I am writing this thread specifically for all those who are thinking to attempt Competitive Exam in coming years but they are frightened and scared because they think they will fail. I suggest all of you to muster your confidence and give a serious attempt. You may or may not succeed but I assure that attempting Competitive Exam will make you a much more competitive, confident, enlightened and mature person. So give up all your apprehensions and fears, and accept it as a challenge. Accept it as a passion or true love in which you have to succeed at any cost.

After doing MBA I had job offers from Banks and Multinationals Companies but I was interested to join Civil Services so I appeared in Competitive Exam. In first attempt I managed to pass all subjects and got 596 marks in aggregate. You people must know that one must have 600 (50 % in aggregate) marks to qualify for the interview. Instead of thinking that it is not possible for me to pass I have given my second attempt this year (2005). Obviously my papers went much better then my first attempt and this time I hope to at least qualify for the interview. I have found that Competitive Exam is not just exam of your knowledge; it is exam of your persistence and commitment as well.

In my interactions with CSPs I found some characteristics in most of them. I found all of them to be determinant, optimist, hard working and focused. If you are also interested to join this elite group then I will suggest that be bold and attempt it with confidence, self-belief and courage. It is better to lose a battle then to accept defeat without fighting. At least an educated person’s attitude should not be like this to surrender without struggle. You may or may not agree but I firmly believe that in great attempts it is glorious even to fail. As I am in part-time teaching as well for the last couple of months so I often tell my students that it is better to mark high and miss it then to mark low and achieve it.

If someone says that one must have to be over intelligent and genius for becoming CSP then I don’t agree. I heard such statement from a few people but I don’t believe in any such thing. I believe in myself and I believe that everything is possible for a willing heart. I don’t pay heed to this thing that 95 % people fail every year; I think that if 5 % pass it every year then I can also pass it. If someone says that one must be diligent and hard-working then I acknowledge that these are not only prerequisites for a becoming a CSP but also essential for living a successful and victorious life.

Some people say that it is useless to join bureaucracy because there is so much corruption, dishonesty, bribery and mismanagement. To some extent it is true but let me ask a question to all of you, is it sensible that all honest and sincere youth should stay away from civil services and let only those who have intentions to misuse their powers to go and join without any competition? I don’t think anyone of you will say it is sensible to adopt such strategy. The right approach should be that we should join bureaucracy with this aim and objective that we have to bring a change, a change that our beloved country direly needs.

Another excuse given by many people is that Civil Servants have low salaries and they have to go for unfair means to meet their expenditures. It is a well-known reality that just after a few years of services CSPs are given so much facilities and amenities that they can easily enjoy a high living standard. And if someone really wants to earn then other options like part-time teaching, investments in property, side-businesses, investments in stocks are always there. Only those who have hunger and greediness go for illegal means.

In the end I would like to give an interesting point that will at least motivate all unmarried youngster to seriously think about doing CSS. It is a fact that every girl will be proud to be wife of a CSP and all parents really wish that their daughters should be married to someone whose career is so bright and secure. For girls I would like to say that gone are the days when boys use to dream about a girl who is simple, shy and innocent. Nowadays boys are eager to have a professional, confident, dynamic and mature wife. You may not be a CSP but after attempting CSS exams you will be able to guide your children to be CSPs and your attitude to accept challenges and think laterally will enable you to guide and advice your spouses in their daily lives.

Do pray for my success.

Asadullah