IAS or IIMA

hi , Let me introduce myself because that is going to be relevant for your response that I am looking forward to, after reading this mail. I am in my final year at IIT Kanpur . I had an extraordinary academics till date. I got AIR 38 among 2.25…

hi ,
Let me introduce myself because that is going to be relevant for your response that I am looking forward to, after reading this mail. I am in my final year at IIT Kanpur . I had an extraordinary academics till date. I got AIR 38 among 2.25 lac candidates in IIT-JEE2001.
Now, some serious stuffs.. Of late I have been in the worst kind of dilemma about my career. 2 months back I started serious preparation for cat.. Last year I took CL mock cat 7 and got rank 10 out of 9901 candidates. I feel that getting into IIMS will not be a big problem for me.. But, as is the general trend in Bihar, I am also attracted towards IAS which according to me, is tougher than CAT
I thought of taking cat this year but now I feel that if I get into IIMs it will be a very difficult decision whether to dump it in favour of an arduous and uncertain journey towards IAS.. And if I decide in favour of IIMs, it will be almost a herculean task to motivate myself for IAS....
The age restriction for IAS is 21 to 30 years. I am still 19 and will be eligible for IAS in 2006 only and the result will come in 2007. So, it will take atleast 3 years from now to have any chance of me getting into IAS.. Serious preparation for IAS will certainly require me leaving my job for atleast 2 years.
Please, let me know your opinions as it can go a long way to shape my future.
Certainly, this has been the worst dilemma of my life as I flipped between the two 3 times :oops:

Regards,
Vikas

P.S:: All the ranks I have given is not to boast of my achievements, but to possibly give you an inside out view of my academic standing and suitablity for a career..I apologise if I sound arrogant or boastful to anyone

hi ,
Let me introduce myself because that is going to be relevant for your response that I am looking forward to, after reading this mail. I am in my final year at IIT Kanpur . I had an extraordinary academics till date. I got AIR 38 among 2.25 lac candidates in IIT-JEE2001.
Now, some serious stuffs.. Of late I have been in the worst kind of dilemma about my career. 2 months back I started serious preparation for cat.. Last year I took CL mock cat 7 and got rank 10 out of 9901 candidates. I feel that getting into IIMS will not be a big problem for me.. But, as is the general trend in Bihar, I am also attracted towards IAS which according to me, is tougher than CAT
I thought of taking cat this year but now I feel that if I get into IIMs it will be a very difficult decision whether to dump it in favour of an arduous and uncertain journey towards IAS.. And if I decide in favour of IIMs, it will be almost a herculean task to motivate myself for IAS....
The age restriction for IAS is 21 to 30 years. I am still 19 and will be eligible for IAS in 2006 only and the result will come in 2007. So, it will take atleast 3 years from now to have any chance of me getting into IAS.. Serious preparation for IAS will certainly require me leaving my job for atleast 2 years.
Please, let me know your opinions as it can go a long way to shape my future.
Certainly, this has been the worst dilemma of my life as I flipped between the two 3 times :oops:

Regards,
Vikas

P.S:: All the ranks I have given is not to boast of my achievements, but to possibly give you an inside out view of my academic standing and suitablity for a career..I apologise if I sound arrogant or boastful to anyone



well dude....instead of asking this question to the pg peepz...u shud ask urself wat to do. What does your heart tell u to do? Money or Power? Authority ? glamour? wat? Coz no matter wat we say or advice finally its totally your call.

A MBA and an IAS are contrasting careers in different domains altogether.Each career has its pros and cons.

And dude i've seen many a HERO fall in CAT. So dont get overconfident. I suggest you take CAT this year and decide when you actuallly manage to get a call from IIMA.

that was my humble $0.02
ayan.

