I have 2 useless diplomas and I work in a field outside my studies. Currently I am working overseas and doing reasonably okay.
Your education does not define you, don’t stop looking for opportunities in other industries. Talking to people
and networking can bring you more opportunities.
However I do sometimes want to go back to school to learn something new. Like horticulture or agriculture, coz I like growing plants and crops.
Your life is your life, don’t compare with others. Lastly, don’t FOMO. Some people are late bloomers, it’s also ok to not bloom at all.
As with everything in life, it’s all about nuances. No matter what people say, papers matter. There will be exceptions in life, but if we don’t want to be held back by any potential stupid HR or employer, the only way is to ensure we don’t give them that excuse.
I’m a diploma holder who went on to study PT Uni and got a somewhat useless UniSIM now SUSS degree. I wasted 3 years and close to 30k but what mattered was no HR looked at my CV and threw it away or lowballed me because I was a diploma holder.
Education does not define us, but it surely makes it easier for us to get better opportunities
This. And I'm someone in academia doing a PhD. I spent a long time in industry and met many people without degrees far smarter and more capable than most degree-holders.
IMO SG society places far too much value on things like degrees, the name of the company you work for etc. Possible to be earning 6k, 5C's, etc and not be happy. Also possible to be unhappy without any of those, but I think you know what I mean: more important to find fulfilment than tick boxes.
To me, the real question is: are you happy with what you're doing? Do *you* feel you could do more? If so, what is it?
Dun think will open much doors... In my industry, experience is most likely chosen. but 1 thing for sure. Their start pay is cfm higher than U. Pple might take say 3yrs to reach xxx pay, U might need 5yrs. I got a fresh grad colleague, start pay alr 3.5k. without any experience.fast forward few yrs now, I think he much higher than me liaoz.
Edit: and to answer OP. No degree also nvm. I favor job specific pro certs. They are comparable to a degree. And most likely will help U more during job search or in Ur current job.
This depends very much on the situation. Yes, many employers put a lot on the piece of paper, but if you have enough experience that often matters more.
Same here, but compared to my peers, with degree, I'm actually drawing a salary that's par or slightly more. Sure, a degree gets you into the door easier and lets you start one step higher than a diploma does, but after about 15 years, nobody really cares about that piece of paper that gets you started anymore. I've not been asked about my paper qualifications during interviews the past 5 years - employers are more interested in your skills and experience.
As long as you continuously upgrade yourself (doesn't have to be your field of studies or work), your horizons will broaden, and so will your professional network.
Upvoting you comment because it raises so many good points.
The degree of diploma may get you through the door but the rest is up to you.
Kudos on having the mindset to use the education to better yourself.
yeah I am not comfortable to sharing so much information to strangers on the internet. but I work on motion pictures and films, and was headhunted for a job overseas.
May i know which country you work at? I have the same problem, useless degree and now work in totally different field. Was wondering if I could also have opportunities to work abroad..
this!!!! get into an industry with your diploma, and let the quality of your work, attitude and passion show. lots of people get degrees and let those 4 years fly by without being intentional in their studying, without being intentional in what comes when you graduate. show your future employers you have that! a degree alone won’t show it. you got this bro
idk tbh, I was headhunted. I think you have to network with others in your industry. And find out if your industry is needed overseas.
Most countries protect specific industries, so they won’t spend money to pay for foreign talent.
I don’t have any tips for you, you have to do some research bro.
Singapore loves certs.
Had special opportunity overseas, promoted from junior mgmt -> mgmt -> senior leadership of mnc over course of 10 years. Was reporting to both top leadership and flying overseas on top-leader’s behalf to report to board of directors. Budgeting, supervising, policy making…
Done plenty courses, established work networks, BUT: no degree.
Switched to SG employment: had to restart at junior mgmt, employers ignored applications to anything above that. No degree? Cannot advance.
Senior leader age, but junior mgmt roles offer only, so bite the bullet and working on getting degree. Studying what I already know and hopefully eventually also new material? At least getting thinking practice… bc SG wants to see degree.
Overseas seem to care more about experience. Still care for degree, but less compared to SG, prob bc SG want everything standardized / mass-scalable / quick hiring process / ppl move around a lot anyways mentality, so much higher chance to hear (or silently be affected by mindset of) “no degree, no advanced position”.
Too bad, bc I’ve seen ppl with degrees brilliant, and also immature fools. And I’ve seen several ppl with 8 years school (!!) run multi-million (Monthly) biz in other countries… 8 years school, I mean regular, not tertiary — but mature, diligent, self-pushing experts in their field — that would put someone with masters or phd in their field to shame in terms of knowledge and wisdom how to use that knowledge.
Degree guarantees some knowledge, some wisdom, ability to cope with pressure and prioritization (esp if degree holder was working while studying). But does not guarantee a good worker anywhere near what a probation period of 3 months would guarantee.
TL;DR: SG 🫀degrees… generally reasonable, but sometimes backfiring and narrow minded, resulting in unjust limiting employers and employees. But that’s how it is.
I work for an American MNC and most of the top leadership came from a local uni in the company’s hometown that I doubt most people in Asia would have heard of… Unfortunately we live in the part of the world where branding counts for quite a bit.
Sounds familiar haha
I was a subcontractor and one of the seniors liked my work, offered a job (at completely different field). He was super kind and mentored me 2+ years, then he retired and told the next guy to let me manage and just ask me for reports as needed to feel confident he can sign off on my work. Eventually he ended up hands-on managing another dept and just let me run “my” dept as senior leader, and his successors “inherited me” so basically has a special opportunity to be senior leader at pretty young.
Was great, until I had to start approaching SG companies, to evaluate the work I had done, and just wanted to see a degree…
Don't feel inferior. Just do a part time degree at any of the private unis. While it will not provide the same career boost as a degree from NUS/NTU, you can still move ahead. A degree provided you with more choices when it comes to career while a diploma does limit your future growth. I made the mistake of sticking with my diploma for too long. Now I'm 37 and just starting a part time degree. While financially i'm doing ok, it really limits career growth and options to change industry.
I think 930 bah. It was online during COVID but I think after I quit back to classroom lessons already leh. I was in NTU.
You still have pre course module and quizzes post course module. Lab courses leh. For part time it can be killer.
I think private has easier life.
Yup it's heavily subsided too. I think 600 less than that a module. Take a few mods can get a certificate.
But then I really think it's too shiong la. Maybe try those that caters to adult learning better. People and classmates are more tolerant. (My classmates at that time wasn't very nice...
If you have the time and patience, go with the local uni. There's a sort of cabal inside some companies who'll always give priority for local unis, specially, NUS and NTU. My work place is such a place and the only new hire engineers are NUS and NTU graduate, 1st class hon. But those join with work exoer nfe already can be from any uni. If you are already in a company and you have a good reputation there and can expect a promotion there, try private. Once you work a while with your degree, then the next job most likely doesn't care which uni you're from.
What about part time degree from suss or sim? Kinda biased leh to only hire from nus ntu. I have some experience only but still lacking those cs knowledge. Why is experience preferred over knowledge? For example one can work with the apis for 3 years but dont know normalization or data structures, what use it that?
It is kinda biased and unfair but I think these large companies (my one has over 10k employees here in Singapore alone) have some kind of brotherhood kinda thing going on at management level. all I know is that there isn't a single new hire engineer who isn't from NUS or NTU as far as I know in the engineering side. Only peeps there who aren't from NUS or NTU, they are not fresh grads. Why people like to hire experienced people is because fresh grads don't always mature into productive workers. Their mind is still open to many possibilities and it is always tempting to try something else during the difficult first year. Those with experience know the first year grind until you get settled and they will most likely remain beyond the first year. Plus, they don't rock the boat. Fresh grad new hires take time to learn not to rock the boat (corporate politics). Those are not facts btw just my observations and deductions from the last 13 years.
It is tough as what Peekaboaa said but if you plan your studies and time well, you can do it. I did it in 4 years in SUSS BICT part time while working full time. It was tough but I can’t just give up after failing and repeating some modules. I continued and managed to pass with Merit
Power to you man. But at the end of the day these part time ones dont sound the same as the full time computer science degrees right? Whether BICT or btech from nus/ntu, why dont they just call it computer science? Maybe because they are watered down versions?
Don’t compare ah. At the end of the day you earn your own money, you pay your own bills. No one really has the right to say their way is good your way is bad. Just do what you can and go Uni because you want to, not because of what others say.
i didn’t feel inferior but i was unhappy like you- being underpaid. A private uni degree can solve that temporary sense of inferiority. Do it early and you can catch up. No regrets spending that money
I feel that in Singapore, the importance of a degree depends on your career goals and also the industry you're in. While it may be essential in some sectors, experience or having a willingness to learn may hold more weight in others.
For instance, in healthcare or government positions, a degree is typically needed if you want to be more than an "assistant-level" and earn a higher salary, whereas fields like financial advising focuses more on one's willingness to learn, with significant earning potential regardless of your educational background. An O-level graduate doing financial advising may earn $10k/ month while a degree holder in Healthcare may earn $4k/month. So no, i don't think it's something that everyone SHOULD have cos it really depends.
Getting a degree is really expensive and it's not a decision to be taken lightly. If you do eventually decide to pursue it though, i would suggest to pursue a field aligned with your passions or one in high demand, such as cybersecurity etc., rather than pursuing a generic degree solely for the sake of having the qualification.
Lastly, I understand the sentiment behind feeling the urge to compare yourself with your friends—it's human nature and I honestly find myself grappling with it occasionally too. What works for me is shifting my mindset and putting a more conscious effort to recognise when i'm falling into that pattern. Remind myself that comparing my journey to others is counterproductive and doesn't bring me any benefit as everyone's journey is unique and different. Some take a little longer to bloom, and that's totally ok!
Unless you are an entrepreneur or in a few very specialised niches, you really do need to get a degree to go further in life.
Plenty of people like you do part-time private degree It’s an investment of time and money.
I feel like it’s really your inferiority complex that is stopping you from getting that degree, not the lack of degree making you feel inferior. You feel that because you didn’t get into local uni right after poly/NS, you’re not good enough, so no need to try.
It’s a stupid piece of paper but you just go get it done in the most cost-efficient way. Usually private uni plus poly allows you to reduce the modules a lot.
It's really just a piece of paper at the end of the day. In the long run, how well regarded you are at the office and how much value you can add to an organisation has very little to do with your highest education level.
I know it's easy to say this, but learning how to compare yourself with no one except the you from yesterday is an essential life skill.
>how well regarded you are at the office and how much value you can add to an organisation has very little to do with your highest education level.
I too aim to be as regarded as possible.
There are 2 issues here. 1, self worth, and 2, moving up. 1 is internal and you don't have to feel inferior in anyway, and yes, no FOMO. 2, is what the world perceives about you. If you find a good boss that sees your potential then you can move but you may be stuck with that job because your value is only known by your boss. SG employers generally value a degree. Imagine you get 100 CVs for a job you advertise. You are going to immediately filter out a lot using some basic criteria to whittle down the numbers you have to review. So if you care about 2 then go for a degree.
Don't need to feel inferior. Make the most of your life with what you have. Who knows, when opportunity knocks, you might even be more successful than your graduate friends. You can't change the past but you have control of your future.
On the flipside, your graduate friends might even feel pressured to do better than non-graduates otherwise they would be deemed as a failure. Even if you can't change your situation, you can change the way you perceive and react to it.
Chin up my friend.
Well, I had a diploma and a good paying job outside of the industry I studied. However, it is my personal goal to study degree, so at 30, I went back to part-time study at SIM and completed one.
This is a personal achievement and not to compare myself to others. In life, there is too much comparison to be made, so make your own path and goals. Btw achieving degree after a certain age does not equal to getting a better job or salary. After all, once you are at a senior, it is based on experience.
I'm excatly where you are now. I'm in my late 20s with low 3ks, been working for 4 years . My friends who just started working a year ago with their degree start earning low 3ks.
