Post on 22-Oct-2015
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Copyright © 2012 by Ailian Gan, Daniel Wong and Kwa Chin Lum
All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced or transmitted in
any form or by any means, except for brief quotations, without the prior written
consent of the authors.
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Praise for The $500,000 Decision
“This was definitely a good read for me. The authors offer thoughtful perspectives and
honest responses on what getting a scholarship entails in the Singaporean context, which I
easily identified with. I would readily recommend this book to anyone thinking of applying
for a scholarship, or even before they make a decision about university choices. I wish I’d
had this resource to help me make my decision back then!”
- Nicholas Ong, A*STAR scholar
“If I had an 18 year-old friend or family member ask me ‘Should I take up a scholarship?’, I
would ask them, in response, the crucial questions that The $500,000 Decision contains. The
authors use their life experiences from further down the road to help 18- and 19-year-olds
who are searching for a way to make this life-changing decision, yet who don’t have the
necessary information or perspective to do so. This book will force you to confront the
hard questions that need to be answered before you decide which path to take. An
important read.”
- Jason Wong, PUB scholar
"Insightful. This is a must-read for every young Singaporean who's thinking of taking a
scholarship! The three co-authors are at different points in their careers, and they've chosen
to go down such different paths. This gives the reader a more holistic perspective on the
scholarship decision. The opinions the co-authors express are balanced. The $500,000
Decision is a really valuable resource."
- Sean, who is currently serving his scholarship bond
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“Having been through the process myself, I can safely say that there will never be a definite
answer to the $500,000 decision. Everything depends on your circumstances and how you
make the most of it, both pre- and post-decision. The $500,000 Decision is brilliant in
succinctly listing and analysing many of the important considerations like money,
uncertainty, education and career goals. It’s helpful that this book is written from the
perspective of three individuals who are different yet similar in so many ways.”
- Former scholar
“Delightfully candid, this guide empowers students to make their own well-informed
decision by encouraging them to ask themselves the questions that desperately need to be
considered before applying for a scholarship. Having inputs from a panel of three
scholarship recipients who are at varying stages of their careers makes for a refreshing and
well-balanced read.”
- Shafa, SIA scholar who currently works in SIA’s Company Planning department
“Whether or not to accept a scholarship is likely one of the most important life decisions
you'll ever have to make. This book is chock-full of sagely advice from multiple points of
view. Even if you've already decided one way or the other, read it anyway. For a decision
this big, it doesn't hurt to have more information.”
- Steven, former PSC scholar
“I like the idea behind this book—that is, to help students better consider their decision of
taking up a scholarship—and l highly recommend that all scholarship-seeking students, and
their parents, read this!”
- Roger Look, government scholar
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“I like the idea of getting different types of scholars to co-author this book: one who broke
away from the system, one who’s currently serving his bond, and one who has successfully
completed his bond. Their combined viewpoints paint a much clearer picture for young
adults to answer the question of whether or not they should accept a scholarship offer. I
wish I had read such a book when I was applying for scholarships.”
- Royston Phoon, scholar who is in his final year of university
"As Singaporeans, we tend to let our circumstances dictate our path in life. This book is an
excellent reminder that taking a scholarship, like all other important decisions, is a
commitment that ought to be made with eyes wide open."
- Jiawen, JTC engineer and Stanford University alumni
“Written with remarkable insight and candour, this guide highlights the key issues that most
18-year-olds fail to consider when they make the choice that will shape the next decade of
their lives and beyond. I wish this excellent resource was available when I made my
$500,000 decision.”
- Harold Au, Singapore Technologies Engineering scholar who is currently serving his bond
"In this short book, Ailian, Daniel, and Chin Lum share their valuable personal experiences
and encourage you to both reflect on and refine your scholarship decision heuristic. The
decision to take on a scholarship at 18 years old is one that is often made with imperfect
information. The authors plug some of the information gaps to help you better think
through what could be one of the most important decisions of your young adult life."
- Teo Yinquan, A*STAR scholarship recipient
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"A key resource for anyone who's thinking about taking a government scholarship—Daniel,
Chin Lum and Ailian offer great insights, which help to clarify the thinking behind a
decision that could affect the next decade of your life. As a teacher, I have seen the many
anxieties and pressures that befall the student, and hope that this book might ease some of
that headache and help students out there to make a wise (and happy) choice for their
future."
- Andrea Phua, government scholar, ex-teacher, happy civil servant
“Why didn’t this guide exist when I was thinking of taking up a scholarship? I really like the
format of this guide. Nicely done.”
- Alvin Lee, PSC Overseas Merit Scholarship (Open) recipient in 2001 who finished serving his bond and
currently works in the private sector
"The $500,000 Decision is a refreshing look into the merits and long-term implications of
taking up a scholarship. Based on real life accounts, this guide is a must-read not just for
someone who’s about to enter university and who’s considering taking up a scholarship, but
also parents, who have the biggest influence on their child's academic and career decisions."
- Jason Ong, software engineer and startup community leader
“If you're a student who's thinking about whether or not to take a scholarship, you could
spend days or weeks trying to find the right people to talk to: people who have broken their
bonds, people who have served their full bonds and stayed, and people who are currently
serving their bonds. After that, you could spend even more time figuring out what questions
you should ask them, and at the end of it all, it's likely that you still won’t know what you
don't know. On the other hand, you could just read Ailian, Daniel and Chin Lum's
thoughtful, honest opinions on what I think are the right questions to ask yourself before
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taking a scholarship.”
- Jian Wei Gan, software engineer
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CONTENTS
About the Authors
10
Note to Parents (from a Parent)
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Preface
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Section 1: The Prestige
18 I’ve always done pretty well in school. Applying for a scholarship seems like the logical next step. 18 If I don’t get a scholarship, I’ll feel like a failure. 21 Most of my friends are either applying for medicine, law or an overseas scholarship. It seems like other options are inferior. 22 My parents are putting a lot of pressure on me to take a scholarship. How do I deal with their expectations respectfully? 25
Section 2: The Overseas Experience
28 What are the main benefits of studying overseas? Can I replicate the experience some other way? 28 I really want to study overseas, but my family isn’t that wealthy. A scholarship seems like my only option. 31 When it comes to my university experience, will I have to make any sacrifices or compromises if I decide to take a scholarship? 34
Section 3: The Bond
38 Having a bond to serve means I have guaranteed employment. Isn’t job security a good thing? 38 I have at least four years until I actually start work—that seems pretty far down the road. I’ll think about all these work and career issues when the time comes. 42 I’m sure I want to work in Singapore, so I’m not really restricting myself by taking a scholarship.
44 The fact that I have a bond to serve after I graduate—will that significantly influence
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my long-term career choices? 46 By the time I finish serving my bond, I’ll be in my late 20s or early 30s. How will this impact my life decisions? 49
Section 4: The Job
53 If I take a scholarship, I’ll be on the fast track to becoming the head of the organisation! 53 What are the most important factors I should consider when applying for a scholarship? 56 How much control will I have over which department I get posted to when I start work? 58 I really want to go into the public service. Is a government job the only way to serve the public? 61
Section 5: You
65 Right now, I feel quite sure about what kind of career I want. I don’t think this will change much while I’m in university. 65 I have some idea what my strengths are. How important is it that my future job allows me to make use of these strengths? 69 How do my values fit into this whole equation? 71 Looking back on my career, what do I want it to count for? 74 How should I think about how a scholarship fits into my long-term goals? 77
Afterword 81
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About the Authors
Ailian Gan works as a product manager at a Silicon Valley tech
startup called BloomReach.
She graduated from Duke University in 2005 with degrees in
Economics and Public Policy. She earned her MBA from The
Wharton School, University of Pennsylvania in 2011.
For her undergraduate studies, Ailian was sponsored by a scholarship from the Monetary
Authority of Singapore (MAS). She served one year of her six-year bond.
She was told she had amazing opportunities as a scholar, but she struggled with the
boredom and bureaucracy. She felt a nagging sense that her paper-pushing wasn’t making a
difference. She decided that she would rather succeed or fail by her own deliberate choices
than lead a life of guaranteed non-failure.
Since then, her career has taken many unexpected turns. By the end of her theoretical bond
(that is, six years after graduating from Duke University), her career had taken her to New
York for investment banking with Goldman Sachs, to Hong Kong for a market risk job, to
New York again for a social investing gig, and to Wharton for an MBA.
Meanwhile, her idea of professional fulfillment changed from merely wanting to be
challenged, to wanting to have an impact on an enterprise and being able to improve the
lives of those around her. She is fascinated by Internet startups that are inventing the future.
She works as a product manager, and is inspired by her team of engineers who say,
“Assume we can build it!”
She believes in cultivating side projects. She blogs about reimagining career advising at
ailiangan.com, successfully ran a Kickstarter project, and currently teaches a popular
Skillshare class called "Land a job at a startup even if you can't code".
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Over the years, any anger she felt when she broke her bond has transformed into a kind of
empathy for unhappy scholars. Scholars have found their way to her to talk about their
bond-breaking dilemmas.
The most powerful lesson she has learned from breaking her bond is that if you're willing to
do the work and take full responsibility, you can construct the life you want. Owning your
decisions will change you.
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Daniel Wong is a Singapore Airlines scholarship recipient who’s
currently serving his bond. As a project engineer, he manages new
aircraft programmes that involve in-flight entertainment and
avionics.
He graduated from Duke University in 2011 with a double major
in Mechanical Engineering and Economics. Born in South Africa,
he lived in Hong Kong and Singapore before heading to Duke
University. He's a Singaporean.
Daniel is passionate about education and personal development. He has given talks to
thousands of students on topics such as goal-setting, personal effectiveness, finding success
on your own terms, and developing a vision for your life.
He writes regularly about topics related to education, career and personal development at
www.daniel-wong.com. He also writes for Yahoo! and other websites, and he has been
featured in the media multiple times.
Daniel is the author of The Happy Student: 5 Steps to Academic Fulfillment and Success, a book
which aims to help students find new meaning and motivation in the pursuit of academic
success. He also works as an Education & Personal Excellence coach and speaker. He
offers scholarship advising services and runs mentoring programmes for students and young
adults.
For most of his academic career, Daniel wasn’t a happy student. He feels compelled to share
his transformational journey—from unhappy overachiever to happy straight-A student—to
ensure that students everywhere don’t make the same mistakes that he did in the blind
pursuit of success.
