Why have I decided to blog about this topic? Well, you see, there has been a reader of mine who has been failing to realize just where she is going wrong. I'm not going to discuss the specifics of her case here since she's a lost cause - she's not responding to my good advice as she is suffering from tunnel vision. Rather, I find her case pretty typical of the kind of mentality that one would encounter in Singapore. I shall call this the 'square peg in a round hole' situation. Let me summarize this reader's situation in a nutshell - she's messed up her studies somewhere along the way and ended up in a private university, doing a degree not worth the paper it is printed on. Yet she thinks the answer to her problem is by studying even more even though it should be pretty clear that she's not the kind of student who can thrive in an academic environment (given her rather poor track record). She is like the second man in the story above.
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| Many people approach me online, asking for help and solutions |
She's also rather stubborn. I've tried offering her good advice but she just won't listen as I'm not telling her what she wants to hear. I am estimating that she's about 18 or 19 years old, she has been a student all her life and probably hasn't done a day's work in her life. All she knows is what is means to be a student, so she has no idea how else she can prepare herself for the working world. The root of the problem is that practically every single parent in Singapore wants their child to be a straight A student, go to a good university, get a degree and then get a white collar job. Hardly anyone dares to think outside the box and consider alternatives. If the child is smart enough to indeed thrive in that kind of environment, get the straight As and follow this path, then things are going to turn out alright. But what if the child just isn't cut out to be the academic bookworm who can score straight As - what then? There's a famous saying, "insanity is trying the same thing over and over again and expecting different results." It is like trying to squeeze that square peg into a round hole - if it doesn't go in the first time, it won't go in no matter how hard you try.
You only have to look at the way children are being brought up in Singapore to realize why such a mindset has arisen - what do Singaporean parents do the moment a child isn't scoring straight As? The parents would strip away any leisure activities, stop the child pursuing any hobbies, no more sports, no more social life or social media even. Instead, the child's workload is slowly increased to the point where s/he is essentially sleeping, studying and taking odd breaks for meals in between school, tuition classes and revision. That is probably the worst possible approach to such a situation, yet it seems to be the most common one. If the child is clearly not going to be the kind of straight A student who will go on to do something like medicine or law at a top university, why subject the child to such a cruel regime in a desperate bid to improve their grades. Spare a thought for the poor child: instead, the child should be allowed to figure out what s/he enjoys, so the parents can start planning an alternative career path based on one of the child's interests.
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| What if the child performs badly at school? |
I look at my own nephew and I feel an intense frustration about the situation. He isn't the academic type: he had very mediocre PSLE results and ended up in a neighbourhood secondary school where his results so far have been, well, ranging from mediocre to below average. The poor kid is subject to a lot of tuition and his only escapism is in computer games. I have suggested that he should learn coding, since he clearly likes computer games - it is highly unlikely that he will go down the traditional academic path that I did, so why not let him explore his interests in computer games from a young age? Instead of just playing the games, why not let him get involved in creating them in the world of coding? My suggestion got shot down: no, there's no time for that on top of all the studying, homework and tuition he has to do already. Maybe in the future but now's not the time. What can I say, I'm just the uncle who lives 8 time zones away. If I had my way, I'd give him far more freedom to explore his interests beyond the rigid academic syllabus, so he may be able to find something he is truly passionate about and can carve a future career out of.
On my blog, I often encounter people who have ended up doing useless degrees at private universities - these degrees are not even worth the paper they are printed on, yet these students are so incapable of thinking outside the box that they don't know what else to do, even if they do realize how awful those private universities are. Yet because of their upbringing, they are totally incapable of trying to seek an alternative and they then fall prey to the lies that these private universities feed them. I'm sure you can find some success stories amongst the people who have gone to such shitty universities, but they are the exception and not the norm. Extremely intelligent students who do well in school would never choose to go to such universities, they choose universities like Oxford instead - if you were to look at a cohort of graduates from Oxford for example, you'll see that the vast majority of them do exceptionally well in life because companies are desperate to hire Oxford graduates. You do want to have the odds in your favour as you go through life, rather than struggle triumph against the odds by having a shitty degree from a private university.
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| Not all degrees are equal. |
What I am proposing isn't some radical solution but rather something that is done in other countries in the West where kids are not subjected to an insane amount of pressure to excel academically. They have time to indulge in social activities, sports, music, perhaps work part time or help out in their local communities through charity work. When kids have school holidays, they truly take their minds off school, truly relax and are free to explore other interests, unlike Singaporean kids, who are usually given a lot of homework and coursework for their school holidays, have a long reading list and are probably subjected to tuition classes during those holidays. The irony is that whilst Singaporeans are so proud of how well their students do in standard tests compared to their counterparts in the West, they are paying a painfully high price for this better performance and the Singaporean kids who suffer the most from this process are those who do not fit the mould of the perfect Asian straight-A student bound for a top university. Now that kind of student would probably thrive a lot better in a more relaxed Western system, whereby they would have had the time and space to discover an area of interest where they would be able to develop a future career.
There is one other key difference in the way kids in the West are brought up which is the social experience. You see, many Asian parents think that having friends is a distraction from studying and their idea of a well-behaved child is a child who would sit alone, in total solitude at home, studying. They would frown upon and discourage a child from going out and playing with friends, because that kind of fun activity would only serve as a distraction from studying to get those straight As. Having a healthy social life isn't just important to develop useful social skills, it has a far more direct impact on one's career development: you need to expose students to a wide range of adults who have different jobs, simply to open their eyes out to the possibilities out there beyond the more common, more popular options. So for example, I got to know some of my older sister's friends quite well and at least I was able to see how they went into a range of different professions after university - some of them were more successful than others, some of them were more happy than others. I saw the different paths they took after graduation: that gave me a rather good idea of what this transition from being a student to entering the working world would be like and it mentally prepared me for it.
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| Can doing maths homework teach you social skills? Clearly not. |
Thus simply being around other working adults, being able to see what they do for a living first hand is such a vital part of preparing young people for the working world. Yet how many Singaporeans actually think about giving their children that vital information? Most Singaporean parents will push their children towards a very narrow list of professions that would meet their approval: doctor, lawyer, engineer, banker and they ignore other more unusual options not because these options are not potentially lucrative, but Asian parents place a huge emphasis on their children achieving these goals they set. The problem is made far worse when stupid Asian parents who are in no position whatsoever to offer any kind of career advice start meddling and interfering in their children's career choice, when they have nothing but misleading advice and incorrect information to offer. In reality, allowing your children to figure this out for themselves is probably the best learning experience they can have - yet so few Asian parents realize that.
But wait, it gets far worse in Singapore. You see, many Singaporean parents who are too afraid to condemn a system which has already condemned their children. My nephew is autistic and the Singaporean education system has been unkind to him - yet nobody in my family dares to question the system, well apart from me but nobody dares to engage me in a conversation about the system. I don't think my nephew is old enough to understand why I disapprove of the Singaporean education system - he's too Singaporean to question the system he's been brought up with. After all, it simply opens up a Pandora's box for him if he realizes what a rotten deal he is getting as an autistic teenager struggling in a system that is designed for straight A students. But I suppose they have a point - you need to have a plan of action before you can start to revolt against the system. I have come across so many people who come to my blog, asking for advice - they mostly complain about the elitism in the Singaporean system, yet instead of trying to find an alternative route to success, they expect the system to change for them: for someone to do them a favour and treat them like a scholar despite their mediocre grades or for someone to change the system for them so they don't face as much discrimination. Such is the dumb Singaporean mindset - Singaporeans are just too passive to challenge a system, even one which they hate, which they recognize has condemned not just them but their children as well.
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| Singaporeans are too afraid to criticize the system. |
The way I see it, you don't need a revolution - just someone to tell parents the simple message, "your child clearly sucks at studying, but that's fine - not everyone can become a doctor, a lawyer, an engineer or a banker. There are plenty of other options out there to explore and your child can establish a successful career despite not having been a great student." Yet when the PM tries to gently remind Singaporeans this simple message, many Singaporeans get extremely upset - why? It is an Asian thing: Asians don't want to lose face. Even if a Singaporean parent could in principle agree with a statement like, "you can't have a country where 100% are graduates" - no Singaporean parent would want to be the parent of a non-graduate. So they spend an obscene amount of their hard earned money, sending their bueh tak chek kid to a private university, getting a degree that isn't worth the paper it is printed on just so they can tell their friends and relatives, "yes my son/daughter is a graduate, my son/daughter went to university like everyone else" - they'll just omit the fact that they know their kid is really quite stupid at the end of the day.
The solution I have is purely based on common sense: simply play to your strengths, rather than demand society to ignore your weaknesses. If you don't know what your strengths are, then you need to take the time to figure that out. I get so frustrated when I hear Singaporeans whine, "in Singapore, you must have a degree to get any kind of job these days, that's why I need a degree." People who say that ignore the fact that any gatekeeper will know the huge difference between a degree from a reputable university and one from a private university, the latter is simply not worth the paper it is printed on. Gatekeepers are a lot smarter than you think. Getting a crap degree from a private university is simply highlighting what your weaknesses are to the gatekeeper, you may as well have the word IDIOT tattooed on your forehead. If you can't get into a good university, then the only sensible alternative is to think outside the box, explore other options that do not involve getting a degree. Insisting on becoming a graduate when the only degree you can get is a worthless one is the ultimate exercise in trying to squeeze a square peg into a round hole.
