, but it isn't going to get you very far for a career (especially for senior positions) with most established MNC's... -
You just reiterated my point - the importance of your degree depends very much on your choice of career. As a matter of fact, Singapore isn't alone in having such an education culture - such trends permeate widely across many Asian countries. Actually, Asian students being the most hardworking in US colleges is also a general consensus shared by many (at least, among those whom I got acquainted with studying in the US).Originally posted by lifeissian:Eh, i tink we shouldn't fault Vivid for that.. It's seriously how Sgporeans are moulded to be.
My teacher once said even MOE is giving the wrong idea. Their motto is "Moulding the future".
Moulding, means that u use raw materials ( ppl in this case) and create them into a specific shape ( wad the mainstream ppl wants), thereby, discaring the excess( the lousy and not up to standard).
Our society (Sillypore) has drilled in the thinking that grades are impt. Of coz, i would like to go against this but when 98% of the ppl arnd u are striving for good grades, u'll conform to it sooner or later.
That's why, i can always only admire from afar ppl who choose to pursue their dreams ( my dance teacher) coz they haf the courage to step outta society norms.
US culture is different from us. They onli study during weekdays and party hard during weekends. If we do tt over here, our parents will nag. When we fail in studies, people will pity us.
so, hai.. we can onli blame ourselves for being born into a ctry tt put so much emphasis on getting to the top of the corporate lvl..
In fact, I think there's an over-emphasis on rote-learning (from my experience of working with and interviewing local graduates) in Singapore which doesn't bode well for nurturing corporate leaders (and those potentially groomed for senior management). In a way, I suppose I agree with paul_muaddib's assessment about the sort of conclusion we've come to and why we consider some other factors to be no less important (in fact, some other factors are far more important) than grades during interviews.
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The way to outmanoveur a japanese in business is easy .Originally posted by Darkness_hacker99:Japanese got a say that if you wake up at 5am in the morning, you are hardworking person.. but I forgot about the sleep time.
Make sure they stay for a week.
Bring them for entertainment straight after work til 11 pm. Don't come straight with them on day 1 . Only do it on the last day of negotiation
They will stay on the phone with tokyo until wee morning. Then BAM add another condition and they will oblige.
And when you enter japan - make sure your air ticket is open as well as your stay at the hotel - book for more days than you require because they will try that tactic on you also. -
I remember that in polytechnic, everything has to be backed by a textbook - everyone follows one view. A single deviation does not bode well even if you can find the research to back it up.Originally posted by walesa:You just reiterated my point - the importance of your degree depends very much on your choice of career. As a matter of fact, Singapore isn't alone in having such an education culture - such trends permeate widely across many Asian countries. Actually, Asian students being the most hardworking in US colleges is also a general consensus shared by many (at least, among those whom I got acquainted with studying in the US).
In fact, I think there's an over-emphasis on rote-learning (from my experience of working with and interviewing local graduates) in Singapore which doesn't bode well for nurturing corporate leaders (and those potentially groomed for senior management). In a way, I suppose I agree with paul_muaddib's assessment about the sort of conclusion we've come to and why we consider some other factors to be no less important (in fact, some other factors are far more important) than grades during interviews.
I think the main reason I had topped my cohort in an Australian university was because of my ardent determination to get out of Singapore to seek a better life elsewhere and I needed that a good degree to progress.
I am no scholar . I had to work and save for the study and abit of health from parentals. In the end it paid off - the university gave me a scholarship for half of the duration I had to study.
I think the TS has to figure out what is important and go for it. Not just study or memorise - you must understand it , live it, breathe it , apply it then you can score. Once you understand how theory is applied in practice - you won't have a problem scoring well. -
Life is what you make of it and naturally, the threadstarter needs to first sort out his thoughts in terms of what he wants for a career and prioritise things accordingly.Originally posted by fymk:I remember that in polytechnic, everything has to be backed by a textbook - everyone follows one view. A single deviation does not bode well even if you can find the research to back it up.
I think the main reason I had topped my cohort in an Australian university was because of my ardent determination to get out of Singapore to seek a better life elsewhere and I needed that a good degree to progress.
I am no scholar . I had to work and save for the study and abit of health from parentals. In the end it paid off - the university gave me a scholarship for half of the duration I had to study.
I think the TS has to figure out what is important and go for it. Not just study or memorise - you must understand it , live it, breathe it , apply it then you can score. Once you understand how theory is applied in practice - you won't have a problem scoring well.
At the end of the day, "a good degree" is still subjective depending on the degree holder and the employer in question and there just isn't a universal "cutoff" level (as to what constitutes a good degree) shared by every employer in the market. -
i noe i'll most probably sound like a loser to u aft this post of mine.. but..Originally posted by walesa:Life is what you make of it and naturally, the threadstarter needs to first sort out his thoughts in terms of what he wants for a career and prioritise things accordingly.
