This
is me, Soha. After a gap of 3 whole months, I’m *finally* here to share my
experience with you guys. A typical Government Job Aspirant’s not-so-typical
story. So here it goes –
I’ve completed my Graduation in 2014, as an English Major. Up until that point,
I didn’t have any such clear ideas about WHAT I was going to do next. I had
done an internship as an Office Assistant during the gap b/w my 2nd and
3rd year of my College Life, so I knew that whatever I choose,
it won’t be a Private Job. Here comes the Government Job scenario. My mother
takes the initiative to put me into a renowned Coaching Centre, where they
guide you about how to prepare for this sector. As the place was near about 6
hours away from our home and there were classes almost on every alternative day
plus different kinds of tests scheduled during the whole course, so I had to
stay close the Centre.
The preparation continued accordingly, used to do pretty well in all of those
tests. So I decided to sit for the real ones. My first Government Exam was IB
ACIO-II, in 2015 (Mid February I as far as I remember). And the streak of
examination starts:
1. IB ACIO-II (Didn’t clear)
2. SBI PRELI (Didn’t clear)
3. UIICL ASSISTANT (Didn’t Clear)
4. RRB PO (Didn’t Clear)
5. RRB CLERK (Selected for Interview)
6. CGL TIER-I (Cleared with a very small margin)
7. IBPS PO PRELI (Didn’t Clear)
8. CGL TIER-II (Didn’t Clear)
9. CHSL TIER-I (Didn’t Clear)
10. IBPS CLERK PRELI (Cleared)
These are the exams I sat for, in 2015.
Here I would like to say one thing, that is, although I did know WHAT I wanted
to do (I wanted a ‘government job’), I still didn’t know HOW.
And, THAT IS WHAT WAS WRONG WITH ME.
I didn’t think through. All I had was this vague idea about Job Security of
‘any-kind-of-government-job’. I didn’t know about the work profile of the posts
I was applying for, all I knew was that those were GOVERNMENT JOBS.
LESSON LEARNED:
Here’s what happens when you don’t CLEARLY know what you are signing up for.
All you feel is the anticipation, anxiety, pressure to clear the exam, fear of
not clearing the exam.
On the contrary, when you DO KNOW every aspect of the post/the exam you’re
gonna sit for, you feel that zest that *what if* I clear this exam?
I’ll be an Income Tax Officer
I’ll be a Banker
I’ll be . . .
You imagine yourself there.
You start to associate yourself with that specific post.
And, when you do that, all the little obstacles that you face during the exam,
DON’T FREAK YOU OUT. Because then you know, YOU ARE SIGNING UP FOR SOMETHING
MUCH MUCH MUCH BIGGER THAN THIS EXAM.
When you can think beyond the exam yet focus on the exam with a peaceful
mind, trust me, you’ll clear the exam with ease. Speaking from
personal experience.
Now, coming back to the story, after clearing the CGL Tier I and appearing for
the RRB Clerk Interview I did a thorough research about the exams I sat for,
the exams I was going to take eventually, and I realized that I would be more
comfortable as a Banker.
IBPS Clerk Preli was around the corner, and I was determined that I would clear
it. After the Preli, I regularly solved Quant-Reasoning-English, but GK was
something I DESPISED. I simply didn’t know where to start from and where to
end. It was exhausting! Whenever I tried to study gk I ended up solving maths
or puzzles. In the Mains, I attempted 162 and was pretty happy with my
accuracy. I was almost positive that I would clear it (Interview was still VERY
MUCH THERE until then) and decided to come back home (Mostly because by then I
had realized that Self-study was more convenient for me). But as luck would
have it, on April 1st, My marks were 3 marks short of the cut-off. In
my state, the cutoff was 152 and I got 149.
Meanwhile, I sat for LIC AAO, UIIC AO, Couldn’t clear.
About this time my confidence got somehow shaken, as it was almost 2 years
after Graduation (Mid 2014 to Mid 2016) and my best friend who was also my
roomie, got selected as a Clerk. As much as I was happy for her, I couldn’t help
feeling bad for myself. This affected my SBI CLERK Mains exam too.
Next, comes SBI PO. I cleared the Preli, barely.
That’s when it struck me. Was I REALLY giving my 100% as I had been claiming so
far?
MISCONCEPTIONS :
1. I used to think practice would be more than sufficient.
2. If I manage to score well in other sections then barely clearing the cut-off
in GK would ‘be sufficient.
LESSONS LEARNED:
1. NO MATTER HOW GOOD YOU ARE, IF YOU DON’T TAKE TIME BOUND MOCK TESTS,
PEOPLE WHO ARE OPTING FOR THOSE WILL CERTAINLY HAVE AN EDGE OVER YOU. (PERSONAL
EXPERIENCE, EXCEPTIONS MAY BE THERE). Before brooding over the
quality-content-level of the Mocks, REVIEW YOUR MISTAKES with
utmost sincerity.
