Kamlesh answered to: I have wasted my 6 years for preparing for a government exam but did not succeed. Now I am 28 years old. What should I do?
Here’s the revised version with corrected grammar and some improvements:
“I’m not going to offer you any advice on what you should do; instead, I’ll share the story of my own journey briefly. Because I believe that sometimes, you don’t need advice; you need hope. So here’s the story of hope…
I spent 8 years preparing for the civil services exam, and despite putting in all my efforts, I failed miserably. I am a science graduate who completed my BSc and immediately delved into CSE preparation, driven by the nonsensical notion that only a government job could resolve all my issues. I came from a very poor family; we didn’t even have our own house. We lived in a small village with no stable source of income. My father is physically disabled and unable to work, so my mother became the sole earner of our family. As I grew up, I spent all my years after 12th doing odd jobs to support my family. My initial salary was Rs. 800 per month, out of which Rs. 400 went towards house rent and the rest towards groceries. My younger brother also started working at a very young age; he used to work in a marriage band, earning whatever he could.
As many of us know, if you come from a lower-middle-class family, a government job is often seen as a quick fix for all your issues, and unfortunately, I too was conditioned to think that way. With no proper guidance on what to do after BSc, I decided to pursue CSE. I studied relentlessly, but failed every time, and with each passing day, I grew more nervous and frustrated with my life.
As the elder son of the family, all hopes were pinned on me to change our circumstances. Yet, here I was, failing year after year without making any progress. Each day, I would wake up, pick up my books, study all day long, and go to sleep, only for the same cycle to repeat the next day.
After spending 8 years in CSE preparation, I reached a breaking point. One day, I realized that I was 28 with no skills, no job experience—nothing at all. It seemed like it was all over for me. I cried a lot and even contemplated ending my life, but life had other plans.
Then, one fine day, a thought struck me: What if I was knocking on the wrong door? What if I wasn’t meant for CSE? At that moment, I closed all my books, packed them away, and decided to stop studying. I started applying for jobs instead. Despite having no job experience, I decided to trust life. I knew that if I was willing to work, life would offer me an opportunity, and it did. One evening, while I was getting a shave at a barbershop, I stumbled upon a newspaper section advertising job openings at a BPM company. Since my qualifications matched the job role, I decided to give it a shot and applied. Thanks to my preparation for UPSC, I effortlessly cleared all aptitude tests and interviews and was hired as an Associate Operations (Medical Coding). I can’t tell you how happy I was; finally, life gave me a second chance.
After joining the company, my old habit of studying for hours came in handy; I could sit for long hours and complete my work faster and with accuracy. I was completely dedicated to my work, immersing myself in it. Within two years, I was promoted to QA (Quality Analyst), which is my current designation. Meanwhile, I was also given the responsibilities of In-process QC and Trainer before being promoted to QA. I owe this to my managers who trusted my abilities.
After giving up on CSE preparation in 2019, my life changed. I got placed in a good company and started earning well. My brother and I had promised our mother that we would build a new house for her, and we are proud to say that we kept our promise. We bought a piece of land (plot) in 2021 and constructed a new house in 2023. On January 6th, 2024, we handed over the keys of our new house to our mother.
So, all I can tell you is to be patient, start applying for jobs, and seize any opportunity that comes your way. At 28, you don’t have the luxury of being selective. Just grab any opportunity you get, and watch your life change.
And remember, if you have studied honestly, you haven’t wasted 6 years; you have learned for 6 years. Trust life; it eventually sets everything right.
And just a small piece of advice for people preparing for Government Exams: ‘Don’t spend more than 3 years preparing for any government exam.’ (My Opinion).
I’ll end this answer with a line from the movie Shawshank Redemption that kept me going:
“Remember, Red, hope is a good thing, maybe the best of things, and no good thing ever dies.”
I hope this helps you in some way, and if you need any help, please do let me know. I’ll be more than happy to assist.
Sharing a picture of our new house: II स्वप्नशिल्प II”