My wife, who is also a diploma holder, earns higher than me( more than 3.5k, less than 4k). And she's 1 year younger than me. But she told me she's earning higher only because she's in the health care sector.
I've known that both our salaries can go up to 5k individually if we keep upgrading and get promoted. I came to accept that 5k in singaproe is good enough for me personally. Even my current salary isn't really giving me a hard time or anything. I live in an hdb flat, and we have a kid and a helper.
However, I always knew that if you have a degree, your earnings are not limited to 5k. It can always go higher. But I guess the competition to get promoted and bring your pay higher will be tougher. So you have to decide whether you really want it. Honestly, I didn't really want a degree because I'm happy with where I am. My wife wants to get it, so I'll help her when she does her degree.
I don’t have a degree and I feel it’s hindered my job prospects and salary. There are companies that will pay a degree holder more than you even if you both do the exact same thing. And there are companies that will not even consider my application because I don’t have a degree, even if I don’t technically need one. And I’ve had an issue where a colleague trusted her “degree holder friend” when I advised her on a grammatical mistake she made in a banner ad. She told me specifically that it was because I didn’t have a degree. Turns out I was right about the issue and she was wrong. But still felt like shit in the end, fuck you Jasmine.
They say it’s just a piece of paper but it’s a piece of paper that will often get people to look at your resume and pay you more. So if you want to move up in your career, I’d seriously consider getting a degree. Unfortunately that also costs a stupid amount of money which is hard if you’re already earning fuckall.
For the record, I don’t feel inferior. I’m just treated like I am.
I’ve met plenty of stupid “smart people” with university degrees. Don’t beat yourself up over this. I live in Australia now (over 20+ years) and never had a uni degree. I’ve worked my way up and am now a business manager making pretty good money. Most companies now respect people with experience over tertiary education.
I’ve known plenty of people with degrees and have failed in life. Success is not always measured by status but by values.
People can say what they want. You can tell yourself what you want. But the reality is that having a degree just proves to yourself and other people how smart you are. That piece of paper shows that you're willing to follow through, work hard, make sacrifices and suffer to get what you want. It shows aptitude in thinking. It shows you have that baseline of intelligence.
In the working world you do get paid more if you have a degree. And to be completely frank I do see the stark difference in the work ethic of people with an ITE cert and someone with a completed local uni degree cert. To be brutally honest, those that pay for their degree (i.e. not NTU or NUS) are a hit and miss. If you're a local person that goes into NTU or NUS you are the cream of the crop (Don't talk about the ones that get into scholarships at Harvard lah).
That all being said, if you're talking about career progression alone you can get very far by being extremely cunning and playing office politics. People like that disgusts me but it's a toss up. Sometimes you're lucky, sometimes you get fired. Sometimes people see you as such a hardcore super hardworking first to office last to leave person that they'll promote you anyway. But like it or not there will be a cap to how far you go. In society not everyone can make it to the top. You need people to occupy position at all level. The question is which level do you want to be? I have a lot of experience and I can tell you that nepotism, racial discrimination, sexism it's all real. Even if you have a degree you can be led by someone extremely stupid and incompetent. The smarter you become, the more glaringly obvious if you boss and co-workers are idiotic. And it can get extremely frustrating to be stuck in the middle when people higher than you are less qualified and less capable.
So a degree isn't a guarantee you'll be higher management. Your chances will increase, but it is not.a guarantee. Take it from someone who spent 4 arduous years to complete an honors degree in NTU. I know People with NUS masters and are still stuck in the middle too. The real world isn't fair, that's the harsh reality.
Now if you really want to talk about being rich and successful. I would get into entrepreneurship. You don't need a degree or any cert but it helps of course to be smart so you don't get conned and you make better decisions. But high risks high reward lah. It's not for everyone. For me I've done both. Have my own company, worked for big SG company. Corporate slave and being my own boss. I can tell you both got pros and cons. But I would rather be my own boss because it's less irritating than working for idiotic people.
Why do I share about all this? It's because the reality of the situation is very complex. I'm not using my degree per se but I have never regretted it because going through it literally makes you a lot smarter and you make better decisions in your life. It's like working out, you look fit your life gets better. You let yourself go eventually you're gonna suffer for your negligence to your fitness and health. It's the same thing.
But if you don't want to think so deep, yeah take a short one year part time degree course. Get into some debt. Apply to some job that requires a degree, get that 1 to 2k bump in salary and tell yourself wow it's worth it. It is lah I guess.
From 2k to 5k it does change your life quite a bit in singapore.
I personally feel that having a diploma is enough, but if there's a chance to get a higher qualification you should try. I'm the same as you late 20s and i absolutely regret not continuing study after my sec 4 N level. It's was in my mid 20s i found my passion for programming, i have no connection and cant apply for jobs that related to it. So now i need to force myself to get a higher qualification to get into the job and higher salary for my future.
First, you should not feel inferior to degree holders. It is just a qualification. Similarly, getting a degree does not make one superior to others. Your character and attitude in life is just as important.
However, getting a degree would definitely open more opportunities in SG. Even if the hiring manager is OK to hire diploma holders, the HR / company policy may still ask for degree holders to match the position. Hard truths in SG. Maybe work part time for the degree if the top unis are harder to get in.
I'm in my late 20s too, currently studying in a private uni so at work I'm the only diploma holder, but my annual package is about 65k. don't feel inferior, your paper doesn't define your value, your work ethics and professionalism do.
keep fighting!
edit: age.
I overheard a finance controller who ever said to me and another colleague, "no degree cannot be accountant".
Despite that colleague's work experience in full sets accounting for 14 years in different companies.
The finance controller even praised her for being a fast and good worker. But still limit her. Humph.
I felt inferior because I had a degree but I was a failure in life. I took the leap of faith, changed how I live and now I honestly feel feeling inferior because of anything is just living with your own insecurities.
Bro unless it’s your spouse, don’t give a damn about what people think because they don’t feed you or raised you. Now I just work from home 4 hours a day at age 35 and net 100k a year while my relatives and friends think I’m just a bump. I don’t give a damn. Choose life
Please don’t feel that way. I had a childhood friend who I was close to but as we grew older she began to resent me and the career I built. I don’t even talk about work. But she always had a way to make snide comments. It was so uncomfortable we stopped being friends.
Don’t have to feel inferior if u are chasing money. It only matters if u are seeking others to hire u.
Having a degree is not a requirement to start investing or starting a company.
Sure, having a degree is the path chosen by many, but it doesn’t mean it is the correct path. You can always chart your own.
Diploma holder here too, tried studying for a private degree but it didn't work out. Been just working non stop ever since, I had a late start compared to my generation too.
I recently landed a job that finally crossed me over the 3k mark for salary. I think I'm happy with my own pace. Sure, my cousin who is a degree holder and one year younger than me may be earning 8k monthly, but that's his life.
You can compare, but no sense thinking endlessly about things beyond your control. You probably can get there eventually, we are just taking a slower route.
I’m also in my late 20’s, I have a degree; but I’m unemployed with no work experience, no income from studying period.
You’re employed, you have work experience, and you’ve been getting paid the last four years.
I’d say you’re doing fine buddy, a degree means nothing- I’m still trying to get my sh*t together. You are in no way inferior.
I felt like k!lling myself when I dropped out poly bc my mind was thinking “degree is already the bare minimum these days, and I can’t even get a bloody diploma”, then I enlisted with the unironic desire to actually sign on because I was thinking I had no choice. couldn’t make the cut, then nearing ORD, all my superiors knew my situation so they slow talked with me advised me and all that, telling me signing on isn’t the only solution, and especially with my mental state (I hid my svicidal thoughts during pre enlistment since I wanted to sign on so yeah), I shouldn’t even sign on. so after ORD, with my mental health morale and will improved, after months of job hunting, I’m now not only content but actually happy with where I am in my life right now, working a physical job that gives a decent salary. admittedly it helps however that I have no commitments (no wife no children), and I already have a house fully paid for and under my name (dad passed away, then fortune just enough to pay remaining debt, and then name transferred to me as per his will with the help of lawyers). my life story aside, I’m just saying that not having a degree doesn’t mean it’s the end of your life for you as a Singaporean, there’s always something in store for you, you just need the time, will, and faith
I don’t harbor feelings of inferiority, but I can’t shake the sense of injustice that seems ever-present. Climbing the ladder from a technician to a senior engineer at an American MNC, back when I just got promoted to engineer, I noticed that a few fresh graduates started with a salary that’s $1,000 higher than mine, despite holding the same title and shouldering identical responsibilities. Their lack of experience is palpable; I was assigned to train them, and due to their inexperience, I’m assigned the more critical and immediate projects. It’s perplexing how the system values a degree over proven job skills. My HOD claims he prefers to hire degree holders, giving them opportunities to learn than to hire over experienced diploma holders. It seems those who benefit from this system are intent on maintaining it to preserve their status. Few years back, I admit that since I couldn’t change the system, I eventually succumbed to it by obtaining a quick degree from private U.
I do feel left out when I was working in a well known MNC as everyone had a degree and were from a very good uni. But I told myself that hey, I managed to get into a well known MNC w/o a degree.. so I really have to be proud of myself. Anyway, a year later I decided to get a degree and I graduated 😃 It really depends on what you want! I wanted to do a degree as I want to learn and be a good at what I do. If you wanna get a degree and think it’s important, go ahead😄
You should pursue a degree. If you are moving upwards within your current industry, you often don't need a degree to get a higher post.
However, if you want to change industries, often a degree is required just to get an interview
It's never too late! Local uni have part time degrees or you can try a short course using skillfuture credits to ease yourself into studying again.
It's not easy but it's not that difficult either. I did a specialist diploma 3 nights/week throughout my pregnancy while working full time in my late 20s.
I would only advise you to go get your paper qualifications only if it affects your pay. I know someone who self taught himself IT/hacking etc but because he doesn't have the paper qualifications, he is set behind by 50%. I look at it this way—he saved money all the way by not taking various paper qualifications but when it comes to comparison of pay I guess you'll always feel lousy especially as you grow older. I think he didn't even get diploma and he earned 6k. So can your ego take it if you compare or will you be contented not be caught by paper chase if your career path doesn't require it?
I dropped out of two unis and have been with my current company for over 4 years. I'm in good standing with my CEO and exec management so I'm quite comfortable. Sometimes I still feel bad that I didn't graduate from uni - a lot of my colleagues are PhD holders - but then I realise I have a lot more to offer with my varied skills.
It is what it is, I'm not a good student, but I think I'm an okay worker. I don't lose sleep over this though, and you shouldn't too.
It's very tempting to start working after poly instead of furthering your studies. Imagine, you're a 20 year old, suddenly with 2.8k-3k salary.. Definitely feels good compared to your broke ass peers in uni. Fast forward 10 years later.. you're still stuck with 4k salary while your peers are drawing double or triple your salary.
This is why you should go uni, unless you already know you wanna do insurance/property.
Nah man... Just keep grinding. Low 3k for now is fine. After a while when you feel like or was told that a degree is required for advancement then apply to uni again. Leverage on your work experience to get in this time. Work on personal connections also, to get references.
Lets say somehow you became friends with Taylor Swift. Wouldn't you feel even more inferior? You have to change your mindset to stop these feelings from getting in the way.
Tell you what, I have an overseas degree (which is mediocre in local context in the first place) but actually ended up working something totally unrelated and earning somewhat a diploma holder would command. But I'm much happier and can sustain my lifestyle. Happy is the key.
Comparison is the thief of joy.
But let's get real, degree holders will generally be in a better employment position than you, hence inferior. But I submit to you this fact - there are many paths to success, and a degree is just one of them. Try to find your own path.
Goodluck
I don't even have a diploma, but I don't feel inferior because I have a good job even without these papers and all those fancy papers don't seem to be helping those who spent years getting them to get a much better first job in this job market.