At the end of the day, "a good degree" is still subjective depending on the degree holder and the employer in question and there just isn't a universal "cutoff" level (as to what constitutes a good degree) shared by every employer in the market.
Seriously, i went into a business course simply because i
1) cant get into engineering
2) not reali interested to study maths, chem, econs as a subject
3) wan to get the hell outta sch asap w a degree
Before labeling me as a moron due to the 3rd reason, let me explain my point, i did so simply because my dad's kinda old.. I'm afraid he'll get retrenched due to his age.. I have a younger brother who's still studying, so i wanna get into work asap to support my family should something like this happen..
i suspect that is the reason tt i feel outta place in uni.. coz everyone's there to get a good degree, then a fab job which yield tons of $$.
I'm there simply because it's the shortest degree of all, get an avergae job aft grad and sloth my guts out to support my family. -
Then all I can only comment is that you must do what is necessary to survive. When you can , just see if you can get a job which you may be interested in. Experience at work will do you some good .Originally posted by lifeissian:i noe i'll most probably sound like a loser to u aft this post of mine.. but..
Seriously, i went into a business course simply because i
1) cant get into engineering
2) not reali interested to study maths, chem, econs as a subject
3) wan to get the hell outta sch asap w a degree
Before labeling me as a moron due to the 3rd reason, let me explain my point, i did so simply because my dad's kinda old.. I'm afraid he'll get retrenched due to his age.. I have a younger brother who's still studying, so i wanna get into work asap to support my family should something like this happen..
i suspect that is the reason tt i feel outta place in uni.. coz everyone's there to get a good degree, then a fab job which yield tons of $$.
I'm there simply because it's the shortest degree of all, get an avergae job aft grad and sloth my guts out to support my family.
Interest play alot in job advancement. If you have no interest , it becomes routine , life becomes shut in and progress is difficult. I myself did what was necessary to survive to the point that I became a nurse to support myself even though I was more interested in doing something else.
So if your family is your concern, make sure that you are able to reach your goal. Maybe do abit of internship here and there during the holidays - it might help you . That was what I did . -
Personally, I think you're quite mature in thinking that way. However, do remember that your choice now could have a major bearing on your career(note : it's career, not job) in time to come. While helping your family shoulder the financial burden may be more pressing in the short-term, do bear in mind what you do in this short-term (ie.the kind of job you take up; you're working because of interest or just for the money which would affect your career advancement, etc) could affect where you'd be 20-30 years from now. In that respect, I wouldn't advise you to just simply get a job for the pay without having thought abouty our future prospects (in fact, one thing I've realised from interviewing many fresh graduates is that many do not actually know what they'd be doing 10-15 years down the road)...Originally posted by lifeissian:i noe i'll most probably sound like a loser to u aft this post of mine.. but..
Seriously, i went into a business course simply because i
1) cant get into engineering
2) not reali interested to study maths, chem, econs as a subject
3) wan to get the hell outta sch asap w a degree
Before labeling me as a moron due to the 3rd reason, let me explain my point, i did so simply because my dad's kinda old.. I'm afraid he'll get retrenched due to his age.. I have a younger brother who's still studying, so i wanna get into work asap to support my family should something like this happen..
i suspect that is the reason tt i feel outta place in uni.. coz everyone's there to get a good degree, then a fab job which yield tons of $$.
I'm there simply because it's the shortest degree of all, get an avergae job aft grad and sloth my guts out to support my family.
Actually, I think I left out another reason on why you shouldn't focus too much on the quality of your degree - putting it bluntly, what you study (especially for a specialised field) is no less important than the class of your degree. Imagine if you had just a bachelor's degree in engineering, you'd still be considered for many technical jobs requiring your expertise ahead of others who have a "superior" degree in an unrelated field. Afterall, it's not hard to envisage no engineering firm wanting to hire an engineer for a technical job would choose a 1st class honours graduate in philosophy over a third class honours graduate with the related engineering degree, is it?
Now that you mention you chose business because you couldn't get into engineering. You might want to reassess your goals as to whether this is where your interest really is - if not, you might want to consider working in some area that requires just a degree (most jobs that do not require special expertise). More importantly, during your vacations, you should try to get internships with the sort of firms you foresee yourself working for - I think that sort of experience will be priceless in terms of helping you decide if what you have in mind is really feasible for you. Actually, internships is something popular among many undergraduates overseas (in fact, many of my classmates in university - and myself - did do some sort of internship from time to time) and you should give it a shot if you're unsure of what you want to do or just to get a taste of what life in the job you want is really like. -
actually i was hoping that i will land a job aft grad that will not confine me to the office.. but i guess my degree wun allow me to do so..Originally posted by fymk:Then all I can only comment is that you must do what is necessary to survive. When you can , just see if you can get a job which you may be interested in. Experience at work will do you some good .