Hi Vikas,
I think its all about who u want to be in life....not what others want u to be or what the general trend in ur home state is....
I had friends who r now in US doing their PhD ..they faced a kind of dilemma about whether to stick to acads or get into the industry with an MBA...but they weighed their aspirations and pros and cons and are happy about their decision...and others are there who chose just the opposite and are happy too..
IAS is in its own league...its something that is still regarded as the best job in India(or for that matter civil service at the highest level is regarded as the best job all over the world)...my father is into civil service so i know what power they wield..the prestige and respect they command...but not everythng is rosy....and i chose CAT instead of taking a shot at IAS inspite of my father's constant coaxing...
its all about what appeals to u..
my advice wud be that u talk to people who are into civil service for a better insight into their job profile and whether u wud like it or not..one thng is for sure they hve a very diff mindset from lesser mortals like me...they are Different to put it simple..
And the option of giving IAS even after passing out from IIMA is always there...no one can ever stop u from doing tht...there are a coule of guys i hve heard of who after paasing out from IIMC actually hve become IAS officers....
So tht optoin is always there...
given ur track record u will do good in whtever u do...just be sure of wht u WANT to do.....i hope ths helps....

Cheers,
Sandy

vikas,
sorry if i sound harsh,but u dont appear to be clear as to y u wld want to take up IAS.The fact that many biharis go for it is hardly any reason for u to follow suit.

I already apologised for people mistaking me to be arrogant or overconfident. I know what CAT is all about and have seen many iitians flunking it far often.
And please dont say that I am bihari and that's why I love IAS. Infact, I am from Jharkhand
The little experience I had in my department in particular, I realised that I wont love a situation in which I am a part of micro level work like woking on 64 bit computer architecture. Obviously, glamor, money counts .. May be because I never had an opportunity to interact with a civil servant is the reason why I have never been sure of what I want out of life... Also I feel that I am not extrovert enough and being in a fiercely competitive career of management, these small things may outweigh far often than not. You people are far lucky to know what you want in life. May be I need an experience of a year or two to fix things up :wink:

Anyway thanks for your kind response..
bye
vikas

Go for IAS if you think you have the spunk to fight the system and still come triumphant.

If you want relatively comfortable life, money and ready to dump ethics/morals at times, then MBA.

And please dont say that I am bihari and that's why I love IAS. Infact, I am from Jharkhand
bye
vikas


i dunno if ur referring to my post,but i hardly meant that.what i meant was u shd hv better and more constructive reasons for joining ias than the one u gave.

IAS ...go for it... or u could go iim and then ias which may be unlikely later... i donno but ias is more previleged and for a person with ur IQ it wont be "so" hard !

Hey Buddy.......

Go for IAS ....I can say that after going thru ur posts and by ur own admission u r not an extrovert ....and MBA would require u to interact with people a lot even while studying as well as when u hit the corporate world ...IT"S SIMPLY JUST NOT ACADEMICS...........
Neways teh final call is urs....

do let us know what u chose..

Cheers
Mohit

Lemme tell u few things about IAS first which a civil servants brother has told me

1) Any minister who is anguthha chhap insults u like hell, may transfer u at his whims and fancies

2) No performance linked promotions .. all by ass licking etc

3) No points for innovations etc .... more of crab mentality

4) salaries at age of 40 etc doesnt grow so well

Advantages

1) unlimited power, prestige u get to gell well with the upper echelons of the society

2) lotsa resources at ur disposal .. more large scale projects

3) u r a bihari nad though it is illegal u may think of some gr8 dowry (if so u suc . but it si a consideration for many)

4) huge opportunities for under the table money


well tis view is mine
and a brother of an IAS officer who advised me against it

and i agree CAT is more of aptitude test whereas IAS needs more hardwork and efforts so in tht sense is tougher

regds
nirav

PS
i have been working only for a year and yes good acads is an advantage .. but ppl do get dissillusioned while working coz except in R&D; sections most places u do std work where not much intelligence is reqrd

Hi Vikas,
The type of dillemma u r is regular among those who are able to work hard and aspire to achieve the best....
In my view:
1)IAS requires lots of time and patience,in terms of social prestige and power it's the best.But again...u shld be able to devote 3-4 yrs for AS preparations.

