Why I didn't choose IIT/PSU after getting AIR-23 | GATE-2025 | Abid Hussain

Summary

In this video, Abid, who scored an impressive i23 in GATE 2024, shares his decision not to join IIT or a PSU despite his high rank. He discusses personal preferences for growth and exposure, comparing the limited appraisal and promotion system in PSUs to the more dynamic opportunities in private companies. Abid also addresses the lack of value addition and monotony in PSU roles, the unpredictability of job locations, and the potential cultural challenges. He encourages viewers to consider various career paths beyond PSUs and emphasizes the importance of understanding one's goals before pursuing higher studies or a job.

Takeaways

• 🎓 The speaker, Abid, secured a high GATE (Graduate Aptitude Test in Engineering) score and received many congratulatory messages, but chose not to join an IIT or a PSU (Public Sector Undertaking).
• 🤔 He addresses the common question of why he didn't join an IIT or PSU, explaining that it was a matter of personal preference and his desire for growth and exposure.
• 📈 Abid values career growth and believes that PSUs offer limited growth potential compared to private companies, where appraisals and promotions are more performance-based.
• 🏢 He mentions that PSUs often have a fixed promotion schedule, which can limit career advancement for high-performing individuals.
• 💼 The speaker prefers a work environment where his efforts are recognized and appreciated, which he feels may not be the case in PSUs.
• 🚫 Abid did not choose a PSU due to concerns about monotonous work, lack of challenge, and the potential for being assigned to a remote location.
• 🌐 He suggests that PSU culture can be less dynamic and more bureaucratic, which may not suit those seeking a fast-paced and innovative work environment.
• 📚 Abid emphasizes that the GATE exam is valuable for strengthening one's core subject knowledge, not just as a pathway to IITs or PSUs.
• 🔍 The speaker recommends researching and understanding the specific roles and sectors within PSUs before making a decision to join.
• 💡 He shares insights based on conversations with people working in PSUs, highlighting the importance of personal preferences and life goals in career decisions.
• 🛑 Abid also discusses his decision not to pursue higher studies immediately after B.Tech, citing uncertainty about his long-term career goals and interests.

Q & A

Why did Abid receive many congratulations messages after his GATE result?

Abid received congratulations messages because he secured a high score (i23) in the GATE 2024 exam, which is considered an impressive achievement.

What common question did Abid receive along with the congratulations messages?

A common question Abid received was whether he was joining an IIT or a PSU (Public Sector Undertaking) due to his GATE score.

Why did people ask Abid why he was not joining an IIT or a PSU?

People asked this because it is generally assumed that high GATE scores would lead to opportunities in prestigious institutions like IITs or secure jobs in PSUs.

What is Abid's current employment situation?

Abid is currently working at Exxon Mobile, which is an MNC in the oil and gas industry.

What are the two main factors Abid considers important for his career growth?

The two main factors Abid considers important for his career growth are growth opportunities and exposure to new experiences.

What is Abid's view on job security in PSUs compared to private companies?

Abid believes in his own abilities and is not overly reliant on job security offered by PSUs; he is confident that he can secure opportunities even outside of PSUs.

What are some reasons Abid did not choose to join a PSU?

Abid did not choose to join a PSU due to reasons such as limited growth opportunities, fixed appraisal increments, potential monotony in job roles, and uncertainty about the work location.

What does Abid suggest about the culture in some PSUs?

Abid suggests that some PSUs have a culture that may not be conducive to growth, with limited opportunities for promotions and a lack of acknowledgment for hard work.

Why does Abid believe that GATE preparation is beneficial even if one does not join an IIT or a PSU?

Abid believes GATE preparation is beneficial as it helps in focusing on and deepening one's understanding of their core subjects, filling the gaps in the education system and enhancing the overall learning experience.

What is Abid's advice for those who are unsure about their career path after completing their B.Tech?

