If you don't succeed the first time, try, try and try again......
K Jayaganesh's story is similar. He failed the civil service examination six times but never lost heart. The seventh time -- his last chance -- he passed with a rank of 156 and has been selected for the Indian Administrative Service.
Jayaganesh's story is inspiring, not because he did not lose heart but also because he comes from a very poor background in a village in Tamil Nadu, and though he studied to be an engineer, he worked at odd jobs, even as a waiter for a short while, to realise his dream of becoming an IAS officer.
Read on for Jayaganesh's inspiring achievement, in his own words:
Childhood in a remote village:
I was born and brought up in a small village called Vinavamangalam in Vellore district. My father Krishnan, who had studied up to the tenth standard, worked as a supervisor in a leather factory. My mother was a housewife. I am the eldest in the family and have two sisters and a brother. I studied up to the 8th standard in the village school and completed my schooling in a nearby town.
I was quite good at studies and always stood first. Coming from a poor family, I had only one ambition in life -- to get a job as fast as I could and help my father in running the family. My father got Rs 4,500 as salary and he had to take care of the education of four children and run the family, which you know is very difficult.
So, after my 10th standard, I joined a polytechnic college because I was told I would get a job the moment I passed out from there. When I passed out with 91 per cent, there was a chance for me to get entry to a government engineering college on merit. So I decided to join the Thanthai Periyar Government Engineering College to study mechanical engineering. My father supported my desire to study further.
Even while doing engineering, my ambition was still to get a job. If you look at my background, you will understand why I didn't have any big ambitions. I understood the importance of education because of my parents. My father was the only one in his family to have completed school, so he knew the value of education. My parents saw to it that we children studied well.
In search of a job:
Four days after I completed my engineering in 2000, I went to Bangalore in search of a job and I got one without much difficulty. My salary was Rs 2,500 at a company that reconditioned tools.
It was in Bangalore that I started thinking about my village and my friends. I wondered sadly why none of them studied and worked in good companies. There was no one in my village to guide the young generation.
I thought would I be able to help my villagers in any way? At that moment, I decided that I wanted to be an IAS officer.
I resigned and went home to prepare for the examination. I never thought resigning was risky because I had the confidence and knew I would do well. My father also supported me wholeheartedly.
Failed attempts:
In my first two attempts, I could not even clear the preliminary examination. I had no idea how to prepare for the exam, what subjects to opt for and how to study. There was nobody to guide me.
I had taken mechanical engineering as my main subject. That's when I met Uma Surya in Vellore. He was also preparing for the examination. He told me that if I took sociology as an option, it would be easy.
Even with sociology as the main subject, I failed in the third attempt. But I was not disappointed. I knew why I was failing. I didn't have proper guidance. I started reading newspapers only after I started preparing for the examination! So you can imagine from what kind of background I came from.
To Chennai for coaching:
When I came to know about the government coaching centre (external link) in Chennai, I wrote the entrance examination and was selected. We were given accommodation and training.
Because I got tips from those who passed out, I passed the preliminary in my fourth attempt. We were given free accommodation and food only till we wrote the main examination. After that, we had to move out. I didn't want to go back to the village but staying in Chennai also was expensive.
I tried to get a job as an engineer but my efforts turned futile. I then decided to look for a part time job so that I would have time to study.
Working as a waiter in Chennai:
I got a job as a billing clerk for computer billing in the canteen at Sathyam Cinemas in Chennai. I also worked as the server during the interval. It never bothered me that I, a mechanical engineer, preparing for the civil services, had to work as a server. I had only one aim -- to stay on in Chennai to pass the examination.
Attending the interview in Delhi:
After I got the job at the Sathyam Cinemas, I was called for the interview. As counselling was my hobby, a lot of questions were asked about counselling. I was not very fluent in English but I managed to convey whatever I wanted to. Perhaps I did not articulate well. I failed in the interview.