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| Play to your strengths, not your weaknesses |
So let me give you an example of what a friend in the UK did - let's call her Sheila. She was never great at school - when she got bored during the lesson, she would start doodling in the margins of her textbooks. She would draw anything from angels to fairies to animals to flowers - the more bored she was, the more elaborate the designs. Given how little attention she paid in class, Sheila went on to flunk her GSCEs and had she been in Singapore, her stupid Asian parents would have probably made her do a degree not worth the paper it was printed on but hey, thankfully Sheila's parents are white and more enlightened. They have noted that Sheila was never the going to go to university but she had a gift in graphic design - through a family friend, they got to know a woman who did jewelry design and Sheila got an internship, learning how to design and make silver jewelry. Sheila's parents couldn't be bothered whether she got a degree or not - what they were more concerned was that she found something she was both interested and good at, so she could make a decent living from it. Fast forward several years, Sheila has a successful career as a jewelry designer, earning good money for her work. She did all this most apprenticeship, without having any decent paper qualifications. Sheila will be the first to admit that she was a terrible student, but in her own words, "in life, you just need to be good in at least one thing and for me, that's making beautiful, expensive jewelry."
There are loads of other case studies of people who have managed to pursue an area of interest close to their hearts and created a successful career for themselves - for this to happen, parents need to give their children the time and space necessary to develop their interests outside school life. We need to get students thinking about their future career paths early in their lives, so they can make sensible choices and plan long term. Here's the problem with Singaporean parents though: if a child is just somewhat lazy and playful but has the potential to become a scholar if made to work hard (as in my case), then fair enough, enforce some discipline to get the best out of the child. But there are cases where no amount of strict Asian discipline can raise the IQ of the child who is simply unable to thrive in the high pressure Singaporean system, that is when you have to stop forcing the square peg into the round hole - perhaps there will be something else that the child will be good at, maybe not. But at least stop making such children miserable by heaping blame on them for not excelling in their studies and start exploring alternatives. Such is the challenge of being a parent: can you love your children even if it becomes exceedingly clear that they are going to be the ones who's always going to fail all their exams? Can you bring yourself to love your child or will you worry about losing face?
As fo my nephew and learning coding, I am not pushing it if no one in my family is following hrough with it. Why? Because I don't want to raise their hopes - just because my nephew likes computer games doesn't mean that he will be any good at coding. He may be good at it, he may totally suck at it - we don't know till he tries. I am suggesting that he should give it a go because he likes computer games, what I don't want is to give anyone in my family the false hopes that he would definitely excel in it just because he has played a lot of computer games. People with difficult situations often like simple solutions and I don't want to come across as someone offering a very simple solution to an awfully complex problem. Whilst I do think is that coding could be one of many things my nephew should be allowed to try his hand at, it really shouldn't be hailed as the golden ticket, the simple solution that will solve all his problems.
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| I am nervous about making suggestions for my nephew. |
So that's it from me on this issue.Who do you blame for this irrational pattern of behaviour? Do you blame the Singaporean education system for failing to provide a lack of quality initiatives for those who do not need a degree? Do you blame Singaporean parents for being obsessed with this concept of 'saving face' and wanting their children to become graduates regardless whether they are university material or not? Do you blame Singaporean schools for failing to give better career guidance? Or do you blame employers in Singapore for failing to consider quality applicants who are not graduates? Let me know what you think, leave a comment below. Many thanks for reading.
It's not that Singaporean parents are stubborn about trying to "fit square pegs into round holes;" it's that the economy of Singapore is built in such a way to only socially and financially reward corporate workers. If it were possible to make a respectable living as a tradesman, artist, or even service worker (like a bartender, entertainer, dancer, etc.) in Singapore, do you think Singaporean parents would care so much that their kids were academically deficient? Money is money.
ReplyDeleteIt's precisely because Singapore's economy is so corporate-based and knowledge-based that its people are forced to "do or die" when trying to gain admittance into a university or getting an office job. This leads to stupid people doing stupid things like spending their parents' savings on bullshit universities studying bullshit courses just to get bullshit degrees that mean fuck-all.
Sure what they're doing is silly, but can you blame them? They're just trying to keep their heads above water in a world that's not built for them. If it were possible to make a six-figure annual income by becoming an electrician or plumber, these professions wouldn't be looked down upon in the first place, and more youngsters would be inclined to choose these professions as their career paths willingly. But the Singaporean economy is configured in this way, so they're just adapting by hook or by crook. A degree from UniSIM is still better than a specialized technical qualification from a polytechnic in their eyes, and who's to say otherwise?
PS Also, no offense, but if your nephew isn't doing well academically in secondary school (which is really easy, by the way) he isn't going to enjoy coding at all, much less be proficient enough to code for games. The amount of scientific, mathematical, and logical ability that it takes to code professionally is way beyond what you imagine.
Hi HB and thanks for your insightful comment.
Delete1. I understand what you say about some jobs being paid more than others - but that is hardly a uniquely Singaporean situation. In my article, I did mention the possibility of me becoming a gymnastics coach (I even passed the coaching exams so I am a qualified coach) - but chose to work in finance over coaching because of the money. So even in a place like London, you're going to find the same situation as in Singapore, it's not as if a gymnastics coach in London is going to earn as much as a banker - I heard one of the gymnastics coaches in my gymnastics club struggling to get a bank to give her a mortgage because her earnings are just so freaking low for what she would like to borrow and I'm not sure whether or not she managed to find a sympathetic lender, but such is the situation - it's not like in the West, we are rewarding everyone equally; no, certain corporate professions still end up earning a lot more than others.
2. If it is about money, then surely one would minimize one's loss by investing so heavily in a degree that doesn't count for shit - if your family isn't rich, then that pot of money ("parents' life savings") can be used a lot more wisely on something like capital to start a small business or going abroad to gain training for a rather niche type of skill. To instead spend that money on an SIM degree is a terrible way to squander a v limited pot of money. I remember it is like an episode of Survivor when they had limited drinking water in camp and one idiot chose to use the water to WASH HIS CLOTHES - and that infuriated everyone else. He got voted off shortly after. It's the same level of ... irrationality really. When resources are limited, you make careful choices.
3. As for my nephew, I don't know enough about coding to talk about it like an IT professional - I work in banking and don't profess to know that much about coding. I'm grappling at straws with my nephew here to try to find one thing, just one thing, that he's good at - his grades are mediocre (well he is in a mediocre neighbourhood sec sch after all) and his only passion seems to be his computer games. The gaming industry is big and provides a lot of employment, but I don't know if it is right for him if as you said, he is unlikely to be able to do coding in the first place. His dad is an engineer by training who is making a good living, so autism aside, I am hoping that some of that engineering mindset would have transferred from father to son. Is it a bit harsh to judge a 14 year old like that? Probably. But I think if we change that radically from that age to say our mid-20s, we learn, we grow, we mature but we simply become a better, older version of our 14 year old selves, not someone else altogether.
4. More on the mortgage situation - the lady who struggled to get a mortgage is single and wants to get on the housing ladder based on her own earnings. I know of another gymnastics coach who is married and she obtained a mortgage easily because she pooled her earnings with her husband's and that was enough to make them look like a far richer borrower than a single person. So it's not like life is impossible for gymnastics coaches in England to make a living, there are just limitations that's all when you are only paid that much for your work. And I'm sure that describes the situation in Singapore as well.
DeleteFirstly i think Singaporeans have been brainwashed from young by the PAP to equate a degree to success. There are obviously not enough jobs that require a degree to go around. As Singapore transforms from a manufacturing to a service based economy, there will be lots of jobs in hospitality, F&B, financial, transportation, healthcare, etc. How many of those industries even require a degree to enter them? And even those that do require a degree, they require relevant experience which most Singapore do not yet possess which is why these job end up going to the foreign talents (cue the many high level hospitality and financial front-office jobs, and no surprises healthcare too).
ReplyDeleteThen there is the myth that only white collar jobs are good jobs. I know many white collar workers who were lowly paid (1-3k) and miserable in their current positions but yet were too myopic or fearful to transition to another industry.
As for parents, i won't totally blame them. Most of our parents were from a generation where it was very rare to get post-secondary education. Needless to say graduates were practically unheard of then. But i would place most of the blame (70%) on the children for listening to their parents and drinking their Kool-aid. Why doesn't anyone have critical thinking skills? What happened to evidence-based decisions (or instructions) and the scientific method? Who do we blame, Confucius culture or the education system? Even if the PAP government or your parents were to tell you to go study course A or enter industry B, do you just accept it without research or challenge them if they end up being wrong?
Then there is the final fatal mistake which almost all Singaporeans tend to make, and that is to equate qualifications and/or certifications as the be all end all in securing a good job. Whatever happened to personality, networking, social skills, adaptability, and a whole host of other factors which help you do your job once you make it past the interview stage?
When i went for my interview at MOH holdings, for my current career transition programme. I couldn't help but notice many of the interviewees didn't bother making an effort to dress up. Some of the male candidates came dressed in polo shirt and jeans. And this is an interview panel with directors from the tertiary institution, healthcare institution and MOH present. So obviously you came dressed like you were going to a hawker centre for a meal. It was of no surprise that none of the candidates i saw ending up being accepted to the programme.
Then what about basic networking skills? After a certain level (entry level jobs) most of your opportunities are going to come from people you know rather than what you know. I got my previous job at a huge Japanese MNC (worldwide no.1 market share in their industry) because i knew a Japanese guy who knew another Japanese person who was currently working in that company and who wanted out.
Then being personable pays dividends with your boss and fellow colleagues. I think you mentioned in one of your previous posts that being liked by your boss helps a lots with your job. You end up being trusted more and promoted faster, who cares what degree and which university you obtained it from, when it came to the promotion stage.
Once again, thanks for the insightful comment Choaniki.
Delete1. Can you place the blame entirely on the PAP for the misconceptions of the younger generation, for their failures and their general clueless-ness as described by you? Isn't it rather Singaporean to expect the government to solve this problem - or do you blame them because they created this problem in the first place?