Here’s his personal mission:
To empower others with the mindset and methods to lead a meaningful and marvelous life.
Daniel hopes that The $500,000 Decision will help many people to find the long-term
happiness and fulfillment they’re looking for.
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Kwa Chin Lum is a Public Service Commission Overseas Merit
(Open) Scholar who has just finished serving his bond. Chin Lum
graduated from Stanford University in 2005 with undergraduate
degrees in Civil & Environmental Engineering and Economics, and
a Master's in Financial Mathematics.
Chin Lum has worked in the Ministry of Finance and the soon-to-
be-defunct Ministry of Community Development, Youth and Sports. He is now the Head
of the Centre for Strategic Futures in the Public Service Division. He enjoys working on
public policy and creating a positive impact in society.
Chin Lum does not have a blog, has not made his first million dollars (nowhere close!), has
not authored any books, and has not founded any companies. But he is happily married, and
has contributed to nation-building through National Service, paying taxes and expecting his
first child.
While Chin Lum believes there is no such person as a “typical” scholar—hence no advice
would ever be perfect for you!—he would like to share his own experiences and thoughts so
you can decide for yourself which path you would like to take, as a scholar or otherwise.
The perspectives expressed in this guide represent Chin Lum’s personal views and not that
of his employer or the Government of Singapore. He did all of his writing for this book in
his spare time and not while at work, so this effort was not funded by taxpayers’ dollars.
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Note to Parents (from a Parent)
By Doreen Wong, co-author Daniel Wong’s mother
My parents taught me to study hard and to try and get as many
diplomas and degrees as possible. They hoped I would get a good job
that would provide me with financial security and a comfortable life.
When my older brother got an overseas scholarship 45 years ago, it
made my parents extremely proud. They took it as a sign that they had
succeeded as parents.
It was as if their love and encouragement, their emphasis on discipline and hard work, their
countless sacrifices made for their children—it had all culminated in this prestigious award.
To them, the fact that they had raised a scholar meant that they had done an excellent job as
parents. They took it as a pat on their shoulder. My parents came from a humble
background and they didn’t think genetics or good luck had played a part in my brother
getting a scholarship.
When I got an overseas scholarship 35 years ago, my mum was a widow. The way my mum
saw it, studying overseas was an opportunity not to be missed. The scholarship would make
it easier on the family finances and would guarantee job security after I graduated.
Once the news got out that I’d been awarded a scholarship, my mum received numerous
congratulatory messages from her family and friends. Understandably, this made her feel
happy, satisfied and rested.
To my mum, it was a parent’s job done, completed, accomplished successfully.
Today, I’m a mother of two scholars. My eldest son isn't one. I’ve learned not to measure
my success as a parent based on how accomplished my children are.
Instead, I feel a sense of fulfillment when I see my children learning things that are helping
them to become better people and to make more of a difference in the lives of others. If
they’re paid well for the value they’re adding to other people, that’s a bonus.
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Please don’t misunderstand; getting a scholarship is a good thing. But is it the best thing for
your child?
“Good” is about prestige, finances and feeling successful as a parent for having raised a
scholar.
“Best” is about your child’s passion, personality and purpose in life. A scholarship may or
may not be the path that’s best for your child.
I trust that you’ll reflect on this crucial distinction between “good” and “best” as you
support your child through this $500,000 decision.
Wishing you great parenting success,
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Preface
We’ll make this point clear upfront: The $500,000 Decision isn’t about gaming the system.
If you’re only interested in finding out how to bag a scholarship, this book isn’t for you.
This book won’t instruct you on how to write more impressive application essays or
perform better at interviews. There are plenty of guides out there that cover these topics in
depth.
In contrast, the advice we’ll provide you with in The $500,000 Decision will help you decide if
you should even be applying for a scholarship at all.
Don’t get us wrong; we’re not saying that scholarships are bad or that nobody should apply
for one. We’re not out to bash scholarships or the scholarship system.
After all, it’s possible that a scholarship might serve as a launching pad for you to enjoy
many wonderful experiences and a rewarding career.
But we do know many scholars who wish they’d had more information and a more holistic
perspective before they signed that $500,000 contract.
That’s where we come in.
All three of us co-authors took scholarships. One is currently serving his bond (Daniel), one
broke her bond (Ailian), and one has finished serving his bond and is continuing in his job
(Chin Lum).
With this diversity of experience, we’ll attempt to present you with a balanced view.
We trust that by sharing our thoughts and insights with you, you’ll be better equipped to
make the right decision, whatever that decision might be.
If you eventually choose to become a scholar, we want to ensure that you’re doing so with
the correct mindset and with a willingness to take complete responsibility for your choice.
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If, instead, you decide to go down a different path, we want to make certain that you don’t
have any regrets about not taking a scholarship.
Now that you know why we decided to write The $500,000 Decision, we’ll give you an
overview of how it’s organised.
The $500,000 Decision is divided into five main sections:
1. The Prestige
2. The Overseas Experience
3. The Bond
4. The Job
5. You
It’s structured in the form of questions and statements to which we provide our responses.
This way, you’ll get to hear our individual voices and perspectives.
I hope you’re excited about this journey of finding fulfillment in your university life and
your future career.
Let’s get started!
P.S. While working on the first draft of this manuscript, we penned down our responses individually,
without looking at what our two other co-authors had written. This was to ensure that the answers we gave
were as genuine and honest as possible.
P.P.S. Please don’t quote us exactly on the $500,000 amount. That’s approximately what your bond will
be worth by the time you start work if you take an overseas scholarship for a four-year undergraduate course
at a US university.
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Section 1: The Prestige
“Whoa… someone’s a scholar, huh?”
“That’s really impressive that you got a scholarship.”
“Your parents must be so proud of you!”
Be prepared to hear these kinds of remarks from friends and relatives if you take a
scholarship.
There’s prestige associated with being a scholar, but should the “prestige” factor weigh
heavily in your decision? What should you do if it’s your parents who are obsessed about
the prestige and not you?
These are issues we’ll investigate in this section.
I’ve always done pretty well in school. Applying for a scholarship seems like
the logical next step.
If you’re currently in a position to apply for a scholarship, chances are that
you’ve done consistently well over the course of your academic career.
It’s easy to become obsessed about climbing the ladder faster.
How do I get to the top as quickly as possible? What ladder-climbing
technique should I use?
But this is the more important question you need to ask yourself: Is the
ladder leaning against the right wall?
Take some time to think about your motivations in applying for a
scholarship. For me, I’ll be honest and say that I was partially motivated
by the “prestige” factor and the desire to live up to other people’s
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expectations.
I now recognise that these aren’t at all the right reasons to apply for a
scholarship!
If you do apply for one, make sure that your primary motivation is your
interest in serving the organisation that will sponsor your education.
It may seem to you as if getting a scholarship is the pinnacle of academic
achievement, but it really isn’t. It’s just one possible option, so don’t
assume that it’s the logical next step.
There are many other paths you can take.
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Figuring out what's next is the next step.
I think one of the difficulties with doing well within the Singaporean
school system is that you become used to having goals and, by extension,
having success defined for you.
Good grades, awards, club leadership positions. You're used to seeing one
set path, one right track to take. But the reality is that careers are less like
following a road and more like navigating an ocean.
I think one of the big secrets is that you don't have to do anything in life,
no matter how much pressure you feel. You don't have to go to university
or get out of bed or do well in school or spend time with your friends.
All these are choices.
You need to make choices and take responsibility for the consequences.
Based on this line of thinking, you’re likely to conclude that there are
significant benefits to going to university and getting out of bed.
But you don't need to apply for a scholarship any more than you need to,
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say, study chemistry. For some people it makes perfect sense (studying
chemistry makes sense if you want to be a doctor), but for many others, it
doesn't make sense at all.
*
It could seem that way, especially when all of your friends are beginning to
apply for scholarships, and they already know which is their top choice.
But there are some questions you should ask yourself first:
• What course of study am I interested in?
• Do I want to study overseas?
• Which organisations am I interested in working for?
• What kind of career do I want?
• How badly do I want a scholarship?
• Do I even know what a scholarship entails?
Once you’ve thought about these questions, it will be easier for you to
decide whether you should take up a scholarship. Speaking to people who
have walked the journey before you will help you a lot in figuring out what
you want.
Some people are able to make the scholarship decision quickly, while
others take longer. It’s okay to be one of those in the latter group (but
don’t use this as an excuse to procrastinate!).
In the meantime, go for tea sessions and find out more. You could also
start thinking about how you might respond to some of the application
essays that you’ll have to write—it’s an interesting process of self-
discovery, which could help you decide whether the scholarship is for you.
Don’t restrict your options too early, whether it’s taking up a scholarship
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or not applying for one at all.
If I don’t get a scholarship, I’ll feel like a failure.
Maybe your parents, teachers and friends are putting pressure on you to
get a scholarship, but it’s important that you know, first of all, what
success means to you at a personal level.
Getting a scholarship is definitely an achievement, but real success isn’t
about accumulating achievements and accolades. It’s about being purpose-
driven, not performance-driven.
A scholarship, on its own, won’t result in long-lasting happiness and
fulfillment.
Getting a scholarship doesn’t make you a success; neither does not getting
a scholarship make you a failure.
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I didn't get into Harvard or Stanford. I didn't get a PSC scholarship. I got
an E (a grade below 50%) for a big exam when I was 17. Does that make
me a failure?
I got an MAS scholarship, I got my MBA from Wharton, I did investment
banking for Goldman Sachs. Does that make me a success?
I don't find it useful to think about success and failure in terms of a
checklist. At the end of the day, you need to figure out what’s most
important to you and strive toward that.
While brand names attached to your résumé are useful ego boosts and do
open doors to interesting opportunities, fulfillment comes from how you
live and not what’s on your résumé.
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*
You might feel discouraged if you apply for scholarships but don’t get any.
But take the disappointment in your stride, and if you can channel it
towards motivating yourself to work harder in your university years—be it
in your academics, skills or character—it will surely make you stronger.
One of my favourite quotes is from former British Prime Minister
Winston Churchill: “Success is the ability to go from one failure to
another with no loss of enthusiasm.”
Beyond the scholarship, which actually only applies for the four years that
you spend in university, whether you’re successful or not depends a lot
more on your actual work performance than on whether you’re a scholar.
