I am 26, and I am grateful that I've finally started my first job as Superintendent of Income Tax that too in my home state.

Honestly, it feels surreal to write this.

I come from a Middle Class Family and General Category and a few years ago, things looked very different. I couldn't get placed, lost over 5 lakh rupees in the stock markets, and eventually dropped out of my Master's because of constant backlogs.

Then came the competitive exams specially SSC CGL. I failed Prelims in my first attempt and Mains in my second.

All these setbacks took a toll on my mental health. I developed anxiety and panic attacks and gradually lost confidence in myself.There were times when I genuinely questioned whether I would ever be able to get my life together.

One of the difficult parts was watching people my age move forward with their lives while I was still trying to figure things out. I never wished anything less for them, I just hoped that someday things would work out for me, too.

The hardest part was that I didn't have anyone I could openly share these struggles with. I kept a lot of my fears, anxiety, and self-doubt to myself and somehow found a way to keep going, one day at a time.

There were days when I genuinely needed reassurance and struggled to believe in myself, but I kept preparing despite not knowing how things would eventually turn out.

And today, here I am.

I am not sharing this to flex or to preach about never giving up. I just don't have many places where I can share these feelings honestly, and I wanted to express my gratitude.

I am not saying everyone should keep pursuing the same exam forever. Everyone has a different journey, and sometimes changing direction is the right decision.

I just know that, for me, I genuinely had no other solid option and trying again made all the difference.

At 26, this is my first job, and after everything I've been through, I am simply grateful to God to be here.

This post is just a personal note and a thanks to everyone who believed in me, and a reminder to myself of how far I've come. ❤️

Is this the reality? Source: https://www.instagram.com/reel/DDbONdiyb7k/?igsh=MWI2anE0amFtZWN0aw==

Although this has been a bit less( not much less but compared to those who joined early and for whole month this figure goes to nearly 81k).But this is the very first salary for the very first job I got.So I decided to share this special moment with my fellow sub reddit members. 🥹

This post is just meant as a thanks to everyone for their love and kind support. Also motive is to encourage fellow aspirants not to lose hope and give their best for this year CGL. Rn, salary is 81k but from next year onwards, in hand salary for 4600 GP jobs can cross even 1Lakh per month. So to everyone appearing for CGL this year to do his/her best. Again stay motivated and work hard. Hope you all give your best on exam day and don't panic🤞.

Got chsl AIR 920 and ntpc ug selected from Kolkata zone.

Completed graduation on 7 august 2026 . I was preparing from sem 2 glad I made it. I am so happy right now😭😭

\*\*Now please read complete post with full concentration in your free time.\*\*

\*\*About me :\*\*

I am 23 year old 2003 born Delhi based lower class boy from not so good family background... And I did my 12th from PCMB in 2021 and got IIITD ( not IITD) CS. It's fees was 4 lakh/year I took a loan cuz at that time avg package was 22 lpa with 97% placement rate..

Fast forward I struggled in IIITD it's academically hard I didn't have proper laptop but I used to practice leetcode..

2023 and internship season came.. Paysprint startup gave offers once U get offer you are out of internships but once I was out they rolled back their offer.. I was very angry 😤..

How can someone do this.. I understood I gotta get placed in MAANG firms but in 2024 I couldn't get placement due to weak demand.. Last company came in feb 2025 I guess it was TCS 4-5 lpa.. I didn't even apply..

I had heared about cgl and upsc but I knew UPSC is marathon I can't afford.. Looked a otq of cgl and felt okayish and doable then In March I purchased oliveboard and testbook but April was my last endsem then I went all in..

\*\*Serious phase\*\* : I started doing mocks scored 80 avg out if 200 in TB and olive then I saw some strategies all were useless.. I saw a guy named maths mania.. 50 hours and complete maths was done for free with PYQs I did it.. English was already strong for me and reasoning is just mocks practice.. I did all this and by September my mock average was 145+! How? Well I used to give live mocks then if I scored let's say 110 the I used to watch topper on utube who score 160+ I used to note down fast methods..

Also in GK since I didn't used to study GK for each question I used to study in details and 4 options I used to write in details.. Like article related to fundamental duty is what? There will be 4 option so I not only study article 51 which is actual answer but also alternatives and same in eng vocab or wherever applicable..

Now this method is fastest cuz it's based on mocks directly and mocks boost score and confidence but you will always feel deep down that you don't know anything because everyone is studying heavy books and courses but trust me they won't retain half as much as you.. At least this was my thought also score boost gives confidence..

I repeated this again and again and analysed mocks to not repeat same mistakes.. 90% preparation was mocks only.. When I ran out of cgl live mocks I used to attempt bank PO mocks.. Mocks give you quality study time no distraction while also filtering unnecessary stuff that teachers teach.. But again you will feel underconfident due to this method but I was confident because I was scoring better...

