Civil Service as a Primary Professional Goal
It takes a lot in a person to become a star bureaucrat. If you are passionate about public service, understand the structure, pursue it.
Professional Goal — Whenever I hear this word, this scene from the movie 300 comes to mind. The scene exemplifies that the singular goal of each Spartan is to become a soldier. I chanced to watch a presentation by a friend of mine to students. His presentation revolved around one agenda-Why people should seek Government job as a primary professional goal rather than a secondary one. An excellent place to start to ensure at least a few pursue this line.
A common man’s view of the government always refers to the group of elected individuals who run the country — the politicians who form the face of the government. But, the chosen ones never run the show behind the scenes. The bureaucrats do. In a country such as India, people hold administrative officials in high regard. To become a top-ranked administrative official, one has to be a good leader, manager, and be knowledgable in the field he/she leads.
Below are some key takeaways and the things to look out for, he made during the presentation.
His references were on IAS ( Indian Administrative Services ), but hopefully, the idea will fit any Civil Services in any country with a functioning government.
National vs State services
Understanding the differences between Central/Fed government services vs State-level services is a crucial aspect for one’s career path as well as growth rate. Deciding National vs State service can depend on several parameters. For example, some may feel that their state/country’s potential in a particular field has been under-utilized; others may decide to stay within their home state. There may be instances where a specific department or sector wields more power/focus on a state-level than at the national level or vice-versa. Some industries may only be functional at the state or federal. It may be a personal choice too, where they might decide not to move away from their home state.
There might be services like agriculture and public works where the state could have an edge in policy-making based on the geography of the land.
Eligibility Criteria
After you decide on the service, check for the qualification required for these services, the primary focus being education and age. Some bureaucrat positions are available to young people. Others might be open to all. Some might need a degree, others a school education should suffice. Understanding the co-relation between eligibility criteria and the service you want to pursue provides a better perspective on your milestones. Few civil services might emphasize ( may or may not be a rule) the candidate is having a college degree in a particular field, while some require the applicant to have a college degree in general. There might be students who pursue the same educational paths similar to the top bureaucrats they adore/follow. We might also need to focus on when we become ineligible to apply for service in terms of age or number of attempts made by the applicant. Example of eligibility criteria for Indian Civil Services described here.
Breaking into the Elite Group
Reaching the star-studded group of bureaucrats of your country is no mean feat. Starting from a young age gives you a definitive edge over others. UPSC exam in India is considered one of the toughest in the country. We have approximately 400,000 to 500,000 candidates appearing for the first exam where the Civil Services vacancies are around 1000. Once you are part of the elite 1000, you need to undergo further training before you can put your hand on the bureaucracy ladder, as a junior officer nevertheless. Climbing to the top of the ladder is an epic in itself.
Why do I need to be “crème de la crème” to land a bureaucrat position?
Administration
The government impacts everything from the functioning of businesses, foreign relations, and trade, natural resources to the most important thing of all, how people lead their lives. The smooth operation of each department under the government is in the hands of the administration officials. When one service area breakdown, it will impact other departments directly or indirectly or in some cases, have a direct impact on people’s livelihood. Bureaucrats are required to be of the highest caliber, to run the show. The need to be hands-on in every task in the areas they handle. Because unlike customers of a business, we simply cannot ask the people to wait. Companies can shut down when an “act of God” happens. But the government needs to maintain the status quo. Winning this battle lies in the administrative skills and efficiency of the bureaucrats.
Policies
Being a senior bureaucrat comes with one of the riskiest as well as the most satisfying elements of all, policy-making. Policies/Legislation on taxation, oil prices, health/medicine, and Insurance impact the entire nation. If the plan can benefit the country, it would be one of the most gratifying deeds of your life. A policy gone wrong will put stress on a group of people or the entire Populus. You might even be called upon to act in an advisory capacity for policy formulation in a different field based on your expertise and track record in the area.
Policy creation requires clarity of the subject matter as well as the implementation game-plan, mainly when your job impacts the public or if your organization handles people’s money.
Personal Motivation
You might ask me what’s in a job? Government or not. All the same. Nope. Not at all.
The government is the largest organization in a country. It’s more like a cobweb than what you see from the outside. You will meet all kinds of people on the way to the top. Diplomacy is a great personal trait in one’s arsenal. The larger your team/department, the more diplomatic you need to be.
A service-oriented mind is critical to becoming a government employee. Bureaucrats are required to have great self-discipline and self-motivation. More often than not, people take the government for granted. The chances of your work going unnoticed/under-appreciated are very high. But always remember, the government is a “must-have” and not a “good to have” entity. And you are a part of it.
The amount of knowledge one gains during their tenure in the government is enormous. An excellent department reflects the management/leadership skills of the bureaucrat handling the area. The Head of the Department should know every single detail. Star bureaucrats always have the big picture in mind while paying attention to detail as well. They bring a different dimension on customer focus to the table. Even after retirement/resignation in some cases, bureaucrats land active/passive high profile jobs in big corporations.
Government jobs and bureaucrat positions are not easy to get and as tricky as any other job out there and a fulfilling one too. So, have passion, pursue it, and have your say on the things that improve the country towards a better future.
Thanks to Arivazhagan Gnanasekaran for letting me write this piece on his presentation. If you like to have a further discussion about the topic, you can reach out to him @ cbe.ariv@gmail.com.