In the course of my work, I’ve come across many people who didn’t
receive scholarships but who have done very well. These are people who
have worked hard, learned quickly, and made the most of the
opportunities that have come their way.
Conversely, just because you’re a scholar doesn’t mean that you’ll
necessarily perform up to expectations.
Don’t let a single disappointment get in the way of something much
bigger!
Most of my friends are either applying for medicine, law or an overseas
scholarship. It seems like other options are inferior.
Medicine, law or an overseas scholarship are attractive options mainly
because they’re hard programmes to get into.
If you’re someone who has excelled academically, there will be some
future career options available to you, which probably aren’t viable
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options for many other people.
But remember that just because you can do something doesn’t mean you
should.
In the same way that just because you can afford to buy a $100 million
mansion doesn’t necessarily mean you should, just because you have the
ability to become a scholar (or a doctor, lawyer, etc.) doesn’t automatically
mean you should.
After all, there are brilliant doctors, lawyers and scholars who haven’t
found career satisfaction.
Coming back to respond to the statement above: Inferior options don't
exist. Different ones do.
*
You probably feel this superior/inferior comparison because some
options are more selective and competitive than others.
I've made the "prestigious" choice several times in my life, because I'd
assumed that I would get to work with smarter, more motivated people
this way.
I did, in fact, get to work with smart, motivated people. But I've also
discovered that there are many pockets of smart, motivated people in
many niche areas—boutique firms, smaller programmes, people who have
"normal" day jobs but who are freelancers and artists by night.
It isn’t reasonable to say that prestige doesn't matter. Having certain brand
names on your résumé does make it easier to get interviews, and people
do give you the benefit of the doubt about your intelligence (even when
you know nothing about the topic being discussed).
But if you're choosing something primarily for prestige, you’re likely to
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find yourself questioning your decision later. If you choose to study
medicine because everyone else is doing it, but you hate memorising
information and the sight of blood makes you squeamish, the “prestige”
of being a doctor will not save you.
Taking pride in your work, developing your strengths, focusing on what
you can contribute—these are the things that make a choice superior for
you.
*
It’s hard to compare options between individuals, because it’s entirely
subjective which option is inferior to which. On what criteria are you
basing your judgment?
Sure, in some professions you’ll start off with a higher salary, but joining
these professions could also mean that you’ll need to go through a longer
period of study, more intense courses, and additional hours of hard work
in a junior position. Moreover, you may or may not enjoy what you’re
studying.
When it comes to an overseas scholarship, whether this is a good option
ultimately depends on how well you adapt to the job after you graduate. In
addition, some people might prefer to be closer to home, to study locally,
or perhaps only do an overseas stint some time later on, e.g. going on an
exchange programme or doing a Master’s programme abroad.
The bottom line is that you need to figure out, from a personal
perspective, what you want and how your options compare. That’s not to
say that law, medicine or an overseas scholarship aren't superior options—
they could be, given the prestige, potential benefits, etc.—but you have to
decide that for yourself.
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My parents are putting a lot of pressure on me to take a scholarship. How do I
deal with their expectations respectfully?
Parents want to feel successful in the same way that you want to feel
successful.
I’m not saying that’s a bad thing; I’m just saying that that’s the way it is.
Many parents measure their own success by how successful their children
become. As long as there’s prestige associated with getting a scholarship,
many parents will continue to insist that their children go down the
scholarship path.
If your parents are putting excessive pressure on you to take a scholarship,
I encourage you to have a heart-to-heart talk with them.
I recommend that you follow these guidelines:
• Decide exactly what issues you want to address before the
conversation.
• Set up a meeting time in advance. This way, your parents will
understand how important the conversation is to you.
• Start by thanking them sincerely.
• Focus on how you feel, not on the mistakes that they’ve made as
parents.
• Ask for their support in a direct and specific manner.
• End the conversation by saying how much you love them.
Even though this one conversation isn’t guaranteed to transform your
situation completely, it can certainly pave the way for you to see a real
change in your parents’ mindset.
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*
I don't have a good answer for this one. I’m fortunate to have very
supportive parents to whom I’m extremely grateful.
I think most parents will be persuaded to listen to their children if they see
that their children have done their research and have thought through
their options in a mature way.
If you're refusing to apply for a scholarship just for the sake of being
rebellious, that's not going to go over well with your parents. But if you've
considered your decision carefully and you're willing to accept
responsibility for whatever you choose to get yourself into, it puts you in a
better position.
Ultimately, all of this is highly dependent on the kind of relationship you
have with your parents. There are no right or wrong answers here.
Regardless of whether or not you take a scholarship, and whether or not
you later regret your decision, do not blame your parents!
*
I know how difficult it is to respond to parental expectations when you’re
18 or 19 years old.
There’s no single best way to deal with these expectations. A big part of
how you respond also depends on your family dynamics.
It’s important that you first decide for yourself—regardless of your
parents’ expectations—whether or not you want to take up a scholarship.
Then, if you decide that you don’t, at least you’ll be clear on the reasons
why.
At that stage, you’ll need to have a conversation with your parents. Be as
mature and as respectful as possible, and find out why they want you to
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take up a scholarship.
This will help you to understand their motivations. After all, parents do
want the best for their children.
Be aware that the onus is on you to convince your parents that your
proposed alternative works out best for you (and the family).
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Section 2: The Overseas Experience
If you’ve spent your whole life in Singapore, there’s a certain allure to the overseas
experience.
Studying overseas just seems more fun. People who have studied overseas have so many
exciting stories to tell, so many unique experiences to share.
The freedom of being away from home, the foreign culture, the new friends, the
opportunities to travel… it all seems so exotic and wonderful.
In this section, we’ll discuss exactly how “priceless” an overseas education is, and what
price—if any—you should be willing to pay to get it.
What are the main benefits of studying overseas? Can I replicate the
experience some other way?
Studying and living overseas allows you to see the world from an entirely
new perspective.
It’s refreshing to interact with people who are so different from you,
people whose childhood experiences you can’t identify with at all, people
with incredibly unique interests and passions.
This might sound strange, but the most valuable part of the overseas
experience for me was feeling out of place. I had a few unpleasant
encounters with racism, and I had to continually deal with the “Asian
student” stereotype.
I’m Chinese, so I almost never feel out of place when I’m in Singapore
because I’m usually in the majority. Living in the US for four years taught
me—to some extent—what it’s like to be a minority. Now I’m a lot more
conscious about the way I treat minority groups (racial or otherwise).
29
Is it possible to replicate the overseas experience completely? I don’t think
so.
But if you take the initiative to reach out to foreigners—when they’re at
your school for an exchange programme or when you meet backpackers
or when you see tourists while you’re out shopping—you’ll get to
understand them better. That’s a large part of what the overseas
experience is about.
Living overseas forces you to do things that you’d normally be too afraid
to do.
If you stay in Singapore for university but constantly get outside of your
comfort zone by doing things you’re afraid of, you’ll reap many of the
benefits associated with the overseas experience.
Only the things that scare you make you stronger!
*
I think the main benefit of going overseas is pushing yourself far outside
of your comfort zone. You’ll live and learn among people who come from
very different backgrounds. You’ll challenge yourself to do things you
never thought you'd excel at or love.
But, ultimately, the most wonderful experiences are specific to the
university you go to and the opportunities you choose to pursue.
For me, one of my most life-changing experiences was going on a
semester-long programme called “Leadership and the Arts in New York”.
We watched plays, operas, concerts and dance performances almost every
single night for a whole semester.
It was a magnificent experience. It changed my view on matters like how
empathy relates to leadership, and what it means to exercise ethical
leadership. It also gave me a love for the arts, especially for opera, that I
30
have kept with me ever since.
Can you replicate that? Not all of it, but you can definitely force yourself
to get out of your comfort zone more often.
Take up a hobby or join a club that you suspect you might like but don't
know anything about. Take up a leadership position in a club and change
your club's agenda. Go backpacking overseas. Go hang out in places
where you get to meet people who are totally different from yourself. Get
engaged in communities (in Singapore, online, wherever) that you care
about.
Ask yourself: How do I want to be changed?
Then go pursue opportunities that push you in those directions.
*
When I was 18 years old, I thought that studying overseas was primarily
about getting a different educational experience, especially in the
American system where learning is much more broad-based and flexible
compared to the Singaporean system.
While I was in university, I had a great time in my academic classes, but
much of my learning took place outside the classroom.
Living overseas, for one, forces you to take ownership of your life and to
be independent.
If you’re a Singaporean male like me, you’ll have to do National Service.
That experience will help you to grow up, but even those two years of
your life are still “planned” for you in some way—you pretty much follow
a regimented schedule that has already been decided for you.
The newfound freedom of being overseas, away from your parents—as
you pick your own classes, activities, friends and sources of
31
entertainment—means that you’ll have to be responsible for yourself in
new ways.
I learned a lot about myself from the way I made decisions and reacted to
new situations while I was abroad.
But I found that the largest benefit of my overseas experience was the
opportunity to exchange ideas and build friendships with people who were
so different from me. This helped to broaden my perspective on many
issues, and taught me to keep an open mind. I learned to empathise with
others and not to pre-judge them.
In my four years at Stanford, I met many exceptional people who’d had
amazing experiences. I learned many life skills and life lessons from them.
Certainly, parts of the overseas experience can be replicated, e.g. through
immersion or exchange programmes. There’s also an increasing diversity
of choices in the local university scene, which gives you greater exposure.
But my personal view is that these kinds of programmes are not quite the
same as living and studying overseas for four years.
Knowing that you’ll be overseas for a prolonged period of time forces you
to approach things differently, from how you set up your living
arrangements to how you reach out to people and form friendships.
I’m deeply thankful for the opportunity I had to study overseas for four
years.
I really want to study overseas, but my family isn’t that wealthy. A scholarship
seems like my only option.
It’s tempting to think that, but it’s not entirely correct. There are other
options you could consider if you want to study overseas.
32
Exchange programmes are one possibility. The experience won’t be as
immersive as studying abroad for four years, but you’ll still get to
understand a different culture and way of life.
As an international student from Singapore, it’s generally difficult to get
financial aid from a big-name university. But liberal arts colleges and less
well-known schools do offer financial aid more freely to international
students. (This is true for universities in the US, at least.)
Even if you stay in Singapore for university, there will be opportunities for
you to live and work overseas in the future, especially because the world is
becoming increasingly globalised.