Abid advises such individuals to explore various options available after B.Tech, including higher studies, different sectors of work, and to prepare for exams like GATE to learn more about their core subjects.

What is Abid's perspective on the importance of acknowledging one's work in a job?

Abid believes that it is important for one's work to be acknowledged, as it serves as motivation to work harder and contributes to professional growth and job satisfaction.

Outlines

00:00

🎓 Personal Choice Over IITs and PSUs

The speaker, Abid, discusses his decision not to join an IIT or a Public Sector Undertaking (PSU) after achieving a high score in the GATE exam in 2024. He emphasizes personal preferences for growth and exposure over job security. Abid, who works at Exxon Mobile, contrasts the limited growth potential and appraisal rates in PSUs with the higher appraisal rates and promotion opportunities in private companies. He also mentions the importance of being acknowledged for his work, which he feels is more likely in a private sector environment.

05:02

📈 Growth and Monotony in PSUs

Abid elaborates on his reasons for not choosing a PSU, focusing on the slow growth and limited opportunities for promotion. He explains that PSUs typically offer fixed appraisals of 3-4% annually, compared to the 10-25% in private companies, which motivates harder work. He also points out the predictability of promotions in PSUs, which occur every 3-4 years and do not vary regardless of performance, leading to a lack of motivation and a monotonous work environment.

10:02

🌆 Job Location Uncertainty in PSUs

The speaker shares concerns about the uncertainty of job locations when joining a PSU, such as IOCL, which has refineries across India. He highlights the difficulty of knowing where one might be assigned, which could be a remote location far from home. This contrasts with private companies, which usually inform candidates about their job locations during the hiring process. Abid also touches on the lifestyle implications of working in remote areas, where one might not be able to enjoy the fruits of their labor due to limited spending opportunities.

15:03

🚫 PSU Culture and Role Misalignment

Abid addresses the cultural issues within some PSUs, particularly for roles in sales and marketing, where engineers may be placed without adequate training. He describes the hectic nature of these roles and the lack of work-life balance, including working on Sundays. The speaker advises potential PSU applicants to research the specific sector and role they might be joining to avoid such misalignments and to consider the importance of aligning with one's career aspirations and personal values.

🤔 Reflections on Higher Studies and Career Path

In the final paragraph, Abid reflects on his decision not to pursue higher studies like an M.Tech immediately after his B.Tech. He admits uncertainty about his life's direction post-graduation, a sentiment he believes is common among recent graduates. He shares his love for his core subject, chemical engineering, and how his GATE preparation was driven by a desire to deepen his understanding rather than solely to secure a job in a PSU or IIT. He encourages others to prepare for the GATE exam to strengthen their core knowledge and to make informed career decisions based on personal growth and learning objectives.

Keywords

💡GATE

GATE, which stands for Graduate Aptitude Test in Engineering, is an examination that primarily tests the comprehensive knowledge of candidates in various fields of engineering and science. In the script, the speaker mentions securing a high rank (i23) in GATE 2024, which is a significant achievement and a point of discussion for the video's theme of career choices post-GATE.

💡IIT

IIT refers to the Indian Institutes of Technology, a group of premier public technical and research universities in India. The script discusses the common question the speaker receives about whether they will be joining an IIT for higher studies, which the speaker declines, indicating a preference for other career paths over traditional academic progression.

💡PSU

PSU stands for Public Sector Undertaking, which in the context of India, refers to any public limited company where the central government owns more than 51% of its shares. The speaker elaborates on why they did not choose to join a PSU despite their high GATE rank, citing reasons related to personal growth and job satisfaction.

💡Exon Mobile

Exon Mobile is mentioned as the company where the speaker is currently working. It is described as an MNC (Multinational Corporation) in the oil and gas sector. The mention of Exon Mobile serves to illustrate the speaker's current employment situation and their preference for private sector jobs over PSUs or academic positions.

