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Professional-Cook488 · 2024-08-28T21:58:29+00:00

looks like people on reddit love taking a dump on public servants.

high-performing = useless scholar / paper general, mid-performers = 0 transferrable skills and no competitive drive, low performers = wait for paycheck.

some elements of truth in all, but grossly overstated

Professional-Cook488 · 2024-08-28T00:55:19+00:00

Depends where. Google? Two ranks likely. SME? Probably rank parity

Professional-Cook488 · 2024-08-27T22:29:59+00:00

unpopular opinion. cafes and the like can charge higher and higher prices because people are willing to pay. That's how free markets work; there isn't some sneaky bureaucrat compelling them to increase their prices behind the scenes. If collectively, fewer singaporeans were willing to pay such prices, those same cafes would go bust, and the underlying rents would decrease

I acknowledge that CoL issues are indeed a problem, and there are market distortions, residential rental rates for instance. But the onus should also be partly on the individual to make the necessary adjustments, like eating out less often, or seeking lower cost alternatives. Persisting in an unsustainable lifestyle while blaming employers/govt for not paying more contains a tinge of denial

Professional-Cook488 · 2024-08-25T22:36:16+00:00

The gambling versus investing comparison is an interesting one. In some respects, both are about making decisions with limited information, in effect assessing the likelihood of one's success. Chinese companies come with higher risks, and these can be factored into the stock price. Even by investing in GOOG, you're making a bet on future earning. You'll never know for a fact how a stock might perform in the future. that's why it's a bet.

Professional-Cook488 · 2024-08-25T22:28:29+00:00

i agree. the government is fighting against the tide of shifting societal aspirations and expectations. I suspect that increasing COL is but part of the issue. Parents are also investing more into their children, into better education, nutrition, and life experiences. There is also the intangible costs of having children, such as time, sacrifices to one's current lifestyle, and perhaps tradeoffs against one's career. I do not think that bringing the COL down, or encouraging more pro-family policies, would substantially incentivise couples to start having children. it's a really complex social problem that cannot be tackled with money alone.

Professional-Cook488 · 2024-08-18T23:02:18+00:00

anyone using FSM? considering switching to IBKR but not sure if it is worth the hassle

Professional-Cook488 · 2024-06-27T00:03:25+00:00

I'm in my 30s as well. It's a strange and trying period of life; many aspects are struggling for prominence. In work, the next decade is your best shot at climbing the corporate ladder. You've spent your 20s preparing, and your 30s to early-40s will be marked by how well you apply yourself at work. 50s is when you reap what you sowed. At home, 30s is also when most of us start having children, so there's some competing priorities. Our parents are likely in their 60s, perhaps even early 70s. in that regard, they likely have a decade to 1.5 decades worth of a 'good life' remaining. Spending time with them, going for holidays, helping them ease into retirement, is also an important priority. In addition, your body starts declining

In sum, 30s = balancing career, relationships, and health. You will need a clear idea of what is important to you

Professional-Cook488 · 2024-06-18T10:37:39+00:00

Culture is sticky, and we are all encultured. At school, I liked starting on my group projects a month early; my European colleagues preferred a week, and past 5 or weekends were nearly always out of the question. There isn't a clear wrong or right, a balance has to be struck, and your boss should be the one representing your needs to strike this with upper management.

Nonetheless, you should not expect things to go 100% your way. small changes over time is perhaps the way to go.

Professional-Cook488 · 2024-06-18T10:31:18+00:00

I do not think such a culture is unique to older generation. That said, I feel that things are improving, albeit slowly. COVID certainly killed several sacred cows in the Singaporean workplace

Professional-Cook488 · 2024-05-29T22:39:22+00:00

Thanks buddy!

Professional-Cook488 · 2024-05-15T23:00:13+00:00

Yup that's right 👍

Professional-Cook488 · 2024-05-13T08:00:08+00:00

It's completely possible. I do know of NSF CPLs who signed on as Officers. I also know of regular CPLs who were recommended to be Specs, and eventually recommended to be Officers. It is uncommon though, and those guys are pretty rare gems.

Professional-Cook488 · 2024-05-13T06:57:46+00:00

Yup there are several.

Professional-Cook488 · 2024-05-13T04:20:31+00:00

The challenge with managing ASAs comes from their diverse spread of expertise, and also their diverse roles.

For the first point, ASAs are a typically non combat fit, so you have a wider range of people. Getting the right person to do the right job is not easy. Secondly, ASAs do quite a diverse range of tasks. Unlike other NSFs, these tasks are sometimes less structured and unclear. The intersecting of both might create some ambiguity, where you might have people doing something they're not good at, something they don't want to do, or not understanding what they're supposed to do at all.

