A graduate from IIT Madras secured a ₹10 LPA campus placement right after completing his degree in Chemical Engineering. However, instead of joining the corporate world, he chose to pursue his UPSC ambitions, aiming for a career in civil services.
The story, shared by software engineer Vikas Alwys, has gone viral on social media.
Viral Post by Flatmate
In his post, Vikas Alwys described his flatmate’s journey after graduating in 2012.
He wrote, “There is a guy in my flat who completed his B.Tech in Chemical Engineering from IIT Madras in 2012. After graduation, he got a campus placement offer of 10 LPA, but he rejected it and started preparing for UPSC. He belongs to the general category.”
The decision marked the beginning of a long and difficult UPSC preparation journey.
First UPSC Attempts: Initial Setbacks
The aspirant moved to Delhi for coaching and attempted UPSC with serious preparation.
The post stated, “In the first year, he went to Delhi for coaching and gave his first attempt with serious preparation. Unfortunately, he could not clear the prelims. Then he came back to Hyderabad and prepared seriously for his second attempt. This time, he cleared prelims but could not clear mains.”
Despite early failures, he continued trying.
Shift to Badminton Career
After multiple attempts and growing exhaustion, he briefly shifted focus to badminton, a sport he was passionate about.
He began competing at district and state levels, but faced challenges in the system.
The techie revealed, “He started playing at district and state levels. Though he played very well, there was a lot of politics in the field. Some people even offered him money to lose matches. Disappointed by all this, he left by all this, he left badminton too, wasting another year.”
Personal Struggles During UPSC Preparation
He eventually returned to UPSC preparation, but his personal life began affecting his focus.
He fell in love during this period, which impacted his studies and performance.
The post further shared, “He failed in his third attempt due to these distractions. During his fourth attempt, he went through a breakup and failed once again. After this phase, he developed addiction to alcohol and cigarettes.”
Multiple Attempts and Career Uncertainty
After years of effort, he continued UPSC attempts but could not achieve success.
The techie explained, “He took his 5th and 6th attempts lightly. After spending almost 12 years in the UPSC journey and badminton, he was 35 years old, unmarried, and jobless. From being an IIT Madras graduate, life pushed him through many failures.”
Fresh Start in Trading Career
After a long period of setbacks, he decided to learn trading and build new skills online. Gradually, he entered day trading and rebuilt his career.
According to the post, he now earns around ₹2 lakh per month depending on market conditions and works as a SEBI advisor.
New Beginning in Life
The post also shared a positive update about his personal life.
The techie said, “Recently, he got married, and honestly, I feel really happy for him. Life finally gave him a fresh start. Never give up.”
“Life doesn’t always move in a straight line. Sometimes people lose years finding themselves, but one right turn can still rebuild everything”, one user wrote.