2. Can I point out that the climate has a factor in this? I think in Singapore, because it is so bloody hot and humid, everyone wants to work in an air-con office (or failing which, in any air-con environment) whilst those who work out in the heat, sweating buckets are deemed to be 'low-class' whereas in reality, some skilled jobs (welder, electrician, plumber) which do require people to work in the heat may be a lot more lucrative than some low-level white collar jobs (eg. data entry clerk) - the latter may be sitting in front of a computer in an air-con office, but so what? But can you blame Singaporeans? Do you wanna be working in an air-con environment or under the midday sun when it s 33 degrees?
3. Your points about soft skills are duly noted and I agree 100% with you.
I'll partially answer point 2. Haha, I work in Tuas. Now when I was studying it was something I didn't contemplate much. Like where the hell is Tuas, no way I'm not going there. Silly huh. But it's totally cool with me now. I mean it's offered me some of the greatest career opportunities I could possibly have.
Delete@LIFT
Delete1. As much as PAP likes to take the credit for all the successes of modern Singapore, they rightfully deserve all the blame for the current state of the younger generation, wouldn't you say so? The Economist, CNN and several other media outlets have called Singapore a nanny state for good reason. Singaporeans have been brainwashed from day 1 at PCF kindergartens, public primary, secondary, tertiary schools. Just last year I found out it is in the MOE syllabus for all local tertiary institutions, yes NUS, NTU, polytechnics, etc to include a compulsory 'National Education' module for all students. We are talking about students from a world ranked top 20 university being thought how to think, the right way and the only way (propaganda). Can the government solve it? I think it is already too late at this stage, 江山易改本性难移.
2. Not sure about the weather, but the transport, hospitality, healthcare, F&B industries i listed all have some degree of air-conditioning. They are not exactly comfy white collared jobs but not exactly back breaking ones like a dustman or construction worker. Of course to many Singaporeans (and their stupid parents), a service job is 'low class' and no one want to work in shift-based jobs regardless of the pay. Believe you me, an entry level healthcare job pays so much more than a mediocre undergraduate degree job (http://www.straitstimes.com/singapore/manpower/fresh-grad-hopes-to-earn-2500-a-month). So there is that.
3. I didn't learn about the importance of soft skills or EQ from school but from being well travelled and talking to lots of people outside my comfort zone. I have talked to a German hotel owner in Bangkok, an American guy who dropped out of college and worked several jobs but found success and is now working as some regional lead for IBM. I have also talked to some of the under-classed like a working girl in Shenzhen and some KTV owner in Singapore. So you can learn something from everyone, not only 'natural aristocrats' or the elites as PAP ministers would have you believe.
Hi Choaniki.
Delete1. Fair enough, but I do wonder what is there to be gained by blaming the PAP? If you blame someone, you then imply it is up to them to resolve the situation, to fix the problem. I feel like that's not constructive, because there is much we can do to help ourselves. If you want something done quickly and properly, do it yourself, right?
2. Again fair enough, there are service jobs and there are service jobs. I'm in sales, the deals I broker have up to 8 figures in them (and we're counting in USD not Indonesian Rupiahs) whilst the salesgirl at the mall trying to get you to buy a $30 bottle of perfume is also doing sales. There is a lot of money to be made in the high end service sector and I don't see anything wrong with jobs of that nature.
3. Good for you for having an open mind, embracing new experiences and making new friends!
Ok, i won't continue pointing fingers and attempt to analyse whether we can even solve this problem.
DeleteSociologists have found that to change a person's thinking and hence behaviour there are two general strategies to do so: through education and through fear. Some sociologist have further expanded on it and found that longer lasting effects come about from using a mixture of both education and fear. A good example is Singapore's Health Promotion Board using a variety of informational adverts on various medias about the harms of smoking. The government also legislates that all Cigarette sold in Singapore must come with packaging with gory pictures of the harm of smoking printed on them.
Let me use one sociological theory, the Health Belief Model (HBM), to attempt to predict whether someone can change their current brainwashed thinking and hence change their behaviour.
The HBM has 4 main components:
1) Perceived susceptibility
2) Perceived seriousness
3) Perceived benefits
4) Perceived barriers
If perceived benefits outweighs perceived barriers and the perceived threat (which is simply the sum of perceived susceptibility and seriousness) is quite large then maybe an individual will take action.
Now for a case scenario: Tan Ah Kow, did badly for his O'levels, had to go to a lousy pre-university institution that offered a 3 year A'level. He ended up with very mediocre A'level results with all art or useless subjects like business or accounting. No local university would accept him since he doesn't meet their entry requirements and he is now left with a choice of re-doing his A'level, going to a polytechnic or going to a private university.
According to HBM (since i don't know of other models to use to analyse), what are Ah Kow chances of going to a private university?
Perceived susceptibility (getting a lousy job): Very high. He has typical ignorant parents who are non-graduates. They tell me to study hard and get a degree so that can get a good job.
Perceived seriousness (getting a lousy job): Very serious. Singapore companies (cue public sector and GLC) are obsessed with academic qualification above all else and pay based on your paper qualifications and certifications. Government propaganda keeps telling him that politician need to earn a certain amount in order to talk to CEOs who earn alot of money, so if Ah Kow earned little no one would bother with him.
Perceived benefits: High. Getting a degree from lousy university is worth boasting rights as Ah Kow will be the first graduate in his family. Government propaganda also keeps telling him that every Singapore who is qualified will be assured a job.
Perceived barriers: Very low. SIM allows their school fees to be paid in instalments, bank loans and SkillsFuture Credit also available to be used.
Modifying factors: Ah Kow and his parent don't really have a good professional network to refer him to good jobs hence he has to get a tertiary certification in order to find a good job. Government propaganda keeps telling him that all school is a good school, so SIM is acceptable in his mind. His peers are equally buay tak chek kind and are all enrolling in SIM, so to Ah Kow he has company which is good for him. Ah Kow googled about SIM entry requirements and somehow ends up on LIFT's blog telling him SIM is shit and not to entering it as gatekeepers will know that Ah Kow is an idiot who just wasted his money. However since LIFT is a triple scholar and whom he doesn't know personally, Ah Kow just ignores LIFT's advice as elitist rant.
Continued in part 2...
Part 2
DeleteSo as you can see, Tan Ah Kow's threat in ending up with a shit job is very high and his perceived benefits of getting a private degree are high with almost no barriers. Added to this mix are the immense modifying factors from parents, peers, government propaganda which is pushing him towards getting a private degree. Ah Kow is highly likely to enrol into SIM to get his useless degree since he can't get a job without a tertiary qualification.
So as you can see, LIFT, your blog is preaching to the choir. None of the Tan Ah Kows from HWZ, Asiaone or various other forums are even debating your ideas. I suspect the girl in your above-mentioned post had already made up her mind and was trying to seek reassurance from you, but finding none she has decided to tune your advice out as noise since you are not within her immediate sphere of influence (just like your nephew 8 time zones away).
So what else can we do? Our personal reach (your blog and your readers' sphere of influence) is so tiny that not even 10% of the younger Singaporeans could be reached. Most of them are just busy following their idols or social influencers on twitter or instagram. However government media including school career advisers have immense reach and influence that you are probably swimming against an ocean. Call me cynical but when i said that this problem is too late to solve, i was being realistic. Even were the government to do a 180 overnight, there is no easy way to change someone worldview after a lifetime of brainwashing. Otherwise your Donald Trump and Brexit voters wouldn't have voted the way they did.
Great analysis - but the logic only goes as far as explaining Ah Kow's thinking and the way he justifies his choices to himself until the moment he tries to get a job and realizes, oh shit, gatekeepers don't take my degree seriously and he realizes that gatekeepers are always going to choose NUS grads over SIM grads.
DeleteAnd I think you have over-estimated by goals here - I don't pretend that I can solve the problem with my blog by educating the ignorant. You can't solve stupidity and stupidity comes in so many forms: believe you me, I have plenty of examples of that in my family. It's so bizarre that I have autistic parents who are not smart at all - I won't embarrass my father by repeating what he said on Skype last weekend, but he stumbled upon my conversation with my sister, listened to what we were talking about for like 30 seconds and said something totally stupid. I just held my silence and ignored him - I know how stupid he is, then even my sister and mother (hey maybe my mum is not as dumb as she comes across) both corrected him because what he said was totally rubbish. And realizing that his daughter and wife had just pointed out that he's talking rubbish as usual, he walked away - great, nice talking to you again pa. You see? That's the quality of the conversation I have with my parents - believe you me when I tell you that I know from personal experience that I can't cure stupidity. I'm not sure it is fair to expect the government to pull of this kind of miracle either - with Brexit and Trump, I just accept that yeah, stupidity is actually pretty darn widespread, the majority of the population are stupid like my parents and I just count my blessings that I am not stupid like the rest and am able to be smart enough to earn good money.
@LIFT you have pointed out one of the limitations of the HBM which is that it doesn't account for environmental factors (other people action) influencing that person's behaviour.
DeleteAnyway I have frequent experience with ignorance in my family which is why I hold back my rebuttals lest it led to 1 hr long argument matches. He tells me that Shanghai is a very dangerous place with poisonous food at every street corner. This is despite the fact he has only been to the Shanghai docks onboard ships and I have personally explored the Bund, Pudong, Puxi, and even all the way West to Sheshan which is on the outskirts of Shanghai.
So if your goal is not to educate ignorant people, pray tell the purpose of your posts? I hope it isn't to spite stupid people who choose to go to private universities.