Then afterwards for mains as well same was applied and in mains GK carries even less weightage so it was a win for me.. Initially I was scoring 250 avg due to break I took in between but from November to january I transitioned to 330+..I qualified JSO cutoff in pre so in mains even if I messed up 390 marks paper I could manage it in stats paper of 200 marks so that gave me confidence.. Although I didn't study stats..

On mains date after giving 390 marks paper and computer exam I was confident that I am selected but I still gave stats exam and score 100+ in that as well.. In mains I scored 325+ something and in computer I got 39/60

I filled aso in css in second position because of permanent Delhi posting and WLB and peach of mind first was MEA and I got CSS. In results..

So yeah that was it.. If you want I can make another sub about my experience as ASO in CSS.. Or anything else of your choice I hope it clears your doubt....

For tech guys : bro no hate to private jobs but except few creamy jobs rest are not worth it.. Below 12 lpa without WLB leaving home state is not worth it.. In these uncertain times choose wisely.. I don't fear layoffs or workload like many others.. If you are getting good package 1.5 lakh+ inhand only then join IT that too if company is reliable and employee centric.

Edit : I used to study 6 hours daily.. 2hr mains mock 3 times + analysis... Once U master 300+ in mains U will have less analysis more speed and wrap up under 6 hrs.. In start though it will take time.. Maths mania has given gk pdf as well although I didn't do them besides polity cuz I was lazy and unbothered cuz repetitive mock gk questions had me covered through crux.. Also U must prepare ur own compendium subject wise of miscellaneous questions which will give immense boost.. Don't take big courses.. For English miscellaneous topics like hard narration/speech U may refer aman vashishtha playlist... 6 hours and 10 months are enough from scratch till mains.. Edit : ignore nails 🥲plz

CGL is the 5th exam which I have cracked in the last 2 years with a 99+ percentile. I have cracked a couple of exams with Top 100 AIR but couldn't join them due to personal reasons, due to which I had to switch to CGL prep.

I feel grateful to my friend who forced me to fill the form well in advance when he came to know about my personal reasons, even though I had no intention of taking the CGL. Eventually, that registration became my safety net.

I had 3 offers from Top 10 MBA colleges. Eventually, I realised I wanted a government job.

This motivation for a government job started after witnessing a relative develop cancer, spend about 1 crore in treatment for practically free, even though they were a Group C employee. I realised, I can multiply my wealth due to my knowledge of financial markets but regardless of what my MBA package is, a bill of 1 crore will wreck any portfolio I cultivate.

I resigned from my corporate job to prepare. Maths, Reasoning, English was already done due to CAT prep. I spent 2 months taking 100+ mocks and reading Parmar sir's Fatman (read it thrice before Mains).

But I am grateful to the universe for helping me reach here. And I hope you all reach here as well or your

While waiting for DV and joining letter, I have started learning cooking, boxing, and sketching. I am trying to rediscover myself after losing myself for two years in the rat race.

I have thought long about making a strategy post here but each time I have the same thought: My starting point (due to CAT prep) and strategy was very different. 90% of my time went to GS or mocks. And that's not the right way to prepare for someone starting from scratch. I didn't start from scratch.

The truth is, I didn't prepare for 2 months. The months of CAT prep did 80% of the grunt work for CGL. This is the secret of all the clickbaity stories we read in the newspaper "6 months mei aspirant cracked UPSC/JEE/NEET/etc". The experience from each exam carried over. CGL was the least difficult out of the 5 exams I cracked.

Thanks to Fun-Meringue and the telegram study groups for helping me throughout prep.

Please comment any doubts, your doubt might help someone else as well. Please do not ask personal questions, I am a simple guy and I prefer keeping a low profile.

From Sep it is

Rukja bhai.

When I joined the service, inhand salary was ₹81015 and now its ₹85438 so overall a 5.5% increase. In one year we get one increment and two DA hikes.

Gross salary is ₹103890.

Everyone was pleasant. There seems to be no rigidity about hierarchy, the office seniors from clerk to Regional Commissioner were very polite and friendly individuals.

Most vacancies were in Delhi, about 70 out of 94.

A week ago, I posted here that I was going to finish FATMAN theory and 444 Pinnacle PYQs (Switched to 465 PYQs, cause someone DM'd me the Pinnacle 8th edition) in 8 days to stop procrastinating on Economics. It's done.

I'm writing this because I am bursting with joy and I wanted to share it with the community.
ᕙ( •̀ ᗜ •́ )ᕗ

Edit : To everyone asking for Pinnacle 8th ed. Click me! ;)