On an average day, an individual may ponder on things that they are doing with their life. They have reached an age where everyone is either getting a new job, getting promoted, getting married, having a baby, or buying a new car or house. There are different kinds of expectations or concerns that our society has for an individual such as building a career, taking care of ageing parents, buying a house, getting married, having kids, paying bills, etc. Above all, getting a government job fresh after graduation is celebrated with much grandeur and widely accepted by the society.

Some people in the community still carry an orthodox mindset. They prefer to follow the conventional way because they are so used to it that their perceptions are limited to their opinions only. Hence, straight after graduation, there is a section in society that pressurises youth to choose careers in the administrative line, and your degree in whatever discipline (doctors are exceptions) does not matter. A government job is considered an ideal and steady job by a mediocre society because they believe that once landing a government job, an individual's life will be all set and stable because it gives job security. After retiring from government service, life will ensure continued compensation from the government itself for all those years of service. In hindsight, it does paint a nice picture of a cosy job, stable income, and less stress kind of career path, which is indeed true. But a government job requires as much hard work and time to reach a certain level of stability and create an infinite source of income.

Meanwhile, a career outside the core government sector is as progressive and more bountiful in generating income. The respect, fame, and riches some people gain from being dropouts and opting for careers outside the administrative line need not be mentioned here. Careers in entrepreneurship, science and technology, fashion, sports, entertainment, etc. have produced several billionaires in this modern era. Every year, lakhs of students appear in the state-level and national-level civil service exams, for which the vacant posts are numbered in the mere hundreds. Out of those lakhs, the unqualified candidates try again next year until they reach their final attempt, which ends with age restrictions. Not to forget the fresh graduates applying for vacant posts each year, increasing competitiveness and decreasing the number of available seats.

In India, one of the top victims of suicide are the aspirants of prestigious exams, be they at the board level, secondary level, graduate level, or level of employment. Parents usually urge their children to opt for government jobs to fulfil their dreams that they could not achieve and to flatter themselves on the fact that they will be recognised as the parents of an officer. While wishing for their children to be successful and stable, parents forget that the child has his or her own set of dreams and desires that he or she wishes to fulfil. Parents and society sometimes completely disregard the natural talent and interest of a curious child, thereby creating demotivation while destroying their creativity and individuality. These unwanted and unwarranted societal pressures, right from their primary level to adulthood, can easily take a drastic toll on an individual.

In conclusion, there are plenty of jobs one can pick for their career apart from government employment that pays well, gets you respect, offers insurance, cars, housing, etc. Your parents have educated and invested in you so that you can stand your ground, that you understand your skills and abilities, and that you will make the right choices to build your dream, not anyone else.