Good question. Let's look at the shades of grey - there aren't two distinct groups of people: stupid vs enlightened. Let me use myself as an example: I don't think I'm stupid (thankfully!) but as I was a kid growing up, I had no guidance from my parents who knew nothing about degrees or the working world (beyond what it took to become a primary school student) and I met some kind people along the way who did give me useful information. I knew what I do with that useful information because I was inherently smart enough to act upon good advice.
DeleteThere are clever people out there who for some reason, just lack that access to good advice because of their social circumstances (kinda like myself, really) - such people are quite easy to help because all you need to do is to give them the good advice, the info, point them in the right direction and you know they will do the rest. And then there are people who are - well, what I would term as wu yao ke jiu - no amount of good advice can help them. Like that woman Kendra who came to my blog, I told her to marry a rich man. She is a typical wu yao ke jiu case looking for instant solutions to her problems - and really the only one I can offer is for her to marry a rich old man, he'll die soon and she'll inherit all his money, then she doesn't ever need to work. You get the idea.
I remember the kindness shown to me by many kind people who have helped me along the way with good advice and information, I suppose I believe in good karma and spreading the love, that's why I am blogging. I know the good advice can only help some people - I don't pretend I can do anything about the "wu yao ke jiu" cases. I can't solve all of the world's problems you know.
How do you differentiate yourself from all the noise then? There are tonnes of blogs and 'influencers' out there giving out dubious advice due to personal interests (advertising). Your's is like the only contrarian opinion out there.
DeleteWould like to add on some responses to some statements I keep hearing regarding this topic.
ReplyDelete1) "So, should I do a degree or not?"
Unless you got it all mapped out in some area, eg. sport, music, craft, or a trade, or are already running a family business, yes, do get your degree but only if you can afford it and it's a helpful one. It remains a tool to open most doors and to help get you started at work.
2) "But you said not to do it at all costs?"
Sure, if you are going to empty your family coffers, and get some weird degree that's not going to help you much, please done. LIFT and his readers have explained more than enough why not.
3) "The PAP told us not everyone needs a degree, but they allow cheap FTs with second rate degrees to work here"
Sure, but that doesn't answer the question on whether you should be getting one or not because God forbid, you don't want to end up like those. The issue with this is how it impacts economic productivity and how much wage depression it is going to cause. But as you said, these guys are here because they are cheap. In fact, there are Taiwanese degree holders coming here to work as Cisco Security personnel, on a polytechnic grad paycheck. So don't be them. Make sure you are going to be paid what a respectable degree should be worth.
4) "The Singapore Economy is geared towards people having degrees"
Uh....really? If this were the case any degree would suffice and we wouldn't be having this discussion.
5) "My parents/teachers/the PAP brainwashed me into believing this is the only way to go"
And if you are questioning this wisdom now, then for goodness sake's make your own decision. If you can't, then see you in the next LIFT comments section. Lol.
Hi LFT, I think you're being unfairly critical about SIM students. Singapore's society after all still emphasizes on paper qualifications. Based on my experience with people, an SIM degree still opens doors that would've been closed had the person not possess any degree at all. Sure, it doesn't open as many doors as a degree from NUS or Oxford would, but it's still a sensible choice as long as you're not putting yourself or your parents in debt. You just have to make sure you network and scour for internships before you graduate, know what your goals are and make sure they're also realistic. You shouldn't be expecting to enter investment banking or management consulting, but surely that degree would serve you in other industries right?
ReplyDeleteHmmm J Lin, I think you're missing the point. Sure, of course, you can find examples of people who have succeeded in spite of having a crap degree or having no degree for that matter. These people are the exception to the norm - would you look at a success story of a man who became a successful business tycoon without a degree and then say, "based on that example, I am going to drop out of university". No, you would have to look at the general trend and see that people with good degrees tend to do better than those without - the fact that you can identify some exceptions means that it is possible to struggle against and odds and triumph despite the odds being stacked against you, but I have said this many times before: you want to go into a poker game with a good hand, whilst it is possible to win with a bad hand in poker, let's not pretend that it is as easy as winning with great cards. By the same token, if you have great cards, it is hard not to lose.
DeleteMy point is simple: you wanna do a comparison, you should look at someone who does an SIM degree vs someone who doesn't have a degree but spends his time doing something else (apprenticeship, internships, work experience, night classes, training courses etc) and see which person would do better in the long run. We have already heard from enough SIM students here to know that the syllabus is so easy that anyone can pass - so if anything, it is a sad reflection on Singapore that some people still feel that they need to get a degree like that just to tick a box when they really have learnt NOTHING whilst there. Any idiot can register for a course and as long as you pay the fees and are not a total retard, you can still pass. What does that prove? Nothing - because they learn nothing whilst studying at SIM. Thee's absolutely no quality control whatsoever. Any retard-idiot can become a graduate with SIM. Given that we know all that about SIM degrees, why anyone would bother with one is beyond me. It almost feels immoral that they are wasting their parents' hard earned money on such a useless pursuit.
As for other industries, huh - other industries have gatekeepers too you know. And like I said so many times before, unlike SIM students, gatekeepers are not stupid.
Oh and it baffles me that you can come up with a statement like "Singapore's society after all still emphasizes on paper qualifications" and still defend SIM?!?! Don't you think Singaporeans know the difference between the entry requirements for:
Deletea) Oxford University
b) NUS
c) SIM
Given that Singapore is a country obsessed with paper qualifications, surely every Singaporean gatekeeper will be more than aware of the total lack of quality control when it comes to the SIM enrollment procedure (ie. anyone can register, even those borderline special needs cases who are not toilet trained) and anyone can pass (because they dumb down the courses to the point where any idiot who has passed PSLE can get an SIM degree). If you were to say that Singapore is not a society that cares that much about paper qualification, that we care about the individual behind the CV, then fair enough, then Singaporean employers may be willing to give SIM graduates a chance. But given how Singaporeans all know the education system so well, who is going to want to give SIM graduates a chance, knowing that intelligent Singaporeans would never ever go there - that SIM is the last resort when everything else fails?
Please lah. Think about what you wrote, you just contradicted yourself big time.
Even my grandmother knows that SIM degrees are total garbage and that SIM only exists to opportunistically prey on the insecurities of those who want to enter a real, legitimate university yet aren't smart enough to do so. Hell, these days it's so easy to get into NUS that it isn't even worth noting anymore; I'd be quite ashamed to say that I attended NUS. So what can we conclude about people who have SIM degrees? They're like people who can't win an Olympic medal by merit, so they decide to buy their own medal, carve their names on it, and then later brag about it to their friends and families and society.
DeleteI wouldn't give these so-called SIM graduates one iota of credit or respect for passing the courses, since the courses are all watered-down idiot-proof bullshit to begin with (I can almost guarantee that the standard Raffles Institution/Chinese High School IP syllabus is tougher). In any case, the SIM administration is inherently in a position of conflict of interest -- their raison d'etre is to serve as a for-profit degree mill for the academically-weak, their target market, so it's only in their financial interest to err on the side of passing students instead of failing them. Contrast this to NUS/NTU who get government grants, reliable/recurring alumni donations, and also have deep coffers, and thus aren't as reliant on tuition income to fund their expenses.
Ultimately, we all know that no one would choose to go to SIM unless they've completely failed to get into NUS, NTU, or SMU (especially hiring managers). Contrast this to the case of SMU, for example. Despite its relatively-young age as a university, many people still choose to go to SMU over NUS, thus having an SMU degree doesn't carry the same negative stigma as having an SIM degree.
Saying that an SIM degree opens doors is just wishful thinking and post-choice rationalization. You wouldn't know if you'd still made it through without the SIM degree; hell, you might have even undermined your chances of success by merely having the cringeworthy initials "SIM" on your CV, so you succeeded despite, not because of, the degree. Also, armed with your SIM degree, you'd have zero idea of the opportunities that you've missed out on either, had you had an NUS/NTU/SMU/Oxford/LSE/Ivy League/real degree. You really simply have no clue what you're missing out on. You think life is good, my degree is paying off, but deep down inside you don't know if the investment was ever worth it. You just want to be in denial that it's worth it, because the money is already spent. What choice do you have?
You just know that other people have degree, I also must have degree. By hook or by crook. I don't care if I waste my parents' retirement fund. I don't care if I condemn myself to financial ruin by undertaking punishing school loans. I must have the damn degree to save face. Even if it's from a lousy shit school like SIM. Even if I'm not inherently smart enough for university. Even if I buay tah chek.
The truth is even SIM-caliber students know that getting SIM degrees is an economically-irrational decision. But they do it anyway. For pride, for face, for ego, to compensate for insecurity.
Seriously. How pathetic can you be?
Like LFT mentioned, those exceptions that held a SIM degree, are probably already promised a successful career before going into SIM. They probably entered SIM just to clear some stupid paperwork criteria for the HR departments or the visa application. You should focus less on their SIM degrees but more on what else were they doing that is more relevant to their successes.
DeleteSpeaking of which, I need to start looking at which part-time academic program / paper qualifications to pick-up to get more points for my PR application in Japan. I do not need it for my profession as my project portfolio is still attracting headhunters.
Delete@Hmong Bong - great analysis (ref: the Olympic gold medal). People who do go to SIM only hurt themselves by having the words 'SIM' appear on their CVs. Like I said, that's like having the words IDIOT LOSER tattooed on your forehead. Whoopee.
Delete@Weiping - I disagree actually. If someone was smart enough to be promised a successful career prior to going into SIM, then they must be pretty fucking awesome. And if they are that awesome, then why not choose a better university, like NUS for example? Why choose the WORST possible university for a degree?
