At the start of our careers, most of us were unlikely to consider the military a place where we see ourselves. Now in the private sector, and having tasted salt and seen hard times for ourselves, we no longer see the army as that bad a place to earn a paycheck, just another place. I agree that unless one is a scholar, then the SAF is a great place, if not, we'd still take our chances in the private sector.
Oh yes, while on this subject, one of the best NS vocations I feel is actually that of a cook. One learns some skills that can be applied to real life outside, much better than weapons training.
Cheers!
For a "lesser mortal" Joining the SAF is a big mistake because there is no future. I had a friend who decided to join the air force as a technician after his "O" levels. It seemed like a good idea at the time but it was a dead end job. Eventually the SAF decided to bring in those with higher education than "O" levels. Those with 'O' levels became casualties.
There's not much demand for ex-SAF personnel in civilian life unless of course you are a scholar.