2. AS DADA ALWAYS SAYS, GK & COMPUTER –> LIFE-SAVERS
HANDSDOWN!
Here I would like to tell you another fact as well, please bear with me.
People often ask me nowadays, that is it possible to get a govt job if my
Quant is not so good? English is not strong? If I’m from Arts stream?
3. YES. It’s possible.
Here’s why.
They don’t want us to be research scholars in those subjects. They CAN’T AFFORD
TO! 😛
What do they want then?
Well, my perception is that, they want someone *willing enough* to get
out of their comfort zone (Read your favorite subject) and acquaint
themselves to whatever is necessary to get the WORK DONE.
Don’t believe me? Okay.
What is the eligibility criteria of the most basic government exams?
Plain and simple Graduation in any stream, right?
So people from Arts, Commerce, Science, Engineering are equally welcome only if
they are *flexible* enough to accept the fact that even after excelling in
their respective streams, everyone is more or less equal when they come to this
sector.
Very few people are there, who are EQUALLY good in all the subjects. So what
you have to do is work for it. REALLY WORK FOR IT!
After I figured this out, I started pursuing myself to like GK. Mentors
helped me so much to accomplish this gigantic task 😛
1. Dixitey’s suggestion was Music. (Very effective)
2. For Static I used color pencils to mark Maps. (Playful)
3. Post-Its!
4. Apps
5. Daily quizzes
6. ATM page pe bhi thode bohot charche ho jaate the 😛 (‘Twas fun!)
YOU CAN TRY THESE METHODS WITH ANY OTHER SUBJECTS AS WELL.
I used to try everything to keep is as interesting as
possible.
After SBI PO, there was –
1. RRB PO (Didn’t Clear)
2. RRB CLERK (Bangiya Grameen Vikas Bank)
3. IBPS PO (Vijaya Bank)
4. IBPS CLERK (Allahabad Bank)
There are a few more things that I would like to share with you.
1. I would suggest you all, that try your best to not take failures
personally. That delays your success quite a bit. Learn from those,
but don’t linger on those.
2. People who keeps saying “these exams are tough”, “not ‘everyone’ can crack
those”, “it’s been 2/3/4/5 years, what have you been doing?” “ab taq nahi hua
toh hoga bhi nahi” – Don’t pay heed to them. I repeat DO NOT LISTEN TO
THEM. (Even if they are your parents). If your conscience is clear that you
are doing everything possible, you’re giving your best, if you can see that
there is *some* progress, maybe not much, but some, then hold on. The
last part is the hardest! (Ref: Marathon, the body tries to give up but the
Mind is what keeps them going.)
So, if needed, MAINTAIN A DISTANCE FROM THESE KIND OF PEOPLE. They deviate you
from your focus.
3. Chalk out you Strengths and Weaknesses. Very important it is.
Try to overcome your weaknesses, simultaneously don’t forget to shun
your strengths also.
4. Don’t fall into ‘Ego-traps’. Yes that’s what I call those
questions which seem relatively easy and lucrative in the exam-hall but ends up
taking a whole lot of time! Even after solving, you can’t be sure of the
answers sometimes.
You need to acquire marks, not *that particular mark* for which you are losing
a few more maybe. Get my point?
If you can’t solve it in one go, leave it. If you’re not sure about it, leave
it.
You can review it later. (Use that Mark for review option, it’s there for a
reason.)
5. Read stories, news, articles, blogs – whatever interests
you. ONSCREEN. Preferrably in English. Many benefits are there. First your eyes
get adjusted when you maintain a habit of reading onscreen, and the other
is speed. You learn to grasp concepts faster. Third,
Grammar, sometimes you don’t even notice it on a conscious level, but when
you read something erroneous, your mind signals you that *something is off*.
regarding the fact that the pattern of English has changed the most.
6. Acknowledge your little accomplishments. It’s very important.
We tend to focus on the failures, that *ultimately* I didn’t get the job.
Yeah well! You didn’t.
But did you notice, you cleared the Preli with ease?
Did you notice that you almost got fullmarks in English?
Or the fact that, you much despised GK brought you 30 out of 40 instead of just
barely clearing the cutoff?
You should. You better.
Because these things will give you that extra boost that all these talks
couldn’t! 😛
I think I actually need to say it loud that I couldn’t have come this far if it hadn’t been you guys, with me, keeping faith in me, whenever mine faltered even for a second (Specially you Dada). .
So thank you 🙂
Thank you for being there for me everyone!
I hope from now on I can keep doing whatever little part I am entitled to for this beautiful place where the aspirants ACTUALLY CARE FOR EACH OTHER.
Fighter Sis, Bahubali, Thakur Saab, Chitrarth Dixit Jee, Ruchi Sis, Sha2nk, it’s been a privilege knowing you all O:)
Signing off,
Soha 🙂
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