You could also explore options like mid-term scholarships, where you take
a scholarship after you’ve already completed part of your university
education. Taking a mid-term scholarship gives you more time to discover
what kind of career really interests you before you make the scholarship
decision.
Taking a full overseas scholarship is one way to get the overseas
experience, but it isn’t the only way.
At the end of the day, I’m convinced that it’s not so much what kind of
experiences you’ve had that matters most. It’s what you do with those
experiences.
Do you process and reflect on the major events that occur in your life?
Do you proactively search out new ways in which you can leverage on the
experiences you’ve already had?
The bottom line is that you don’t have to feel like an overseas scholarship
is your last—or only—chance to live abroad.
*
I think there are far more options available now compared to "my time".
33
(Makes me sound so old!) I know of many friends who studied at a local
university and then went on to do semester-long exchange programmes in
the US, UK or Australia.
You could also consider going overseas later in life for graduate school
(e.g. MBA, MPA, PhD), when perhaps you’re in a better position
financially to do so.
You could also use your long holidays to travel, to do an overseas
internship, or to learn something different (e.g. a design class in Venice).
Get creative.
*
You could certainly explore alternatives, such as financial aid from the
university or bond-free scholarships (e.g. the Loke Cheng Kim scholarship
was the most well-known one during my time).
There are other ways for you to study overseas. Exchange programmes are
one viable option. It’s also possible for you to work part-time while you’re
in school, or you could take out a student loan.
I’ll be honest and say that when I was in your shoes, taking up a
scholarship looked like the most attractive option.
For me, however, the choice was easy to make because I was really
interested in working in the government. And, at the end of the day, the
government did offer me a scholarship.
(If I had not gotten the scholarship, I would have been forced to consider
other options, including studying locally, but it didn’t come to that.)
In evaluating the different options, I encourage you to think not just in
terms of the financial provisions of the scholarship in the immediate
future, but also about the bond and the job that you’ll start work at once
you graduate.
34
If you do this, you’ll come to a fuller appreciation of both the costs and
benefits of taking up a scholarship.
When it comes to my university experience, will I have to make any sacrifices
or compromises if I decide to take a scholarship?
If you’re on a scholarship, you’ll be concerned about your academic
performance. Not just because you’ve done well in school so far, but also
because your scholarship board will expect you to achieve consistently
excellent academic results.
Should I take a fascinating class with a professor who’s notorious for
giving grades no higher than a “B”? Or should I take a class that doesn’t
interest me at all, but that promises an easy “A”?
These are the kinds of dilemmas you’ll face.
These dilemmas could influence the quality of the education you receive,
because you might be more concerned about grades than about learning.
When your undergraduate days are over—depending on how engaged you
choose to be—you’ll leave with a university degree, but will you have
received a university education?
There’s a big difference between the two.
If you choose to study in the US, and if you try to graduate in three years,
you’ll need to decide on your major early on. You’ll also have to take extra
classes each semester, and you’ll probably need to do summer school as
well.
All this means that it’ll be hard—not impossible, but still hard—to be
extremely involved in activities outside the classroom.
35
I chose to graduate in four years instead of three. That’s the best decision
I made while I was in university!
Because of that decision, I had a lot more time to explore my other
interests, such as writing, consumer psychology, ethics and
entrepreneurship.
For instance, I had the privilege of taking cool classes just for the fun of it,
including one with world-renowned behavioral economist Dan Ariely. I
also took a class called “Ethics in an Unjust World”, which drastically
changed the way I think about volunteering and community service.
There’s also no way I would have found the time to write The Happy
Student, a labour of love on which I spent several hours each week. This
book project was an exciting one that helped me to discover my passion
for bringing about change in the arena of education.
I wouldn’t have had all of these amazing experiences if I’d chosen to
graduate in three years.
*
Many scholarship boards have specific expectations about your academic
performance. You’ll need to maintain grades that are far higher than what
is considered average at whichever university you attend.
You might feel the pressure to spend more time on your academics
instead of other activities. You might also feel the pressure to take easier
classes rather than challenge yourself with more difficult but more
interesting ones that may hurt your grades.
You'll need to declare your major at the time of applying for or accepting
the scholarship. At US universities, students aren't required to declare their
major until well into their second year, after they’ve had the chance to
explore many different courses.
36
So you will be narrowing your options early on if you take a scholarship.
If your interests change and you wish to switch to a different major, you'll
need to seek your scholarship board’s approval. It’s not guaranteed that
they will give you the permission to.
*
I didn’t have to make any sacrifices or compromises, and I’m not sure that
you'll need to either.
Yes, I had to graduate with the major I had promised my scholarship
board I would (a Bachelor’s in Civil Engineering), but I picked my
subsequent degrees (a second degree in Economics and a Master’s in
Financial Mathematics), took part in campus groups, was a Resident
Assistant in a dormitory for two years and, overall, had a great time.
(I had friends in my year who even managed to change the major they had
initially declared to their scholarship board that they would complete.)
You would certainly have to work hard—that’s a given for all students,
not just scholars—if you want to do well. In addition, every scholarship
comes with its own fine print. But it’s up to you to decide how you'll make
the most of your time in university.
The one thing that might be considered a compromise in taking up a
scholarship is that you'll have significantly less access to internship
opportunities.
This is because many companies hire interns over the summer, with the
intention of offering full-time jobs to outstanding interns when they
graduate.
It’s still possible, but much more difficult, to get an internship if you've
taken up a scholarship. Nonetheless, if you’re a scholarship holder with a
bond to serve, I think you should expect this kind of situation to come
37
with the territory.
38
Section 3: The Bond
Bond.
Commitment.
Obligation.
Guaranteed employment.
Whatever you choose to call it, you know what it is. You understand the contractual
implications of signing the scholarship agreement.
But do you understand the other implications for your future career and your life?
As naïve, eager 18-year-olds when we signed our scholarship contracts, we didn’t—at least
not completely.
Most people think of the bond only as a number—the number of years you’ll have to work
for your new employer—but what else does it mean? And what’s in the fine print?
In this section, we’ll fill you in on the details so that you’ll have a clearer understanding of
how the bond will affect your life.
Having a bond to serve means I have guaranteed employment. Isn’t job
security a good thing?
There are multiple perspectives to consider.
During the second half of your time in university, most of your friends
(those who aren't scholars) will be scrambling to find an internship or a
job.
As a scholar, you won't have to go through all of this stress. Your friends
will say things to you like "You're so lucky!" and "I wish I were you."
39
You'll feel fortunate that you can sit back, relax, and not need to worry
about writing your CV or going for job interviews.
On the other hand, you may also wonder what it'd be like if you had more
freedom of choice. These thoughts can cause you to experience a different
kind of stress.
You may wonder what it’s like to work in management consulting for
McKinsey, or in investment banking for Goldman Sachs, or in technology
for Facebook.
You may find yourself envious of all the opportunities that are open to
your friends, because they don’t have guaranteed employment after they
graduate.
The grass is always greener on the other side, huh?
Please don't misunderstand; getting a scholarship really is a blessing, and
you’ll feel a temporary sense of relief that you don’t have to go through the
job application process.
Bear in mind, though, that you’ll probably have to apply for a job some
time later on in life. After all, most people land jobs by applying for them,
not by going through the scholarship process.
As a scholar, you'll have a sense of security and stability when it comes to
your career. But, at a deeper level, you need to ask yourself if security and
stability are the primary things you want out of your career.
I encourage you to think seriously about what kind of contribution you'd
like to make through the work you do, and how you want to be of service
to other people and to society.
As a working adult, you're going to spend more than half of your waking
hours at your job. If you're content to settle for a job simply because it
provides you with a sense of stability, you're shortchanging yourself of a
40
truly great career.
Once again, I'll reiterate that for some people taking a scholarship might
just be the path that allows you to build that fantastic career, but it's not
for everyone.
*
If you work hard and are talented, which presumably you are if you can get
a scholarship, landing a job is unlikely to be your biggest problem.
Finding a job that you find exciting and fulfilling is probably going to be a
bigger problem, but a fortunate one.
That job may be a government job, or it may not be. Even if you choose a
government job, you’ll probably be pushing yourself to get promotions
and greater opportunities, rather than worrying about staying employed.
In short, guaranteed employment is a small consolation for the freedom
you’re giving up by taking a scholarship.
One personal anecdote I'd like to offer on risk aversion: Most people, it
would seem, become more risk-averse with age. I've had the bizarre
experience of watching myself become more risk-loving as I get older.
From Civil Service to investment bank to small tech startup!
I once shared my observations about my growing tolerance for risk with a
stranger, and he said something I'll never forget: "Maybe it’s not that you
were ever risk-averse. Maybe you grew up in a system that constantly
rewarded risk aversion, so you learned to become very good at it. But now
that you've repeatedly chosen environments of a different kind, you're no
longer rewarded for conforming. Maybe your natural risk levels are just
being revealed over time."
Guaranteed employment might seem appealing now, but allow for the
41
possibility that your appetite for risk may change as your confidence
grows.
*
I don’t think that finding a job should be of great concern to you if you’re
someone who’s able to get a scholarship.
If you’re a scholar who does well in university, you’ll be tempted by many
enticing possibilities. These might be in monetary terms (or stock options,
in certain cases), while others might be in terms of the nature of the work
or the access to cutting-edge technologies and ideas.
When faced with these kinds of offers, the bond will probably appear to
you more as an obstacle that's keeping you away from these opportunities,
rather than a wonderful guarantee of employment.
When I became aware of such opportunities, I found it useful to ask
myself why I had wanted a job in the government and taken up the
scholarship in the first place. Reminding myself of these motivations
helped me to put things in perspective.
If the future job that’s linked to your scholarship is one that you think you
would like to do, then guaranteed employment is pretty great, regardless of
the other options available.
This is especially because you won't have to worry about submitting
résumés and going for job interviews like most of your other friends will
be doing around graduation time.
42
I have at least four years until I actually start work—that seems pretty far
down the road. I’ll think about all these work and career issues when the time
comes.
I know that’s the approach that I had when I first signed the scholarship
contract.
During the scholarship application process, I was completely focused on
just one thing: getting a scholarship.
But I couldn’t see the forest for the trees.
I was so determined to get a scholarship that I neglected to consider the
long-term consequences. These are things we’ll discuss in the rest of this
section.