💡Growth

Growth in this context refers to personal and professional development, including career advancement and salary increments. The speaker emphasizes the importance of growth as a personal preference and contrasts the limited growth opportunities in PSUs with the more dynamic growth potential in private companies.

💡Exposure

Exposure here means the opportunity to experience a variety of tasks, challenges, and environments in one's job. The speaker values exposure as it provides a broader understanding and experience in their field, which they feel is lacking in PSUs where roles can become monotonous.

💡Appraisal

Appraisal in the script refers to the process of employee performance review and the subsequent salary increment. The speaker mentions that PSUs typically offer lower annual increments compared to private companies, which is a factor influencing their career choice.

💡Promotion

Promotion is the advancement to a higher position in an organization. The script describes the fixed and infrequent promotion cycles in PSUs, which the speaker views as a limitation, preferring a work environment where hard work can lead to quicker recognition and advancement.

💡Job Security

Job security implies the stability and safety of one's employment. The speaker acknowledges that many people value the job security offered by PSUs, but they personally believe in their own abilities to secure employment even outside of such stable environments.

💡Monotous Job

A monotonous job is one that is repetitive and lacks variety. The speaker uses this term to describe the type of work often found in PSUs, where the same tasks are performed over extended periods without much change or challenge, which they find unappealing.

💡Value Addition

Value addition refers to the process of enhancing one's skills, knowledge, or experience to increase one's worth to an organization. The speaker feels that working in a PSU may not offer much value addition, as the roles can become repetitive and lack opportunities for new challenges or learning.

Highlights

Received numerous congratulatory messages on LinkedIn and WhatsApp after GATE result announcement.

Often asked whether joining IIT or PSU after scoring A23 in GATE 2024.

Declined joining IIT or PSU, choosing to work at Exxon Mobile, an MNC in oil and gas sector.

Values personal growth and exposure over job security.

Seeks a work environment where efforts are acknowledged and appreciated.

Cites limited growth in PSUs with low annual salary increments.

Points out the fixed promotion cycle in PSUs, which can limit career progression.

Mentions the risk of being assigned to remote locations with PSUs.

Highlights the potential for monotonous work and lack of challenges in PSU roles.

Expresses concern over the culture within PSUs, particularly in sales and marketing roles.

Believes in self-reliance and the ability to secure opportunities outside of PSUs.

Advises considering personal preferences and life goals when choosing career paths.

Suggests that GATE preparation is beneficial for in-depth understanding of one's field, not just for PSUs or IITs.

Recommends preparing for GATE to learn core subjects deeply, rather than just for the exam.

Discusses the common practice in Indian engineering colleges of last-minute exam preparation.

Shares personal experience and insights on the benefits of GATE preparation for a deeper understanding of engineering subjects.

Encourages viewers to reach out for further questions or discussions.

