I've entered into a new phase of life. The first 2 weeks into working life has been a steep learning curve. Being in the civil service has both its merits and demerits. Merits would include stability and emphasis on training (lotsa it!) while demerits include slower progression in terms of ranks, wages and lots of red tapes. Being in the economist profession no doubt leans to my personality, however the working environment is filled with people who are smarter than you. I'm not sure if this should be viewed as a positive or negative point. With regards to emphasis on training, I think civil service place a higher emphasis than most companies.In fact, I'm excited to go for courses that upgrade my current set of technical skills. Reading stuff from various sources, I think it's essential to develop both a career and financial plan.Here it goes.. Career Plan 1. Aim to get into ES before head of department leaves -Be Proactive -Write x papers(to be determined) -Be proficient in your portfolio5k -Learn both technical and soft skills: VBA, Microsoft access (In case you want to jump) 2. Get a masters in either Stats, Economics or MPA Financial Plan 1. Pay up your debt -Friend: June,July -Aunt: August, September -Mum: October, November, December *3 (Including bonuses) 2.Start with a clean slate -Invest half of income: Value average ETFs -Save half of income for marriage Effectivness Plan (Refer to summary of 7 habits) 1. Be proactive 2. Begin with end in mind 3. Put first things first 4. Think win/win 5. Seek first to understand, then to be understood 6. Synergize 7. Sharpen the saw Personal Plan 1. Visit maid 2. Get married in 4 years