Four years really isn’t as long as it seems, and I guarantee you’ll say “Wow,
time flies!” again and again when you’re about to graduate from university.
The scholarship decision isn’t just about where you’re going to study.
It’s about your education, your future, and your life.
*
Sure, but know that you're not just delaying the decision. You're actually
making a decision now that will significantly change what you need to deal
with in four years’ time, and maybe in the six years that follow.
You're making a decision that you'll have to live with for up to 10 years.
In fact, it can extend beyond 10 years. Your first six years of work
experience will impact the career opportunities you have at the end of
those six years.
43
Someone who spends six years in investment banking vs. in health policy
vs. getting a PhD will have very different options at the end of those six
years.
It's not that you can't make a major shift in your career later on, but you
are closing off options. You should be aware of the options that you're
closing off.
*
You can never start thinking about these issues early enough! Some
decisions you make will have long-lasting ramifications, and taking up a
scholarship is one of them.
(Marriage is another such decision, but that’s a topic for another book.)
My advice to you would be not to take up a scholarship if the job doesn’t
sound like something you would enjoy doing.
It also doesn’t mean that you can put off thinking about work and career
issues once you get a scholarship. Non-scholars think about what they
would like to do at the end of four years, and take the right courses to give
them the skills to get the jobs they want.
Why shouldn’t scholars think about these things, too?
If you’re serious about the job that you’re taking up as part of the
scholarship, there's some responsibility on your part to think about how
the course you’re studying and the skills you’re learning might
meaningfully contribute toward your development.
These skills need not, and will not, be a perfect fit for your job. But they
could make your learning curve on the job less steep, and they could
positively influence the perspective you bring to your organisation.
For instance, some grounding in public policy, economics or statistics
44
could be useful for government scholars. An internship at a local
government office or an NGO might also be worthwhile.
(I should, nonetheless, add that you shouldn’t do everything for the sole
purpose of developing yourself for the job. Much of the fun of a
university education comes from the serendipitous discovery of
knowledge.)
I’m sure I want to work in Singapore, so I’m not really restricting myself by
taking a scholarship.
It’s completely reasonable for you to feel that way right now, especially if
you’re close to your family.
But it’s very likely that your aspirations will change while you’re in
university.
You might develop a strong desire to work overseas, especially if you
become interested in sectors like finance, consulting or non-profit work.
You could definitely pursue a career in these fields in Singapore, but
Singapore isn’t quite the “place to be” if you want to be where the biggest
deals, most sophisticated markets, and leading thinkers are.
I love Singapore and I’m extremely proud to be a Singaporean. But
Singapore is a small country, and there are limited career opportunities in
certain areas.
If you experience an overwhelming urge to work abroad, you’ll feel
constrained both by the bond and the fact that you’re working in
Singapore.
*
45
You're not just restricting yourself to Singapore. You're restricting yourself
to the scholarship board that is sponsoring your studies.
This can be extremely specific (say, teaching or operating a shipping port
or working in a branch of the army) or extremely broad (say, the Public
Service Commission).
You won't just be living in Singapore. You'll be spending each waking day
doing a particular job and acquiring particular skills in a particular
organisation that operates in a particular way.
So you must not only want to work in Singapore. You need to be sure that
you want to work for that specific organisation.
*
For overseas scholars, the scholarship means that (a) you have to return to
Singapore after you graduate, and (b) you have to work for the
organisation that you’re bonded to.
The first is easier, especially for people who feel a strong sense of
connection to Singapore as their home. Just be mindful that having the
desire to work in Singapore over the longer term doesn’t mean that you
might not want to explore the possibility of working overseas for a couple
of years first. The scholarship you take up may or may not allow this
flexibility.
The second is something you should consider more carefully. Does the
scholarship you’re taking up offer you the job opportunities you seek?
Some scholarships, like the Public Service Commission one that I took,
have a broad range of jobs that you could come back to after graduation.
Other scholarships are more specific, so taking up the scholarship
“restricts” you to a certain area of work. This isn't necessarily bad if that’s
the type of job you want, but this is a factor you ought to be mindful of.
46
The fact that I have a bond to serve after I graduate—will that significantly
influence my long-term career choices?
After you’re done serving your bond, you would have gained a fair
amount of experience in a particular industry or arena.
You’ll probably feel comfortable in your job, and there’ll be inertia that
will deter you from leaving.
It’s easy to “slide” into making important life decisions. When you’re
almost done serving your bond, your thought process might go something
like this:
“I’m almost done with my bond.”
“I guess it’s time to make a decision about whether to stay or move on.”
“I’m comfortable where I am.”
“I’m also pretty good at what I currently do.”
“Even if I leave, I’m not 100% sure what I would rather be doing.”
“I guess I’ll stay.”
47
That’s what I mean about sliding into a decision.
On the other hand, making an active, intentional decision involves
evaluating your long-term goals, determining what you want your career to
count for, and asking yourself how best you can use your abilities to serve
and to contribute.
The bond makes it convenient for you to slide into the decision of staying
on—which I don’t deny could be the right decision for some people—just
because it’s the easier choice to make, but not necessarily because it’s the
better one.
*
When I talk to scholars who are in their final year of university and who
are unhappy about their scholarship, it surprises me how often I hear
them say something like this: "But I did an internship with McKinsey, so
my employer in six years’ time will take that into consideration, right?"
They imagine that by doing summer internships in other industries, they
will have kept the door open to those careers for when they finish serving
their bonds.
Sorry to burst your bubble, but no, your future employer in six years' time
will not care about your internships from long ago.
Your university internship experiences have a "résumé life" of about two
years. Beyond that, your full-time work experience will matter more than
any internship.
The work experience you gain in the first six years of your career will set
you up for very different opportunities down the road.
Six years after I graduated, I had a few years of work experience in
investment banking, and I also had an MBA. This combination put me in
a position where I could land the startup job I currently hold.
48
I now work in tech as a product manager in Silicon Valley. If I had six
years of work experience, say, enforcing financial regulations, there's no
way I'd be eligible for this job.
Conversely, I'm currently not eligible to run a department within the Civil
Service, which could have been the case had I stayed to complete my
bond.
While career transitions are more common these days, it's still generally
harder to start over in a different industry the older you get. It can be
done, but it will take significantly more deliberate effort on your part.
*
Having four to six years of working experience will absolutely have an
influence on your long-term career choices when you’re deciding what to
do after your bond ends.
When you’re done serving your bond, you’ll experience a certain inertia to
change your job or explore a different industry. You’ll probably feel
comfortable where you are, and your career will likely be progressing well.
Moreover, leaving your job involves risk. You may not have the relevant
skills to join another industry, and you might feel like you just don’t have
the energy or motivation to start all over again at another organisation in a
more junior position.
Nonetheless, some skills that you pick up during your first few years of
work will be transferable, and your being a scholar could play to your
advantage.
You would have gained exposure to different kinds of work, and you
would likely have held leadership positions.
Having said all that, you could very well decide by the end of your bond
that you actually do want to continue at your job. There are good reasons
49
why you would feel that way, and many scholars do stay on after their
bond.
For me, there’s something powerful about believing in what you do and
about working with people who are committed to the same cause as you.
Those are two big reasons that are keeping me in my job, even though my
bond has ended.
By the time I finish serving my bond, I’ll be in my late 20s or early 30s. How
will this impact my life decisions?
When you’re in your late 20s or early 30s, you might be married, and you
might even have kids.
I know, I know… at this stage in your life, getting married and having kids
sound like things that will happen a lot further down the road.
But it’s not that far down the road, I promise!
In your late 20s and early 30s, you’ll be very concerned about your
personal finances. You might have housing and car loans to pay off, and
you might need to support your parents financially, too. Having kids isn’t
cheap either.
If, after you’ve completed your bond, you want to take a risk by venturing
into a different industry or starting your own business or becoming a
freelancer, I guarantee that you’ll think twice.
You might feel like you have too many responsibilities and obligations to
make a drastic change in your life.
I know people who continue to have this mindset for the rest of their
career!
50
Having a bond to serve could have a huge impact on the way you make
decisions down the line.
I’m not discouraging you from taking a scholarship. I do hope, however,
that you’re beginning to see that taking a scholarship is a weighty decision
that requires careful thought.
*
From all the discussions I’ve had with fellow scholars, and from my own
experience too, it’s hard to predict the psychological impact the bond will
have on you.
When I came back to Singapore and started serving my bond, my biggest
fear was that I would conform and "be like everybody else".
When I was out with friends and everyone was discussing who was
assigned to what Ministry and who was likely to make it to the prestigious
Administrative Officer track and who was buying cars or condos, I felt so
out of place.
I didn’t aspire to the same things at all.
I wanted to be passionate about my job. I wanted to be challenged and
inspired. I wanted adventure.
I didn't find any of these in the job I was assigned to by my scholarship
board. (This is not true of everyone’s experience, of course. Many of my
scholar friends have had different experiences in their jobs.)
In retrospect, my life has veered so far off the traditional civil servant
scholar track that it seems ridiculous that this fear of conforming weighed
so much on me back then, but it did.
I was most afraid that if I stayed in an environment that I found stifling
for six years, I would be so drained, so cynical, so beaten down by the end
51
of it that I wouldn't have the energy to get out and start over on
something I really wanted to do. I suppose I feared my own weakness.
Since leaving the Civil Service, I've come across people who make all
kinds of decisions along the way while they’re serving their bond.
People who break their bond with two years remaining just because
they’ve had enough and want to go work in the private sector or get an
MBA. People who serve their entire bond and then become freelance
writers or playwrights. (As you can imagine, no job in the Civil Service
really equips you with the skills needed for those careers.)
The most important thing is to own your decision every step of the way.
Whether you choose to stay or leave after one year or six years or 20 years,
don't do it because you feel like it's what other people are doing. Don’t do
it because it’s what other people want you to do.
Do it because it's what you want.
*
You'll spend at least a third of each weekday (and possibly some
weekends, too) at work. Your job affects your lifestyle choices, in terms of
what you can afford. It affects what you do in your free time, what you
read, and how you invest in yourself in terms of training and skills
development.
But, while work is important, life isn't just about work.
Beyond the obvious questions of career choice (whether now or at the
point when your bond ends), it would be useful to ask yourself what you
value in life.
Is work-life balance important to you? How much does family factor into
your long-term plans? What other interests would you like to pursue?