2)As far as the CAT is concerned...Lots of my batchmates thk its better to opt for GMAT and it's better.There is ongoing discussion in the Forum on the relevence of GMAT vs CAT.

In the end wht I am able to judge is u r on the crossraods,and u r also willing to work hard and prove urself in whatever field u get.So u hv following three option which may make ur life easier.

1) Why don't u give GMAT while u r in IIT get a decent score "which is valid for next 4 yrs":I m sure IIT alumini will provide u will 4 yrs work Ex. and Reco.
After this go and prepare for IAS.

2)
To be Factual:
IAS does hv Management and most of Engg: CORE subjects as its option.So u can aways choose them and appear in AS even while u r in IIM.But I hope tht u r already are aware of tht.

3)The simplest and most practical option in my view is:
Take a job in any of the PSU where u hv lots of time to study and keep studying for IAS-when u get into a serious frame of mind then u can always chuck up and resign the psu job,bcoz nowadays it's too risky to go for any competitive exam without a rock solid BackUp.After 7-8 yrs u will either clear the AS or Not.In those circumstance u can again go for ISB or that sort of thing for MBA( 😁 and vikas don't see things in one Direction ,.if u can go for IAS after doing MBA,U can also go for IIM after doing an IAS...and they will be more than willing to take u in.)

Last but not the least:Don't take a yr drop and prepare for any thing,It's my own exp tht good acads and good performance in Job don't go hand in hand.So First of all ,opt for Work Ex. and go For PSU.Tht way u will hv all the options open all the time and won't be under any pressure.

Take Care.
and of course Best Of luck/

Hey Buddy.......

Go for IAS ....I can say that after going thru ur posts and by ur own admission u r not an extrovert ....and MBA would require u to interact with people a lot even while studying as well as when u hit the corporate world ...IT"S SIMPLY JUST NOT ACADEMICS...........
Neways teh final call is urs....

do let us know what u chose..

Cheers
Mohit


mohit

i hv got a different view on this.I don think the corporate world is as bad or as competetive as it is made out to be,ie,a dog eat dog world.Vikas,ur fears are either highly misplaced or highly exaggerated.I work in an office where there are many ppl from the iims and other top business schools.I find them to be normal personalities-not all are extroverts,they are not great communicators but they seem to be doing alright.
My hunch is,this wld be the situ in a majority of the work places.It is the intellectual stuff that u hv,and more importantly,how much hard work u r willing to put in,that wld matter.Not ur personality.
Maybe,at the top management level,those issues wld be critical.But let me assure you,nothing sops u from having a comfortable and reasonably successful career.BTW,how did u find the atmosphere at IIT.these are the same ppl u wld find at the work place.If u can go along with them at college,u can work with them at the office too.

Oh How could I miss this discussion?! IITJEE 38 -- darling some bolt from the blue apart, you will never have a problem cracking either of the two exams!! I know people who have cracked IAS , with a similar JEE rank that u have, in 6 months time! At most 1 year. BUT...CHILL...U need luck, lots ...much more than CAT to make it to IAS....I also know top tenners of JEE flunking IAS not once but 3 years in a row...and with maths and physics atthat , uh!? :shock:

There are at least a few hundred if not more people in IAS who joined after IIMs...some have been toppers of IIM. Of late ,however there are a dozen or so of IAS off who resigned to join pvt sector after doing MBA, some have got to Harvard and more, many more just left for the corporate without the study leave. There are the likes of Mehta - CEO of Shell India- and yes many Maruti/IOL guys who left the civil service.

