To discuss the nature
of the civil services, in India, time and again, is to state the cliche. Given
the status and power linked to the All India Services, a large number of
working professionals are driven towards the IAS examinations. However, given
their tight schedules and engagement in their jobs, it becomes an immensely
difficult task to prepare for the civil services examination.
Therefore, MYUPSC.COM
has made an effort to analyze and discuss the problems faced by the working
professionals, while preparing for the IAS exam.
As mentioned in our
earlier articles, preparing a rational study plan is of utmost importance for
the working professionals. Given the time constraints and other considerations,
a working aspirant can only succeed if he/she chooses a planned strategy.
The Working
Environment: An Array of Distractions
A full time
employment hardly leaves any time for you to become a disciple of the UPSC.
Therefore, you have to be in a distance relationship, and try to maintain the
feelings. Like the real-life long distance love stories, dealing with the civil
services, while working, is difficult. Also, an injudicious approach towards
the UPSC would only lead to wastage of money and mind. Therefore, put your foot
down into the arena of civil services, only if you are committed to it.
Once you have firmly
decided to go for it, before starting to go deep into the study-schedules, you
need to plan- how would you take time and mind out of your present work, for
the IAS exam. Once you are done with this initial planning, you are ready for
'THE COMPETITION'.
While working, a
number of things invade your mind, and create distractions. Therefore, you
would have to draw a line between your work life and your personal life. Do
what you are supposed to do at a moment. Thus, Work when you are working; eat
when you are eating, sleep when you are sleeping, and most importantly, Study
when you are studying. Mixing your different tasks only creates distractions,
and hampers your productivity. Thus, do not mix your different aspects of life.
Now, the biggest
problem that a working professional faces is, to get some time to study. For
this, we recommend the principle used by, our old friend, Mr. Tortoise- slow
and steady wins the race. Studying 10-12 hours a day might not be a rational
decision, as it would only raise your stress level. Instead, you must try to
devote atleast 3 hours for your civil services studies. Remember, that those
three hours should be pure studying and no other consideration. In this regard,
the most important thing to remember is that, your study plan should be
consistent and without lags.
If you are able to
cultivate a habit of devoting, even 3 hours for your IAS exam preparations, on
daily basis, you would be able to cover the whole syllabus in a reasonable
time. To help you psychologically, just assume that you are doing overtime for
your job, and the remunerations for it is in the form of an investment.
Express Points:
Do not mix your
professional life and personal life. Work when you are working; and Study when
you are Studying
Try to make a
practical Plan, of how you plan to cover the syllabus and do the preparations.
Only an effective plan can help you in maintaining a balance in your work and
studies.
It is most important
to develop a habit of studying on daily basis. Do not let your preparations, to
have lags and breaks. If you study daily, you would be able to keep up with the
exam schedules.
Do not feel that not
being able to do the coaching classes would affect your performance. Instead,
you can always take the support and assistance from the online courses that
give you convenience and flexibility.
Develop a healthy
reading habit. You can learn from your job environment. Your practical
knowledge also pays in the exam. Thus, do not feel demotivated only because you
have a tight schedule and a full time job. In fact, many of the IAS toppers, in
the past years, belonged to the category of Working Professionals.
How to Study While
Working Full Time!!
One of the prime
considerations of a working professional is to decide from where to study.
Since the working people have strict time constraints, it is very important
that they do not spend their precious time in experimenting with different
source materials from the exam point of view. Thus, instead of going out for an
expedition in the market, in search of study material, follow a reliable source
for your preparations.
Also, since the
working people might not be able to enroll for IAS coachings, it is important
to remember that coachings does not ensure you success. You can succeed without
coaching easily. However, given the time limitations and other constraints, it
might be advisable to take some correspondence course from a reliable coaching.
In this regard, an
online coaching can be very handy for you. Since you are not able to go for
real coaching, you should find it convenient to study online, as it gives the
option of preparing 'on the go'. Also, you may subscribe to the online test
series to evaluate your preparations.
The Strategy for
Working Professionals
It cannot be denied
that preparations for IAS examination need an extra effort by the candidates,
who are working full-time. But, it is also true that, this does not prevent the
working candidates from clearing the IAS exam. The only thing required is a good
strategy and dedication.
Prepare your future
plans in a practical manner. If you have a plan in mind, you would be able to
cover the planned syllabus properly. Do not let your job to become an
impediment for your studies. The same principle goes the other way round. Your
studies should not hamper your work.
We understand that
many of the candidates have to work, full-time, due to some obligations. So,
keep your preparations going along with your work.
Secondly, do not
waste your time in searching different study material in the market. Instead,
spend your time in preparing for the exam, by using the help of a reliable
source. You might take help from the or any other reputed organization in this
field. Take the correspondence courses to expedite your preparations. Since the
coaching material is in concise form, and to the point format, you should find
it very convenient to study from there.
It might also be
difficult for the working candidates, to devote hours reading the newspapers.
Therefore, you might choose to prepare the current affairs portion from the
current affairs magazines and other such material in the market. See the Gist
of newspaper and magazines additionally, you might find the online courses more
convenient, as it gives you the option of accessibility on the go. Thus, we
advise the candidates to utilize the information technology to the fullest.
For the Working IT
Professionals:
Many of the aspirants
come from the IT background. The hectic schedules in the field do not give much
time for good preparations. Thus, such aspirants should focus importantly on
devoting time for the IAS preparations. The best strategy is to cultivate a
habit of reading from the college days itself. However, even if you get
motivated while working as an IT professional, you must derive some time from
your busy schedule.
You should understand
your strength that- an aspirant with a IT background has a capacity to read for
long hours, due to your experiences in college. Thus, you must exploit each and
every opportunity that comes your way. An added benefit for the IT
professionals is their comfort level with the online options, which might be
effectively utilized to aid in the preparations. You might use the online
coaching courses to aid in your preparations. Thanks to the Indian culture,
that we get so many holidays in our professional life that it might actually be
possible to get adequate time for preparing for prelims. You might choose to
study part-time with your work, when the exams are months away. However, you
would have to devote yourself completely for the prelims as and when you reach
closer to the exam date. For a plan to study click here.
For the Aspirants
Working in the Government Services-
There is a great
confusion regarding the process through which a government employee should sit
for the civil services examination. It is important for the government
personnel to first take the No Objection Certificate (NOC) from their
respective department, regarding the candidate's taking the civil services
examination. Not intimating the respective department might create problems in
the later stages. Thus, before submitting the form for the civil services
prelims, take the NOC from your respective department. Based on the internal
rules and regulation of a department, you should file the application in order
to take the IAS exam. As compared to the employees of the private sector, it is
easier for a working professional of the government sector, to prepare for the
civil services. You get many options to take a leave from your job and prepare
for your goal. Otherwise, you might prepare while working, as the workload in
the government services is relatively lesser.
For the Working
Female Candidates- there are no specific ages or any other relaxations for the
female candidates in the IAS exam, except the exemption of the entrance exam
fee that is charged for the candidates belonging to the General category
aspirants. Thus, the female aspirants shall follow the above mentioned
strategy.
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