Look, I don't know anyone who is so fucking amazing that they get promised a successful career prior to even starting their degree. What company would be mad enough to promise someone a job based on just their A level results? Would you do that? Or okay, maybe they have had some great work experience already and have started a career already - but if they have the ability to climb a career ladder and show some promise in that industry, why would they then choose such an awful university? Why not pick a better one?
I think you're putting the horse before the cart Weiping - I do know that companies regularly try to hire Oxford-Cambridge graduates before they even graduate because they know they are recruiting people of extremely high calibre. These companies know what they are doing - the bottom line is they wanna hire someone capable, of great quality. But here's the conflict, no one of high calibre, who's extremely capable would even contemplate studying at SIM, when they have zero quality control there. It doesn't take a genius to realize that SIM's total lack of quality control is a huge problem and hence leads to their lack of any credibility with employers.
Let me give you an analogy okay Weiping? If your company told you, "you may claim up to $200 a night for a hotel when on this trip, if you spend less than $200, you will NOT be given the difference in cash." What would you do then? Would you:
Deletea) look for the best possible hotel you can get for that budge of $200 a night and try to get the best possible deal for yourself?
b) book yourself into a $10 a night cockroach infested youth hostel, suffer a sleepless night in horrific conditions despite not being able to claim the difference?
Of course you would try to find the best possible deal for yourself - going for the cheapest option is just like going to SIM when you have the ability to go to a much more respectable university. Why would you do that? It is just not a rational choice.
In any case, in this day & age, no one can be promised a successful career for life. Even if you work for a good company, you may get sacked one day, you may get retrenched, you may decide to resign if you hate your colleagues/boss, you may decide you need a change of environment, you may decide to move to another country for a variety of reasons, you may decide to try a different career - there are so many reasons why we would want/need to change jobs during our working life. So even if an SIM degree would suffice for your current job, what do you think is going to happen when you need to change jobs sometime in the future? You're still going to be in trouble with an SIM degree - sorry but there isn't a plausible, acceptable reason for anyone to get an SIM degree.
@LFT
DeleteI was not talking about successful companies but more in the lines of corporate nepotism (very rampant in Asia). We all know that one incompetent bastard who obtained his position through family relations and all he had to do is get a SIM degree.
As for me, I am looking at some other course of study that is not closely related to what I am currently doing, just out of interest and for PR application.
That's still silly IMHO, if you're going to ignore the qualifications and give sonny a job because he's related to someone important, then why even bother with the university degree? Just use the time and money to go traveling, have an epic holiday all around the world, have the time of your life, have unforgettable memories doing the most fun adventures in exotic countries, then come back and do the job. That'll be a far better use of that money you spend on a useless degree. After all, giving someone a job on the basis of nepotism rather than merit is already breaking the rules - so why bother trying to adhere to some HR rule about hiring graduates whilst breaking other rules? It still doesn't make sense - but nepotism doesn't make sense to me. Why would you hire someone incompetent - like is his daddy going to give you seed capital and those are the strings attached or something? In my company, if you don't pull your weight, that's it, you're sacked.
DeleteI think it is totally stupid to suggest that anyone would go to SIM due to nepotism. If your parents are that rich and connected you would be able to get into a top ranked school whether in Singapore or overseas. Like how George W Bush made it into Harvard or how Prince Harry had extensive help to pass his A'levels and ended up in Sandhurst as an officer trainee.
DeleteI have to agree with Choaniki. He's totally right. If your parents are that rich and connected, SIM is such a shitty, awful, terrible university that you would avoid it like a plague and use your money to at least go for a better option. Oh the joys of being rich and being able to buy a better class of degree.
DeleteAnd even if you can get a job via nepotism - it's not for life. It's for a few years. Like I said, life can throw you a curved ball, you may have to change jobs one day - then what? Do you wanna be stuck with a shitty degree when they day comes? And if your family is that bloody rich and influential, why even worry about getting a degree? Just chill, relax and go shopping.
Well, I thought the idea was silly too until I witnessed it first-hand twice in Singapore and was working under such nincompoops which prompted me to leave.
DeleteIn the first place, the company that I was in, was not making profits and was suffering from bad reputation. But due to it being part of a larger conglomerate, the conglomerate basically just wasted extra funds on that company due to the boss being the son of the conglomerate's founder.
Oh and the nincompoops, I mentioned, in your words, will never be able to graduate from Harvard, after working under them for slightly over a year. (How the hell did I withstand 1 year of incompetency?)
DeleteOh dear. Son of the founder being the boss? Family business mentality. Recipe for disaster.
DeleteI used to think "If you dont think your kid needs a degree then you shouldnt have a kid at all". Well, not anymore, since reality bit me. But Im here to tell you what happens when you lower your expectations & allow your kid to do something else instead of getting a degree.
ReplyDeleteThe other day I was at the blood bank, the nurse who came over to prep me made small talk & when she heard abt my son, asked what he was doing. "Hospitality in ITE. He is a people person, can get along with others & enjoys helping them." Then I asked about her family & she replied "My daughter studying Fashion at Laselle. She is the artistic type. Very creative. Got an eye for clothes."
You see what is happening here? "Hey, my kid may not be smart, but at least she is talented, or at least he's a nice guy". People are applying euphemisms to justify their children's path when they know it is not good enough.
Do you need to add so many comments about your kids' choices if they are getting a degree from a reputable university? You just say "Getting a BA from NUS" (or similar) & leave it at that, without embellishments.
This just scares me when I wonder what my nephew could be possibly good at. If I may be harsh and frank at the same time, if you asked me "what is your nephew good at?" I don't even know the answer to that question. He plays a lot of computer games but that doesn't even mean that he's any good at it - being able to repeat something as many times as he likes in a computer game appeals to autistic kids. Just because he spends hours playing those games doesn't mean he can make a living as a gamer as you need to be very good at what you do, even gaming, to make a living from anything.
DeleteAnd the poor kid isn't even good at those computer games he spends hours playing.
Sigh. I have no idea what he could do for a living, honestly. Just as well his parents are v rich.
What other activities has your nephew tried? Sports? Clubs? Extra curricular activities? Other hobbies? Hanging out with friends? Does he literally do nothing but eat, sleep, have tuition and play computer games?
DeleteGroan. It is almost embarrassing to answer these questions. My family has enrolled him in a lot of activities but he has well and truly sucked at every single one of them. Don't forget - he is quite autistic so learning anything new is very challenging for him. We tried a range of sports and he was awful, totally hopeless at every single one of them - like I am not exaggerating when I say that he's useless at sports. Utterly, totally, tragically hopeless. There's a double whammy - he's overweight and thus is not physically fit to begin with. Also, he's autistic (Asperger's syndrome) so he cannot process information/instructions like normal children, so even if a sports coach gives him an instruction, he doesn't learn quickly like other children and so he often falls behind the rest of the class and then he gets frustrated and gives us. That has happened with every sport he's tried - so he claims he hates sports and that has led to his obesity.
DeleteThey've gotten him into Scouts at school - but from what I've heard, it is poorly run and the teachers don't know what to do with him. They can't exclude him but they don't stop the other kids picking on him either. He doesn't have the social skills to thrive in that kind of environment - you can see why he hates it and prefers the solitude of playing computer games. He has virtually no friends at school because of his condition and so yes, it is pretty much eat, sleep, study, tuition and play computer games, as you said.
It's not like we've not tried other activities - we tried, he sucked at them and the parents/grandparents felt sorry for him, the poor kid is already struggling so much at school, he doesn't need one of activity that he sucks at, so the moment he complains that he's not enjoying something, they gladly pull the plug on it. The only thing that he truly enjoys is his computer games.
Can you see how desperate the situation is? Sigh.
typo: "he doesn't need one MORE activity that he sucks at"
DeleteFor your nephew, I am going to try a RPG-like simplified explanation on life that you might want to provide him.
DeleteEveryone starts out at lvl 1. But each of our starting stats are all different. The stats also include rate of gaining exp. (Bear with me, this is a super-simplified explanation.) So everyone starts out sucking at everything we do. How do you become a top ranker(professional)? Well, you train and gain exp from your surroundings. So depending on which class(profession) you want to turn out to be, you need to train(school, apprenticeship, etc...) for it.
Try asking him what does he want to be in the future.
Sigh. I tried. It didn't work.
DeleteThe first answer he said was, "maths teacher" - but his maths isn't even that great to begin with, it is just the subject he sucks the least at in school. But he was thinking I suppose, secondary school maths is hard but hey, primary school maths was a lot easier and I could handle that - so if I can teach maths in primary school, then it is a job I can do. I think he saw the fact that my parents are not exactly the brightest people around, but yet they still managed to make a good living as primary school teachers. But is being a primary school teacher a cop-out, a simple option for less than intelligent people to fall back on? I think that teaching is an extremely hard profession because it is not about you passing exams, it is about imparting knowledge: you need to be able to explain concepts to children. Just because my nephew may know how to solve say a PSLE maths problem sum doesn't mean that he knows how to explain how to solve it to a bunch of students who have never done it before. Being a teacher is all about communication skills and being autistic, he well and truly sucks at communication skills. In my parents' era, they got away with terrible communication skills and if I may be blunt, they were bloody awful teachers given their autism, but standards were far less demanding then. Oh please, he would be a terrible teacher, like my parents - autistic people should not become teachers because teachers need to feel empathy for their students. When my parents get a student who doesn't understand a concept, they just scream at the student, say shit like, "why are you so lazy and stupid" - you see for them, they are totally incapable of empathy and understanding the student, they just think, "this is easy primary school stuff" because they are only seeing it from their point of view. Yup, my parents were awful teachers.
