7/26/2009
What the govt is looking for in a govt scholar
What the govt is looking for in a govt scholar
Below is a quote by Eddie Teo, PSC Chairman, on what the interviewers will be looking for when interviewing potential scholars. He advised the young interviewees to be themselves, to be critical and sceptical. And this is what he meant by that.
‘Being critical means you care about our nation and want to improve things and correct what you think is wrong. Being sceptical means you are not naïve and do not accept everything you read or hear.’ He also added that the PSC ‘is not looking for conformists or yes men …but people who dared to think and question existing policies’.
With so many people calling me naïve, I sure fail miserably if I were a young man applying for a scholarship. But the motherhood statement is a very nice ideal to live up to. It would be nice if the people recruiting scholars really believe and practise what they preached. I think they do.
The problems come only when these highly idealistic young people graduated and started their civil service careers. Would they continue to believe in such ideals and practise them?
Look around, look at some (some only) of the farcical reasonings given to justify some of the absurb policies and decisions made, I think many would believe that such ideals are at best a myth. Or the recruitment process failed miserably in its ability to select the critical and sceptical into the service, the ‘few mavericks – people with unconventional viewpoints who are willing to challenge assumptions…(to) add vitality and diversity to the service’.
What do we have and what do we see in public service? The minibond fiasco and the mess in the finance and private education industries are examples that say nobody cares nothing about our nation and about improving things. It is just a job with a clearly defined job description that comes with it. Where is the ownership, the passion and conviction in nation building? If it is not my job then it is not my problem.
Running a country is not a job. Running a country is not simply about making more profits. It is about improving the quality of life of a people. What kind of life we want our people to live, cost of living and cost of not living. Are the people living when they have to spend a whole life working just to keep themselves alive instead of living life?
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15 comments:
I have been through that interview process. Basically, they want u to lie and tell them what they want to hear. You must be a maverick in a certain set way... =)
The sooner one get on with the program, the better one situation will be.
Illusion of living and having a life.
Life sucks being a maverick.
outcast, a social leper... be a yes man
CRITICAL becomes
SKEPTICAL becomes
CYNICAL
Lip services and proganda are seldom sincere stuff !
The test of whether someone even fit for preaching his gospel of wisdom is whether the preacher himself practice what he preaches.
"‘Being critical means you care about our nation and want to improve things and correct what you think is wrong. Being sceptical means you are not naïve and do not accept everything you read or hear.’ He also added that the PSC ‘is not looking for conformists or yes men …but people who dared to think and question existing policies’."
Everyone can say the above but did Eddie himself set a good example of what he say ? Where is Eddie where it is time to question the government ? Staying in bungalow, looking at the sky and comforting himself how lucky he is as a gahmen ?
The quality of teacher is judged by what he say and done. Unfortunately, he is just mortally corrupted gahmen because NATO and still collected large salary using taxmoney at end of day.
> Being sceptical means you are not naïve and do not accept everything you read or hear.’ <
Coming from a govt employee, one should begin by being skeptical of everything coming out of his brain.
PSC chairman Eddie Teo is one clear example of a Hypocrite and BullShitter at the apex.
Imperative for Eddie to stay there.
Look no further than those PAP stooges in parliament.
hi sucking up skills, welcome to the blog.
oh, let's not be personal. like he said, and matilah said, let's just be critical of what we read or hear. and not to believe everything other people said.
" they want u to lie and tell them what they want to hear "
Oh, I thought that was what every Singaporean have been doing all their lives? No?
I thought Eddy was saying call a spade a spade, even if you boss is blind and do not see the spade.
Since ancient times the Chinese believe that all those in high office are presumed to have two mouths. They do not mean what they say, and they say what they do not mean.
Since ancient times human beings — regardless of race or culture — have been jockeying for power over each other — either as individuals or groups.
The source of whatever arbitrary 'power' they achieved is usually based on feeding the other sides lies, deception and falsehoods.
It is easy to fool humans because their minds are designed to be fooled. Our minds are programmed to seek some kind of active agent or agents to give us a believable 'narrative' (story) which fits with the causal nature of observed and experienced phenomena — whether or not those phenomena are real or imagined. Emotion and faith-based thinking is the default.
So if you want to manipulate people by bullshitting them it is easy — just play to their emotional thinking and propensity to faith — i.e. their credulity.
It is important to realise that these techniques are constantly used to gain power and influence over you by "authorities" whether they are religious, political, special interest or purely after your money — i.e. people selling stuff.
anon 3:22 makes a good point.
Been through the admin service interview when I was mid career in MINDEF, and the last round of interview with Eddie Teo himself. Was given this advice by the Deputy Secretary of Policy in MINDEF:
"They are looking for people with independent thoughts, and thoughts that are different. Speak your mind respectfully, but your ideas cannot be too far from theirs".
In short, they want you to be a domesticated mustang, only difference is that the fences are a little further out now. I spoke my mind and you can see his demeanor change immediately as he shut the discussion down. One month later Goh Chok Tong said the same thing at some function, and a short while later Eddie Teo parroted the same at the admin service annual dinner, stating how he has learnt to change and adopt the same. No loss to me since I will get schizophrenic being forced to be a domesticated mustang.
Good thing my family will be in a position to ditch the Singapore passport at the end of the year.
the best test of integrity is for someone to stand up and cry in shame and say, 'please don't pay me so much money, i don't deserve it, for i am really doing sweet nothing,'
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