Sign On: Worth It? Wise? Outside No Good Job Prospect? How?

laoda99 SG

Even if you finished your NS liabilities (known as Minimum Term of Engagement), you won't get any NS increment after that.

This applies to all services: SAF, POLICE, CD......

You will get a gal's pay (that is, without NS) if you resign and join another department in the civil service.

Your career progression will be like a gal's because your regular service will not be taken into consideration.

And you will still need to serve reservist whether you like it or not.

So think twice before signing on. Don't make the same mistakes many have made. Don't be lured by the contract pay or gratuity they promised. It is not worth it.

Lesson learnt: Just serve your NS and #��*# off.

motoway SG

Rolling Eyes

Patrik SG

I dun even opt for the chance to think about it.
Laughing

motoway SG

Sterotype leh.

Icemoon SG

Read the previous sentence.

Since you are receiving gal's pay, your progression will be like a gal.

DarkMatter SG

I want to sign on leh

sir sickolot II SG

resign and join the private sector lor??

of course it would be beneficial if you were in a texchnical vocation because those skills are more readily transferable into the 'outside' world

nicholasp91 SG

dun u get government benefits and all the good things as civil servant?

Obersturmfuhrer SG

Let me give a lowdown since I'm in this position.

All Ministries and stat boards follow the civil service guidelines anally (in a sense) so dun expect any flexibility.

As an ex-regular, you will not be given any NS-increments when you are hired by any of these government organisations since you have been deemed to have been "employed" during your NS period. You can consider yourself lucky if the organisation chooses to give you increment for your "work experience" during that period instead.

If you further your studies and gain a degree after resigning from the military, all your previous "work experience" (including positions other than the military) will not be considered at all, hence you will be employed as one "without NS" and without working experience. In other words, start from scratch.

laoda99 SG

yup this is what i am facing now.....feeling #^^$�$*#*#(*#

Arapahoe SG

even if you serve and complete your contract ? maybe it deter people for joining for the sake of iron rice bowl.

laoda99 SG

yes...even if u serve and complete ur contract.

I am going to set a family rule that no one is to join any service as regular before NS.

sir sickolot II SG

that sounds like some pretty anal rules to me.
Wonder which ivory tower that planner was in when he/they wrote it out?

Are they saying that regulars never served NS? then what is Min Term of Engagement for?

What is the rationale for negating all 'previous work experience including NS' when you attain a degree after discharge?

caleb_chiang SG

I though no need re service if you finish your contract as a regular??? Laughing

bigmouthjoe SG

Think twice only? I think need to think much more than that... Mad

de_middle SG

whoa now u like army life liao ar

NYPD^blue SG

Originally posted by sir sickolot II:

What is the rationale for negating all 'previous work experience including NS' when you attain a degree after discharge?[/b]

NO offense to regulars, but seriously how much of ur work experience is relevant and transferable, unless u r from technical vocations?

and before u go on abt man management skills yada yada, i will say its non-existent

but still, I feel that its unbecoming for a guy to have served ns (reservist/ex-regular) to receive a gal's pay...surely those yrs in green must have counted for something

will4 SG

It is very difficult for many former regular to find work after they left the service. Some of them chose to come back after a stint in private sector.

laoda99 SG

wait long long. yesterday another reservice letter came. ARGH!

blitzonic SG

NO offense to regulars, but seriously how much of ur work experience is relevant and transferable, unless u r from technical vocations?

You're thinking too linear-ly, too much in terms of vocational trade. Also a bit antiquated since MINDEF already has a number of recent schemes in place to help ex-regulars switch to a new job outside. I first noticed them after the economic recession & SARS epidemic earlier this decade, then discovered the initiative has been around since 1998. To summarize briefly:-

1998 - MINDEF partnered with RMC (Right Management Consultants) to help its ex-officers. This is now coordinated by the Career Transition Branch, under SAFPSC.
2004 - RSAF signed MOU with AAIS (Association of Aerospace Industries).
2005 - RSN signed MOU with ASMI (Association of Singapore Maritime Industries).
2005 - SAF signed MOU with ASPRI (Association of Process Industry), to help its ex-technical WOSPECs.

So, from my observations: yes & no. Those who "blindly" sought civilian employment on their own instead (for various reasons) found it tough, esp. for middle-management jobs. Hence, you'll see them becoming insurance or property agents, security executives, enterpreneurs, etc.

Ex-combat WOSPECs, as a whole, also visibly lack a safety net for now. They can't look forward to being disciplinary masters in primary schools forever ;-) but I can see either them or the Police ex-regulars staking the security industry one day, once better professionalism is in place & a proper Association set up. I can see them fitting into the enviromental health industry too if ever the NEA seeks to promote (& outsource) more civilian businesses to work alongside the agency.

BTW Ex-regulars are quite highly demanded for senior-management jobs, but more so with employers seeking appropriate organizational & supervisory capabilities -- for example, in logistics, transportation, charities, education (curriculum planning), human resource, enviromental health, etc.

Back to topic: The Civil Service is not for me, but their wages bad, meh? Their total variable component payout last year was 2.7 months' pay plus a one-off $220 (2.15 months plus $200 in 2005), on top of their individual performance bonus (graded by their superior). With a entry-level Poly grad earning $1,500 monthly on the lowest Grade V scale, I work out him/her to have received a total bonus of at least $4,250 for the whole of 2006.