Transcripts

since 16th March 2024 when the gate

result came like I have received lots of

congratulations message on LinkedIn and

WhatsApp from my known and Unknown

People Too and with that particular

question but with that particular

congratulations message the question

which I get is like whether you are

joining IIT or a PSU uh and my answer

was no I'm not joining any of these so

people usually ask why like why are you

not joining an IIT or a PSU even after

getting

a23 so in this video I'm going to cover

this particular thing because many

people used to ask me this question and

people also want to know like what are

the other options they have why to join

why to not join I or PSU so in this

video I I will be covering all these

things so hello everyone I am Abid and I

secured i23 in Gate 2024 so if you're

new to this channel you can join uh you

can subscribe it and like I used to

create videos regarding gate preparation

and all so like uh I'm currently working

in Exon Mobile which is an MNC many of

you have heard it or many of you haven't

it's an oil and gas company though uh

like even after getting i23 when I

compared Exon Mobile or any private

company with a public company uh with a

government company and I compared it in

terms of many things it's always a

personal preference too so like for me

the personal preference was like I want

two things in my life like one is growth

and one is exposure like at this age

especially like once you are settled in

life then you don't want to take risk

you want a very secure secure and stable

life but uh in the phase of like I'm

just joining the industry right now and

at this particular stage I I'm more

towards more focusing towards I will say

growth and uh exposure okay and one more

thing is that I want like whatever work

I do someone should appreciate me or

someone should acknowledge it okay it's

not like it doesn't matter how you work

no one acknowledges it and all those

things so now I will tell you like why I

didn't choose PSU like I will tell you

three four reasons though okay so the

first first and foremost reason is

growth as I told like my my personal

preference is growth so the first reason

is growth only what happens in PSU many

of times like when you see PSU package

it's mostly 18 lakh 20 lakh something

like that which is which seems to be

very lucrative like everyone wants to

get get it but what happens in psus

actually like year by year the pro the

appreciation like the appraisal you get

is mostly 3 to 4% only it's limited to 3

to 4% so like for example today your

salary is like your whole package is 18

lakh so next year it will be somewhere

3% or 4% more than that in most of the

private companies this particular

appraisal is mostly 10% at least okay so

it's 10 to 15% and many of times 20 or

25% based on your performance so that's

one thing like so this motivates you

basically to work harder because you

want to work like you you are getting

something to work hard okay always like

money is one of the driving parameter in

everyone's life everyone want to get

more money as much as possible so one

one one of the reason is this growth one

thing second in growth also and exposure

also is that in psus most of the time

you get a promotion after 3 to four

years like it's fixed after like once

you work like you joined in 2024 so in

2027 or 2028 you're are going to get

this particular promotion so this is

fixed this is not going to change so

this basically limits your you limits

you because you know that okay fine I

have joined it right now it's my first

year I'm not if I work hard like if I

work more than a person who is 10 year

experienced also no one is going to

acknowledge it no one is going to say

that yeah this person has worked very

hard we can get give him a promotion

early compared to this particular person

so this happens in PSU so that's why

people usually like if you will see for

any most of the government jobs people

have usually this mind said that let it

be what's happening let it happen no one

cares sort of that particular attitude

is basically there when you go for any

government job or government employee if

you ask them obviously if you ask a new

employee he is very much like energetic

and he will say no this thing not happen

but if you because like to decide this

particular thing I have talked to a lot

of people I approach them through

Linkedin and all and uh I talked to one

of the person who is working in E for

last 10 years and I when I asked him

about like I told him my my situation I

asked him what what should I do then he

told told me like if you are as you told

that your particular parameters are

these on which you want to work and all

those things so if you want these things

in life then I will suggest that eil is

not a place for you so I'm not defaming

e I'm not saying that e is a bad PSU or

good PSU it's just that I have set a

parameter for me okay like many people

told me like if you get PSU you will get

job security and all uh like I believe

on myself I am like yeah I believe

myself that even if I get uh if my offer

evoked from this particular company also

I will be able to get some other offer

like I believe myself so it's totally

person to person it's up to you that

what type of life you want how you want

to grow in your life like many for many

people it's like very much sorted

because they just want a job and they

don't want to work hard in that

particular thing they want to chill okay

they they are like we have already

studied 20 years for like school then

College then to get this this job like

competitive exam and all those things

gate and all so for them they this is

very much thoughted that once they get

into a a PSU they don't want to work