52
How do you want to give back to the community?
Your answers to these questions will determine the choice that you
eventually make about your career. You should accept that your answers
might change as you grow and mature, but it’s never too early to start
thinking about them.
53
Section 4: The Job
People have high expectations of scholars. As a scholar, your colleagues will probably say
things to you like “You’re going to be the next CEO/Permanent Secretary” or “I’m sure
you’ll make it to senior management, at least”.
Before you start daydreaming about becoming the CEO (or Permanent Secretary, if you’re a
government scholar), it’s vital that you address the more fundamental questions first.
What’s most important to you in a career? Is it all about rank, position and title? What does
a successful career look like to you, specifically?
Dare to ask yourself the hard questions, the ones that make you uncomfortable.
Finding the answers to these questions is actually much more difficult than getting a
scholarship!
The job you’ll be working at after you graduate is the main part of the scholarship
agreement. Don’t lose sight of this fact amidst all the busyness, excitement and anxiety
surrounding the scholarship application process.
If I take a scholarship, I’ll be on the fast track to becoming the head of the
organisation!
It works differently in every organisation. From what I’ve observed,
though, scholars aren’t automatically put on the “fast track”.
As a scholar, you tend to be given more high-profile opportunities, but if
you don’t perform up to expectations, you won’t get promoted solely on
the basis of your being a scholar.
At the end of the day, the real world is all about performance.
The scholars who eventually occupy senior leadership positions make the
54
most of the opportunities they’re given right from the start. They don’t get
to where they eventually end up just because they’re scholars.
All this being said, the real question you should ask yourself is whether
you actually want to be the head of the organisation.
If you do want to lead an organisation, what kind of organisation do you
want to lead? What kind of influence do you want to have?
Being a CEO or Permanent Secretary isn’t the only way to lead.
Moreover, there are sacrifices you’ll need to make in order to reach a
position of such influence.
I know I said this in Section 1, but I think it’s worth repeating. It’s
important that you realise that just because you can do something doesn’t
mean you should.
Doing things just because you can will lead to a lot of long-term
unhappiness.
*
There’s a perception in many organisations that scholars are automatically
put on a fast track for accelerated promotions. Whether or not this is true,
nothing is for certain.
You’ll still need to work hard, learn and prove yourself. This principle
applies whether or not you're a scholar, and whether you work for the
government or some other organisation.
Being a scholar probably doesn't hurt, but don't think of the scholarship
as a golden ticket to fast promotions, high salaries and success.
Plus, no one wants to work with someone who operates with that kind of
presumptuous arrogance!
55
*
I should first say that scholars don’t get placed on the “fast track”
automatically. You'll still have to work hard, compete with others and
prove yourself.
As a government scholar, you’ll move through rotations quickly, which
means having to learn and re-learn things equally quickly. You’ll need to
build new relationships each time you switch jobs.
Of course, this also makes your career fun and dynamic. You’ll have no
shortage of development opportunities as a scholar. It’s then up to you to
make the most of these and prove yourself in each of your different
portfolios.
Along the way, you’ll have plenty of exposure to different environments
and scenarios, and you’ll play a part in shaping key decisions.
In my own experience, handling the relational aspects is probably the
toughest part of moving up quickly.
For me, it hasn’t been easy coming into a new job and leading a team of
colleagues who are older and more experienced than me. It has also been
challenging to try and engage my peers at the same level, as they have
much deeper domain expertise than me.
This can lead to a fair bit of pressure to prove why I deserved to be there.
And remember that doing well in your job goes way beyond just being
smart—it’s also about maturity, humility and relating to other people.
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What are the most important factors I should consider when applying for a
scholarship?
Obviously, you should think about the work you’ll be doing after you
graduate. Does the work interest you?
Think about the work culture, too. Do you know what it’s like? Will you
be able to survive and thrive in that kind of environment?
What kind of reputation does the organisation have, based on what you’ve
heard from people inside the organisation?
I encourage you to find out everything you can about the organisation.
Talk to employees. Do an internship. Read the financial report. Find out
what recent projects the organisation has taken on. Learn about its
mission, vision and core values.
This might sound like a lot of work, and it is. But it’ll be well worth the
effort.
Right now, it might seem like the most important factors to consider are
how much the monthly stipend is, or what the computer or warm clothing
allowance is, or what other benefits you’ll receive.
You’ll realise later on that these things don’t matter much at all.
*
Find a way to spend time with scholars who have completed their bonds
and who are happy with their careers. Ask the scholarship organisation if
they can put you in touch with current scholars. Take these scholars out
for chats over coffee.
Do you see traits in them that you also see in yourself? Listen to them talk
57
about the greatest challenges they face at work. Do those challenges sound
exciting or painful to you?
Listen to them talk about their successes and how they've grown during
their time with the organisation. Do you want to grow in similar ways, too?
Do you want to be like them "when you grow up"?
Ask them what they dislike most about their job. Ask them what they
would change about their job or career, if they could. Are you comfortable
with the fact that you could have similar regrets down the line?
You won't ever have perfect information, but if the real-life example of a
successful, happy scholar isn’t appealing to you, then you should
reconsider taking a scholarship.
Then, if you can, find a way to talk to scholars who wish they had not
taken a scholarship, so you can understand the potential downsides.
Talk to people who broke their bonds. Talk to someone who did the
research and chose not to take a scholarship.
A few questions I wish I knew to ask myself when I applied for
scholarships:
1) Am I okay with working within a bureaucracy that measures success not
by profits or growth, but by the lack of anything going wrong? Stability is,
after all, a desirable trait in governments.
2) Am I comfortable working in an environment where I’m expected to be
risk-averse and to maintain the status quo, rather than pursue continual
innovation and improvement?
3) Will I deal well with the need to navigate politics and bureaucratic
processes?
4) If “guaranteed employment” is one of the big selling points of a
58
government job, will I like working with people who prize the “iron rice
bowl”?
5) Is it acceptable to me that my career preferences will always be
secondary to the needs of the organisation? Will I be able to come to
terms with the fact that my preferences will often be ignored?
I would have answered “no” to all of these questions, or at least been very
uncomfortable about signing up for a scholarship if I’d taken the time to
ask myself these questions in the first place.
*
In my mind, the most important factors you should consider all boil down
to one thing: the job.
If you’re a scholar, your prospects of career advancement will not be
lacking, but you might want to ask yourself whether you agree with the
values and the mission of the organisation.
You should also ask yourself if the nature of the work is something you
would enjoy.
Speak to people who are already working in the organisation to get a feel
for the type of work you’ll eventually be doing. More importantly, you’ll
also get a feel for the organisational culture.
Better yet, do an internship to figure more things out for yourself.
How much control will I have over which department I get posted to when I
start work?
In all likelihood, not too much.
59
You’ll be allowed to express your preference, but you’ll probably be posted
to whichever department needs additional manpower.
(I don’t deny the fact that there are organisations with HR departments
that are exceptionally accommodating. These HR departments will do all
they can to meet your needs. Based on what I’ve heard from most of my
scholar friends, however, this tends to be more of the exception than the
norm.)
You might think you deserve more freedom of choice when it comes to
something like your own career, but try not to feel too much of a sense of
entitlement.
After all, you haven’t exactly done anything to prove yourself.
You haven’t worked a full-time job at the organisation before, so why
should you be given your preferred position?
Moreover, the organisation did invest a few hundred thousand dollars in
you. You can’t quite blame them if they sometimes treat you as if you’re an
investment or a commodity.
It’s a fact that the world runs on economic principles.
I’m not trying to be overly cynical here. I’m just giving you a glimpse into
how the senior management (people who have probably been working for
longer than you’ve been alive) will think about your situation.
When you sign the scholarship contract, please understand that you’re
indirectly agreeing to be “owned”—to a certain extent—by the
organisation.
Come to terms with this and accept full responsibility for your decision.
*
You should expect to have no control. In a good scenario, you'll be asked
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for your preferences. But don't expect to get your first choice or even any
of your choices.
In my case, I went out of my way to do my research in order to make an
informed choice. I submitted my top three preferences, which included
some of the largest departments that received many scholars.
I didn’t get any of these choices.
It might be different for you, but the general rule is that the fewer
expectations you have about your first posting, the happier you'll be.
This isn't to say that you shouldn’t have any expectations at all. As you
think about your career, you should have expectations that you enjoy your
job, that you get to apply the knowledge you’ve acquired, and that you
learn new skills that you find valuable.
But in a scholarship programme, these expectations will be subordinate to
the needs of the scholarship organisation to fill their headcount in various
departments.
So don’t expect to always get what you want.
If it matters a lot to you which department you work for, apply to that
department after you've completed your studies as a non-scholar. Better
yet, go work for the many other companies in the world where you have
better visibility into the job you're signing up for.
With most normal employment processes, you’ll know what job
responsibilities you’ll have, which department you’ll be joining, and who
your boss will be.
You give up control and knowledge over these key aspects of your job
posting if you take a scholarship.
*
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If you take up an open scholarship with the PSC, the organisation will try
its best to match you with a Ministry based on your interests and
competencies. But remember that you’re not the only scholar around, so
organisational needs may not afford you your preferred choice.
I always tell returning scholars not to worry too much about where they
get posted to for their first job. Every posting is carefully considered in
order to give scholars the proper exposure to government work.
Regardless of where you get posted to, there will be plenty of
opportunities for you to learn and to shine.
Beyond the scope of your assigned portfolio, you could also be involved in
organisational-level or inter-agency work, which will allow you to become
familiar with other areas in the government.
You’ll probably go through two or three rotations before the end of your
bond. During this time, you’ll develop a far better sense of the type of
work you enjoy doing, as well as the type of work you don't enjoy so
much.
I really want to go into the public service. Is a government job the only way to
serve the public?
Given that I currently work for a private company, Ailian and Chin Lum
are in a better position to answer this question than I am. But here are my
thoughts.
To me, serving the public is about serving people. Public service isn’t just
about setting policies or about making excellent use of taxpayers’ money.
Public service can happen in any industry, as long as you’re adding value
to people’s lives and empowering them in some way.
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You can shape Singapore’s future by building a business just as much as
you can by determining, say, immigration policy.
*
There are so many ways to serve the public.
There's work you could do in the “social sector”. You could start a non-
profit like Charity:Water, which aims to bring access to clean water to
almost a billion people in need.