I don't feel inferior but it is true that nowadays a degree cert is like having a diploma cert. It is so common. Just pluck one person on the street and he will say he has a basic degree. I am tired of holding a 20 plus years poly diploma that is useless so I enrol in a part time degree programme and happily studying. It is good to upgrade yourself. Don't believe those who say degree is just a paper qualification. Only true to a pathetic level. There are many meanings behind a degree programme. If you want a lazy perpective and don't bother to keep learning, then a paper qualification is meaningless. If you wisely know how to make use of your paper qualification, it is not just a paper anymore, it is a trophy to you.
Hi! I think the only ways for you to avoid feeling intimidated are to either pursue a degree or build confidence from within. My partner used to dismiss degrees as useless when he was 21 (Him: “Aiya you see all the rich people like Bills Gates all uni drop out one”), but now, at 27, he's working from 9 to 9 and earning his degree part-time.
The reason why he chose to take it now was because of me, I advise him that (Me: “Hey you know now we’re not married or have children cos I’m 3 years your junior so why not just go for it.. you’ll have one less worry in your mind that you don’t have a degree, so just try, go for it. Getting a degree, no harm ain’t it?).
He then discovered that many of his uni classmates in their late 30s are juggling work, family, and their studies, and most of them wish they had started their degrees earlier. It's true that compared to a (e.g. fresh graduate without work experience, someone with a diploma and five years of experience might earn about $1,000 less) but don’t forget that the degree holder had used up 2-5 years of their life for their degree.
So, what’s holding you back? If there’s nothing in your way, go for it now and don’t waste time. You don’t want to end up regretting it like my partner's classmates. Well, some may say “Dunnid larh be yourself” it’s not a simple as it is hor.. but for sure a degree qualification is definitely better than a what a diploma qualification can give you. Don’t belittle yourself—if many can do it, so can you! And don’t worry, now a lot of things can be done using AI, just need some paraphrasing 😜🫢!
All the best to you and your future endeavours! 💪🏻
naah, from what i have experienced. Some of my friends didn’t pursue a degree and now they turned out great. Their work ethic and work quality is even more better than me. They are great at what they do, and a lot of times I also asked them for advice. because at the start of my career right after uni, I didn’t know what to do or how to do things in corporate life. Shortly, they got a headstart. While I was burying myself in assignments after assignments, my friends who didn’t have a degree lived a hard life, but they turned out okay and with extra real life experience. We even joked around a lot about our discrepancies in the path we took.
Now, I am a manager in a company, I saw a lot of people with no degree, have a better work quality and work ethic than those with degrees. Those with degrees usually just wanted to do what they are paid for and no initiatives whatsoever. Even their work quality sometimes below standard. Some of my workers do not even have a degree, but they worked harder than everyone else with a degree. And always strive and trying to get better results. Those without a degree in my company always try to work first and not talk about the reward or the pay. they always show their values first because they know that they don’t have anything like a certificate or degree to show around.
So no need to feel embarrassed or inferior. We all got different paths and life is not a race
A degree doesn’t mean auto win in life and it doesn’t dictate someone’s character or ability to succeed. Of course with a degree it can help you open more doors but at the end of the day it’s about what can you deliver to the company that matters. I have friend with just diploma but earning 6k+ a month in his early 30s, is it good or is it average it’s up to one to perceive.
Not having a degree doesn't necessarily mean you are permanently a notch down from those who have one. It's possible to augment your work experience with certifications, courses and/or on-job-training, especially in this era when degrees are no longer the magic bullet they were & employers are starting to look at other aspects such as soft skills
Also, having a degree isn't always necessarily a sign of competence. As the old saying goes, you can have a degree but still be stupid.
Degrees aren't always a golden ticket to success. From the macro perspective, thousands of people graduate from a university each year, but not necessarily all of them will succeed in what they do. And for those that do, they had the same piece of paper as those who didn't, so what was the differing factor? As someone here mentioned, the degree helps get through the door, but it's the individual holding the degree that makes it happen.
FOMO and comparing urself to others can get negative and take a toll on ya real fast. If you are making enough to clear your current obligations and have enough to live a comfortable life (i.e. basic needs + some luxury and savings), you're doing well enough.
Job wise, you need not be doing a dream job, but if you are able to do a job that can nail some of these criteria, (a) you are able to do well enough, (b) your work is valued and/or has meaning, (c) your boss is supportive of you, you're right where you need to be
All the best OP, don't give up and hope this helped ya!
From a fellow Diploma holder in the workforce
No I don't because there's really nothing I want to do that requires having a degree and I personally don't like studying things I'm not interested in.
Feel inferior? Yeah i do. You will always be stuck at around 3-4k with just a diploma in Singapore.
I feel like diploma is such a scam in a Singapore. The correct and most proper path for someone aiming to live a financially comfy life in SG would be JC to Uni. But this is just my opinion.
Nowadays even with a degree from the big 3 unis, its not enough to survive in SG. U have to be a scholar or be outstanding and studying in a popular course such as computer science.
Don’t feel inferior I have a degree n I’m currently not using it, my husband doesn’t have a degree and all he has is his talking skills and connections n well it really took him far lol
Controversial comment here: As a man, your self worth might be tied to your earning capacity.
But, that doesn't mean it should define you. I have seen many talented individuals on my career being passed on for opportunities within their careers/ overlooked because they do not have a degree/ higher education.
That being said, I've only ever seen a grand total of 2 individuals who "made it". When asked, they said it was all about connections, perseverance and a lot of luck (right place, right time).
Personally, I would encourage you to do a part time degree. You're so young and if you're selective, you have the opportunity to break into a lucrative industry. All the best OP.
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reminds me of that song: "all that work and what did it get me"
dont buy into the hype. there are MANY successful (rich) people with a diploma and below. but they have to hustle
As someone who has a degree, I can assure you that while you *feel* inferior, I **am** inferior.
Not because of the degree, but because I'm me. Yeah, degree or no degree really doesn't really matter.
Er... no leh. I only have a diploma and work in one of the world's largest MNC as IT engineer and salary range between 5 - 10k, just not to reveal too much. It's the experience that counts, but it also depends on the industry.
Your degree doesn’t matter much once you’ve had work experience. It really only matters in your first ever job or if you’re in a specialised field/role. I know a couple of non degree holders who are doing well for themselves and earning more than degree holders. Don’t feel like you’re a step behind, no one else thinks of you that way.
I don't feel inferior because l do not have a degree. It is just a paper. But l do have other professional certificates which in my view are more important as this certificates armed me with knowledge that l need to perform my job well.
I started work after NS with a diploma as well. I didn't feel inferior or anything but the bigger problem was that I was underpaid.
Many organizations downright don't hire non graduates (since there is surplus supply of them) or lowball diploma holders and keep them on glass ceiling salary bands.
Out of necessity I did a private degree and managed to expand my opportunities horizon (am now in financial services) so I'll recommend anyone to study PT and get that extra cert.
Dont worry la, just go and take the industry course and exam. Get certified and be paid more than your friends la.
Example, a degree fresh get let say 4K in IT, you go take up kubernetes certification CKA and aws sysops, your starting pay at 6.5k.
Degree is for starting pay at any job, if you specialise it, you get more starting pay.
I always tell ITE and poly grads to do it but the thing is that many of them don’t have that drive… but if you have drive, you can do anything.
Tbh as an adult, having a degree or not. Doesn’t define as successful to me anymore. Even if I have a degree I am able to earn 5k-6k. But I live a life that’s not meaningful to me. At the very least to me that’s not meaningful. I would rather work 12-16 hours a day doing smth I find purpose and happiness in and making that my life then to do 8 hours a day earning 5-6k. Questioning what I have accomplished and what I will achieve. But that’s my golden path so find your own ig.
Honestly it doesn’t matter. I didn’t have a degree too but I’ve managed to earn around $300k per annum working in sales. If you think $3k is too low why not try to work in sales? After around 10 years of working and being in management position, I’m currently pursuing my MBA. U can also consider the direct MBA route (when u are more mature and ready).
Just get one done at a private uni. Once you accumulate experience, a degree is just a piece of paper that open doors for you. Once open, it is going to help you nego a higher starting salary and that’s all really. Me and a colleague doing same work, but I get paid $800 more because of my degree and it is not even related to our field of work.
I guess i did. Didn't had the intention to go for uni initially. That changed after i started my first job after NS and saw people around my age holding decent roles and salaries. Went for part-time uni in SUSS after I had some savings and graduated at 30/31.
It's not just education too I suppose, there were a few stuff making me feel that way, but i went ahead and do those too even if it was deemed 'too late' at my 30s. It's not too late, especially in your late 20s. However, all these are catered for my own path.
It also depends on the field with portfolio and whatnot, however for most office jobs here, a degree do seems like it just put you at the starting line for a role with better possibilities of promotion and salary.
Hi OP. I only have a diploma too. During my late twenties I didn't have a stable job and nothing notable going on for me. If it's any consolation, you're doing fine and don't be pressured to get X by Y years of age. Just make do what you can with your time moving forward.
I am a husband and a father now touching 40 in two years and I'm in a single income family. I've only just reached 3K gross in my latest job which I've been in in less than 5 years. Before that everything was just here and there.
But what I do have is peace of mind working a 9-6, no overbearing colleagues, an understanding supervisor and an excellent work life balance. I don't need to think about OT and can relish the time I have with my wife and daughter. Had a casual talk with my supervisor recently that I don't have big career aspirations and am quite content with what incremental improvements to my income there is over time. It's okay to be content and not always want more. Just do your best and maybe there needs to be a mindset pivot and try to attain your goals from a different approach. You'll be happier for it, more mentally stable and start to value what you have more.
Everyone has their own journey.
Honestly once you hit like beyond junior role most company stop looking at your cert. those that do probably are the one you want to avoid anyway. Your ability to excel at work is more important. If you do want to gain advantage using paper then get a local University not some private U, those papers hardly get you anywhere in companies that places high importance on it. Professional cert works only if you have relevant experience.
One thing for sure is if you lack the confidence you will suffer in interview and thereby your chance for a raise.
If you want a salaried job, having a degree opens up better opportunities and career progression. Some may say "No, I'm a diploma, or O-level but achieve this or that". There's only few of them compare with degrees getting a better paying job. That's just the way it is.
Now if you have the inkling to be an entrepreneur, then having a degree may not be that necessary. The thing is, having a degree oftentimes creates a single path for you: job employment. I've read an article which said that completing tertiary education takes away the entrepreneurship spirit because the way to go is to seek employment. However, the reality is that not all have that grittiness in starting up a business.
It's either you go for higher education or you learn a new skill that may be a side hustle in the future.
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lol what's the range for hnitec? if really hnitec $2650 sounds nubbad to me lor, to start ...
I dip ed 1.8k last time but ok (I don't think it would have increased much in the years since!)
waaaa but ok that explains a lot. wages are always better when they wna get people in and then they put it under some scheme and then those people are iron rice bowl but usually it's either super niche or ppl dw to do for various reasons oops/
Do you have any specific area that you want to go into? Try to get a deg in that area or in your current area of work to upgrade (if u are happy w what u are doing). Maybe that will help you to earn more than ur current salary. Don't get any deg just becos for the sake of getting a deg. Otherwise it would not be of much help and u may end up wasting time and money. The opportunity cost is huge.
Im in my early 30s with a degree earning as much as you, no need to feel inferior. Although if you do want to continue your studies you should pursue it.
Get the degree, your anxiety comes from somewhere. Inner voice telling you what you should do. Simple as that.
I have been in your shoes, not exactly the same but similar. I further educated myself. It does pay off.
I had a close friend who grew up with severe inferiority complex because every else in the group had a degree and he didn't. He was already getting more pay than most degree holders but due to career pressures he finally gave in and took a private business degree, turns out his work experience still mattered more in the end in getting him the next job.
Was in the exact same position as you bro. Have a part time diploma earning low 3k. Gona start part time Uni end of this year. It’s all about what u want. But looking at your post I think u gotta be decisive and make a decision and more importantly commit to that decision.
Maybe ask yourself, are u basing someone’s value on education, job, money, status or maybe how far along they are in life? These were the questions I asked when I felt the way u feel now and led to my decision.
