Gasband,
I have taken the route overseas and so far have not looked back.
I am presently working in the UK as an engineer and have
found the job satisfying and the career path very promising.
With regards to your questions:
1. how did
you all come to a decision to do that especially those who took
full time.
Well, to be honest, the opportunity came up when I did my
undergraduate studies in the UK. It was not a difficult
choice to make because I know that there are too many graduates in
Singapore and the rest of the world so to stand out you really need
a Masters Degree, Ph.D or an MBA. I had listen to the advice
of some of my seniors at University to do the Ph.D because it will
lead to much better opportunities. From experience I can tell
you that your salary scale will be much higher than most graduates
if you have a postgraduate degree. The minimum requirement in
both US and UK now is graduate school because a basic degree is not
sufficient to get affiliated with professional organisations.
2. When do you think we should consider post-graduate studies?
When you are still single or have a girlfriend. Post graduate
studies is a huge commitment and it would be extremely unfair to
your wife if she has to give up her career to spend time with you
doing the Post Graduate stuff. Also, you have to be sure of
your own ability to perform and do well in your studies and the
only way is to have extreme interest in the subject area.
This is something you will never learn in Singapore schools
(learning was never fun) so it's something that you pick up when
you work. You need this strong interest to develop your own
ability.
You also need to get some assurance that the subject area that you
are pursuing will lead to job opportunities which pay well. In
Singapore, the opportunities can be limited because of the
goverment's emphasis in certain areas, like Finance and Research.
You have to think global because it will push you to work
harder and join bigger MNCs and work in their HQs. The only
reason why MNCs will have offices in Singapore is because 1)
Singaporeans are paid lower than their Western Counterparts and 2)
Cheap Talented Workforce is the only thing that attracts foreign
investment. I would say at the moment in the UK, renewable
energy is the emphasis and there is alot of investments in Wind
Farms and cutting gas emissions. So if you are one of those
tree hugger types, this is the place for you to work.
3. What can we expect from post-graduate studies.
I feel in the long run you will get better opportunities in Life.
It will be more difficult with a basic degree even if you are
in a management role in a local MNCs. If you feel that it's
absolutely certain that you can earn 12-15K a month in Singapore in
the near future, I will recommend you to ditch doing postgraduate
studies. Otherwise, give yourself a chance to improve
yourself by studying overseas and try to get a decent job in US or
UK. There is as much racial discrimination as you think it
would be, and as long as you work hard and are assertive and
absolute in what you say and do, you can also make it in the
western world too.
Hope that helps
Danny