hard they don't want to they want to

chill so it's up to them like it's not

nothing wrong or right in this like it's

totally a person's preference okay and

the second reason I will say is that no

value addition as such because if you'll

see like if you're if you are

experienced in a PSU you will be working

on a managerial role and after few years

you will find that you are doing the

same job again and again okay so

basically what happens that in many of

the psus you are not going to get uh

like you are basically going to do a

monotonous job okay so the things which

you have done in your first two years

mostly you are going to repeat it for

next 30 years that's most of the time

that's happens in a PSU so it's a it's

sort of a very monotonous job okay so

many times you don't get a very

challenging situations or you don't get

that thrill in your life okay so maybe

it's it's fine like at the age of 14

maybe a person don't want any thrill

because he has already settled he want a

stable life and all those things but I

guess in your 20s and early 30s you want

those things okay you want those

challenges you want to grow okay so

that's one of the reason for me to not

choose it the next reason is like what

is the place you are going to work at

okay okay for example if you consider an

example of iocl so iocl has multiple

refineries throughout India so if you

get once you get selected in iocl and if

you are a male candidate especially then

you you are not very much sure where you

are going to work so it can be a very

remote place also it can be near your

home also so it's totally Lu based thing

okay it's very hard to get a plant which

is near your home so that it's

accessible for you to reach there okay

so many times it happens that I was

talking to one of my senior he is

currently working in bpcl so he told me

like one of my friend he is from up okay

I'm also from up though so he said I he

himself and his friend they both are

from up so he himself got a position

like got his job in lnno so it's very

near from his home and everything is

sorted for him but his one of the friend

who is also from the same sort of place

same region but he got his job in Kerala

that to in a very remote location so you

never know like where you're going to

get your job so that's one of the reason

like when it comes to most of the

private companies they already tell you

like where you are going to get placed

okay where you are going to work so you

basically know where I'm going to go but

most of the psus what happens that you

are not knowing where you are going to

work so once everything is done then the

final offer letter which you're going to

get there they will mention what you are

going to do so where you are going to be

so that's very hard to because many

times it's there that you are going to

earn well but you don't have a good

place to spend well okay so you are for

example you are earning 100 rupees a day

and you are not getting a place to even

spend more than 20 rupees so it most of

the you people will think that it's good

you're saving a lot it's not like that

once you are earning you want to spend

also okay you want to have that life

which you have dreamed of so many of

times with the PSU being in a very

remote location you are not you are not

going to get that particular life so

that's one more reason why I didn't

choose PSU and the next reason and the

final reason I will say is like there

are multiple reasons like you can just

search it on Kora and you will get a lot

of things about that like there there

are like many of the answers written by

the people who have worked in one or two

years in psus and then they leave it

okay so why they leave it they have

mentioned a lot of reasons over there so

if you want to like see more of it you

can do that and you can also like search

on LinkedIn like you will find a lot of

people working over there just randomly

message them like I want to like connect

with you and I want to ask you other the

things they will surely help you out so

you can ask them like that's what I did

and that's what that's how I came to

know about you what would be a better

option for me so the next thing which

I'm going to tell you is that many of

the psus have a very bad culture okay

with bad culture what I means is that

I'm not saying that the psus are not

like there is a very bad culture in psus

though but yeah like there are certain

roles for example if you join sales and

marketing role in psus uh that

particular role is very hectic very

hectic in the sense that for example

like most of the time the people who are

joining to a PSU are Engineers we are

not a sales and marketing people but

what happens that like there are

currently in India there are psus who

are specifically taking Engineers for

sales and marketing roles uh for examp

like as much as I know bpcl is doing

this particular thing so what happens

that you don't get training over there

like you don't get a lot of training

related to sales and marketing because

many of the companies used to hire a

person they train them and then they ask

them to do a particular stuff but that's

not happens with PSU many of times

you're not going to get a good training

over there okay and even without any

such like any good training and all

those stuffs you are going they are

going to ask you to work on it so it's

like learning from very scratch with the

the things which is not under your

domain even so it's very hard for people

and in that particular sector as much

because I have talked to people that's

why I'm telling you that uh even this

happen that people have to work on

Sundays also there there's no such

working hours in this particular domain

so and basically if you are going to to

