Thoughts on siging up as technician engineer

[wdblazer]

I am thinking of signing up as a technician engineer,but i want to know more about this vocation from people who have done or knew about it.Can anyone give me more information on the vocation ?The information i am most concern about are :

1.Pay roughly
2.Working - as in same working like the infantry
3.Perks - further advance in technology studies
4.Pro
5.Con

I also heard that they doesn't need to do SOC,field camp or oversea trainning,is that right?

[Astute33]

Well, you can first check it out on Mindef website -> http://www.mindef.gov.sg/imindef/careers/job_opportunities.html

[wdblazer]

I wanted to know the thoughts of those who knew about this vocation.Cos whatever they show in those recruitment shows were all pro points,they covered up some con points which some of my friends realized only after they have signed.So i wish to avoid signing up for something that is not what i expected it to be.

[kengz]

The best solution : don't sign. U'll have better opportunities out there, take it from me.

[radius_11]

I am thinking of signing up as a technician engineer,but i want to know more about this vocation from people who have done or knew about it.Can anyone give me more information on the vocation ?The information i am most concern about are :

1.Pay roughly
2.Working - as in same working like the infantry
3.Perks - further advance in technology studies
4.Pro
5.Con

I also heard that they doesn't need to do SOC,field camp or oversea trainning,is that right?


check out the webby. if nid be, call the recruitment centre. but bare it in mind, dun keep listening to the "figures" the recruitment officer gonna tell u and tink its worth signing on. tink of if u are suited for the job anot.

[Astute33]

I have friends who signed on as Navy senior technicians and combat technicians. Which vocation are you looking at? Army, Navy or Air Force?

[AngelOfDeathz]

The best solution : don't sign. U'll have better opportunities out there, take it from me.

i agree with not signing on...
you had been a NSF, you know the dumb system inside...

even if your happy with the army system, please take note that, most of the time, army experience don't count for anything in private companies...
so unless u sign for life... prepare to have a hard time looking for a good paying job after your army contract is done...

[wdblazer]

I have friends who signed on as Navy senior technicians and combat technicians. Which vocation are you looking at? Army, Navy or Air Force?

I am looking at technician engineer (electronic) in the army.Its said that they work 8-5 like outside work,is non combat and the experience i get from working as that would count as well in the outside world.

I am planning to sign the DIS,which is only 4 years,that mean i have to work an extra 1 or 2 years after normal NS ORD depending on whether i took their back payment.And get a job outside with the 4 years engineer working experience.

Based on your friends' experience,what are the con point that are normally hidden from us til we start work.

[Astute33]

I am looking at technician engineer (electronic) in the army.Its said that they work 8-5 like outside work,is non combat and the experience i get from working as that would count as well in the outside world.

I am planning to sign the DIS,which is only 4 years,that mean i have to work an extra 1 or 2 years after normal NS ORD depending on whether i took their back payment.And get a job outside with the 4 years engineer working experience.

Based on your friends' experience,what are the con point that are normally hidden from us til we start work.

All my friends who signed on has already completed their contract and all decided not to stay on. Below are some things I heard from them (not sure if there are any changes, you may want to find out before you sign on).

When you work in the military, there is no such thing as 8-5 like outside. The normal working hours is probably 8-5, but they will expect you to be on standby 24hrs. When they call you up, you will have to rush back and there is no OT pay for working extra hours.
When my friend sign on, the NS liability becomes 5yrs. That means, they must work 5yrs before they are considered to have completed NS.
Another thing is that in order to attract more people to sign on, SAF will tend to increase starting pay every one or two years. As you work longer in the Army, you will realise that new comers are getting almost same pay as you.

Above are the "cons", there might be more that I don't know of. Hopefully other regulars can come in to advice you.

All my friends left mainly because of the 24hr standby part... there is no freedom and very disruptive to personal live. Sometimes they have to rush back to camp while we were watching a movie or having a meal.

[radius_11]

All my friends who signed on has already completed their contract and all decided not to stay on. Below are some things I heard from them (not sure if there are any changes, you may want to find out before you sign on).

When you work in the military, there is no such thing as 8-5 like outside. The normal working hours is probably 8-5, but they will expect you to be on standby 24hrs. When they call you up, you will have to rush back and there is no OT pay for working extra hours.
When my friend sign on, the NS liability becomes 5yrs. That means, they must work 5yrs before they are considered to have completed NS.

Above are the "cons", there might be more that I don't know of. Hopefully other regulars can come in to advice you.

All my friends left mainly because of the 24hr standby part... there is no freedom and very disruptive to personal live. Sometimes they have to rush back to camp while we were watching a movie or having a meal.


not realli tht case. :D technician be it service tech or combat tech, depending on ur luck, if u are in airforce and posted to a squadron which is ops ready. den u haf to do the standby duty. if u lucky lucky, posted to some squadron 8 - 5 den probably u will be doin abit of OT and get time off. :D

[radius_11]

I am looking at technician engineer (electronic) in the army.Its said that they work 8-5 like outside work,is non combat and the experience i get from working as that would count as well in the outside world.

I am planning to sign the DIS,which is only 4 years,that mean i have to work an extra 1 or 2 years after normal NS ORD depending on whether i took their back payment.And get a job outside with the 4 years engineer working experience.

Based on your friends' experience,what are the con point that are normally hidden from us til we start work.


if u intend to sign tech vocations, i advise u tht best u do it in airforce . get urself in touch with stuffs tht when ur pp1 contract end and u can land a job outside. for eg, airforce tech.. u can get to learn parts in airplane and u can convert easier to ST aerospace. :D take it tht u are learning the ropes inside airforce, its oso a ground for u to earn more then ur peers and learn the ropes inside b4 branching out to the private sector coz major engineering company like ST dun realli like grooming new birds in their company. the wld prefer one with relative experience.

[wdblazer]

What happen to techinician when they are on stand by and get call back ?How often does the call back get activitated? Like once a week or more?

[radius_11]

i dun tink it will realli happen once a week or wad. sometimes once in a big blue moon to test ur ops readiness. but in the event of big events like IMF or other impt event, definitely will be on standby.

[15yroldboi]

well every job got advantages and disadvantages!
it is usin ur advantages as a strength to overcome ur disadvantages :)