Preliminary again, the 5th time:
Once again, I started from the beginning. Surprisingly, I failed in the preliminary itself. On analysis, I felt I did not concentrate on studies as I was working at Sathyam Cinemas.
I quit the job and joined a private firm to teach sociology to those preparing for the UPSC examinations. While I learnt the other subjects there, I taught sociology. Many friends of mine in Chennai helped me both financially and otherwise while I prepared for the examination.
Sixth attempt:
I passed both the preliminary and the main in the sixth attempt but failed at the interview stage.
So, I decided not to join and started preparing for one last time. I had only one dream for the last seven years and that was to be an IAS officer.
Last attempt:
I had to give the last preliminary just a few days after the previous interview. I was confused and scared. Finally, I decided to take the last chance and write the examination. Like I had hoped, I passed both the preliminary and the main
Finally, when the results came, I couldn't believe myself. I had secured the 156th rank out of more than 700 selected candidates. It's a top rank and I am sure to get into the IAS.
I felt like I had won a war that had been going on for many years.
What I want to do:
I worked really hard without losing faith in myself to realise my dream. My real work starts now.. serving People !
Editor's note: What we learn from Jayaganesh
1) Not to lose hope- After failing five times he still sat for the exam the sixth time.
2) Tremendous self belief- Any ordinary person would have grabbed the chance to become become the IB offcier after the 5th attempt but Jayaganesh wanted to be a civil servant.
3) Passion- Jayaganesh did not hesitate to work as a waiter inspie of being a mech. engineer in his quest for the final goal.
From India, Madras
4K Jayaganesh's story is similar. He failed the civil service examination six times but never lost heart. The seventh time -- his last chance -- he passed with a rank of 156 and has been selected for the Indian Administrative Service.
Jayaganesh's story is inspiring, not because he did not lose heart but also because he comes from a very poor background in a village in Tamil Nadu, and though he studied to be an engineer, he worked at odd jobs, even as a waiter for a short while, to realise his dream of becoming an IAS officer.
Read on for Jayaganesh's inspiring achievement, in his own words:
Childhood in a remote village:
I was born and brought up in a small village called Vinavamangalam in Vellore district. My father Krishnan, who had studied up to the tenth standard, worked as a supervisor in a leather factory. My mother was a housewife. I am the eldest in the family and have two sisters and a brother. I studied up to the 8th standard in the village school and completed my schooling in a nearby town.
I was quite good at studies and always stood first. Coming from a poor family, I had only one ambition in life -- to get a job as fast as I could and help my father in running the family. My father got Rs 4,500 as salary and he had to take care of the education of four children and run the family, which you know is very difficult.
So, after my 10th standard, I joined a polytechnic college because I was told I would get a job the moment I passed out from there. When I passed out with 91 per cent, there was a chance for me to get entry to a government engineering college on merit. So I decided to join the Thanthai Periyar Government Engineering College to study mechanical engineering. My father supported my desire to study further.
Even while doing engineering, my ambition was still to get a job. If you look at my background, you will understand why I didn't have any big ambitions. I understood the importance of education because of my parents. My father was the only one in his family to have completed school, so he knew the value of education. My parents saw to it that we children studied well.
In search of a job:
Four days after I completed my engineering in 2000, I went to Bangalore in search of a job and I got one without much difficulty. My salary was Rs 2,500 at a company that reconditioned tools.
It was in Bangalore that I started thinking about my village and my friends. I wondered sadly why none of them studied and worked in good companies. There was no one in my village to guide the young generation.
I thought would I be able to help my villagers in any way? At that moment, I decided that I wanted to be an IAS officer.
I resigned and went home to prepare for the examination. I never thought resigning was risky because I had the confidence and knew I would do well. My father also supported me wholeheartedly.
Failed attempts:
In my first two attempts, I could not even clear the preliminary examination. I had no idea how to prepare for the exam, what subjects to opt for and how to study. There was nobody to guide me.
I had taken mechanical engineering as my main subject. That's when I met Uma Surya in Vellore. He was also preparing for the examination. He told me that if I took sociology as an option, it would be easy.