You could work with a platform for social enterprises to raise capital like
the Impact Investment Exchange that’s based in Singapore.
You could make microfinance loans to people in developing countries
who need money to start businesses through an organisation like Kiva.
Then, there are many other seemingly ordinary ways to do worthwhile
work. You could start a company that provides jobs to 10 other people.
You could run a department within a company well and make it a good
place to work, while also delivering great products to people who want
them.
You could spend your Sundays tutoring children who need help but can’t
afford it.
These days, when I think of public service, I rarely think of the
government. I think of organisations like the Acumen Fund, which helps
social enterprises to scale, and which also demonstrates that financial and
social returns aren’t mutually exclusive.
I also think of companies like Apple that have invented products like the
iPhone, which have transformed the way millions of people live, work and
play.
What does public service mean to you? That's the real question.
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*
No, you can certainly also serve the public in other ways.
You could volunteer or start a social enterprise. You could even serve the
public through politics by running for office.
(For those of you considering the PSC Scholarship, I want to point out
here that Ministers are not part of the Public Service. You would, in fact,
have to quit your Public Service job if you want to run for political office.)
There are also other professions where you can serve the public as part of
your job, e.g. if you work for a Voluntary Welfare Organisation as a social
worker, or as a doctor in a hospital.
There are, however, some unique aspects of a government job that appeal
to me in terms of how I get to serve the public.
First, a government job allows—or forces, even—me to take on a much
more macro, systems perspective to how policies work. We often have to
think about policies from conceptualisation to implementation, beginning
with the principles of governance through to how the policies will be
operationalised on the ground. We not only look at specific policies, but
also at how policies interact with one another.
Second, I get to have a diversity of experiences and interact with many
different groups of people. Through my first three postings, I’ve gotten to
work with people in the finance and social services sectors, as well as think
tanks and consulting firms. I’ve created models in Microsoft Excel, found
space and funding for centres for the elderly, and done long-term strategic
planning for the government.
Third, this range of possible “government jobs”—illustrated by the
diverse nature of my first three jobs—also provides me with opportunities
to develop and apply different skill sets and competencies.
64
The bottom line is that the government is not the only way to serve the
public, but it’s a pretty good way to.
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Section 5: You
Potential scholarship applicants often ask, “Is it a good idea to take a scholarship?”
This question implicitly assumes that it’s the same answer for everyone.
This really isn’t the case, however, because the most important part of the equation is you.
What are your aspirations, strengths and shortcomings? What’s your risk tolerance like?
You’ll have to go through an intentional and intensive process of self-discovery before you
understand who you are.
This process is essential, because you need to know who you are before you decide what to
do.
Putting the “being” before the “doing” is crucial if you want to find long-term fulfillment,
whether or not you’re a scholar.
Right now, I feel quite sure about what kind of career I want. I don’t think this
will change much while I’m in university.
There are people who, from childhood, know that they want to be an
entrepreneur or a civil servant or a teacher. But most people have only a
vague idea of what their dream job is.
In university, you’ll get a lot more exposure to the “real world”.
You’ll have the opportunity to talk to recruiters from all sorts of different
companies. You’ll get to interact with professors who have experience in
both academia and industry. You’ll meet people who are passionate about
causes that you didn’t even know existed.
Through the classes you take, your eyes will be opened to the big, wide
66
world out there.
For example, I didn’t know anything about poverty alleviation work or the
ethics of civic engagement until I learned about these things in university.
This knowledge has made me see the world with fresh eyes and has given
me clarity about how I want to serve my community through the work I
do.
Even my personal mission statement, which guides me in every decision I
make, was borne out of the experiences I had learning about civic
engagement.
These experiences have informed my personal mission statement: “To
empower others with the mindset and methods to lead a meaningful and
marvelous life.”
Having a more nuanced and developed worldview will help you to
understand what kind of contribution you want to make during your
lifetime.
All the exposure you’ll get while you’re in university will give you a better
idea of what kind of career you’re suited for.
*
It’s rare for people not to change their minds about the kind of career they
want. The biggest problem with making a major career decision when
you're 18 or 19 years old is that you have very limited information. You
don't really know about the jobs and careers that are out there.
Think about the adults you know. Do you even know what their jobs are
about? I had no idea what investment bankers or product managers did
when I was 19. I didn't even know that those jobs existed.
To give you a sense of some things I didn’t know but which matter a lot: I
didn’t know that I’d have such a hard time working in an environment
67
characterised by slow decision-making.
I didn’t know it would frustrate me to no end to work with people who
resisted change at every turn.
I didn’t know that it would annoy me to have to tell small financial
institutions how they had violated obscure rules. I certainly wasn’t
prepared for the fact that even some short emails I wrote had to be vetted
by several levels of bosses.
On the other hand, I didn’t know that I would love being in fast-paced
environments.
I didn’t know how fulfilling it would be to help build a company, or to be
able to point to a chunk of revenue generated from my clients or from my
product and feel responsible for having made that happen.
I didn’t know how exciting it would be to make product decisions today,
and to ship the products and see better performance and higher revenue in
just a few weeks.
Also, if you're making the most of your university education, you’ll
probably discover more—more about what excites you, more about what
you're good at, more about what you want to spend your time doing.
Let's say that you’ve never tried your hand at computer programming
before, and you take your first computer science class when you’re in
university. Prior to that, how would you know whether or not you'd enjoy
being a software engineer?
It’s not certain that you will change your mind, but you shouldn't deny
yourself the chance to discover new things about yourself. That’s the
premise of personal growth. As you gather more information along the
way, give yourself the chance to change your mind.
Sometimes these changes won’t lead to an adjustment of career path, but
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sometimes they will.
*
Changing your mind about what kind of career you want will definitely
happen when you expose yourself to different experiences and
perspectives.
You’ll meet people who inspire you, and you might consider a future
partnership with them. Or you might discover something you’re passionate
about and decide that a specialised career appeals to you much more than a
generalist one, say, in government.
I know some people who ended up transferring their bonds to academia
(i.e. their bonds were taken over by a university) while they were in school.
Others came back to work in the government after graduation, but
eventually left.
For these groups of people, the first seeds of doubt might have been
planted during their time in university, when their eyes were opened to the
other opportunities out there.
But there are also many others who have remained as sure that they want
to work for the government as when they first took the scholarship.
For me, while the opportunities and accompanying temptations were
there, my motivations for wanting a government job in the first place
never changed, because these motivations were related to my values and
what I wanted my career to be like (and not to be like, too).
Nevertheless, I would still encourage you to expand your understanding of
the realm of career possibilities while you’re in university. It may or may
not change your mind about the job you thought you were sure about, but
it will make your decisions better-informed.
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I have some idea what my strengths are. How important is it that my future
job allows me to make use of these strengths?
I strongly recommend that you read these three books before you fill out a
single scholarship or university application:
• What Color Is Your Parachute? by Richard N. Bolles
• Do What You Are by Paul Tieger and Barbara Barron
• StrengthsFinder 2.0 by Tom Rath
I also wrote my book, The Happy Student, to help students like you figure
out what kind of career path suits you.
These books will help you to understand yourself better, so that you’ll be
able to choose a job you’ll love.
Most people say that they want to find a job that utilises their strengths,
but most people also don’t put in much effort to discover what their
strengths really are.
Don’t be “most people”.
You probably haven’t been in enough work situations to know what
you’re best at, so I encourage you to volunteer or do an attachment or get
involved in a community project.
If you want to find a more rewarding career than the average person, then
you need to put in more effort than the average person.
*
One of the key elements of enjoying your job is being able to use your
strengths to produce meaningful results. Being able to develop these
strengths into rare and valuable skills—that’s when you develop real
expertise—is another element of professional fulfillment.
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At the same time, accept that you will discover new strengths while you’re
in university and over the course of your career.
Accept, also, that what you currently think are your strengths may prove
to be incorrect in the future. If you put yourself in enough competitive
environments, you may discover that although you were once the best in a
small pond, you’re now merely average in a much bigger pool.
This doesn't mean you should give up on developing these traits. But it
may mean that you’ll need to work that much harder to distinguish
yourself from everyone else.
Being aware of your strengths is a great starting point. However, having a
“growth mindset” where you believe that your strengths can be developed
through effort is what will allow you to succeed in the long term.
I think the follow-up question to ask yourself is this: In what ways do you
want to grow?
*
Whether you’re a scholar or not, you would want to be able to do your job
well. Being able to do your job well contributes significantly to your job
satisfaction.
Having a good sense of your strengths—and weaknesses, too—will help
you tremendously in your work, so it’s fantastic if your job allows you to
make use of your strengths.
But this is neither a necessary nor sufficient condition for you to do well
in your job. (Thank goodness, because perfect fits like that are few and far
between.)
You would also need to ensure that your weaknesses don’t get in the way
of you doing your job, and that you are developing new strengths you
require in your job.
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The best people I’ve worked with are those who grow quickly and ably
into the jobs that they’re given, and who are able to handle a wide range of
tasks.
Also, while it may not appear immediately obvious how your job allows
you to make use of your strengths, you should continually ask yourself
how you can make use of your strengths in your job.
Some of your hidden talents could prove to be very useful in a new area of
work. This could be a pleasant surprise for your organisation!
How do my values fit into this whole equation?
You probably haven’t spent a lot of time thinking about which values are
most important to you.
I encourage you to write down your top five values and rank-order them.
(You can use a list like this one for reference.)
When I did this for myself, it became a lot simpler to make good
decisions.
Values often come into conflict. For instance, is truth more important to
you or loyalty?
Your answer will determine what you’ll do in the event that your best
friend does something wrong, but no one else knows about it except you.
Will you inform the relevant authority? Or will you be a loyal friend who
keeps his or her mouth shut?
Your values come into play in just about every choice you make.
Should you become a lawyer, scholar or social worker? Your values will
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point you in the right direction.
Your values act as your compass, so it’s helpful that you write down your
core values before you’re faced with a dilemma, such as whether or not you
should take a scholarship.
When you act according to your values, you won’t live with regret, even if
you’re forced to make a difficult, or even heart-wrenching, decision.
*
I suppose this question carries special meaning for me since I broke my
bond, which some would argue is an “immoral” act.
I think it’s very difficult for an organisation to claim the moral high
ground by declaring that bond-breaking is immoral, when the organisation
also reaps significant returns on top of the principal amount when a
scholar breaks his or her bond.
