Joining the civil services

[krishh02]

Hi all,

I have been related to the IT industrty for around 4 years now but always had a dream of joining the civil services.I am working for one of the top five IT MNCs at a good postion and also get a decent pay. Life is smooth but the dream of joining the IFS only got prominent through the years. I am now in a dilemma ( I know that diplomats are known for taking the right decisions ASAP ). Keeping aside all the aspects of serving the nation and providing service to the people, what i am concerned is the huge shift this would cause on my career (i may sound selfish but dont you think that i am thinking right). The wish to be involved in public service and the thought of patriotism is all fine...but...when you come to a point of making a choice between your dream and your career...i am feeling lost .

I came across this site while browsing some food for thought for my dreams and thought of keeping this query in front of you all.I am not looking for suggestions and directions but some help from someone who has been thorugh the same situation as mine.

Regards,
Hari

[anu verma]

Hi krishh, welcome to IO.
good to know about you. right now whats your priority? your dream or your career?
are you ready to study atleast 6 hours inspite of your work shedule?
or are you ready to quit your job and go for full time preparation?
what are the consequences you face personally, professionally, financially if you quit your job?
do you have enough financial, emotional [especially family] support to go for this exam?
how much serious are you to make use of your intellectual n hard work capacity?
find some time for you.sit alone and think about these questions n try to get the appropriate answer for your self. may be then you can decide abt your career n dream.all the best in all your endevours.any thing more let us know.
Anu.

[Nethra K Putti]

well said anu.
S! foremost thing that you should have a complete family support for taking this exam.
you need to get a good enviornment to study.
i think 6 hours not enough. you should go for 8 hours study.
& once if you decide to read , read it continously atleast for 2 or 3 hours then only concentration comes in,
in this site there has been a big debet that even while working also you can achieve, as what anu questioned you that are you ready to leave job?
Hard work only pays for everything.
some say that their should be luck factor to get through this CSE exams.
i say hardwork only is called as luck factor, but not anything else.
simply having confidence, belief, faith in everything is not enough , at the same time you should equally put up you strenghts & efforts.

alldbest

[krishh02]

Hi Anu and Nethra....

Its great that you folks came up with some questions and i should say that it did force me to think.But the issue here is that i am being asked the same questions which i am not able to find answers to. I will take the issues one at a time..

1 > Priority - I personally believe that following ones dreams are not based on priorities.If we talk about prorities then i do not think that there would be so much demand for the civil service jobs.
2 > Time - Spending time on something you want to do is never a problem if you have the will to face anything that comes in the way.
3 > Family - I am finding it difficult to believe this statement Nethra.There are instances when people coming from the worst of family situations get through the examinations.
4 > Job - Is it mandatory for a person to leave his or her job to prepare for the CS.

Nethra,
Its a general advice given to everyone that Hardwork pays for everything and its also called the luck factor by many. I hope that you wont mind my question which i am asking out of sheer cusiosity. What is your background?. I have a personal feeling that if you have the confidence, belief and faith in getting something done...which are the baselines for a person to put in the max effort possible..Anything ( absolutely everything ) is achievable.

Thanks for your time and advices
Hari

[sivaharimani]

Hi krishh, welcome to IO.
good to know about you. right now whats your priority? your dream or your career?
are you ready to study atleast 6 hours inspite of your work shedule?
or are you ready to quit your job and go for full time preparation?
what are the consequences you face personally, professionally, financially if you quit your job?
do you have enough financial, emotional [especially family] support to go for this exam?
how much serious are you to make use of your intellectual n hard work capacity?
find some time for you.sit alone and think about these questions n try to get the appropriate answer for your self. may be then you can decide abt your career n dream.all the best in all your endevours.any thing more let us know.
Anu.

Hay Anu , i wonder how perfect you are, in planning. Proud!!! keep it up!!

[sivaharimani]

Hai Krishh,
I am happy to contact with you. first of all i have to say onething, you are clear in what is in your mind. it can be seen in your post. Ok lets see your friend(me)'s view.

1. it is a social value system or social responsiblity of every person to get a good career, in that way, you got it already and you are receiving good salary too.
2.there are 3 types of excellency in our life,
i.getting high salary/income and being a rich and eminent person in our life like Ambani,Info-Narayanan,Billlgates
ii.achieving a very big thing in your own proffession, like Amertya sen, APJ.Abdul kalam, chachin tendulker,Amithap Batchan ect., that means in any proffession. and
iii.feeling and concentrating on peoples day to day problems and solving them as soon as possible ., developing their social and financial status through developing indian economy. Even ,you know?! but i know that many people have no even one day food for their survival. How crusial our possision even today also?!!!(even after 60 years of independance celebration).

If you have strong hold that you want to wither away this situation from our country, then you can opt for CS.
But, not considering about our career and dilemma what to choose career or CS, then you can(we can too) be successfuly do it.
if you have dilemma , then even though you get into service, you can be in the second catogry of excellency.