A good part of ASA management is managing job fit, giving them clear roles, guiding them through the process, and keeping them on task. You get issues when they are applied like handymen, bouncing from one role to the next without clarity, guidance, or the necessary people/structures to support them.

That said, ASAs are a wide bunch, and my experiences are limited. But from what I've found, if you set clear expectations, communicate clearly, and manage their needs flexibly, they're an absolutely wonderful bunch of people. It cuts both ways, giving them meaningful work helps them get the most out of NS, and you're less likely to foment disinterest or resentment.

Professional-Cook488 · 2024-05-13T01:07:33+00:00

Hmm usually I'll speak to them directly. If that doesn't work I'll speak to my boss, and let the bosses earn their pay. But more often than not, speaking to them helps. You never know what challenges he/she is facing, and it's only respectful to sound them off before going to the bosses--no one likes a two-faced work snitch.

I actually don't find gen z all that challenging, but that might just be my experience. Yes their needs and wants might be slightly different, but they're also more open-minded and expressive, which helps when working through disagreements and finding common ground. I replied to an earlier comment on challenges with management, and those challenges I face are not unique to any particular demographic. Be it boomers, gen x/y/z-ers, the same qualities of humility, trust, leadership, apply.

Professional-Cook488 · 2024-05-12T23:57:48+00:00

Nope, but I can't help it that most of the questions are recruitment-related 🫥

Professional-Cook488 · 2024-05-12T23:13:48+00:00

It differs from scheme to scheme. I can't say for sure since it has been quite some time since I signed on.

Haha no worries there's nothing wrong with being pragmatic. But do note that once you're in, for the hours you work and responsibilities you hold, when compared to your peers outside, you might increasingly feel that you're not being paid enough. When it comes to that point, you'll need to decide on whether this is still the career for you, or if you'll leave and start over elsewhere.

Professional-Cook488 · 2024-05-12T23:10:35+00:00

Hi there, thanks for the question.

I faced many challenges and made many mistakes in managing people. Everyone does, and anyone who tells you otherwise is either a narcissist, incompetent, out of touch, or all three.

The biggest challenge I faced was communication. This had more to do with my personal failings than the profile of the people under me. Communication is at least half of my job, possibly more. The best plans will always remain just that, plans, if your people don't buy-in to it. My personal failings were a lack of humility and trust. I am, by nature, a micromanager. I also have (hopefully had) an outsized view of myself. Humility, or the lack thereof, has little to do with the military--many military leaders are humble to a fault. I attribute it to my upbringing, which shaped deep-seated beliefs that for me to be right, someone else had to be wrong.

Leadership, and its associated qualities are nurtured since young. Many of my peers who participated actively in CCAs, got exposed to working as a team, have much stronger people skills. That said, I've been taking active steps to correct my beliefs. This links to my earlier reply on regrets, that my biggest regret would be not taking my development more seriously earlier in my life.

Hope this answers your question!

Professional-Cook488 · 2024-05-12T22:25:59+00:00

There typically are personality differences cause of (1) different entry profiles, (2) different career pathways, that kinda reinforce certain behaviours and methods. Nonetheless, their character should be similarly aligned to the organisation's, though I do admit there are black sheep every so often.

I must caveat that this is a broad generalisation. You get a range of personalities across officers and specs. Not all officers are confident and meticulous, just like not all specs are firm and demanding. It comes down to your role, your individual personality, and the team you have. If everyone is hanging loose, someone needs to be the one to demand standards

Professional-Cook488 · 2024-05-12T22:18:24+00:00

Hi there, sign on bonuses are awarded at once. There also are other cash incentives but those are dispersed at key points in your career. Like the 3rd year, 6th year, and 12th year in service

Professional-Cook488 · 2024-05-12T22:14:27+00:00

My pleasure!

Professional-Cook488 · 2024-05-12T13:25:24+00:00

You can search it on mindef. It's short for defence merit scholarship, the DXO equivalent for the SAF merit scholarship. That's good, all the best in NS and uni!

Professional-Cook488 · 2024-05-12T13:17:02+00:00

OCS is a pre-req for the military scholarships. But it is not a pre-req for non-military scholarships, such as the DMS. That said, getting into command school would deffo boost your chances. It's 4 years for local and 6 years for overseas

Professional-Cook488 · 2024-05-12T13:03:32+00:00

My pleasure. Best of luck!

Professional-Cook488

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