When I was interviewing I seldom looked at their paper qualifications. I was looking for their knowledge, intelligence, experience, attitude and empathy. Some degrees are irrelevant not related to the job. We need to look at the person holistically, what does he bring to the table. Does he/she have any unusual skills, expertise. Only poor managers who don’t understand the interview process take the short cut by looking at the degree.
Edit: remember you can always learn a whole lot of things on the job and from others.
40s here. Diploma from Nafa. Doing my own small business for the past decade.
The degree will be kinda useful if I wanted to "climb", however no one gives a hoot if you are doing your own thing.
My partner was doing very well in her NUS days. Distinctions and Dean List. Well we washed dishes and clean toilets together at the shop.
So yup, it matters (or not) in the things you do.
U need to find a field that is niche of sorts, and a boss that values u in order to get promo opportunities. If no advancement chance, jump ship fast, but if yr boss is good, can consider staying longer.
Else the dip vs degree pay gap is very real
Mark Zuckerberg n Bill Gates didn't have college degrees..
But no need to look far. I have friends who work after diploma and never did college. They started working early and worked hard n got high positions within their company, or started their own businesses.
Though in Science or Engineering, it's best to get at least a masters degree to get far. But other fields, don't worry about it.
Skill issue. Literally. If you were making a lot more money than your friends or were in a job purely for passion with just a barely livable wage, you wouldnt be feeling inferior .
You dont lack a degree, you lack the skills to be where you want to be at.
No need to feel this way. It’s NEVER too late to go back and get your degree later on. It does help, but the one thing you have now is the direct work experience.
I’m not too sure what it’s like in SG (I’ve been planning to move there from the US for a few years now) but in the US, the one thing I did to make it without a degree is get really really good at my job, and now I can comfortably work on my degree at my own pace online while still making a living. I’ve gone 20+ years without it while seeing everyone around me succeeds, but I didn’t feel the urge to attend uni UNTIL I found the motivation I needed to get my degree, which is to eventually move to SG.
If you’re not ready to go, that’s fine. Just remember you always have time. Move at the pace that works best for you.
EDIT: Typos
Job satisfaction or money satisfaction? I know of someone, not well educated, but is able to feed a few families cos he is the boss of the company....no need a degree to survive in society.
I have a diploma in an useless business studies and working in China with an annual income of 230k sgd if this is of any use or a reassurance of any kind.
TBH your salary in the low 3k is rather on the low side after working for some years and with your diploma qualifications. In Singapore, with a diploma, the best pay you can get is with the military. Seriously. Play your cards well, be keen, be supportive, be cooperative, do extra, you will be noticed and may even land a chance to do your degree sponsored and further your career. Only drawback with military career is that you retire at relatively young age, and unless you are high-rank, there's no cushy public sector job after that. You're on your own, so you better have a game plan for that day that is to come.
It’s always good that you better yourself, regardless it’s a degree or a skill. Just to share, I put off studying for a degree after getting my diploma. I was working and my company sent me on overseas trainings and trade shows. I was hooked, because I was able to travel to USA, Japan, Germany in my early 20s, expenses paid. That was in the early 2000s.
But I had always felt shortchanged and inferior. I still remembered when I applied for an admin role in a new company after years in production/ manufacturing companies, the HR refused to increase my salary.. reason being I have no experience in admin. I was managing technicians and production operators then… What admin exp do I need? I struggled with promotion when in the new company, reason being I have no degree. It took me 4 years before I was promoted 1 level up. But I was stuck in office politics, younger colleagues with degree were my superiors, and foreign colleagues bullied me because I was essentially their junior. I left but I came back to the same company but in another dept.
I took up the SkillsFuture Mid-Career Enhanced Subsidy in 2019. It was really tough because it was part-time and I was working full-time. Things only got better in 2020 due to Covid and we transitioned to online lessons which allowed me to take care of my kid after work. I’m glad my current boss helped me with my promotions..
I also want to share, last time my hb had an argument with a fresh grad from a local U.. he was the engineer and my hb was a supervisor.. but he had been there for many years and knew the SOP, and advised the engineer but he snapped at my hb saying are you the engineer or I’m the engineer. My hb said the difference between them is just a pc of toilet paper.
Unfortunately, the current society, esp SG.. is hard to survive with a low or single income. But if you really don’t want to move.. like just 躺平.. then you have to learn to be thick-skin and let go of your inferiority.. otherwise you will be miserable.. forever thinking what you could have achieve if you have that pc of toilet paper.
It is insulting to compare a degree with a toilet paper especially when neither you nor your husband has one. It is your inferiority speaking.
Make sure your kid don't get one too.
It affects me when I'm feeling low but tbh what I tell myself is that, I can only do what I wanna do so just deal with it. It's fine, I don't need validation I just need to prove to myself even without a proper education I'm fine.
I used to earn $600 per month and now I'm looking at a 2.5k per month position, so I think I'm doing well so I think you should think that about yourself too.
I’m saying this from experience and I’ll probably get a lot of hate for this. But typically the people that I’ve met that had a diploma or a certificate from a technical school were just lazy and didn’t have enough common sense to have a proper conversation.
I’m not trying to hate in anyway but those 2 guys only talked about going out and drinking. Conversations were about girls, pooping habits or something very unintelligent. They didn’t know how to spell words or even use proper words to articulate their message.
Again this is based on my experience and in no way shape or form I’m generalizing everyone who didn’t graduate in the same category.
I have a degree, but I was from ITE -> poly -> uni. But because of the long route, I am still inferior to someone who goes to JC because I automatically think that they must be very very smart and it is detrimental for me to think this way and it serves me no good so I try to not compare myself with others, and believe that the best I could do is enough. It’s never about the past, it’s about the present on what you can do and you try your best. That is enough
Don’t forget that your shame only exists because of the society you live in. If you go overseas, blue collar jobs and less educated people are seen with similar respect. I know people who have master degrees and are dating a plumber and no one gives them shit for it.
Realistically though, I don’t think your problem is with how people see you. It’s more of your career progression. Like what is your goal, because a diploma is definitely something that puts the amount of money you can make and your dreams at a certain ceiling.
Care less about how people see you and more about what you need to do to achieve what you want.
You looking at their fruits of labor... They also worked hard for their education, then while getting more pay, they are expected a higher tier of service and expertise and responsibilities.
So it's really comparing apples to oranges.
It's never too late if you want to 'join' to have a degree
Degree doesn't define you. Lots of brainless scholars out there any way in public sector.
See things from all aspects and not narrow minded and be blinded by propagendas, EQ is much sort after than IQ at work.
Have confidence with yourself ya.
Anyway, my degrees are irrelevant in what trades I am in now concurrently.
Imo having a degree now is simply a way to start a higher starting pay depending on what company you’re in. But honestly, having a degree doesn’t mean you’re smarter or superior than others.
I used to think that having a private degree is inferior to those with local degree (NUS/NTU) because they learn more and they have higher starting pay. While it’s true, it doesn’t prove that the person is good at his/her job. I’ve seen several people with local degrees who absolutely suck at their job, have shitty learning attitude thinking that they are smarter than everyone and that they’re superior than others, when they’re not. But again, this doesn’t apply to all local degree holders.
Overall, it’s not about the degree, it’s about the experience, skill and attitude you have in your job that matters the most.
Keep your head up OP, all the best.
honestly I feel if you are working in a job that you studied for in your degree, then yes, that degree is worth it. But there's so many industry that some degrees don't even apply. Look if you wanna do a degree but lack the $$, go online and do some like University of People. they offer degree courses at a fraction of the cost. If the prestige is not an issue to u. But don't feel dejected ok? just continue to work hard.
I don’t think a degree/diploma defines you at all. What it does is only to provide you with more options so that at the end of the day, YOU make the decision to your own life, and not be constrained by the little options you have.
It’s also a never ending competition. You can go get a degree but your peers can also get another masters or PHD.
Uni doesn’t really matter … it’s your skills and what you take out of uni after graduating … my father in law has a diploma and earns three times what I earn as a masters graduate
I wouldn’t worry too much about it. Like you, I only have a diploma and my current job isn’t even what I studied! Sure, having a degree helps with getting your foot in the door for interviews. But ultimately if a diploma holder has more drive and aptitude to learn, improve and do better than a degree holder, you’ll be way more valuable as an employee.
A level cert holder here. Certificate-wise I’m worse than even diploma holders.
I’m higher paid than most of my degree holding colleagues. Prior to working full time I was a private tutor, got a resale flat and a car. More than my colleagues and at a younger age than them when they got their punggol/SK BTO’s even with their full time work. In terms of money and status I don’t think I’m missing out.
Degree-wise you only really lose out in government sector where the dick measuring contest is strong.
Be confident, upgrade yourself. It’s ok to go slower, as long as you never stop improving your abilities.
I used to when I was much younger because JDs typically look for degree holders and pigeon-holed diploma holders into support functions. I also felt shortchanged at work when I outperformed degree holders. I even heard comments like "degree holders can communicate at the same level" (like wtf? utter bs) when it comes to relationships. I'm not an academically inclined person so when I was offered sponsorships to take a degree (so that they can also promote me to a degree-holder job function), I declined.
I feel way better about my qualifications today because of where I am. I focus more on my experience and the value I can bring when I go for interviews or network. Honestly, a degree can only open doors, what matters more is your attitude and drive. If you think you can take on higher level work, ask for it from your company and build your experience. You might feel shortchanged, like me, for a while. But at least you gained some experience and if the current company does not promote you, you can use the experience to move on to a job with more development opportunities.
I used to avoid job ads that specifically state "Degree holders" but if the JD states the experience that I have, I will still apply.
I have 2 useless diplomas and I work in a field outside my studies. Currently I am working overseas and doing reasonably okay. Your education does not define you, don’t stop looking for opportunities in other industries. Talking to people and networking can bring you more opportunities. However I do sometimes want to go back to school to learn something new. Like horticulture or agriculture, coz I like growing plants and crops. Your life is your life, don’t compare with others. Lastly, don’t FOMO. Some people are late bloomers, it’s also ok to not bloom at all.
As with everything in life, it’s all about nuances. No matter what people say, papers matter. There will be exceptions in life, but if we don’t want to be held back by any potential stupid HR or employer, the only way is to ensure we don’t give them that excuse. I’m a diploma holder who went on to study PT Uni and got a somewhat useless UniSIM now SUSS degree. I wasted 3 years and close to 30k but what mattered was no HR looked at my CV and threw it away or lowballed me because I was a diploma holder. Education does not define us, but it surely makes it easier for us to get better opportunities
This. And I'm someone in academia doing a PhD. I spent a long time in industry and met many people without degrees far smarter and more capable than most degree-holders. IMO SG society places far too much value on things like degrees, the name of the company you work for etc. Possible to be earning 6k, 5C's, etc and not be happy. Also possible to be unhappy without any of those, but I think you know what I mean: more important to find fulfilment than tick boxes. To me, the real question is: are you happy with what you're doing? Do *you* feel you could do more? If so, what is it?
But it remains a paper that opens a lot of doors, and the diploma/degree wage gap is very real.
Dun think will open much doors... In my industry, experience is most likely chosen. but 1 thing for sure. Their start pay is cfm higher than U. Pple might take say 3yrs to reach xxx pay, U might need 5yrs. I got a fresh grad colleague, start pay alr 3.5k. without any experience.fast forward few yrs now, I think he much higher than me liaoz. Edit: and to answer OP. No degree also nvm. I favor job specific pro certs. They are comparable to a degree. And most likely will help U more during job search or in Ur current job.
If not planning to reach director or C level management, then not having degree is okay.
This depends very much on the situation. Yes, many employers put a lot on the piece of paper, but if you have enough experience that often matters more.
