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IIT Madras graduate rejected ₹10 LPA job for UPSC, later found success through trading: 'Never give up'
An X post detailed the man’s 12-year struggle through UPSC preparation, failed career shifts, heartbreak and unemployment before finding success through trading
A Hyderabad-based techie’s X post about his IIT Madras graduate flatmate has caught the internet’s attention after he detailed the man’s 12-year struggle through UPSC preparation, failed career shifts, heartbreak and unemployment before finally finding success through trading.
In the post, software engineer Vikas Alwys shared how his fatmate completed his B.Tech in Chemical Engineering from IIT Madras in 2012 and secured a campus placement offer worth ₹10 LPA. However, he chose to reject the offer and prepare for the UPSC civil services examination instead.
“There is a guy in my flat who completed his B.Tech in Chemical Engineering from IIT Madras in 2012,” the techie wrote.
Vikas shared that the IIT graduate moved to Delhi for coaching and seriously prepared for his first UPSC attempt but failed to clear the prelims. In his second attempt, he moved to Hyderabad and cleared prelims, but unfortunately, he could not crack the mains examination.
Exhausted after two attempts, Vikas shared that the IIT graduate decided to pursue badminton professionally because he was passionate about the sport. “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 badminton too, wasting another year,” Vikas claimed.
From UPSC failure to trading success
The man then returned to UPSC preparation again. During this period, he fell in love, but distractions affected his third attempt. A breakup during the fourth attempt further impacted him, and he failed once more. The repeated setbacks eventually affected his personal life deeply. “He became addicted to drinking and cigarettes,” the post said.
The techie said that the IIT Madras graduate later took his fifth and sixth UPSC attempts lightly. By then, nearly 12 years had passed between civil services preparation and badminton.
“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,” he wrote.
However, the story eventually took a positive turn. Vikas said that his flatmate started learning trading through online resources and later became a SEBI advisor. He now earns around ₹2 lakh per month through day trading, depending on market conditions.
“Recently, he got married, and honestly, I feel really happy for him. Life finally gave him a fresh start,” the post concluded.
Social media reactions
The story struck a chord online, with many users calling it a reminder that success rarely follows a fixed timeline.
One user wrote, “Life rarely follows the timeline we planned at 22, but resilience quietly compounds while people think you’re “‘falling behind.’”
“Life doesn’t always move in a straight line. Sometimes people lose years finding themselves, but one right turn can still rebuild everything,” commented another.
“Life can destroy your plans, your confidence, and even entire decades… yet still leave room for a comeback. Massive respect to him for rebuilding from rock bottom instead of giving up,” wrote a third user.
