When the UPSC Civil Services results came out last year, somebody apparently commented that if Sundar Pichai had cleared the exam, he would today be the collector of Greater Noida.
So is Civil Services the right choice? Or is it Google, Microsoft, et al.?
To think about this, here is the question to ask: Would you put your money in a fixed deposit or in the stock market?
Civil Services is like a fixed deposit, albeit with a very attractive interest rate. And private sector is like the stock market.
In the former, you get guaranteed outcomes, but no upside. In the latter, there is upside — but not without downside.
When you lose your capital in the stock market, FDs look amazing. But in good times, when the market is roaring, the same FDs look so dumb!
Only you can’t decide what is right for you. But what you can’t expect is the upside of the stock market and the certainty of a fixed deposit. That combo does not exist.
Life does not offer risk-free upside.
– Rajan