Personally ,at 19 u should do the MBA from IIMA (u will find many of ur des/ jharkhand or bihar there )- get to Consult MNC biggies - the pay package is more and more seen as a stamp of sucess today. Perhaps IAS is still better in the parameters such as 'worldview' than many 'employee' oriented Indian jobs , but then no match for money is any govt service. One officer Rajkamal - a bihari -of IITB, IAS94 left sevice after ISB2003 for Mckinsey. 😃

and if u evaluate the scene- u must take into account the reservation factor in civil services exam. By sheer nos, the probability of anyone making to IIMA is higher than getting into any decent civil service let alone IAS!

And who knows u may leave any biggie MNC after 20 years , join politics and be a minister It is visible these days..

pm me for more!
.................a deemed hari!

hi ,
Let me introduce myself because that is going to be relevant for your response that I am looking forward to, after reading this mail. I am in my final year at IIT Kanpur . I had an extraordinary academics till date. I got AIR 38 among 2.25 lac candidates in IIT-JEE2001.
Now, some serious stuffs.. Of late I have been in the worst kind of dilemma about my career. 2 months back I started serious preparation for cat.. Last year I took CL mock cat 7 and got rank 10 out of 9901 candidates. I feel that getting into IIMS will not be a big problem for me.. But, as is the general trend in Bihar, I am also attracted towards IAS which according to me, is tougher than CAT
I thought of taking cat this year but now I feel that if I get into IIMs it will be a very difficult decision whether to dump it in favour of an arduous and uncertain journey towards IAS.. And if I decide in favour of IIMs, it will be almost a herculean task to motivate myself for IAS....
The age restriction for IAS is 21 to 30 years. I am still 19 and will be eligible for IAS in 2006 only and the result will come in 2007. So, it will take atleast 3 years from now to have any chance of me getting into IAS.. Serious preparation for IAS will certainly require me leaving my job for atleast 2 years.
Please, let me know your opinions as it can go a long way to shape my future.
Certainly, this has been the worst dilemma of my life as I flipped between the two 3 times :oops:

Regards,
Vikas

P.S:: All the ranks I have given is not to boast of my achievements, but to possibly give you an inside out view of my academic standing and suitablity for a career..I apologise if I sound arrogant or boastful to anyone






Well, Vikas , the dilemma u r facing is very common .... the only thng i wd suggest u is dont do anythng simply because others r doing that ... ask urself , what u want ur life to be ... many ppl in this world know , what they want but dont ve the capablity to acheive it........ and again there r ppl who r capable of acheiving anythng , but they dont know what they want out of their life ... u lie in the 2nd category ...
getting JEE 38 is no joke ... and u shdn't ask sorry for mentioning it .... u ve the stuff & the wld should know it...

sahil ( a bihari & an ex-iitian )

vikas,
First dont be overconfident.
and it is clear that u dont have any thing clear in your mind.u jus wanno go for IAS because it is a trend in bihar.just think what justice u can do to your job as a civil servant with this kind of attitude.go for IAS only if u have public service in mind and not undertable money.thinking of under table money and going for IAS actually sets a bad example.
And u seem to be too over confident on ur IIMA chances.dont do that.
If u already had ias or iim in mind then why did u go for an iit.what is the justice u r making to the money spent on you by tax payers to make u a technical expert and serve the country have a long time for PG,think cooly and then decide.for the moment u look so confused.who knows what will happen in future--u may not even clear your IIT-Kanpur

hey dude...i m answering to u although i think the same things wud hav been said by my PG pals.,

do u have the thing called ur own choioce ur own wish..wat u want to do.
do u want to do IAS for more power or MBA for money if these are then only reason for doing things then i dont have much to say but if not then make ur decision on the basis of ur own wish...wat u really think u wanna do all ur life sitting on a seat of power or wanna have more freedom and entrepreneurship as a career both are gud options now its on u.
ill never go to services coz i dont want to be useless person spending half his life on bribes and incompetece..coz i want somrthing more challenging.

u shud define ur own priority .......

wishing u a gr8 career ahead.....
ASIF

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