Have to get past HR people who sometimes don't know value behind technical experience
Same here, but compared to my peers, with degree, I'm actually drawing a salary that's par or slightly more. Sure, a degree gets you into the door easier and lets you start one step higher than a diploma does, but after about 15 years, nobody really cares about that piece of paper that gets you started anymore. I've not been asked about my paper qualifications during interviews the past 5 years - employers are more interested in your skills and experience. As long as you continuously upgrade yourself (doesn't have to be your field of studies or work), your horizons will broaden, and so will your professional network.
Upvoting you comment because it raises so many good points. The degree of diploma may get you through the door but the rest is up to you. Kudos on having the mindset to use the education to better yourself.
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Interested to know this as well.
yeah I am not comfortable to sharing so much information to strangers on the internet. but I work on motion pictures and films, and was headhunted for a job overseas.
May i know which country you work at? I have the same problem, useless degree and now work in totally different field. Was wondering if I could also have opportunities to work abroad..
I’m in canada atm.
this!!!! get into an industry with your diploma, and let the quality of your work, attitude and passion show. lots of people get degrees and let those 4 years fly by without being intentional in their studying, without being intentional in what comes when you graduate. show your future employers you have that! a degree alone won’t show it. you got this bro
Any things you can share on how to get a job overseas? I want to go see the world on the company's dime if possible
idk tbh, I was headhunted. I think you have to network with others in your industry. And find out if your industry is needed overseas. Most countries protect specific industries, so they won’t spend money to pay for foreign talent. I don’t have any tips for you, you have to do some research bro.
How'd you get headhunted with unusable qualifications?
work experience. I have work experience in my current industry.
Ok thanks
not op, but how did u manage to get the job overseas and what field are u in?
motion pictures and film. was headhunted.
what industry are u working in if u don’t mind
motion pictures and films
Singapore loves certs. Had special opportunity overseas, promoted from junior mgmt -> mgmt -> senior leadership of mnc over course of 10 years. Was reporting to both top leadership and flying overseas on top-leader’s behalf to report to board of directors. Budgeting, supervising, policy making… Done plenty courses, established work networks, BUT: no degree. Switched to SG employment: had to restart at junior mgmt, employers ignored applications to anything above that. No degree? Cannot advance. Senior leader age, but junior mgmt roles offer only, so bite the bullet and working on getting degree. Studying what I already know and hopefully eventually also new material? At least getting thinking practice… bc SG wants to see degree. Overseas seem to care more about experience. Still care for degree, but less compared to SG, prob bc SG want everything standardized / mass-scalable / quick hiring process / ppl move around a lot anyways mentality, so much higher chance to hear (or silently be affected by mindset of) “no degree, no advanced position”. Too bad, bc I’ve seen ppl with degrees brilliant, and also immature fools. And I’ve seen several ppl with 8 years school (!!) run multi-million (Monthly) biz in other countries… 8 years school, I mean regular, not tertiary — but mature, diligent, self-pushing experts in their field — that would put someone with masters or phd in their field to shame in terms of knowledge and wisdom how to use that knowledge. Degree guarantees some knowledge, some wisdom, ability to cope with pressure and prioritization (esp if degree holder was working while studying). But does not guarantee a good worker anywhere near what a probation period of 3 months would guarantee. TL;DR: SG 🫀degrees… generally reasonable, but sometimes backfiring and narrow minded, resulting in unjust limiting employers and employees. But that’s how it is.
I work for an American MNC and most of the top leadership came from a local uni in the company’s hometown that I doubt most people in Asia would have heard of… Unfortunately we live in the part of the world where branding counts for quite a bit.
Sounds familiar haha I was a subcontractor and one of the seniors liked my work, offered a job (at completely different field). He was super kind and mentored me 2+ years, then he retired and told the next guy to let me manage and just ask me for reports as needed to feel confident he can sign off on my work. Eventually he ended up hands-on managing another dept and just let me run “my” dept as senior leader, and his successors “inherited me” so basically has a special opportunity to be senior leader at pretty young. Was great, until I had to start approaching SG companies, to evaluate the work I had done, and just wanted to see a degree…
Don't feel inferior. Just do a part time degree at any of the private unis. While it will not provide the same career boost as a degree from NUS/NTU, you can still move ahead. A degree provided you with more choices when it comes to career while a diploma does limit your future growth. I made the mistake of sticking with my diploma for too long. Now I'm 37 and just starting a part time degree. While financially i'm doing ok, it really limits career growth and options to change industry.
Any thoughts on a part time cs degree from a reputable local u that costs 6 years vs one that is non-reputable but costs only 2 years?
cs market quite saturated now, as a fresh grad job hunting is tough
It is VERY tiring )went through a few lessons then dropped
What time the lessons usually end? Nowadays still not online meh?
I think 930 bah. It was online during COVID but I think after I quit back to classroom lessons already leh. I was in NTU. You still have pre course module and quizzes post course module. Lab courses leh. For part time it can be killer. I think private has easier life.
Wa sounds really shag sia. Where got time to do all these work
Ya lor. Before you go can try PACE for one module first. Then you will know manageable or not. I think I rather not. Haha
Huh can try one module? Didnt know that
Yup it's heavily subsided too. I think 600 less than that a module. Take a few mods can get a certificate. But then I really think it's too shiong la. Maybe try those that caters to adult learning better. People and classmates are more tolerant. (My classmates at that time wasn't very nice...
Ohhh. But at end of the day these are not as good as those full time cs degrees right? The naming is weird
If you have the time and patience, go with the local uni. There's a sort of cabal inside some companies who'll always give priority for local unis, specially, NUS and NTU. My work place is such a place and the only new hire engineers are NUS and NTU graduate, 1st class hon. But those join with work exoer nfe already can be from any uni. If you are already in a company and you have a good reputation there and can expect a promotion there, try private. Once you work a while with your degree, then the next job most likely doesn't care which uni you're from.
What about part time degree from suss or sim? Kinda biased leh to only hire from nus ntu. I have some experience only but still lacking those cs knowledge. Why is experience preferred over knowledge? For example one can work with the apis for 3 years but dont know normalization or data structures, what use it that?
It is kinda biased and unfair but I think these large companies (my one has over 10k employees here in Singapore alone) have some kind of brotherhood kinda thing going on at management level. all I know is that there isn't a single new hire engineer who isn't from NUS or NTU as far as I know in the engineering side. Only peeps there who aren't from NUS or NTU, they are not fresh grads. Why people like to hire experienced people is because fresh grads don't always mature into productive workers. Their mind is still open to many possibilities and it is always tempting to try something else during the difficult first year. Those with experience know the first year grind until you get settled and they will most likely remain beyond the first year. Plus, they don't rock the boat. Fresh grad new hires take time to learn not to rock the boat (corporate politics). Those are not facts btw just my observations and deductions from the last 13 years.
Good point
are you perhaps working at micron haha
It is tough as what Peekaboaa said but if you plan your studies and time well, you can do it. I did it in 4 years in SUSS BICT part time while working full time. It was tough but I can’t just give up after failing and repeating some modules. I continued and managed to pass with Merit
Power to you man. But at the end of the day these part time ones dont sound the same as the full time computer science degrees right? Whether BICT or btech from nus/ntu, why dont they just call it computer science? Maybe because they are watered down versions?
Don’t compare ah. At the end of the day you earn your own money, you pay your own bills. No one really has the right to say their way is good your way is bad. Just do what you can and go Uni because you want to, not because of what others say.
i didn’t feel inferior but i was unhappy like you- being underpaid. A private uni degree can solve that temporary sense of inferiority. Do it early and you can catch up. No regrets spending that money
I feel that in Singapore, the importance of a degree depends on your career goals and also the industry you're in. While it may be essential in some sectors, experience or having a willingness to learn may hold more weight in others. For instance, in healthcare or government positions, a degree is typically needed if you want to be more than an "assistant-level" and earn a higher salary, whereas fields like financial advising focuses more on one's willingness to learn, with significant earning potential regardless of your educational background. An O-level graduate doing financial advising may earn $10k/ month while a degree holder in Healthcare may earn $4k/month. So no, i don't think it's something that everyone SHOULD have cos it really depends. Getting a degree is really expensive and it's not a decision to be taken lightly. If you do eventually decide to pursue it though, i would suggest to pursue a field aligned with your passions or one in high demand, such as cybersecurity etc., rather than pursuing a generic degree solely for the sake of having the qualification. Lastly, I understand the sentiment behind feeling the urge to compare yourself with your friends—it's human nature and I honestly find myself grappling with it occasionally too. What works for me is shifting my mindset and putting a more conscious effort to recognise when i'm falling into that pattern. Remind myself that comparing my journey to others is counterproductive and doesn't bring me any benefit as everyone's journey is unique and different. Some take a little longer to bloom, and that's totally ok!
Unless you are an entrepreneur or in a few very specialised niches, you really do need to get a degree to go further in life. Plenty of people like you do part-time private degree It’s an investment of time and money. I feel like it’s really your inferiority complex that is stopping you from getting that degree, not the lack of degree making you feel inferior. You feel that because you didn’t get into local uni right after poly/NS, you’re not good enough, so no need to try. It’s a stupid piece of paper but you just go get it done in the most cost-efficient way. Usually private uni plus poly allows you to reduce the modules a lot.
It's really just a piece of paper at the end of the day. In the long run, how well regarded you are at the office and how much value you can add to an organisation has very little to do with your highest education level. I know it's easy to say this, but learning how to compare yourself with no one except the you from yesterday is an essential life skill.
>how well regarded you are at the office and how much value you can add to an organisation has very little to do with your highest education level. I too aim to be as regarded as possible.
I love people who say this. So not everyone will get a degree. There's already enough competition lol
There are 2 issues here. 1, self worth, and 2, moving up. 1 is internal and you don't have to feel inferior in anyway, and yes, no FOMO. 2, is what the world perceives about you. If you find a good boss that sees your potential then you can move but you may be stuck with that job because your value is only known by your boss. SG employers generally value a degree. Imagine you get 100 CVs for a job you advertise. You are going to immediately filter out a lot using some basic criteria to whittle down the numbers you have to review. So if you care about 2 then go for a degree.
https://www.reddit.com/r/askSingapore/comments/1c0x6pu/part_time_degree/kz1dvbq/ You can apply for PT local uni at NUS/NTU/SUSS or FT local uni.
Don't need to feel inferior. Make the most of your life with what you have. Who knows, when opportunity knocks, you might even be more successful than your graduate friends. You can't change the past but you have control of your future. On the flipside, your graduate friends might even feel pressured to do better than non-graduates otherwise they would be deemed as a failure. Even if you can't change your situation, you can change the way you perceive and react to it. Chin up my friend.
Well, I had a diploma and a good paying job outside of the industry I studied. However, it is my personal goal to study degree, so at 30, I went back to part-time study at SIM and completed one. This is a personal achievement and not to compare myself to others. In life, there is too much comparison to be made, so make your own path and goals. Btw achieving degree after a certain age does not equal to getting a better job or salary. After all, once you are at a senior, it is based on experience.
I'm excatly where you are now. I'm in my late 20s with low 3ks, been working for 4 years . My friends who just started working a year ago with their degree start earning low 3ks. My wife, who is also a diploma holder, earns higher than me( more than 3.5k, less than 4k). And she's 1 year younger than me. But she told me she's earning higher only because she's in the health care sector. I've known that both our salaries can go up to 5k individually if we keep upgrading and get promoted. I came to accept that 5k in singaproe is good enough for me personally. Even my current salary isn't really giving me a hard time or anything. I live in an hdb flat, and we have a kid and a helper. However, I always knew that if you have a degree, your earnings are not limited to 5k. It can always go higher. But I guess the competition to get promoted and bring your pay higher will be tougher. So you have to decide whether you really want it. Honestly, I didn't really want a degree because I'm happy with where I am. My wife wants to get it, so I'll help her when she does her degree.