Even with sociology as the main subject, I failed in the third attempt. But I was not disappointed. I knew why I was failing. I didn't have proper guidance. I started reading newspapers only after I started preparing for the examination! So you can imagine from what kind of background I came from.
To Chennai for coaching:
When I came to know about the government coaching centre (external link) in Chennai, I wrote the entrance examination and was selected. We were given accommodation and training.
Because I got tips from those who passed out, I passed the preliminary in my fourth attempt. We were given free accommodation and food only till we wrote the main examination. After that, we had to move out. I didn't want to go back to the village but staying in Chennai also was expensive.
I tried to get a job as an engineer but my efforts turned futile. I then decided to look for a part time job so that I would have time to study.
Working as a waiter in Chennai:
I got a job as a billing clerk for computer billing in the canteen at Sathyam Cinemas in Chennai. I also worked as the server during the interval. It never bothered me that I, a mechanical engineer, preparing for the civil services, had to work as a server. I had only one aim -- to stay on in Chennai to pass the examination.
Attending the interview in Delhi:
After I got the job at the Sathyam Cinemas, I was called for the interview. As counselling was my hobby, a lot of questions were asked about counselling. I was not very fluent in English but I managed to convey whatever I wanted to. Perhaps I did not articulate well. I failed in the interview.
Preliminary again, the 5th time:
Once again, I started from the beginning. Surprisingly, I failed in the preliminary itself. On analysis, I felt I did not concentrate on studies as I was working at Sathyam Cinemas.
I quit the job and joined a private firm to teach sociology to those preparing for the UPSC examinations. While I learnt the other subjects there, I taught sociology. Many friends of mine in Chennai helped me both financially and otherwise while I prepared for the examination.
Sixth attempt:
I passed both the preliminary and the main in the sixth attempt but failed at the interview stage.
So, I decided not to join and started preparing for one last time. I had only one dream for the last seven years and that was to be an IAS officer.
Last attempt:
I had to give the last preliminary just a few days after the previous interview. I was confused and scared. Finally, I decided to take the last chance and write the examination. Like I had hoped, I passed both the preliminary and the main
Finally, when the results came, I couldn't believe myself. I had secured the 156th rank out of more than 700 selected candidates. It's a top rank and I am sure to get into the IAS.
I felt like I had won a war that had been going on for many years.
What I want to do:
I worked really hard without losing faith in myself to realise my dream. My real work starts now.. serving People !
Editor's note: What we learn from Jayaganesh
1) Not to lose hope- After failing five times he still sat for the exam the sixth time.
2) Tremendous self belief- Any ordinary person would have grabbed the chance to become become the IB offcier after the 5th attempt but Jayaganesh wanted to be a civil servant.
3) Passion- Jayaganesh did not hesitate to work as a waiter inspie of being a mech. engineer in his quest for the final goal.
From India, Madras
it was really heart touching.. it is very useful to people who have less confidence within themselves.. it would be an boosting medicine for all those kind of people... anyways thanks for sharing
From India, Madras
From India, Madras
Hi Hima... Thanks for post. Tremendous amount of perseverance and his passion to his goal have helped Jayaganesh to succeed...
Yes, despite good talents thousands of aspirants don't get into the desired line just because of lack of guidance. Especially those who come from smaller towns and villages. We come across lot of coaching schools flocking only cities, but hardly anything in smaller towns.
At least through net these kind of guidance should be available for these aspirants at large, which can reach even the remotest village in India. Its a wishful thinking....
Regards,
Sowmini.
From India, Madras
Yes, despite good talents thousands of aspirants don't get into the desired line just because of lack of guidance. Especially those who come from smaller towns and villages. We come across lot of coaching schools flocking only cities, but hardly anything in smaller towns.
At least through net these kind of guidance should be available for these aspirants at large, which can reach even the remotest village in India. Its a wishful thinking....
Regards,
Sowmini.
From India, Madras
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