Puisa Kotha Hunibo? The Financial Cost of Waiting

Last weekend, I had a conversation that inspired this article. It was about government jobs. Before I say anything else, let me be clear. If becoming a government servant is your dream, pursue it with your whole heart. It is a meaningful career that offers stability, security and the opportunity to serve society. This article isn’t for you.

It’s for the many young people who are preparing, because they feel pressured to carry the weight of expectations, from their parents, relatives, or the community around them. For years, a government job has been seen as the ultimate measure of success. Thankfully, this is changing. More young people today are exploring entrepreneurship, technology, creative careers, skilled work and private sector opportunities. More families are beginning to appreciate different career paths.

That is encouraging. But I believe we still have a long way to go. Many young people continue to carry expectations that are bigger than themselves. Parents hope one child will secure a government job and change the family’s future. Relatives ask about exam results at every gathering. Comparisons with cousins become common. Slowly, what begins as a career choice becomes a responsibility to fulfil everyone else’s dream.

As someone who writes about money, I cannot ignore the financial cost of that wait. Money is not just about how much we earn. It is also about when we earn. Four or five years spent preparing for an exam is also four or five years without an income, without savings, without investments and without work experience. Those same years could have been spent learning new skills, building a career, starting a business, freelancing or simply discovering what you are good at.

Every choice has an opportunity cost. Government recruitment is highly competitive, with only a small percentage of applicants ultimately securing a position. That doesn’t mean everyone else lacked ability. It simply reflects that there are far fewer vacancies than aspirants.

When someone doesn’t succeed after years of preparation, the loss is more than an exam. Beyond the emotional setbacks and disappointment lies another significant loss, the financial cost of delayed earnings, delayed experience and delayed financial independence. As families and as a community, it is time we began taking this cost into account as well.

Perhaps the first step is to change the questions we ask, Instead of only asking, “Did you clear the exam?” let us also ask, “What skills and experience are you building?”

Again, if a government job is your dream, pursue it wholeheartedly. If it isn’t, don’t spend your best years chasing someone else’s dream. Keep building your skills, your experience and your financial future. Those are investments that will always be worth making

The original published article can be found at : The Financial Cost of Waiting