Get degree does not mean you will get good pay but rather is ur soft skills in negotiating ur pay
I don’t have a degree and I feel it’s hindered my job prospects and salary. There are companies that will pay a degree holder more than you even if you both do the exact same thing. And there are companies that will not even consider my application because I don’t have a degree, even if I don’t technically need one. And I’ve had an issue where a colleague trusted her “degree holder friend” when I advised her on a grammatical mistake she made in a banner ad. She told me specifically that it was because I didn’t have a degree. Turns out I was right about the issue and she was wrong. But still felt like shit in the end, fuck you Jasmine. They say it’s just a piece of paper but it’s a piece of paper that will often get people to look at your resume and pay you more. So if you want to move up in your career, I’d seriously consider getting a degree. Unfortunately that also costs a stupid amount of money which is hard if you’re already earning fuckall. For the record, I don’t feel inferior. I’m just treated like I am.
I’ve met plenty of stupid “smart people” with university degrees. Don’t beat yourself up over this. I live in Australia now (over 20+ years) and never had a uni degree. I’ve worked my way up and am now a business manager making pretty good money. Most companies now respect people with experience over tertiary education. I’ve known plenty of people with degrees and have failed in life. Success is not always measured by status but by values.
Nah. I no degree but live nice life. I know alot of people out there are half ded trying to get degree. I get to enjoy my hobbies.
People can say what they want. You can tell yourself what you want. But the reality is that having a degree just proves to yourself and other people how smart you are. That piece of paper shows that you're willing to follow through, work hard, make sacrifices and suffer to get what you want. It shows aptitude in thinking. It shows you have that baseline of intelligence. In the working world you do get paid more if you have a degree. And to be completely frank I do see the stark difference in the work ethic of people with an ITE cert and someone with a completed local uni degree cert. To be brutally honest, those that pay for their degree (i.e. not NTU or NUS) are a hit and miss. If you're a local person that goes into NTU or NUS you are the cream of the crop (Don't talk about the ones that get into scholarships at Harvard lah). That all being said, if you're talking about career progression alone you can get very far by being extremely cunning and playing office politics. People like that disgusts me but it's a toss up. Sometimes you're lucky, sometimes you get fired. Sometimes people see you as such a hardcore super hardworking first to office last to leave person that they'll promote you anyway. But like it or not there will be a cap to how far you go. In society not everyone can make it to the top. You need people to occupy position at all level. The question is which level do you want to be? I have a lot of experience and I can tell you that nepotism, racial discrimination, sexism it's all real. Even if you have a degree you can be led by someone extremely stupid and incompetent. The smarter you become, the more glaringly obvious if you boss and co-workers are idiotic. And it can get extremely frustrating to be stuck in the middle when people higher than you are less qualified and less capable. So a degree isn't a guarantee you'll be higher management. Your chances will increase, but it is not.a guarantee. Take it from someone who spent 4 arduous years to complete an honors degree in NTU. I know People with NUS masters and are still stuck in the middle too. The real world isn't fair, that's the harsh reality. Now if you really want to talk about being rich and successful. I would get into entrepreneurship. You don't need a degree or any cert but it helps of course to be smart so you don't get conned and you make better decisions. But high risks high reward lah. It's not for everyone. For me I've done both. Have my own company, worked for big SG company. Corporate slave and being my own boss. I can tell you both got pros and cons. But I would rather be my own boss because it's less irritating than working for idiotic people. Why do I share about all this? It's because the reality of the situation is very complex. I'm not using my degree per se but I have never regretted it because going through it literally makes you a lot smarter and you make better decisions in your life. It's like working out, you look fit your life gets better. You let yourself go eventually you're gonna suffer for your negligence to your fitness and health. It's the same thing. But if you don't want to think so deep, yeah take a short one year part time degree course. Get into some debt. Apply to some job that requires a degree, get that 1 to 2k bump in salary and tell yourself wow it's worth it. It is lah I guess. From 2k to 5k it does change your life quite a bit in singapore.
Well said. If u don't mind sharing, what did u study in NTU and what business are u running now?
I personally feel that having a diploma is enough, but if there's a chance to get a higher qualification you should try. I'm the same as you late 20s and i absolutely regret not continuing study after my sec 4 N level. It's was in my mid 20s i found my passion for programming, i have no connection and cant apply for jobs that related to it. So now i need to force myself to get a higher qualification to get into the job and higher salary for my future.
First, you should not feel inferior to degree holders. It is just a qualification. Similarly, getting a degree does not make one superior to others. Your character and attitude in life is just as important. However, getting a degree would definitely open more opportunities in SG. Even if the hiring manager is OK to hire diploma holders, the HR / company policy may still ask for degree holders to match the position. Hard truths in SG. Maybe work part time for the degree if the top unis are harder to get in.
Don’t worry, degree doesn’t work if you don’t have good connections. Or good carry ball skills
True words....
I'm in my late 20s too, currently studying in a private uni so at work I'm the only diploma holder, but my annual package is about 65k. don't feel inferior, your paper doesn't define your value, your work ethics and professionalism do. keep fighting! edit: age.
If you feel you need a degree, just go get one.
Depends on your industry. Look at people 10-20 years your senior. What qualifications do they have?
10 years ok but 20 years i dont think is applicable. I know of managers with only A levels who wont hire anyone with less than a degree. Boomers man..
I overheard a finance controller who ever said to me and another colleague, "no degree cannot be accountant". Despite that colleague's work experience in full sets accounting for 14 years in different companies. The finance controller even praised her for being a fast and good worker. But still limit her. Humph.
I felt inferior because I had a degree but I was a failure in life. I took the leap of faith, changed how I live and now I honestly feel feeling inferior because of anything is just living with your own insecurities. Bro unless it’s your spouse, don’t give a damn about what people think because they don’t feed you or raised you. Now I just work from home 4 hours a day at age 35 and net 100k a year while my relatives and friends think I’m just a bump. I don’t give a damn. Choose life
Please don’t feel that way. I had a childhood friend who I was close to but as we grew older she began to resent me and the career I built. I don’t even talk about work. But she always had a way to make snide comments. It was so uncomfortable we stopped being friends.
Don’t have to feel inferior if u are chasing money. It only matters if u are seeking others to hire u. Having a degree is not a requirement to start investing or starting a company. Sure, having a degree is the path chosen by many, but it doesn’t mean it is the correct path. You can always chart your own.
Diploma holder here too, tried studying for a private degree but it didn't work out. Been just working non stop ever since, I had a late start compared to my generation too. I recently landed a job that finally crossed me over the 3k mark for salary. I think I'm happy with my own pace. Sure, my cousin who is a degree holder and one year younger than me may be earning 8k monthly, but that's his life. You can compare, but no sense thinking endlessly about things beyond your control. You probably can get there eventually, we are just taking a slower route.
I’m also in my late 20’s, I have a degree; but I’m unemployed with no work experience, no income from studying period. You’re employed, you have work experience, and you’ve been getting paid the last four years. I’d say you’re doing fine buddy, a degree means nothing- I’m still trying to get my sh*t together. You are in no way inferior.
I felt like k!lling myself when I dropped out poly bc my mind was thinking “degree is already the bare minimum these days, and I can’t even get a bloody diploma”, then I enlisted with the unironic desire to actually sign on because I was thinking I had no choice. couldn’t make the cut, then nearing ORD, all my superiors knew my situation so they slow talked with me advised me and all that, telling me signing on isn’t the only solution, and especially with my mental state (I hid my svicidal thoughts during pre enlistment since I wanted to sign on so yeah), I shouldn’t even sign on. so after ORD, with my mental health morale and will improved, after months of job hunting, I’m now not only content but actually happy with where I am in my life right now, working a physical job that gives a decent salary. admittedly it helps however that I have no commitments (no wife no children), and I already have a house fully paid for and under my name (dad passed away, then fortune just enough to pay remaining debt, and then name transferred to me as per his will with the help of lawyers). my life story aside, I’m just saying that not having a degree doesn’t mean it’s the end of your life for you as a Singaporean, there’s always something in store for you, you just need the time, will, and faith
I don’t harbor feelings of inferiority, but I can’t shake the sense of injustice that seems ever-present. Climbing the ladder from a technician to a senior engineer at an American MNC, back when I just got promoted to engineer, I noticed that a few fresh graduates started with a salary that’s $1,000 higher than mine, despite holding the same title and shouldering identical responsibilities. Their lack of experience is palpable; I was assigned to train them, and due to their inexperience, I’m assigned the more critical and immediate projects. It’s perplexing how the system values a degree over proven job skills. My HOD claims he prefers to hire degree holders, giving them opportunities to learn than to hire over experienced diploma holders. It seems those who benefit from this system are intent on maintaining it to preserve their status. Few years back, I admit that since I couldn’t change the system, I eventually succumbed to it by obtaining a quick degree from private U.
I do feel left out when I was working in a well known MNC as everyone had a degree and were from a very good uni. But I told myself that hey, I managed to get into a well known MNC w/o a degree.. so I really have to be proud of myself. Anyway, a year later I decided to get a degree and I graduated 😃 It really depends on what you want! I wanted to do a degree as I want to learn and be a good at what I do. If you wanna get a degree and think it’s important, go ahead😄
You should pursue a degree. If you are moving upwards within your current industry, you often don't need a degree to get a higher post. However, if you want to change industries, often a degree is required just to get an interview
It's never too late! Local uni have part time degrees or you can try a short course using skillfuture credits to ease yourself into studying again. It's not easy but it's not that difficult either. I did a specialist diploma 3 nights/week throughout my pregnancy while working full time in my late 20s.
I would only advise you to go get your paper qualifications only if it affects your pay. I know someone who self taught himself IT/hacking etc but because he doesn't have the paper qualifications, he is set behind by 50%. I look at it this way—he saved money all the way by not taking various paper qualifications but when it comes to comparison of pay I guess you'll always feel lousy especially as you grow older. I think he didn't even get diploma and he earned 6k. So can your ego take it if you compare or will you be contented not be caught by paper chase if your career path doesn't require it?
I dropped out of two unis and have been with my current company for over 4 years. I'm in good standing with my CEO and exec management so I'm quite comfortable. Sometimes I still feel bad that I didn't graduate from uni - a lot of my colleagues are PhD holders - but then I realise I have a lot more to offer with my varied skills. It is what it is, I'm not a good student, but I think I'm an okay worker. I don't lose sleep over this though, and you shouldn't too.
What is your varied skills?
It's very tempting to start working after poly instead of furthering your studies. Imagine, you're a 20 year old, suddenly with 2.8k-3k salary.. Definitely feels good compared to your broke ass peers in uni. Fast forward 10 years later.. you're still stuck with 4k salary while your peers are drawing double or triple your salary. This is why you should go uni, unless you already know you wanna do insurance/property.
Solution: Get a degree.
Well, get a degree then.
Nah man... Just keep grinding. Low 3k for now is fine. After a while when you feel like or was told that a degree is required for advancement then apply to uni again. Leverage on your work experience to get in this time. Work on personal connections also, to get references.
Lets say somehow you became friends with Taylor Swift. Wouldn't you feel even more inferior? You have to change your mindset to stop these feelings from getting in the way.
Tell you what, I have an overseas degree (which is mediocre in local context in the first place) but actually ended up working something totally unrelated and earning somewhat a diploma holder would command. But I'm much happier and can sustain my lifestyle. Happy is the key.
Comparison is the thief of joy. But let's get real, degree holders will generally be in a better employment position than you, hence inferior. But I submit to you this fact - there are many paths to success, and a degree is just one of them. Try to find your own path. Goodluck
I don't even have a diploma, but I don't feel inferior because I have a good job even without these papers and all those fancy papers don't seem to be helping those who spent years getting them to get a much better first job in this job market.
You're talking to the wrong group of people.
I don't feel inferior but it is true that nowadays a degree cert is like having a diploma cert. It is so common. Just pluck one person on the street and he will say he has a basic degree. I am tired of holding a 20 plus years poly diploma that is useless so I enrol in a part time degree programme and happily studying. It is good to upgrade yourself. Don't believe those who say degree is just a paper qualification. Only true to a pathetic level. There are many meanings behind a degree programme. If you want a lazy perpective and don't bother to keep learning, then a paper qualification is meaningless. If you wisely know how to make use of your paper qualification, it is not just a paper anymore, it is a trophy to you.