I didn't have the heart to tell my nephew that he couldn't become a teacher because of his autism - the last thing the kid needs now is his uncle telling him "you can't do this, you can't do that etc" - but I imagine him being more comfortable in an environment where's he is working on his own, in front of a computer rather than standing in front of a class, trying to communicate with a bunch of students. Being a teacher is completely the wrong thing for him to do given his autism, but I suspect that the kid has given this very little thought. He knows what mummy & daddy does for a living, what grandma & grandpa does for a living - he thinks that uncle Alex is a 'businessman' but doesn't know what I do, his immediate environment as a student is that of his school - so it is natural that he is thinking about the familiar and that's why he said "maths teacher". The kid hasn't done enough research, so it would be perhaps unfair to expect him to come up with a decent answer to that question?
Being a teacher is not going to cut it in the future. MOE is cutting down on teacher intake due to falling birthrates. Also many schools are merging and there will be a surplus of teachers whom they cannot retrench so easily. Did your parents put him up to this idea of becoming a teacher?
DeleteDoes his school have a computer club or micromous/robotics?
Delete@Stargazr, this is uncanny. I went to his school's website and yes, there are such clubs. I never thought about it - but he hasn't participated. I don't know why. Maybe I should follow up.
Delete@Choaniki, I am not sure, I don't think so. I don't think they put that thought in his head, rather my theory is that he figured out that primary school teachers only need to know the PSLE syllabus which is relatively easy to the stuff he has to struggle with in secondary school. Of course, what you're saying is right - it's going to get hard to go into teaching in a few years and they will test for certain qualities such as communication skills to engage students, so he's unlikely to get through such tests.
Sure thing, would be interested to know the outcome.
DeleteAlex, thanks for another thought provoking article.
ReplyDeleteNow, an interesting thought came to mind :)
i keep hearing people say that the Singaporean emphasis on paper qualifications is unfair.
Hmm... last i checked MANY societies emphasize paper quAlifications. Isn't that why Ivy League universities are so prized?
Perhaps the biggest problem here isn't 'the system' (which we know is flawed),
its the sore individuals who are moaning about the system.
So hey i blame the person. Bosses, schools ... hahaa
Paper qualifications are just attempts to assess ones' abilities on a certain particular field. When organizations are hiring people, instead of spending time to interview a 1000 candidates without any portfolio or experience for just a single position, they would rather just sort the applications based on qualifications and only spend time interviewing from the top. It is a rational thing to do.
DeleteIt is not without flaws and the organizations know about it. But as they are establishing new processes to adapt to the changing world, they would rather keep using a flawed working system that still reaps limited success.
Yes Wei Ping, we can't expect an imperfect but on the whole reliable, tried and tested method to be changed just to appease people. The world is meritocratic.. but that doesn't make it egalitarian.
DeleteI'm against exploitation of workers in the forms of low wages, dangerous working conditions etc
Market conditions shouldn't deny someone basic dignity. But bidding for a job, a place at university etc is just natural human competition. There will be losers. If we didn't compete in this way, then we would simply compete in anonther.
i fully understand that financial & especially intellectual resources that we inheirit from our family do make a decisive difference. So yes some people may feel a sense of injustice or even humiliation. They blame the system.
But what is to be done? No system is totally fair and without flaws.. because all systems are run by people. So these guys moaning about the academic system perhaps should look at their own flaws.. & unique merits and see how they can build satisfying and profitable careers.
There are for profit universities in US and I would imagine UK as well. As you mentioned in previous posts, there are more than 100 UK universities and you consider the ones at the bottom of the table to not be worth attending. It's not just Singaporeans or Asians who attend these low ranked UK universities, I would imagine there are white Caucasians from the UK who spend hard earned money on these programs too.
ReplyDeleteIn the US, University of Phoenix and DeVry are 2 programs that have parted thousands of students of their money and the degree is pretty much useless too. They have also been targeted by lawsuits I believe. And most of the students are not Singaporeans or Asians but white Americans.
The mentality that a degree is something to obtain at great cost, even if one has uncertain plans of what to do with it, is not unique to Singaporeans.
In the case of that particular commenter that you are referring to, I think she is just young and a bit confused. Many young people want to be successful, to have money and a good life, but they have little idea of what is the best way to get to that goal. They may not be passionate about a specific career path, but just want to make a lot money and have a good and comfortable life.
Also I think it's really hard for anyone to have to accept they, or their child doesn't have the natural aptitude for skills that lead to conventional success. Yes it may be easy for you, or I to say, oh, they suck at studying and will never be successful at a top university or pursuing a career that requires a highly prestigious degree, so they should just accept it and do something else, but it's hard pill for them or their family to swallow, especially if they've been conditioned to think that that is THE way to success, coupled with the magical thinking that they should follow their dreams and anything is possible.
Have you heard of this study "Unskilled and Unaware of it"? https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/10626367 The gist of it is that people who are bad at something do not even realize how bad they are at it.
Oh man, I could write a whole article on this and maybe I should - but for what it is worth, allow me to try to answer your question.
Delete1. They have a really large proportion of foreign students: I got to know a PRC student (let's called her Ms Zhu, not her real surname). Zhu came from a small town in the NE, she was not from a big city - so people in her area knew little about England. She did her masters degree here, her aim was primarily to improve her English which to her credit, did go a very long way and get some "international experience". She did work part time whilst she was here (that's how I got to know her) so she did apply herself - yes she went to a crap university at the bottom of the league table as there was no way her English was good enough to pass any course in any university say in the top 50 of the league tables. But the people back in her small town may have heard about Oxford and Cambridge, but would they be able to tell the difference between LSE (one of the best) and LMU (one of the worst)? No, not at all - all they knew was that Ms Zhu studied in England, her English is now a lot better (certainly better than the folks back in her town) and she has returned triumphant, happy, having achieved her goals. Even she told me that the syllabus for her course was "a big pile of rubbish" and there were PRC students in her course who could barely speak English but yet were passing all their coursework.
So for people like Ms Zhu, yeah she knew what she was doing - it wasn't like she was delusional about the ranking of her university; in her case, it didn't matter as her intention was always to return to China after she graduated. Last I heard, she has a decent job in China, back in her hometown.
2. The kind of academically handicapped white students also exist in the UK - exactly the same as in Singapore, they are not bright, bueh tak chek yet aspire to be graduates and they are totally unable to plan far enough ahead to think about the consequences of a degree from a crap university. Their peers have degrees and they want one too - dumb white people exist too you know? Besides, in the UK, you can get a student loan for your university fees which you don't have to pay back until your earnings hit a certain threshold so for these people, they are not even thinking about the fees - chances are, it's a debt they'll never have to repay anyway as these people end up earning peanuts in dead end jobs with such crap degrees. Yes, they're like the second man who tried to draw a picture for the king and got thrown to the sharks.
3. Some people have no idea what to do with their lives when it comes to a career - they're not great at studying but they have no clear talent or skills. Yeah it happens, their hobbies may be something like, "I like listening to music" but can you play a musical instrument or sing? No. "I like eating sushi" but can you cook and become a suhsi chef? No. Kinda like my nephew - he likes playing computer games but can he code and write games? No. For people like that, entering the workforce is scary as they can only do crap jobs that pay peanuts - it's a pretty nasty prospect if you wake up everyday hating your life and job. So continuing their student life for 3 or 4 years more is at least delaying the inevitable - hey, student life is still a breeze at these universities, compared to say working in a fast food restaurant.
I guess the best thing is to be realistic about your options, given your skill and aptitude level in studying or other things, and pick the best option, or the least bad option out of those.
DeleteI feel there's no need to mock people who may just have lesser ability, they are probably keenly aware of it already. Enrolling in a for profit university perhaps makes them feel like they are taking some action and doing something to improve themselves and their station in life.
There's a documentary by Alain de Botton "Status Anxiety" https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t1MqJPHxy6g (there's also a Wikipedia article and some text links for people who prefer to read instead of watch). The message is that the flip side of capitalism, meritocracy, upward mobility, and freedom of choice and the [perception of] equality of opportunity is that the everyone, including and especially the underclass gets blamed for their own failure to advance, which is psychically more devastating than in an aristocratic society where there is little movement between social classes, because if social class is what you are born into, being in a low social class doesn't mean you have a bad character or work ethic or personal failing. Of course it might be kind of disingenuous coming from someone like Botton who was born into wealth, but I think it's still a fair point. There will be winners and losers in every system, and when the losers the losers shoulder all the blame and responsibility for their loss it's a double whammy
Regarding #2, it sounds like there is very little risk or consequence for an academically handicapped student in the UK to take out a loan to go to a crap university, since they never have to pay it back if their earnings don't hit the threshold. It's not their own money that they are spending. Even if they end up in a dead end job, they would still be in a dead end job had they not gone to the crap university, so again, no harm done to them.
DeleteStargazr:
Delete1. Anything to do with status anxiety should be dealt with IMHO within the family, that's what parents are for, that's what family members are there to do. I'm more than happy to support my nephew in whatever way I can, even if it means pulling strings and involving nepotism. However, I have also been on the other side of the equation as a gatekeeper and I would never do someone a favour and bend the rules for them because I would get into trouble if I messed up. Being able to see both sides of the equation puts me in a good position to talk about this issue.
2. Exactly. That's why the system in the UK is messed up - the tax payer picks up the bill and that's not right.
3. Don't get me wrong - I would rather there be a merit-based system. Like if some poor kid from a poverty stricken family worked her butt off and got the grades to go read medicine in Oxford, then by all means the state should pay for it given the kid has earned that privilege. But if some idiot has crap grades and wants a grant to go to a crap university, then what's the point of that? I say, extend that privilege to smart, hardworking students and fuck the poor. The smart hardworking kid who earned herself the place in Oxford will become a doctor and serve society, as a tax payer I'm happy to fund students like that. But the loser who wants a degree in a crap university will end up working in a dead end job anyway and you don't need to spend all that money to do a dead end job.