Last but not least poor people in our country , realy need us.. we have to help them

I hope you got my point my dear friend.
(please convey me what decision you are going to take)
All the best

[anu verma]

well said siva !!! I agree all your views.
Dear hari, taking all views in consideration...you have to think..and still if you dont come to a decision...then take more time to think....but when you decide[whatever you decide] you should feel the comfort within yourself.if you dont feel comfortable inside yourself then it means you have decided wrong.take your own time n decide...after you decide between your career or dream...dont look back just move on.....all the best.
one more thing hari, people who make the best out of their lives even while facing worst family background are exceptional people....extra ordinary people!!! whether you need your family support in your endevours is totally left to the individual....it all depends on our emotional quotient!
right? while accepting or listening to somebody's suggestion lets keep an open mind so that we see all aspects clearly n decide right for our own good n nobody's else good...everything for our own good! right?
Hari, if you decide to choose civil service exam then whole of IO is with you....we all welcome you. if not,and you want to go with your current job then all the best which ever field you are in to....GOD knows where's your destiny is.....whatever you decide it should be done by you..n only you nobody else.
Regards
Anu.

[krishh02]

Hi all...I had mentioned in my first post that i am not looking for suggestions and directions but a word from someone who has been through such a situation. I am aware of the social and political scenarios and also the importance of eradicating the listed and non-listed problems from the country...I dont know the seriousness of issues handled in IO...but i have always seen people talking about national and international issues sitting in the comfort of their home or office and vouching to do this and that...am not offending anyone here...am a part of several NGOs and try to do my level best in all ways possible to help the society...for me serving the nation doesnt mean that i have to have a white collar job or something on that grounds...I thank all of you for the posts and views ...

and Siva...this is the reply for your statement...

"iii.feeling and concentrating on peoples day to day problems and solving them as soon as possible ., developing their social and financial status through developing indian economy. Even ,you know?! but i know that many people have no even one day food for their survival. How crusial our possision even today also?!!!(even after 60 years of independance celebration)."

my query here is about what you can do as an IAS/ IPS officer. You talked about concentrating on day to day problems...developing social and financial status ( i dont understand this )...through developing indian economy...It would be great if you can just clarify this...Now the food factor...people not getting food for one day...acceptable...but what are you going to do for that is the question...our positiopn being crucial after 60+ years is a common thing and every indian knows that...but the question again is what you can do...if you join the IAS...does it mean that you can do all that you said...Taking into account whatever has happened in our country in the past years, has been done by people who were out in the sun helping others grow and thereby helping the nation in direct or indirect senses...If you ask the common man about what an officer could do...the answer you get is that " they just know how to say yes to ministers"...can you deny the statement...the trust a common man has on the law enforcers is coming down day by day...all these and just a few of the issues to speak about. . .

and as Anu said..we should be taking others suggestions in a positive way...i am not sure how my update is going to be taken in this forum...

[sivaharimani]

dear krishh,
i would like tell you one thing. I was a child labour in my child hood continuosly for 3 years and eagered for food . relieved from that and developed up to so far(doing MBA preparing for CS now i am answering to you an IT people). i know what is poverty and tough situation to develop in our life.
As a fiend and one of the members of this Io team, i can not direct you, we only suggest you. if you want to direction, then it should be given only by a person greater than you. please try to know onething.a suggestion is to give you various faces of ideas to help you to take a good decision, but a direction is like an order to you(some how very formal). we are all your friends to you who can suggest you to help, but should not order you.ok dear!
for your question as below

my query here is about what you can do as an IAS/ IPS officer. You talked about concentrating on day to day problems...developing social and financial status ( i dont understand this )...through developing indian economy...It would be great if you can just clarify this...Now the food factor...people not getting food for one day...acceptable...but what are you going to do for that is the question...our positiopn being crucial after 60+ years is a common thing and every indian knows that...but the question again is what you can do...if you join the IAS...does it mean that you can do all that you said...Taking into account whatever has happened in our country in the past years, has been done by people who were out in the sun helping others grow and thereby helping the nation in direct or indirect senses...If you ask the common man about what an officer could do...the answer you get is that " they just know how to say yes to ministers"...can you deny the statement...the trust a common man has on the law enforcers is coming down day by day...all these and just a few of the issues to speak about. .
for you above question, my answer is wait and see after 7 years,definitly you will see the answer for your question, i do not want to say answer because, i will do it. then remember me and know answer for your question. these are not mere words, but will be executed.

i hope you will be in very good position as you desired. all the best

[krishh02]

Mr Mani...i am not sure about what sense you have taken my post in...i was never pointing out anything in person to cause some kinda of issues to you...I dont know what you have been through and how you are now...there is no point in me sitting here and saying that you are right or wrong...coz you are just one among the million indians for me...and i am also the same for you...IO is just a stopover...and the fact that you stated about watching after 7 years...I dont know what criteria you have set and what plans you have...i would like to say many things in return but i am not ...as it would be taken in someother ways...
Mr Mani...you may have plans...you may have the guts to face problems and to come out of it...Our nation has seen many till date...many faced and died...many fought and vanished...if you look around...i dont know how many you will find who have actally made a difference...

anyways...thats all there...hope something will change ( this was not intended to hurt you!!!)

Oh ya...i forgot...if i dont say anything against the IT stuff you said...where did that come from...We may or may not meet after 7 years...i am not sure about that though...but in a society like us where in everything is so tangled that...if you pull one string...it shakes the whole nation...the media is thirsty for news...they nowadays show even the happenings in ones bedroom...newspapers have become money making gimmicks ( few are still free though )...The society is almost buried in the quick sand of corruption...the law makers are silent...the ministry is just there to watch...well...you may not what i said...

anyways Mr Mani...it was a great pleasure of mine talking to you...By the way I like your confidence when you say that you will do things...
And ya...Good luck for your future engagements.