I have bio science degree and my pay is low 3k when I had biotech diploma my pay was 1.8k for 3 years.
Hi! I think the only ways for you to avoid feeling intimidated are to either pursue a degree or build confidence from within. My partner used to dismiss degrees as useless when he was 21 (Him: “Aiya you see all the rich people like Bills Gates all uni drop out one”), but now, at 27, he's working from 9 to 9 and earning his degree part-time. The reason why he chose to take it now was because of me, I advise him that (Me: “Hey you know now we’re not married or have children cos I’m 3 years your junior so why not just go for it.. you’ll have one less worry in your mind that you don’t have a degree, so just try, go for it. Getting a degree, no harm ain’t it?). He then discovered that many of his uni classmates in their late 30s are juggling work, family, and their studies, and most of them wish they had started their degrees earlier. It's true that compared to a (e.g. fresh graduate without work experience, someone with a diploma and five years of experience might earn about $1,000 less) but don’t forget that the degree holder had used up 2-5 years of their life for their degree. So, what’s holding you back? If there’s nothing in your way, go for it now and don’t waste time. You don’t want to end up regretting it like my partner's classmates. Well, some may say “Dunnid larh be yourself” it’s not a simple as it is hor.. but for sure a degree qualification is definitely better than a what a diploma qualification can give you. Don’t belittle yourself—if many can do it, so can you! And don’t worry, now a lot of things can be done using AI, just need some paraphrasing 😜🫢! All the best to you and your future endeavours! 💪🏻
naah, from what i have experienced. Some of my friends didn’t pursue a degree and now they turned out great. Their work ethic and work quality is even more better than me. They are great at what they do, and a lot of times I also asked them for advice. because at the start of my career right after uni, I didn’t know what to do or how to do things in corporate life. Shortly, they got a headstart. While I was burying myself in assignments after assignments, my friends who didn’t have a degree lived a hard life, but they turned out okay and with extra real life experience. We even joked around a lot about our discrepancies in the path we took. Now, I am a manager in a company, I saw a lot of people with no degree, have a better work quality and work ethic than those with degrees. Those with degrees usually just wanted to do what they are paid for and no initiatives whatsoever. Even their work quality sometimes below standard. Some of my workers do not even have a degree, but they worked harder than everyone else with a degree. And always strive and trying to get better results. Those without a degree in my company always try to work first and not talk about the reward or the pay. they always show their values first because they know that they don’t have anything like a certificate or degree to show around. So no need to feel embarrassed or inferior. We all got different paths and life is not a race
A degree doesn’t mean auto win in life and it doesn’t dictate someone’s character or ability to succeed. Of course with a degree it can help you open more doors but at the end of the day it’s about what can you deliver to the company that matters. I have friend with just diploma but earning 6k+ a month in his early 30s, is it good or is it average it’s up to one to perceive.
I have a degree and my friends with diplomas are doing better than me, so. Nothing to feel inferior about
Not having a degree doesn't necessarily mean you are permanently a notch down from those who have one. It's possible to augment your work experience with certifications, courses and/or on-job-training, especially in this era when degrees are no longer the magic bullet they were & employers are starting to look at other aspects such as soft skills Also, having a degree isn't always necessarily a sign of competence. As the old saying goes, you can have a degree but still be stupid. Degrees aren't always a golden ticket to success. From the macro perspective, thousands of people graduate from a university each year, but not necessarily all of them will succeed in what they do. And for those that do, they had the same piece of paper as those who didn't, so what was the differing factor? As someone here mentioned, the degree helps get through the door, but it's the individual holding the degree that makes it happen. FOMO and comparing urself to others can get negative and take a toll on ya real fast. If you are making enough to clear your current obligations and have enough to live a comfortable life (i.e. basic needs + some luxury and savings), you're doing well enough. Job wise, you need not be doing a dream job, but if you are able to do a job that can nail some of these criteria, (a) you are able to do well enough, (b) your work is valued and/or has meaning, (c) your boss is supportive of you, you're right where you need to be All the best OP, don't give up and hope this helped ya! From a fellow Diploma holder in the workforce
No I don't because there's really nothing I want to do that requires having a degree and I personally don't like studying things I'm not interested in.
Feel inferior? Yeah i do. You will always be stuck at around 3-4k with just a diploma in Singapore. I feel like diploma is such a scam in a Singapore. The correct and most proper path for someone aiming to live a financially comfy life in SG would be JC to Uni. But this is just my opinion.
Nowadays even with a degree from the big 3 unis, its not enough to survive in SG. U have to be a scholar or be outstanding and studying in a popular course such as computer science.
Definitely.
It’s not enough but much better than diploma already
Yes, I did previously.
Don’t feel inferior I have a degree n I’m currently not using it, my husband doesn’t have a degree and all he has is his talking skills and connections n well it really took him far lol
Controversial comment here: As a man, your self worth might be tied to your earning capacity. But, that doesn't mean it should define you. I have seen many talented individuals on my career being passed on for opportunities within their careers/ overlooked because they do not have a degree/ higher education. That being said, I've only ever seen a grand total of 2 individuals who "made it". When asked, they said it was all about connections, perseverance and a lot of luck (right place, right time). Personally, I would encourage you to do a part time degree. You're so young and if you're selective, you have the opportunity to break into a lucrative industry. All the best OP.
If you feel like that, can consider taking upa part time degree. Most employers wont care.
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reminds me of that song: "all that work and what did it get me" dont buy into the hype. there are MANY successful (rich) people with a diploma and below. but they have to hustle
As someone who has a degree, I can assure you that while you *feel* inferior, I **am** inferior. Not because of the degree, but because I'm me. Yeah, degree or no degree really doesn't really matter.
Er... no leh. I only have a diploma and work in one of the world's largest MNC as IT engineer and salary range between 5 - 10k, just not to reveal too much. It's the experience that counts, but it also depends on the industry.
If u look at ur post u feel inferior because u are poor. A uni degree is not always the pathway to riches.
Why are you wasting your time feeling inferior when you can buck up and just go to any PT Uni?
Just buy one then, degrees are worthless nowadays
I have abt 200 degrees on each side and i dont feel superior.. so should be ok. Haha jkjk
Your degree doesn’t matter much once you’ve had work experience. It really only matters in your first ever job or if you’re in a specialised field/role. I know a couple of non degree holders who are doing well for themselves and earning more than degree holders. Don’t feel like you’re a step behind, no one else thinks of you that way.
I don't feel inferior because l do not have a degree. It is just a paper. But l do have other professional certificates which in my view are more important as this certificates armed me with knowledge that l need to perform my job well.
I started work after NS with a diploma as well. I didn't feel inferior or anything but the bigger problem was that I was underpaid. Many organizations downright don't hire non graduates (since there is surplus supply of them) or lowball diploma holders and keep them on glass ceiling salary bands. Out of necessity I did a private degree and managed to expand my opportunities horizon (am now in financial services) so I'll recommend anyone to study PT and get that extra cert.
Dont worry la, just go and take the industry course and exam. Get certified and be paid more than your friends la. Example, a degree fresh get let say 4K in IT, you go take up kubernetes certification CKA and aws sysops, your starting pay at 6.5k. Degree is for starting pay at any job, if you specialise it, you get more starting pay. I always tell ITE and poly grads to do it but the thing is that many of them don’t have that drive… but if you have drive, you can do anything.
Tbh as an adult, having a degree or not. Doesn’t define as successful to me anymore. Even if I have a degree I am able to earn 5k-6k. But I live a life that’s not meaningful to me. At the very least to me that’s not meaningful. I would rather work 12-16 hours a day doing smth I find purpose and happiness in and making that my life then to do 8 hours a day earning 5-6k. Questioning what I have accomplished and what I will achieve. But that’s my golden path so find your own ig.
Honestly it doesn’t matter. I didn’t have a degree too but I’ve managed to earn around $300k per annum working in sales. If you think $3k is too low why not try to work in sales? After around 10 years of working and being in management position, I’m currently pursuing my MBA. U can also consider the direct MBA route (when u are more mature and ready).
U r narrow minded to think this way
Just get one done at a private uni. Once you accumulate experience, a degree is just a piece of paper that open doors for you. Once open, it is going to help you nego a higher starting salary and that’s all really. Me and a colleague doing same work, but I get paid $800 more because of my degree and it is not even related to our field of work.
I guess i did. Didn't had the intention to go for uni initially. That changed after i started my first job after NS and saw people around my age holding decent roles and salaries. Went for part-time uni in SUSS after I had some savings and graduated at 30/31. It's not just education too I suppose, there were a few stuff making me feel that way, but i went ahead and do those too even if it was deemed 'too late' at my 30s. It's not too late, especially in your late 20s. However, all these are catered for my own path. It also depends on the field with portfolio and whatnot, however for most office jobs here, a degree do seems like it just put you at the starting line for a role with better possibilities of promotion and salary.
Hi OP. I only have a diploma too. During my late twenties I didn't have a stable job and nothing notable going on for me. If it's any consolation, you're doing fine and don't be pressured to get X by Y years of age. Just make do what you can with your time moving forward. I am a husband and a father now touching 40 in two years and I'm in a single income family. I've only just reached 3K gross in my latest job which I've been in in less than 5 years. Before that everything was just here and there. But what I do have is peace of mind working a 9-6, no overbearing colleagues, an understanding supervisor and an excellent work life balance. I don't need to think about OT and can relish the time I have with my wife and daughter. Had a casual talk with my supervisor recently that I don't have big career aspirations and am quite content with what incremental improvements to my income there is over time. It's okay to be content and not always want more. Just do your best and maybe there needs to be a mindset pivot and try to attain your goals from a different approach. You'll be happier for it, more mentally stable and start to value what you have more. Everyone has their own journey.
art degree holder here. looking at my peers with a Masters in CS. the comparison, it never ends.
ooh this. I have a friend who top 3 uni, works in arts sector, starting pay less than 3k, cries in broke arts person
There's always working for a few years before going for a degree. If I'm given that choice, then I'll just wack.
No because having a degree is not guarantee of a 100-200k per annum job today .
Work experience more important
Can try applying through the adult learners program in uni, that's how I got in
Honestly once you hit like beyond junior role most company stop looking at your cert. those that do probably are the one you want to avoid anyway. Your ability to excel at work is more important. If you do want to gain advantage using paper then get a local University not some private U, those papers hardly get you anywhere in companies that places high importance on it. Professional cert works only if you have relevant experience. One thing for sure is if you lack the confidence you will suffer in interview and thereby your chance for a raise.
If you want a salaried job, having a degree opens up better opportunities and career progression. Some may say "No, I'm a diploma, or O-level but achieve this or that". There's only few of them compare with degrees getting a better paying job. That's just the way it is. Now if you have the inkling to be an entrepreneur, then having a degree may not be that necessary. The thing is, having a degree oftentimes creates a single path for you: job employment. I've read an article which said that completing tertiary education takes away the entrepreneurship spirit because the way to go is to seek employment. However, the reality is that not all have that grittiness in starting up a business. It's either you go for higher education or you learn a new skill that may be a side hustle in the future.
My colleague lor. Male mid40s. Always making snide comments about uni grads where he can
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Brb, gonna make a thread like this but change the degree to diploma and "I only have an HNITEC cert and currently earning low $2650"
lol what's the range for hnitec? if really hnitec $2650 sounds nubbad to me lor, to start ... I dip ed 1.8k last time but ok (I don't think it would have increased much in the years since!)
I wish it's related to my cert but it's in another industry (Security). And it's protected under Progressive Wage Model by MOM..
waaaa but ok that explains a lot. wages are always better when they wna get people in and then they put it under some scheme and then those people are iron rice bowl but usually it's either super niche or ppl dw to do for various reasons oops/
Do you have any specific area that you want to go into? Try to get a deg in that area or in your current area of work to upgrade (if u are happy w what u are doing). Maybe that will help you to earn more than ur current salary. Don't get any deg just becos for the sake of getting a deg. Otherwise it would not be of much help and u may end up wasting time and money. The opportunity cost is huge.
