Most of the people take CSS because they have no better options. For example, 60% of CSS takers are masters in subjects such as English, Sociology, Political Science etc. All they can do is to become lecturers through public service commission (and for that too, they have to be competent and lucky since the competition is too tough).

Their only dream is to get a job other than lecturership, and not many dreams, therefore, may be shattered when they join the civil service.

Moreover, the starting salary of a civil servant is now around 16,000, with free food. And the starting salary in the corporate sector, after 16 yrs of education, is around 25-30 thousand. Given the prestige attached (rightly or wrongly), and the relaxed nature of jobs, the salary difference is not even mentionable. If the job of PSP is more difficult, they are adequately rewarded by being paid double salary in the field.

Now the most important thing, if someone graduates from NUST, LUMS, GIKI, LSE etc, he/she has already spent at least 1.5 million on education alone and the market pays him back the amount he has spent on his education. Moreoever, if they pay him 50k, he earns the company at least 150k. In CSS, all you have to do is to pay Rs.1000 as FPSC fees, and take the exam. It takes simple common sense not to expect a huge return on Rs.1000.

Moreoever, I have already stated in reply to some other post, that there are many highly paying posts in the government too. For example, the Project Director of lahore Walled City Project, a DMG officer, is getting more than 2 lac per month.

Although I do not like telling my personal example, I was getting 25k way back in 2006, when I joined the civil service at 9k. After paying for food and washerman and other expenses, we were left with only 4k per month. I used my previous savings to live out that period. Now I am getting 35k. earlier this year, I attended one month long official foreign training where I saved enough dollars.

The latest trend shows that people from LUMS, IBA and LSE, and even foreign qualified people too, are increasingly taking CSS, due to the dwindling economy in the private sector and the consistency shown by the civil service institutions. I graduated from NUST and my class fellows used to make fun of me on taking CSS. But now they all are fed up of pvt sector jobs, working 9 am to 9 pm and getting 55k - 60k, and the fear of retrenchment and downsizing is always lurking on their minds.

Moreover, whatever career it is, its highly unreasonable to pin hopes of getting everything in the beginning. "Seniors obviously deserve more" is the punchline of civil service. Wait for an opportunity to come your way.

Lastly, everyone who is planning to take CSS in 2011, is advised, in his/her own interest, not to watse time on such discussions and instead prepare for the exams. such discussions always remain incinclusive, and it is very hard to say who is right and who is wroong. If you like my views, you may tomorrow like entirely opposite views from someone else. So, just put your head down and keep studying. It is better to have an option to join civil service in your hand. You can think over joining or not joining later, when you are, if at all, allocated.

I second Sir Nauman Here.

I myself graduated from NUST and there are many people from NUST and GIKI who will be allocated into 38th Commons.

Civil Services is not about power, authority, money,perks or privileges. It is about quality of life and satisfaction. The company in which i was working was a good one and i was being recommended for increment and foreign training in denmark but i have left all of it because 9-8 working hours was a constant head ache. Left no time for friends and family. I worked for 6 months there and was almost fed up so much that even if had not qualified (God Forbid), I would have left it.

Joining the Civil Services was a decision which I took before that job and i am quite satisfied with that decision and I am a firm believer that money is not everything it is the way that how we spend our lives matter and I will rather be a servant of state and people than a servant of corporate bunchies making bucks for them while trading my sweat and blood for a few pennies.

As per Sir Nauman's advice, aspirants of CSS 2011 must prepare instead indulging in these useless squabbles and for others the choice is yours no body is forcing you to join the Civil Services its the decision which one has to make himself or herself.

Regards,

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Yes,the first morning of creation wrote what the last dawn of reckoning shall read.Omer Khayyam.

If you must say yes, say it with an open heart. If you must say no, say it without fear.
Coelho

Mr. Nauman & zbaloch_204 are absolutely right. I am a graduate from NED and most of my class fellows have either left jobs relevent to purely engineering side or doing mba to shift to marketing side. This is plainly because the duty timing are exhausting & there is no assurity of promotion & increment. In most of the local textile mills (I am a textile engineer) there is virtually no HR department, they call Labour or personal department the HR department & politics, favouriteism & leg-pulling are common practises.

There was a time when salaries ranging between 50k-60k hath great charm for us, but now i have find that a small salary with mental and physical satification and job assurity can outlist even salaries great then these. There is an increasing number of aspirents from Karachi that shows this changing trend. Now people focus more on budgeting their expense rather then trying to earn more and more.

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Thanks & Regards
Faseeh

I guess the discussion has gone the wrong way...The argument is whether the cream of Pakistan is coming to CSS or not...Yes! people who opt for CSS has their own reasons (As I have my own and they are very similar to the one posted by Mr. Nauman and Mr. Baloch)...

I said exceptions are there but one should look at the general lot...the top notch students of the country pass out from schools like Karachi Grammer, Saint Patrick's Karachi, Atchison Lahore etc. and go abroad to Ivy leagues or the likes of them as Pakistan Zindabad said.....I have studied in one such school and I know that universities like IBA and LUMS were the last option on their list.. They choose not to come back to Pakistan for obvious reasons which results into a brain drain...Frankly speaking, no Pakistani university has comparison with a top notch foreign university.. (although I don't want to degrade any Pakistani university as I myself belong to one) Do you really think that the cream of Pakistan is in LSE, NUST or any such other university....Of course exceptions are there.....

Lets admit it.. CSS is not attracting the brightest and one should ponder over the reasons for that rather than justifying one's own stance....

Brother what is the worth of a Pakistani that only pays lip service to Pakistani interest, who left Pakistan for the sake of higher studies placing Pakistani Institutions to be last in the list of their choice and then do not return bcz they are unable to get settled here. They left Pakistan for the sake of their own & are unwilling to return due to their own personal interests.
Please do not degrade those who are living in Pakistan, studying in Pakistani Institutes, who abhor corruption here and trying to change the situation not by leaving it stranded and deserted....Assuming the best talent to be abroad will only lower the moral of Pakistani candidates & will not yield in return any thing from those who donot heed to pay attention to our problems...

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Thanks & Regards
Faseeh

sooo what r ur opinion on 'the civil services offers the most prestigious job"

Amir sb its not the "top notch" in terms of intelligence and talent but "top notch" in terms of privileged by the virtue of birth in well-off families. u can't choose ur family or place of birth, and whatever advantages u ve on others in terms of money and access to opportunities of education and recreation don't make u intellectually advanced or something.
most of the ppl who opt for central superior services are competent and are the cream of our country. that's for sure. to prove my point i would put forward the profiles of the top 5 candidates of last 5 years(their background info is usually publicised...)
and of course look at the question papers of lets say 5 years and ask urself if a mediocre can do good while attempting these papers???
i can surely and safely put the statement (based on my personal experience & observation) that the ppl who appear in css exam are most definitely the cream of our country, and who get through are without any doubt deserving of this honour.

regards

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A diplomat is a man who always remembers a woman's birthday but never remembers her age...

I agreee!!