Should I quit my job to prepare for Civil Services?

We all know that preparation for Civil Services requires a lot of commitment, dedication, and of course time. Very often UPSC aspirants face this dilemma that whether they should quit their jobs in order to prepare for the exam. This article is keeping this question in mind.


Let me start with an honest disclaimer that all of us lead a unique life with its own unique challenges. It is very unlikely that "one-article-fits all" will work here. But, I am still trying to generalize and bring out the critical issues. 


Giving up the job - What do you gain

1. Time: Time is precious. By quitting the job you gain 8 hrs a day X 5 days i.e. 40 hours a week. 
2. Mental Freedom: Jobs could be very demanding and may drain a lot of energy. Quitting the job may give you a bit more mental freedom.

What do you lose:

1. Discipline: Your job makes you wake up and prepare yourself everyday. This keeps your life structured and planned.
2. Friends and Colleagues: Its always good to be around people. Its a support system. Quitting your job may leave you a bit more lonely than before.
3. Comfort and Security: Having a career is very comforting. It takes away the stress and the reduces the fear of "what if I fail?"
4. and of'course your current salary
5. A Chance to Build up your Personality: Remember after the mains there is an interview

The decision is very subjective but requires a very careful thought. The first question is the time that you would be gaining so critical to your success in the exam? The answers are different for different people and situations. 
Lets look at examples: 

• Puneet, a software engineer, answered this question in a very different way. He thought if I need so much time to clear the prelims, I will never be able to go through the mains. He decided that he is going to continue his job till the prelims and decide about quitting only after he is selected for the mains. 
• Ravi had been preparing for Civil Services since his first year in college. He planned that he will finish at least one optional subject for the Mains before his preparation for the prelims. Ravi chose not to take up a job after his college graduation.
• Bharat was in a very similar situation as Ravi. However, there was one issue, he was from a very modest family. Making a living was very important for him. He decided to do something that could help both the causes. He chose to work for a publisher as a content editor. Some of his friends in a similar situation chose to work in areas that were related and caused lesser distraction to their studies. 

There are very few universal answers in life. We all need to make an assessment of our situation and make the right choices.