join any BSU in future just make sure to

get an idea like where are you going to

join in which in which sector you are

going to join for what particular role

you are going to Jo join so make sure

you do this okay the whole motive of

making this video is to firstly answer

those people like who generally ask me

about this secondly like if you get a

very good um option to a good job offer

basically from from any reputated

private company and then consider it

psus are not the only option I will say

and uh other than this yeah like to give

you an Insight like why

people can not go to PSU okay it's not

I'm not motivating you to like to leave

gate and just prepare for PSU or

something like that the whole motive of

this particular video is not to motivate

you for that particular thing though but

yeah like if you have that option then

please consider it the next thing like

okay I already covered about psus now

what why I didn't join IIT like this is

also a thing like why I didn't pursue

like higher studies I'm already from an

nit basically I'm from vnit nagpur like

2024 pass out only so like why I didn't

get go for mtech right now is basic it's

very simple like I really don't know

like what I want to do in my life

because and I think most of us don't

know once we complete our btech it's bch

is very simple now like you have done

your 11 12th then you have just three

four degrees option like either you do

either you go for mbbs you go for BC you

go for btech you go for bcom or

something like that so it's very sorted

like everyone has to do something so you

just go and take btech if you're math

and if you from math stream you're going

to go for bch and you will do it so

that's what I did that's what almost

everyone listening to this video have

done okay so the thing is like what

after that because after btech once you

are done with your four year you have

this tag of an engineer with you but and

you have multiple options open for you

like even if you want to go to for

higher studies there are multiple

options in higher studies also you want

to do MBA you want to do mtech you want

to do like you want to study in India

you want to study abroad you want to do

anything see you want to work in

Industry you want to work in public

sector or private sector and you want to

do a startup or whatever like there are

multiple options with you so and with

bch most of us we are not able to get

that particular point I personally

prefer like I just love my core like I'm

a I'm a chemical engineer I love my core

things I am preparing I started my

preparation after third year and my

basic motto behind my preparation was to

learn my core subjects I I wasn't like

throughout my preparation I wasn't very

much Keen towards joining PSU or

something like that I was always like

okay I'm learning uh Mass transfer

because I want want to learn Mass

transfer okay that the gate Rank and

everything was like a sort of a

byproduct of that my preparation and it

helps me like though I haven't joined

like people ask me this to like uh as

you haven't join anything like PSU or

anything then why you have prepared for

gate so make sure that gate is not for

this thing uh I will say gate is not for

psus gate is not for iits okay gate

basically help you to focus more on your

particular stream okay maybe you are a

chemical engineer electrical engineer

mechanical engineer what whatever you

are because in our Indian education

system there is a loophole like people

like you know about our engineering

colleges like you will you will not

study throughout your semester you will

just study one day before exam and you

are going to get passed so that's how

the culture is of our engineering

colleges so once you start preparing for

gate the advantage you are going to get

because of preparation of gate is that

you are going to fill that particular

loophole okay you are going to learn

your particular subject for example you

started a particular subject for college

and you started a particular subject for

gate there is going to be a huge

difference in it okay once you started

for college you will just look at okay

what teacher taught what are the notes

what are the previous year questions

what are the when is the exam and that's

it okay you will hardly study for 10 to

20 hours for that particular paper but

once you start that particular subject

when once you start learning particular

subject for gate then you will find that

you are going to focus on the like how

that particular subject has been

designed what are the key topics in this

particular subject take like what are

the important derivations how these

derivations came if there's a derivation

what are the assumptions related to it

what are its application what are like

what type of numericals can be asked

like but like the numerical is basically

for from G perspective because questions

are going to be so like but doing all

these things you will get an idea of

that whole subject in a very different

way compared to the same when you do it

like on the other way like for college

and all so I'm like myself have done

this particular thing and started get

get preparation because of this main

reason and I will suggest you all like

if you are focused towards your core

chemical your core industry like maybe

anything electrical mechanical civil or

anything I will suggest you all to

prepare for gate from that perspective

that you want to learn and not to just

go to any PSU or IIT okay so I hope I

have covered a lot of things uh my the

question which is being asked to me I

have answered uh if you have any to ask

on this you can reach me out the comment

section is always open you can reach me

on LinkedIn also okay and yeah that's it

for the day thank you