are you a high risk or low risk taker? haha
if want high risk and fast returns, Singapore Pools is your answer...haha

what's your time horizon? long term or short term?
you would have to answer these basic questions first before deciding what to invest in...

Don't think you should be looking at any forms of leverage since you only just started working and are new to investing.

My kind of advice would be investing in knowledge...thats most valuable and impossible to take it away from you.
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Contest theory: More entries = More chances - Concept of Probability.
Time & Tide waits for no Man.

I think more importantly is to set aside a few months of emergency cash? Invest with excess would be a better choice?

most advisers would recommend saving around 3 to 6 months of expenses...but to me, i think that if your job is kinda secured for the next few years(jobs on a contract basis), you can actually be a bit more daring and save abit lesser and more of your money can go right into investments. However, that is subject that you did your budgetting well and willing to take the risk.to link this back to what tezuka had enquired, u mentioned that you started work not long ago and have some savings of a few thousands. I think it would be more advisable to keep this amount liquid in your bank account in the event that you need the sum of money in times of emergencies. If you do not like the interest rates offered by banks, the nxt alternative that you could consider would be putting the money into a money market fund, which provides a slightly higher interest than what banks are offering.