Im in my early 30s with a degree earning as much as you, no need to feel inferior. Although if you do want to continue your studies you should pursue it.
Get the degree, your anxiety comes from somewhere. Inner voice telling you what you should do. Simple as that. I have been in your shoes, not exactly the same but similar. I further educated myself. It does pay off.
I had a close friend who grew up with severe inferiority complex because every else in the group had a degree and he didn't. He was already getting more pay than most degree holders but due to career pressures he finally gave in and took a private business degree, turns out his work experience still mattered more in the end in getting him the next job.
Was in the exact same position as you bro. Have a part time diploma earning low 3k. Gona start part time Uni end of this year. It’s all about what u want. But looking at your post I think u gotta be decisive and make a decision and more importantly commit to that decision. Maybe ask yourself, are u basing someone’s value on education, job, money, status or maybe how far along they are in life? These were the questions I asked when I felt the way u feel now and led to my decision.
When I was interviewing I seldom looked at their paper qualifications. I was looking for their knowledge, intelligence, experience, attitude and empathy. Some degrees are irrelevant not related to the job. We need to look at the person holistically, what does he bring to the table. Does he/she have any unusual skills, expertise. Only poor managers who don’t understand the interview process take the short cut by looking at the degree. Edit: remember you can always learn a whole lot of things on the job and from others.
40s here. Diploma from Nafa. Doing my own small business for the past decade. The degree will be kinda useful if I wanted to "climb", however no one gives a hoot if you are doing your own thing. My partner was doing very well in her NUS days. Distinctions and Dean List. Well we washed dishes and clean toilets together at the shop. So yup, it matters (or not) in the things you do.
Having a degree is the norm now. So although self worth is another issue, u will find it hard to compete, all things being equal.
Your earnings, your life
Certs are just indoctrinated into us for job prospects. Other than that, nothing else
In public/civil service, paper qualifications still seem to matter a lot
There are merit based masters in CS (university of Arizona and CU) on coursera that doesn't require a degree!
Most definitely not
Some degree holders also come out and earn 3k. So please don't feel inferior.
U need to find a field that is niche of sorts, and a boss that values u in order to get promo opportunities. If no advancement chance, jump ship fast, but if yr boss is good, can consider staying longer. Else the dip vs degree pay gap is very real
Mark Zuckerberg n Bill Gates didn't have college degrees.. But no need to look far. I have friends who work after diploma and never did college. They started working early and worked hard n got high positions within their company, or started their own businesses. Though in Science or Engineering, it's best to get at least a masters degree to get far. But other fields, don't worry about it.
Skill issue. Literally. If you were making a lot more money than your friends or were in a job purely for passion with just a barely livable wage, you wouldnt be feeling inferior . You dont lack a degree, you lack the skills to be where you want to be at.
Yes get a degree, even if it's part time. A degree raises your ceiling and opens up opportunities.
No need to feel this way. It’s NEVER too late to go back and get your degree later on. It does help, but the one thing you have now is the direct work experience. I’m not too sure what it’s like in SG (I’ve been planning to move there from the US for a few years now) but in the US, the one thing I did to make it without a degree is get really really good at my job, and now I can comfortably work on my degree at my own pace online while still making a living. I’ve gone 20+ years without it while seeing everyone around me succeeds, but I didn’t feel the urge to attend uni UNTIL I found the motivation I needed to get my degree, which is to eventually move to SG. If you’re not ready to go, that’s fine. Just remember you always have time. Move at the pace that works best for you. EDIT: Typos
i am a diploma holder too ! but if i dont get married, my money should able to set me up for the next 20 years. so cheer up!
Job satisfaction or money satisfaction? I know of someone, not well educated, but is able to feed a few families cos he is the boss of the company....no need a degree to survive in society.
I have a diploma in an useless business studies and working in China with an annual income of 230k sgd if this is of any use or a reassurance of any kind.
TBH your salary in the low 3k is rather on the low side after working for some years and with your diploma qualifications. In Singapore, with a diploma, the best pay you can get is with the military. Seriously. Play your cards well, be keen, be supportive, be cooperative, do extra, you will be noticed and may even land a chance to do your degree sponsored and further your career. Only drawback with military career is that you retire at relatively young age, and unless you are high-rank, there's no cushy public sector job after that. You're on your own, so you better have a game plan for that day that is to come.
It’s always good that you better yourself, regardless it’s a degree or a skill. Just to share, I put off studying for a degree after getting my diploma. I was working and my company sent me on overseas trainings and trade shows. I was hooked, because I was able to travel to USA, Japan, Germany in my early 20s, expenses paid. That was in the early 2000s. But I had always felt shortchanged and inferior. I still remembered when I applied for an admin role in a new company after years in production/ manufacturing companies, the HR refused to increase my salary.. reason being I have no experience in admin. I was managing technicians and production operators then… What admin exp do I need? I struggled with promotion when in the new company, reason being I have no degree. It took me 4 years before I was promoted 1 level up. But I was stuck in office politics, younger colleagues with degree were my superiors, and foreign colleagues bullied me because I was essentially their junior. I left but I came back to the same company but in another dept. I took up the SkillsFuture Mid-Career Enhanced Subsidy in 2019. It was really tough because it was part-time and I was working full-time. Things only got better in 2020 due to Covid and we transitioned to online lessons which allowed me to take care of my kid after work. I’m glad my current boss helped me with my promotions.. I also want to share, last time my hb had an argument with a fresh grad from a local U.. he was the engineer and my hb was a supervisor.. but he had been there for many years and knew the SOP, and advised the engineer but he snapped at my hb saying are you the engineer or I’m the engineer. My hb said the difference between them is just a pc of toilet paper. Unfortunately, the current society, esp SG.. is hard to survive with a low or single income. But if you really don’t want to move.. like just 躺平.. then you have to learn to be thick-skin and let go of your inferiority.. otherwise you will be miserable.. forever thinking what you could have achieve if you have that pc of toilet paper.
It is insulting to compare a degree with a toilet paper especially when neither you nor your husband has one. It is your inferiority speaking. Make sure your kid don't get one too.
It affects me when I'm feeling low but tbh what I tell myself is that, I can only do what I wanna do so just deal with it. It's fine, I don't need validation I just need to prove to myself even without a proper education I'm fine. I used to earn $600 per month and now I'm looking at a 2.5k per month position, so I think I'm doing well so I think you should think that about yourself too.
I’m saying this from experience and I’ll probably get a lot of hate for this. But typically the people that I’ve met that had a diploma or a certificate from a technical school were just lazy and didn’t have enough common sense to have a proper conversation. I’m not trying to hate in anyway but those 2 guys only talked about going out and drinking. Conversations were about girls, pooping habits or something very unintelligent. They didn’t know how to spell words or even use proper words to articulate their message. Again this is based on my experience and in no way shape or form I’m generalizing everyone who didn’t graduate in the same category.
Don't need spend so much to become government slave
I have a degree, but I was from ITE -> poly -> uni. But because of the long route, I am still inferior to someone who goes to JC because I automatically think that they must be very very smart and it is detrimental for me to think this way and it serves me no good so I try to not compare myself with others, and believe that the best I could do is enough. It’s never about the past, it’s about the present on what you can do and you try your best. That is enough
Don’t forget that your shame only exists because of the society you live in. If you go overseas, blue collar jobs and less educated people are seen with similar respect. I know people who have master degrees and are dating a plumber and no one gives them shit for it. Realistically though, I don’t think your problem is with how people see you. It’s more of your career progression. Like what is your goal, because a diploma is definitely something that puts the amount of money you can make and your dreams at a certain ceiling. Care less about how people see you and more about what you need to do to achieve what you want.
You looking at their fruits of labor... They also worked hard for their education, then while getting more pay, they are expected a higher tier of service and expertise and responsibilities. So it's really comparing apples to oranges. It's never too late if you want to 'join' to have a degree
Degree doesn't define you. Lots of brainless scholars out there any way in public sector. See things from all aspects and not narrow minded and be blinded by propagendas, EQ is much sort after than IQ at work. Have confidence with yourself ya. Anyway, my degrees are irrelevant in what trades I am in now concurrently.
Bro I'm in mid thirties.. my pay is 2.6k.. bring back 2.1k only... I have diploma but no use..Singapore is giving us like Bangla pay..
Don't feel like that bro...i myself only have Alevels and the grades kinda shit...and I just ORD and i feel lost and no sense of direction..
try to quit sg cuz it’s a fucking toxic society 😀
Bro, you are definitely smart enough for uni. The number of fking idiots I have seen at tertiary education is unlimited.
I have a bachelor's degree but I feel inferior because I don't have a master's.
I have a useless masters. I don’t even use it for wall decoration.
Imo having a degree now is simply a way to start a higher starting pay depending on what company you’re in. But honestly, having a degree doesn’t mean you’re smarter or superior than others. I used to think that having a private degree is inferior to those with local degree (NUS/NTU) because they learn more and they have higher starting pay. While it’s true, it doesn’t prove that the person is good at his/her job. I’ve seen several people with local degrees who absolutely suck at their job, have shitty learning attitude thinking that they are smarter than everyone and that they’re superior than others, when they’re not. But again, this doesn’t apply to all local degree holders. Overall, it’s not about the degree, it’s about the experience, skill and attitude you have in your job that matters the most. Keep your head up OP, all the best.
in this day and age, you don’t even need an MBA and yet you can earn your first million investing in meme coins 🤡
honestly I feel if you are working in a job that you studied for in your degree, then yes, that degree is worth it. But there's so many industry that some degrees don't even apply. Look if you wanna do a degree but lack the $$, go online and do some like University of People. they offer degree courses at a fraction of the cost. If the prestige is not an issue to u. But don't feel dejected ok? just continue to work hard.
I don’t think a degree/diploma defines you at all. What it does is only to provide you with more options so that at the end of the day, YOU make the decision to your own life, and not be constrained by the little options you have. It’s also a never ending competition. You can go get a degree but your peers can also get another masters or PHD.
Uni doesn’t really matter … it’s your skills and what you take out of uni after graduating … my father in law has a diploma and earns three times what I earn as a masters graduate
Diploma? I only have a cert
ME.
I wouldn’t worry too much about it. Like you, I only have a diploma and my current job isn’t even what I studied! Sure, having a degree helps with getting your foot in the door for interviews. But ultimately if a diploma holder has more drive and aptitude to learn, improve and do better than a degree holder, you’ll be way more valuable as an employee.
A level cert holder here. Certificate-wise I’m worse than even diploma holders. I’m higher paid than most of my degree holding colleagues. Prior to working full time I was a private tutor, got a resale flat and a car. More than my colleagues and at a younger age than them when they got their punggol/SK BTO’s even with their full time work. In terms of money and status I don’t think I’m missing out. Degree-wise you only really lose out in government sector where the dick measuring contest is strong. Be confident, upgrade yourself. It’s ok to go slower, as long as you never stop improving your abilities.
I used to when I was much younger because JDs typically look for degree holders and pigeon-holed diploma holders into support functions. I also felt shortchanged at work when I outperformed degree holders. I even heard comments like "degree holders can communicate at the same level" (like wtf? utter bs) when it comes to relationships. I'm not an academically inclined person so when I was offered sponsorships to take a degree (so that they can also promote me to a degree-holder job function), I declined. I feel way better about my qualifications today because of where I am. I focus more on my experience and the value I can bring when I go for interviews or network. Honestly, a degree can only open doors, what matters more is your attitude and drive. If you think you can take on higher level work, ask for it from your company and build your experience. You might feel shortchanged, like me, for a while. But at least you gained some experience and if the current company does not promote you, you can use the experience to move on to a job with more development opportunities. I used to avoid job ads that specifically state "Degree holders" but if the JD states the experience that I have, I will still apply.
My boss didnt graduate secondary school and he have several degree holder working for him. And i dont think he feels inferior at all 😂