@ Arsalan Shoukat
I second you brother, CSS is not all about lavish salaries and life-styles.
It has a purpose of serving the nation and if in addition you can get respect and modest life-style its attraction for me and many of us. People who dream of luxurious living at start and who think that they will become king after becoming CSP should refrain from it.
And the case of difficulties and troubles faced by CSP's then one should be clear life is not a bed of roses, which ever profession you adopt you have to face all this. And as my father says "sachy insaan k liye hr jaga mushkil hoti h", so whether you are a CSP or not if you are honest you will face the difficulties.

I don't know where you guys get the idea that its hard to survive in the Civil Service without corruption. I know many people CSPs who are honest people and have faced (and are still facing) immense political pressures and threats to their life (in case of PSP officers I know). Yet still they have managed to survive and are content with their lives. Moreover they are posted as top officials despite having no political backing. They are well respected in society and a Doctor or Engineer cannot even think of comparing themselves with such officers. So the situation is not all gloomy. Think positive. Furthermore, try to be realistic and try to reduce your needs so that you may survive in whatever salary you have been offered.

Dear All!

Standards of self satisfaction vary from person to person. Some people do join civil services to serve humanity while others join it for their vicious interests.

But the fact is that CSS has to offer much needed diginity and eloquence to a person besides other fringe benefits.

One should come here to serve, not to earn.

Regards,

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Passion is the driving force behind every success!

Good discussion going on here..
I would add something..
A doctor is easy and profitable at job when He uses ( practically i tell you the field experience ) a colorful injection containing B-complex,an antipyretic (NSAID or Steroid) and a broad spectrum cheap antibiotic...
Combination is cheap and investment is low as compared to profit...
When a Person says Dr sb I have fever the compound-er fills an analgesic/steroid basically and if the same person says also i have a back pain..a same injection with double dose...
This is a true picture of Field doctors and successful doctors.
If any doctor truely follows the the diagnostic procedure and go for Specific treatment and then the symptomatic then the expenses reaches the height the clinic goes in loss...
Same is true for a CSP officer if he follows the true protocol of his job he is not as successful and bossy as the others doing corruptions...Simple...and this thing is true for all professions in Pakistan not only doctors but each and every field of life...
But Remember you are going to be a civil servant not the boss....Otherwise in Long Run you know what happens....

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If I am what I have and if I lose what I have, who then am I?

As i stated in the start of this thread , my purpose to highlight the weak areas of CSS is not to scale down the prestige of service. Charm of the service varies for person to person. This is the reason why CSS aspirants have different preferences of occupational groups.Some, though very few, leave the service in midst, and some even dont opt to join CSS inspite of having the requite capability to get through the CSS exam.

That said , today i share hereunder the career path/privileges of a corporate executive in comparison to CSS Officer.

1- Unlimited growth opportunities (many young executives are working on top management positions in MNCs and local Corporations)

2- High salaries along with fringe benefits such as vehicles, club memberships,allowances ,bonuses, medical etc that are not availble to CSPs. Many private companies offers medical facility, both indoor and outdoor , to employees and their families in expensive private hospitals. Contrarily Bureaucrats get hospitalization from Govt hospitals. In case of large expense , first they incur the expenditures and then wait for reimbursements that take a long time in Govt offices.

3- Corporate Executives normally work under littlel pressure. They have no fear of tranfer or postings.

4- Good competitive working enviornment where performance is judged against an objective crieteria and duly acknowledged.

6- They are paid enough that keep them away from indulging in to corupt practices.

7- Since career growth is function of ones capability instaed of seniority, they continually strive to enhance their capabilities , broaden their horizons and skills and puruse the path of continuous professional development.

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Hoee hay jab say mukhalif hawa zamanay key......
Humain bhee dhun see hoee hay diaa jalaanay key

Nice analysis Saleeqa
But in my viewpoint CSS has nothing to do with pecuniary benefits. We live in a society which has great prestige for CSS officer. Occupation is the biggest determinant of your class. Its all about being in that class. Salary is much much lower and css officers have to oblige the seniors whether they are efficient or corrupt. You have to say yes sir every time and praise the great accomplishments of your boss.
The reward is recognition. A great recognition where ever you go. You are respected and obliged. Businessmen, industrialists, doctors, engineers everyone looks at you with an inspiration(and that makes me laugh as there is nothing to inspire from,lolz)Certainly power is an addiction. And CSS makes you powerful in the eyes of people. Everyone wants to be your friend.
Career is bit challenging in the start but after 2,3 years you land in grade 18 and then a window for deputations opens for you(where salaries are much higher). Studying abroad on scholarships is very easy. In my assessment almost half people from each occupational group are foreign qualified.
And by the time you reach grade 20, you would have visited many countries. You also reach grade 20 much faster than doctors and engineers.
Keeping in view 30+ yrs of service, initial 3 years may be challenging for each group including PSP,DMG etc. Then you settle down comfortably.

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Whatever mind can conceive,it can achieve - W.Clement Stone

It is more difficult to reach really good positions in the private sector than giving the CSS exam. No doubt about it.

CSS remain also charming for me until i joined a renewed company

everybody is talking about the prestige that a CSS officer enjoys but i assure you that this is not 1970,s where CSS officer was considered a king of an area now it is 2012, more people are joining engineering sector, medical, IT Sector and enjoying much more than CSS

CSS may be charming for following people

1) People with arts background , having no other good option than CSS

2) Sons of bureaucrats and landlords with a background of CSS, usually joins CSS as they find it easy due to background

3) Some doctors and engineers who do-not get good opportunity for a good job as our private sector is contracting due to various reasons but still many sector gives lot of facilities and perks to their employees

Baqe yi kehna ke nation serving and bala bala, yi sab kahania hain
how Corrupt, rigid our bureaucratic structure, no need to explain although every1 of aspirants shows this type of courage ( Qaom ke khidmat ka jazba, mulk ke liye kuch karnay ka jazba etc etc)

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Thanks and Regards
M.Zaman
Operations Engineer

This is not true at all, there are a number of example of csps who left their high salaried jobs for getting into the civil services, people who could excel in private sector leave their well established jobs for css, so it will be inappropriate to say that css is the priority of only ''above mentioned'' people.Individual preferences vary from person to person, and as far as serving the nation is concern, no doubt bureaucracy is corrupt and many malpractices are going on, but it is not so that every csp is corrupt, a few people are still working for the benefit and interest of this country, we should give them credit at least.

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what humbugs we r,who pretend to live for beauty and never see the dawn :)

I disagree
In 38th CTP 40% of the qualified people were professional. There are alot of engineers and doctors in this field and most of them left private jobs where they were earning much higher. Your analysis is not right. Many of my colleagues have studied in America and UK and in prestigious institutes like London School of Economics, yet they joined Civil Service.

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Whatever mind can conceive,it can achieve - W.Clement Stone