‘Aspirants should have utmost clarity about desired posts’

Managing Director, Hyderabad Growth Corridor Limited (HGCL) and Project Director, Outer Ring Road, BM Santhosh believes that the job aspirant should have utmost clarity about the exam they want to clear and dedicatedly prepare for it instead of preparing for all exams simultaneously.
The 2017 batch IAS officer of the Telangana cadre suggest that the job aspirants should surround
themselves with the correct persons so that they stay optimistic even during the toughest phases of preparation. Speaking to Telangana Today, BM Santhosh shares tips on preparing for competitive exams.

ON PREPARING FOR COMPETITIVE ENTRANCE EXAMS:
The aspirants should precisely choose only one exam that they want to clear. If the aspirants are preparing for UPSC then they should exclusively prepare for it and if the target is TSPSC,
then they should precisely prepare only for that exam. Though some syllabus is the same and some
syllabus is different in UPSC and other competitive exams, according to me, the aspirant should
have clarity on the exam that he wants to clear. In case the aspirants do not clear in the first and
second attempt then they can start preparing for another exam. Initially, the person should
not prepare for multiple exams and the focus should be on one thing.

ON SELECTING RIGHT MENTOR:
The crucial step I took at a very initial stage is asking the correct people about the preparation
method. I asked those who passed the exam in the last two to three years about the optional subject I need to take, the coaching centre I need to join and other details. Selecting the right mentor is very
important, through a friend I was able to get in touch with an IPS officer who guided me.

ON STRATEGY AND STUDY MATERIAL:
Many people ask how do you choose optional? I would say be practical and choose the optional
which is more scoring. Study material is very important, always go with the trend. For some subjects there is standard material but for current affairs, one should go with the trend while selecting study
material to be updated. For one subject the aspirant should prepare only through one or two sources instead of learning it through multiple sources.

ON QUALITY TIME FOR PREPARATION:
In addition to the duration of studying, how qualitatively the person prepares is important. As I was not working and dedicatedly preparing for Civil Services , I studied for 8 hours to 10 hours every day irrespective of any work or family function or other programmes, as I believed in consistency. As some people are working and preparing for exams simultaneously they can set a weekly target and spend more time during their day offs on preparation.

ON STAYING MOTIVATED:
Surrounding themselves with the right kind of people helps a person stay optimistic. You should have someone to speak your heart out to. It can be a friend, parent, family members or someone who will listen and understand your situation and motivate positively.

 

— Nabinder Bommala