Interest play alot in job advancement. If you have no interest , it becomes routine , life becomes shut in and progress is difficult. I myself did what was necessary to survive to the point that I became a nurse to support myself even though I was more interested in doing something else.
So if your family is your concern, make sure that you are able to reach your goal. Maybe do abit of internship here and there during the holidays - it might help you . That was what I did .
oh, in case u guys are still wondering, i'm a she, not a he.. I'm more out-going type so i tink i'll die in the office doing paper work
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Originally posted by walesa:
haha.. naw.. i just hate physics to the core. and yes i agree to what u have stated.. most fresh grad do not now what they want 10 yrs down the road (ok like me). Like my post earlier, i was hoping for something that will not confine me to the office.. Hai.. but reali dunoe where can my degree bring me other den the CBD area.
Personally, I think you're quite mature in thinking that way. However, do remember that your choice now could have a major bearing on your [b]career(note : it's career, not job) in time to come. While helping your family shoulder the financial burden may be more pressing in the short-term, do bear in mind what you do in this short-term (ie.the kind of job you take up; you're working because of interest or just for the money which would affect your career advancement, etc) could affect where you'd be 20-30 years from now. In that respect, I wouldn't advise you to just simply get a job for the pay without having thought abouty our future prospects (in fact, one thing I've realised from interviewing many fresh graduates is that many do not actually know what they'd be doing 10-15 years down the road)...
Actually, I think I left out another reason on why you shouldn't focus too much on the quality of your degree - putting it bluntly, what you study (especially for a specialised field) is no less important than the class of your degree. Imagine if you had just a bachelor's degree in engineering, you'd still be considered for many technical jobs requiring your expertise ahead of others who have a "superior" degree in an unrelated field. Afterall, it's not hard to envisage no engineering firm wanting to hire an engineer for a technical job would choose a 1st class honours graduate in philosophy over a third class honours graduate with the related engineering degree, is it?
Now that you mention you chose business because you couldn't get into engineering. You might want to reassess your goals as to whether this is where your interest really is - if not, you might want to consider working in some area that requires just a degree (most jobs that do not require special expertise). More importantly, during your vacations, you should try to get internships with the sort of firms you foresee yourself working for - I think that sort of experience will be priceless in terms of helping you decide if what you have in mind is really feasible for you. Actually, internships is something popular among many undergraduates overseas (in fact, many of my classmates in university - and myself - did do some sort of internship from time to time) and you should give it a shot if you're unsure of what you want to do or just to get a taste of what life in the job you want is really like. [/b]
Yeps, no worries, my degree factor in intership for us during the hols.. perhaps during then i'll start to source for companies who require biz grads, but not for boring office work..
regarding on ur point on type of degree.. another pt i choose biz because it's not too specialised.. so i'll haf alot of fields to go to.. But dang!there are 3 unis out there, ALL offering business degress so i'll be competeing with say a cohord of close to 2k biz grads. So then again, the class will matter > engine degree since onli veri lil ppl is in engine courses.
Dang, maybe i'll sign up with the Police force! -
Originally posted by walesa:
thank u for agreeing that disparity exists in the pte sector, regardless to wad extent, disparity is still present, i can save my effort from further argument den.
It's a fact that first class honours (compared to their peers from the same institution) graduates earn more in the civil service (and statutory boards) on the basis of a higher starting pay and also a career path with more promising prospects (which, by extension, would pave the way for quicker promotions and pay raises) - to a lesser extent, this policy also holds for many firms in the private sector although the disparity between first class honours graduates and the rest may not be as acute as that in the civil service. That is just about the only fact you can't deny. Then again, that's just a reality of how life in Singapore is - it is by no means remotely representative of the hiring culture on a global basis.
As a matter of fact, grades aren't everything in the sense that it isn't necessarily the single most important factor in determining whether you get a job interview as you claim - I'm speaking from experience in working for an established firm (belonging to the private sector) in both the US and Singapore (among a few countries) and have conducted my fair share of job interviews. In essence, your mindset and approach will serve you very well if you plan to pursue a career in the civil service, its statutory boards and some private firms, but it isn't going to get you very far for a career (especially for senior positions) with most established MNC's...
grades aren't the most impt factor, but they are one of the most impt factors, otherwise y even haf grades? a pass/fail will do.
since u haf conducted several interviews, haf u done sifting of resumes as well? can u kindly enlighten us, when 1000 resumes come in, how do u select those given a chance for interview? -
I am also stress up for my prelims and my upcoming exams.
All i can say to TS is,don't worry so much,just do your best,at least you will not waste your time and effort,the more worry you are ,the more difficult you are to understand the concepts of the modules and perform well -
Don't need so stress one... If buisness is your interest then u can relate very well... hmmm for me i get my client to study with me...