The steep 10% compounded interest rate, standard for overseas
scholarships, cheapens the contract and turns the scholarship from an act
of good faith into a financial one.
It’s also shortsighted for a scholarship organisation to think the only way
for a scholar to contribute to Singapore or to society is through a job with
the scholarship organisation.
On the other hand, if you’re lucky enough to have the means to go
overseas without a scholarship or to break your bond, appreciate your
great fortune. You have even fewer excuses to be unhappy about your
career choice.
Use your freedom wisely. Figure out how you can contribute to the lives
of others in ways that you find meaningful, whether it’s through your day
job, or through the ways in which you spend your time, money and
energy.
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Over the past few years, I’ve had scholars who were considering breaking
their bonds find their way to me to talk about their dilemma. I still feel a
lot of empathy for people faced with such a difficult decision.
Even though it’s been six years since I broke my bond, I still remember
how tortuous and isolating it felt. So if I can be a sounding board and
provide guidance to others, then I’m glad to be of service.
(Note: Many of these scholars choose not to break their bond, at least not
immediately.)
*
Every scholarship comes in two parts—the opportunity and the
obligation. The opportunity comes in the form of the financial support for
you to study abroad, in addition to the job waiting for you upon
graduation. The obligation comes in the form of the bond.
There are two questions you need to ask yourself to help you figure out
how your values fit into the equation.
The first question: Are you attracted to the scholarship because of (a) the
chance to study overseas or (b) the job?
The second question: Do you see the scholarship bond as (a) a moral
obligation or (b) a contract?
Chances are that your answers to both of these questions will not simply
be either (a) or (b). Instead, your answers will probably lie somewhere
along the spectrum between (a) and (b). Your answers might even change
as you get older.
Your answers don’t determine whether you’ll end up taking the
scholarship or breaking your bond. They also don’t necessarily mean that
you’re a better or worse person.
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But asking yourself these questions will, at least, help you to think about
whether you see the scholarship more as an opportunity or an obligation,
and whether or not you should take up the scholarship.
Looking back on my career, what do I want it to count for?
Your career is an important part of your life, but it’s not the only part.
My mentor once said to me, “Don’t confuse your roles with your
purpose.”
You might have roles in life as a civil servant, engineer, nurse, student,
parent, son, daughter or friend.
All of these roles are meant to contribute toward a larger purpose. My
mentor was encouraging me not to let any one of my roles form too large
a part of my identity.
If you allow yourself to be defined by your academic performance or your
job title, it can be dangerous. How will your self-worth be affected if you
receive a bad appraisal or if you do poorly on an exam?
All this being said, you’re going to spend many, many hours of your life at
work.
What do you want your career to count for, when it’s all said and done?
Do you want your career to be about embracing a sense of adventure, or
building a more cohesive society, or mentoring young leaders, or
empowering the disadvantaged?
You’ll need to spend some time thinking and reflecting in order to figure it
out.
Don’t jump into the scholarship decision—or any decision related to your
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career—without first finding a satisfactory answer to this question.
*
It's good to start thinking about this now, but realistically your answer will
change over time.
Some people start out wanting money, power or prestige. Some people
keep wanting that. Some people discover that they want to contribute or
have a particular kind of impact or help better the lives of other people.
In my own life, I started out wanting the greatest learning opportunities I
could find.
If a job was intense and highly selective, I wanted it, but without really
understanding why. In retrospect, I associated intensity and selectiveness
with prestige. I thought that if I held these jobs, people would think that I
was accomplished.
I was partly right on that count, but I was wrong in thinking that it would
make me feel fulfilled professionally.
Now I'm far more focused on making a difference in ways that only I can.
(Writing this book, for instance!) There’s a great post by the wonderful
futurist thinker Kevin Kelly where he says that you must do the job that no
one else can.
I’m working towards that in small ways every day. I try to bring a little
more of myself to each task, each project, each interaction.
I expect that my answer to “what do I want my career to count for?” will
continue to evolve in the coming decades. Now I think of it more as a
question about direction than a question about destination.
*
In my opinion, your career matters for two reasons.
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The first is that it allows you to realise some of your life goals that aren’t
directly related to the work you do, e.g. providing for your family
comfortably or, for some, being able to retire at 40 years old so that they
can pursue other things in life.
The second is that it allows you to achieve meaningful things through your
job itself. Your work could lead to a groundbreaking invention or scientific
discovery, or you could make a significant contribution through starting a
company or developing a government policy.
I differentiate between the two reasons because, while many jobs might
allow you to achieve several of your life goals, the sense of
accomplishment you derive from your job will likely be specific to the
nature of your work.
For me, it’s important that I make a difference to society in some way. So
far, I’ve chosen to do this by working in the government.
When I was at the Ministry of Finance, I had the opportunity to be part of
“moments in history”. I was part of the team that worked on amendments
to the Constitution, which changed the spending rule for returns on our
investments. I was also part of the action the first time ever that Singapore
drew on its reserves for spending in the Budget.
At the Ministry of Community Development, Youth and Sports, making a
difference was about the way I was able to facilitate the work of different
Voluntary Welfare Organisations on the ground.
And in my current job at the Centre for Strategic Futures, I find great
meaning in helping the Public Service do its job better by thinking about
the future and preparing our nation well for the challenges we’ll face.
When I grow old and look back on my career, I want to be reasonably
satisfied that my job has given me and my family a good life, but I think it
would be the achievements and experiences like the ones I’ve described
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above that I would truly savour.
How should I think about how a scholarship fits into my long-term goals?
Your long-term goals should cover every aspect of your life, not just your
career.
I encourage you to set some long-term goals in areas like health,
relationships, personal development and contribution to the community.
Unless you specifically write down these goals and commit to them, you
might end up focusing on the things that aren’t extremely important to
you in the long run—simply because you get caught up reacting to urgent
matters that cry out for your attention.
Just because something is urgent doesn’t automatically mean that it’s
important.
I know people who claim that their family life is supremely important to
them, yet they continually make career decisions that unmistakably reveal
that their career takes priority over their family.
If you confuse urgency with importance, you sacrifice greatness for
mediocrity.
Let’s say that you want to be a high-ranking civil servant. In that case,
taking a government scholarship might be the right choice for you. Just
make sure that you have the right motivations for wanting to be a high-
ranking civil servant.
Ask yourself if a scholarship will enable you to reach your long-term goals
and to lead a life of significance, instead of mere superficial success.
*
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The scholarship, when you strip it down, is a means to fund an overseas
education in exchange for your commitment to work for an organisation
for six years (assuming a typical overseas scholarship).
In making this commitment, you give up the option to work anywhere
else, unless you pay a large penalty.
The package is sold as consisting of two upsides: a free university
education and a guaranteed job. For some people it could be two upsides.
But for most people, the package means something a little different.
The first part, the free university education, is unquestionably an upside.
The second part is an obligation.
If the second part were so clearly an upside, there would be no need to
have a bond. People would simply come back to serve without being
contractually bound to do so. After all, there are many people who choose
to work for the government without being bonded. (The friends I know
who chose this route are among the happiest government employees I
know.)
There’s a need to bind you with an obligation because your university
education will open up many new, interesting opportunities for you,
beyond what your scholarship organisation can offer you.
Think of the scholarship in these terms: dessert first and work later. As
with all work, you may or may not enjoy it. The work may or may not
have been worth the dessert.
So go in with your eyes wide open.
In retrospect, what would it have required for me not to have taken a
scholarship?
I would have had to meet someone older who had been through the
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process, and either did not take a scholarship or broke his or her bond.
I find that the most persuasive way to imagine yourself taking a certain
path is to have a role model whom you identify with show you what that
path looks like. I wish I had done more research before I signed the
contract. I wish I had greater access to information.
(A big part of my enthusiasm for writing this guide is that I want to put
better information out there for students who want it.)
On a final note, decide on your long-term goals first, then decide whether
or not a scholarship is in alignment with those goals.
*
A scholarship is a long-term commitment. The decision to take up a
scholarship will shape who you are over the next decade or so—from your
time in university to the time you’re done serving your bond, and also in
terms of how it will influence your life later on.
The perspective you have in thinking about this important decision should
reflect its gravity.
I don’t mean to scare you into not taking up a scholarship. As much as
taking up a scholarship is a serious decision, it can also be a wonderfully
rich and positive experience, as it has been for me.
The scholarship gave me the opportunity to spend four years overseas, an
experience I wouldn’t have had otherwise. The scholarship has also given
me job opportunities that I’ve enjoyed, and which I’ve learned a lot from.
I don’t know for now if I’ll be a civil servant for the rest of my career, but
I have no plans to leave in the near future. I enjoy my work and I see
value in my contributions.
Think carefully about the scholarship decision. But as with many things in
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life, you can’t plan everything perfectly, and you sometimes have to take a
leap of faith. It’s then about figuring things out, being adaptable, and
enjoying the process.
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Afterword
The three of us wrote our responses separately. But when we finished writing and went
back to read through the full set of answers, we were struck by how similar many of those
answers were.
We’re largely in agreement, yet the subtle differences in our perspectives have led us to
choose such different paths for our lives.
This highlights what a difficult decision taking a scholarship actually is.
So take the time to think and reflect. Write down your thoughts in a journal.
Cultivating your inner life—the ability to be alone, to process your own thoughts and
experiences—is hard work, but rest assured that not an ounce of your effort will go to waste.
As you mull over the $500,000 decision, we encourage you to keep this wise saying at the
forefront of your consciousness:
Don’t let what you want now prevent you from getting what you want most.
This isn’t to say that a scholarship will prevent you from getting what you want most. But
it’s easy to let what you want now—the overseas education, the prestige, a secure job, the
bragging rights—cloud your judgment.
What do you want most? A career that’s full of adventure? A business that you can call your
own? A job that’s in line with your core values?
How does a scholarship fit into the picture?
If you choose to take a scholarship, you ought to be fully aware that it will open certain
doors for you, but that there will also be consequences you hadn’t foreseen.
But that’s life.
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Choices come with consequences, so take complete responsibility for your decisions.
Whatever the outcome, you should accept that you have made the decision and that you are
fully responsible for your life.
No excuses. No complaints.
So whether you take a scholarship or not, commit to personal excellence. Serve with all
you’ve got, and give all that you have to give.
Wishing you wisdom in your $500,000 decision,