DeleteYou mentioned that your BIL is an engineer, maybe he can pull strings to get his son employed? (not sure if this is a good idea, just throwing it out there). You did mention your family has tried a lot of extracurricular activities that didn't work out, have they tried music? You can do private lessons and go at your own pace and not have to interact with others if you don't want to. Same with art. Also exercising by himself instead of playing sports. Sorry hope these suggestions don't come across as too simplistic or already been done before, just throwing things out there,
DeleteI will play devil's advocate and suggest different angle from what I see usually discussed here. What about the intangible and non-monetary benefits of having an education, regardless of how "crap" the university is or non-marketable your degree is.
DeleteI believe it is only in the past 50 or so years that a degree began to be viewed as a means to an end of getting employed, that you can quantify in terms of cost and benefit analysis.
It may seem quaint now but the educational philosophies of most schools, including I would guess your alma mater in Singapore as well as the UK, would be to produce well-educated, cultured, intelligent individuals - no mention of increased earning power. In ACS they say "A Scholar, Officer and and a Gentleman (yes I know you are from RI).
Of course, education was something that in the past was mostly only accessible to people who were already from wealthy backgrounds, and their access to cushy jobs and paychecks was less a product of the degree itself but their wealth and family connections of their entire life.
But that aside, I do believe in the value of going through the educational system and having that experience independently of the increased earning power. Being exposed to different ideas, novels, art, literature, science, learning to think critically and form your own ideas about the world - all those things add to one's personal life. Not to mention being young and coming of age in the presence of 1000s of other people like you, the friendships and relationships you form while you are in that phase of your life.
I went to a good school and university myself, and though it is tempting to be for me to say that only people as "deserving" as myself should have the opportunity, I believe it has enriched my life in such a way that if it were feasible I think it would be great if everyone had such an opportunity to broaden their horizons.
Whether or not going to a crap university actually provides such opportunities for learning, personal growth and personal relationships is another question altogether.
One more thing that I wanted to add but hit "send" too quickly. What about the value of a well-educated population for the country? Assuming that individuals really are getting something out of their college experience and increase in their learning and critical thinking skills, and overall improving as a person through their educational experience, that is a net positive for everyone in the country.
DeleteStargazr:
Delete1. They have tried every activity under the sun, believe you me. You have doting grandparents with time and money, happy to take him to any class in Singapore that he wants to try. It would be extremely cruel of me to go into details of what we have found out that he can't do, but of all the things you've suggested - been there, done that, add it to the list of things he totally sucks at. You think we'll be having this conversation now if we have actually found something he is good at? Sigh.
2. It is an AWFUL idea to pull strings to get someone employed. I would not do that - imagine if I begged someone who owed me a favour to employ my nephew, then my nephew messes up big time. That puts me in an awful position - "hey Alex, I did you a favour by employing your nephew and now look what happened?" I believe that there is no point in giving my nephew a job that he is ill-qualified for, can't perform and who would wanna do me that kind of favour? No one! Because my nephew will be doing the job in place of someone else who could do a MUCH better job. Nepotism is extremely bad for business. I might go as far as to get someone to take a second look at my nephew's CV, but please - he has to get a job on his own merit, even if that means settling for some lowly paid work.
3. It sounds like you're trying to solve an extremely complex problem by making some ridiculously simple suggestions. Yeah just ask your BIL to pull strings to get him a job, simple, problem solved. Going down that path would create even more difficult problems than solve anything! In life, when you have a difficult problem, you must accept that there are NO simple solutions, just a list of things you can try to improve the situation a little at a time. You think my family hasn't tried to address this issue yet?
I only mentioned nepotism and pulling strings because in your earlier comment you said "I'm more than happy to support my nephew in whatever way I can, even if it means pulling strings and involving nepotism."
Deleteand I figured that your BIL is in a better position to pull strings than you since you work in finance which you deem unsuitable for your nephew given his lack of people skills, but it might be less of a problem in your BIL field of engineering. Didn't mean to cause any offense.
I think you've totally underestimated the challenge of the situation Stargazr. Imagine if you ran a successful company and I'm your good friend, I approach you and ask you to employ my nephew - you know he is autistic, has a poor track record in school and doesn't have any valuable skills. Yet because I'm your good friend and assume you owe me a big favour - you agree to hire my nephew. He shows up for work on the first day and you think, "where can I place him in the company when he has no useful skills?" And given how little value he is adding to the company, how can I possibly justify paying him a salary when the other workers are working their butts off, putting in unpaid overtime just to meet deadlines and then there's this guy who walks in here, does little and gets paid a lot? Can you see how much resentment that would cause, how awful I would put you in that kind of situation?
DeleteNo, placing him in a position like that will only cause so much unpleasantness for everyone involved and as far as I know, whilst my BIL has plenty of friends, it is highly unlikely (I'm choosing my words carefully) that any of them will do that kind of favour for him. When I talk about nepotism, I'm talking about using my skills to help identify roles for my nephew, finding something he is actually good at and then doing the matchmaking process for him by hunting down the right employer who will actually need someone like that and then helping him get the job based on his own merits. I have my ways and means to help someone avoid mistakes made in any job application process given my insider knowledge of how gatekeepers work but the bottom line is, the only kind of nepotism that works is when mommy & daddy run their own business. Let me give you an example:
Lynn is unhappy with her job, her parents run their own shop selling spare parts for cars & trucks. Her parents look at how miserable she is and say, "why don't you just quit the job if you are hating it so much? We can always do with some help in the shop since we're getting old. We'll take care of you, you know the business anyway. You can always look for another job if you want in the future." So Lynn quits her job and helps out with her parents' shop - now that's nepotism, perhaps Lynn's parents could have hired someone with more experience and paid them less, but they decided to help their daughter out. As they own the business, they are in the position to act like that.
Both my sister and BIL work for big companies and thus are NOT in a position to extend that kind of favour to my nephew - there's only so much they can help in terms of nepotism as they are not influential enough to force people to do them favours. Just because my BIL is a highly qualified engineer doesn't mean that he is in a position to pull strings.
Heck, if you wanted to work in finance in the UK, as qualified as I am in my job, there's only so much I can do to help you if you simply do not have what it takes, you realize the limitations of nepotism my friend? It is not the golden ticket that can solve this bloody awful situation we're in.
Let me give you an example of how far nepotism can extend, okay? My cousin is very close to my sister (they are about the same age) - my cousin found out from a close friend that their company is hiring as a result of some internal restructuring that has created an opening and she realized that my sister is perfect for the job. She told my sister to apply for the job before it was even officially advertised, so her CV would get in front of the HR people a day before it appeared on their website, so at least her CV would get their attention - kinda hard to get the attention of the HR people when they open their emails and see hundred of applications.
DeleteFast forward, yeah my sister got the job in the end - my cousin helped her a bit in the process: by making her aware of the opportunity that was right for her and helping make sure her CV was seen by the right people early in the process. But that was only as much as my cousin could do. She wasn't the boss, she could make the decision whom to hire.
So any kind of help that I (or my BIL, or anyone else) can extend to my nephew would be pretty much limited to that kind of help my cousin gave my sister - not that it is without value, but it is limited and you need to realize that nepotism can only go so far, if you're not the big boss of the company (ref: example of Lynn's parents' shop).
Hi LFT, I'm just going to list out some of the possible career options related to games that your nephew could consider if he were interested. Granted, not everything mentioned here is going to be suitable since I don't know what he's good at, but here goes:
ReplyDeleteQA Tester - this person only needs to play the same game over and over, testing in a variety of ways to look for bugs, unintended behaviour, or whatever mistakes that are in the game, and then write a report. It's one of the most popular ways to enter the gaming industry because of the almost non-existent job requirements; you mainly need to have a passion for playing games and be able to do it for long hours.
Community Manager (CM) - He forms the bridge between the game development team and the players. The CM communicates the team's design philosophies to the players as well as gives player feedback to the team so they'll know what the players like/dislike about the game and adjust accordingly.
Game Master - customer service staff for online games, helping players with whatever issues they encounter in-game.
Game Producer - keeps track of game development schedules to make sure everything's on track and within the budget.
Game Programmer - needs to know how to code. Coding complexity would depend on the game itself. For instance, a game like 'Flappy Bird' is very much easier to code than something like Halo. There's no harm in your nephew trying out coding just to see if he likes it.
Game Designer - Coding is not a requirement (though it is a plus) since he comes up with the game idea - what the game's about, how to play it, win objectives, challenges, rules, etc. You'd have to be a creative person to do this sort of thing, and be able to listen to feedback in order to improve on your vision.
Game Writer - in charge of the story. He comes up with main story, characters, dialogue, descriptions, and possibly multiple narrative branches.
Game Artist - This is a general term. A game artist could be a concept artist, modeller, animator, rigger, etc. Some require drawing abilities or an eye for the aesthetics, while some are more technical. Animation doesn't require drawing or technical skills so he could try that, but to be good at it, he'll need to be creative, understand movement/timing and be able to convey emotions into the characters.
Reviewer - reviews games. He could opt to work for a games media company or do it on his own via website or video.
Game Streamer - plays games for an audience on video platforms like Twitch and YouTube. PewDiePie is a famous example. Of course, given how many people are also trying to earn money from streaming, he'll have to have a unique selling point in order to stand out and attract views.
Professional Gamer - takes part in tournaments. The prizes are very attractive, and there are companies out there willing to pay people to practise playing everyday. You mentioned that he's not very good at playing games, so this is unlikely to be an option, but if he does end up getting better at some point, this is something he can consider.
