Your degree does not matter, employers only demand obedience and that their balls be licked


I graduated some 25 years ago from NUS with first class honours. Needless to say I expected great things upon setting foot in the workforce back then, truth though is I only became a manager at the age of 40. I was continuously surpassed by folks possessing third class honours or even lower, some of whom hailed from universities that few knew of. Was it tough for me to swallow? You betcha. If you want to flourish in your job you must come to terms with the following:


1) Your degree, results and the schools you studied at do not matter.

2) You don't need to be the solution, you just need to appear like one.

3) Promotion isn't based on meritocracy, your capability does not matter.

4) Management loves theatrics, so brush up on your presentation skills.

5) Your hard work will only be rewarded with more work.

6) Obedience is valued over almost everything else.

7) Hardest part of the job is always politics; needless to say if you are in the company, welcome to the jungle.


The above advice was dispensed by my uncle who despite never finishing secondary education runs a sizable firm in Singapore. My career progression subsequently improved by leaps and bounds with nary any headwinds. Today, I am the director of two boards, simply because I heeded his words.


This is not a rant about the vile realities of life, neither am I attempting to parade my personal achievements. Rather, it's to warn my fellow Singaporeans that your competitors, ie the foreigners, embrace the gospel truth of licking balls, which is why they are winning big.


Perhaps you may feel that if everyone starts playing by these "commandments" wouldn't Singapore be ruined eventually? To that I say, there's no stopping the rot which has already set in.


This post first appeared on NUS Whispers (Confession #105849). You may wish to share your thoughts with the anonymous soul who gave his two cents.

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