Guide Creator - Not sure what the official job title is, but this person writes out or creates a step-by-step video on how to do stuff, whether it's how to beat the monster, or where to go to find xyz. This person can either work for a company that does this sort of thing, or create their own website/video platform.
Hello SN, thanks for the mega-comprehensive list you have provided, you have truly opened my eyes up to an industry I am not familiar with, many thanks for that.
DeleteI am however, rather aware of how niche and small the computer games industry is in Singapore where my nephew is. Take the role of a QA tester for example - sounds like a wonderful job for someone like my nephew who loves nothing more than spending hours playing computer games, but how many companies are currently recruiting for QA testers in Singapore? Sure there are plenty of people who are consumers, plenty of stores who sell the games - but how many producers are there? Walk into any big computer games store in a Singaporean mall and look at their top selling products: they are almost certainly all developed somewhere else like Japan or America. I did manage to find a list of gaming companies in Singapore - granted the list dates back to 2012 so it is out of date, http://gameindustrysingapore.blogspot.co.uk/2012/02/list-of-singapore-games-companies.html but at least it gives you an idea of the size of the industry. I counted a total of 48 companies on that list. Not bad but that's for a country with a 5.5 million population: let's round that up to 50 companies - most of these companies are SMEs rather than huge companies. Also, many of these companies develop a range of software & apps rather than focus exclusively on games.
And here's the huge problem: if you approach one of these companies and say, "hi, I'd like to be your QA tester, give me a job" - they'll turn around and say, "we already have a QA tester, we're not recruiting at the moment". Such is the problem with trying to get a job in a very niche industry. Let's contrast that to something extremely broad - a tuition teacher in Singapore will find work a lot more easily because there'll always be kids and kiasu parents who want to hire tuition teachers. But QA tester? Oh dear, too esoteric I'm afraid - it's a brilliant job but how many QA testers are there in Singapore?
I'm not saying it is impossible - but competition is extremely tough and when competition is so tough, you need to have excellent soft skills in order to beat the competition; for example, you need great networking skills to get the attention of the decision makers in the industry. With my autistic nephew, sigh - forget it, no social skills, no soft skills, no people skills to speak of.
My brother was a QA tester but QA testers are usually exploited with low pay and long hours. Good QA testers know how to negotiate their pay and is capable of discovering very obscure bugs. I cannot speak for my brother as I have never worked with him. But I look at his paycheck and know that he is being over-exploited.
DeleteAs a game programmer, I would not suggest your nephew to enter unless he is really determined . Other than coding, there is also the collaboration factor where you need to communicate and negotiate what can be accomplished in the within the development timeframe. And you need the humility to acknowledge and admit faults whenever your fellow colleagues rejects your changes to the source code.
You see, this is the kinda thing that worries the heck outta me. "Good QA testers know how to negotiate their pay" - that's an area of weakness where my nephew is terrible at, he has extremely poor social skills and I don't even know how to start fixing it. He's getting bullied like crazy at school because he doesn't know how to stand up for himself and he's totally oblivious to where his own faults are. When my family came to visit me in London last year, a taxi driver tried to rip us off and my brother in law and I got into a heated argument with the driver because we weren't going to let him get away with that kinda bullshit. Especially me, like don't you mess with me, I'm going to bully the fuck out of you you stupid taxi driver, how dare you try this on Limpeh. My nephew didn't understand what was going on, he just got scared that we were shouting with this stranger, so he just begged his father to give the taxi driver whatever he wanted. And the taxi driver laughed and said, "your son is smarter than you, he knows what to do." At which point, my brother in law said some harsh words to his son and I told my nephew to go to his mother. My nephew then walked away with that look in his face like "why is everybody shouting at me" - he is so utterly, totally freaking clueless when it comes to human relationships and human interactions that he doesn't even know what to do when he sees his daddy and uncle get into an argument with a taxi driver. Heck, even if that kinda thing happened to me as a kid, I would know my place and just kept quiet, let the adults deal with it. But that is so typical of kids with Asperger's syndrome - they are hopeless, useless, utterly incapable of understanding human relationships & interactions, that's why when you mention negotiate pay ... I'm like oh shit. I'd rather he work in an environment where he doesn't need to communicate/negotiate anything at all - where the pay scale is already predetermined.
DeleteLike I said so many times before, you guys have all grossly estimated his abilities. By a loooong way. I've seen incidents like that taxi driver thing before my very eyes and it worries the hell outta me. I don't give a damn what he's doing in school or what his grades are, it is his autism that scares me.
sorry typo: you guys have all grossly OVER estimated his abilities.
DeleteSo what happened to the taxi driver? Isn't there someone he can be reported to?
DeleteThe matter was settled. There are different taxi companies - I called his head office, had a complaint on the spot and basically, I think with people like that, it's like dealing with a barking dog. When you encounter a dog like that, you have to show that you're fiercer, smarter and tougher than him and then the dog will back down. I knew how to deal with dogs like that - so did my BIL. But my nephew would have gladly allowed the taxi driver to get what he wanted - can you see why his autism worries the hell out of me? How do you go through life with zero social skills, never mind trying to resolve a situation like that: he couldn't even watch, observe and understand what was going on. Which makes me wonder, like if he watches a TV programme, can he understand what is going on? Autistic people with Asperger's syndrome have a total inability to express empathy and see things from another person's point of view. My nephew's POV was probably, "all this shouting is so unpleasant, can't you just pay him so we can get going?" Whereas from my BIL's point of view (and mine), we knew what that scoundrel of a taxi driver was trying to do and we weren't going to let him get away with it.
DeleteSigh. Like I said, whatever you think of my nephew's condition, you've probably grossly over-estimated his abilities to cope socially.
Other unorthodox ways of getting paid to play games is to advertise that you'll help other people to play their games for them for money, and selling virtual items like currencies and rare items, because there are people out there who want to take the shortcut. I'm not sure how many people are successful enough to make this their full time job, but this is a nice way to get some extra cash. It's also usually against most of the games' Terms and Conditions, so this is usually done on the sly.
ReplyDeleteTechnology is changing rapidly, so if non of these jobs are suitable for your nephew, perhaps there'll be new ones in the future that he's interested in and good at. Good luck, regardless.
Thanks SN. I could go through each job you discussed in detail but the bottom line is that you need certain skills to be able to do those jobs apart from simply being able to play the games. Take anything to do with customer services or client facing - he's got virtually no interpersonal skills at all, being an autistic child. He finds listening extremely difficult and I have had conversations with him whereby I think, "you haven't listened to a word I've said, have you?" Now I deal with important clients for my company all the time and they invest millions with us, I am always armed with my notebook: I listen, I take notes, I pay attention so carefully - that may sound like common sense when it comes to customer services but my nephew is not cut out for that kind of role. And game artist - well, he can't draw either, he has no talent in that department. A reviewer needs to be able to write well - again, he can't do that. Any kind of more independent role would require business acumen and the ability to work very independently, again, a no go zone for him. I could go through that list and rule every single one out because he lacks that certain skill to go into that role.
DeleteAnd hey, games are fun, they are well made and are extremely entertaining - but just because my nephew spends hours playing them doesn't mean he's any good at them. He does well enough to find it entertaining, but to be good enough to become a professional gamer - sorry, again, the kid doesn't have the talent either. Computer games appeal to autistic kids because they feel they are in control of that environment - if something goes wrong, they can go back and fix it. Quite unlike human interactions where they have no control over what other humans do/say/think. I know you mean well and I truly appreciate the effort you've taken to teach me about your industry, but we're dealing with an autistic kid here, not a normal child I'm afraid. There are a lot of limitations you may not be aware of.
Sorry to bust that idea SN, one of my hobby groups is has been working on machine learning to play games in the place of humans. As we(my hobby group) age, we sort of realized that we love games but we lack the energy to focus on actually playing them, so we sort of make bots to play them in our place as we watch the game unfold. It is sort of like Twitch but without the irritating commentary and we could fine tune the weights for controlling the inputs in the algorithm to observe the outcome that we desire.
DeleteSo in short, that unorthodox job will, one day, be surrendered to automation. Currently, we are still doing it as a hobby and the methodology is in open-source. So there will definitely be companies to capitalize on it.
DeleteThanks for the heads up Weiping. It is a hard industry to get into - so many consumers, so few producers and sure they are hiring, but there's bound to be a very long queue of people applying for each opening and we go back to the situation of, "okay, so many people want this job, what do you have to do to impress the gatekeeper to say yes to you, to get past the first round?" I could name a v long list of fun, lucrative jobs that are 'nice' but how many people can actually do these jobs without the right skills and most of all, the right connections?
DeleteFun lucrative jobs often lack a clear
Deletedevelopmental pathway. They are all too often dead end jobs.
I think we make the best of whatever situation we may have, there isn't a perfect job. I'm wading through tons of marketing material this weekend for our next product launch, whoopee - it's not as if my job is super fun at the moment but at least it is lucrative and I can use the money I earn to do fun things. Sure it is a blessing to be paid to do something fun - for example, I'm watching the Eurovision song contest and it must be super fun and lucrative, to be the host of a major event like that. Yeah some people do have such amazing jobs. But I make the best of what I have and the bottom line is, I am making good money. That's the key thing that matters.
DeleteIt looks like those people are more interested in managing their children than in parenting them - they put a lot of effort and money, and they want their ROI.
ReplyDeleteBut people aren't businesses!
Tell that to those Trump supporters "We need to run our country like a business!" >_<
Deletehttp://www.unscrambled.sg/2017/05/12/is-singapore-society-too-unimaginative-for-a-proper-revamp-of-our-education-system/
ReplyDeleteHere is one insightful article talking about Singapore's obsessions with getting a degree.
That's why we need to keep importing people too
DeleteForce people to see a different culture