Hey, so you’ve got a postgraduate degree, huh? Me too. I finished my MA in History a couple of years back, and let me tell you, I had no clue what to do next. Private jobs? Too much running around for peanuts. Teaching? Maybe, but I wasn’t feeling it. Then one day, my buddy Sanjay he’s got an MSc started talking about railway jobs, and I got curious. I mean, Indian Railways? That’s huge, right? Stable job, good pay, and you get to say you work for something massive. I started digging into it, and now I’m hooked on the idea. Here’s what I’ve learned, seen, and messed up along the way hope it helps you too.
Why Railways Hit Different for Us Post-Grads
When I was done with my MA, I felt kinda lost. You spend all this time studying, and then what? My dad kept saying, “Government job le lo, tension khatam” (translation: “Get a government job, no more worries”). He’s old-school like that. But the more I thought about it, the more railways made sense. Sanjay told me how his cousin got into it with an MBA steady life, free train passes, even a house from the government. For us post-grads whether you’ve got an MA, MSc, M.Tech, whatever it’s not just about small jobs. We can aim for something better, something that uses our degree.
I like the idea of not stressing about money every month. Private companies can kick you out any day, but railways? That’s solid. Plus, my mom loves bragging to her friends when someone in the family gets a sarkari naukri (government job). With a postgraduate degree, you’re not stuck sweeping platforms or anything you can go for decent posts. That’s what got me interested.
What Jobs Can We Even Get?
Okay, so the railways have these groups Group A, B, C, D. Sounds boring, but it’s just how they split the jobs. Here’s what I figured out:
- Group A: These are the big ones like officers who run stuff. You need to crack crazy exams like UPSC. My neighbor’s son did it with an M.Tech, and now he’s some fancy engineer in the railways. Way out of my league, but cool to know.
- Group B: Not sure about this one. Sanjay says it’s mostly promotions from lower jobs, not straight hiring. Whatever, I’m not there yet.
- Group C: This is where I’m looking. Stuff like Station Master, Junior Engineer (JE), or some office job like Junior Accounts Assistant. Sanjay applied for this NTPC thing Non-Technical Popular Categories and it’s perfect for post-grads like us. Pays decent, and you don’t need to be a genius.
Group D is more for school pass-outs track workers, helpers, that kinda thing. I’m not going there with my MA, no way. We’ve got better shots.
How It Started for Me
So, last year, I decided to stop dreaming and start doing. Sanjay was already on it he’d applied for some railway job and kept telling me, “Bhai, try kar, life ban jayegi” (translation: “Bro, try it, your life will be set”). We’d sit at this roadside chai stall near my place, him with his phone, me with a notebook, trying to figure out what’s what. The first time I looked up railway vacancies, I was so confused RRB this, CEN that. But we stuck with it.
He showed me this ad for NTPC posts thousands of openings across India. I thought, “Okay, I’ve got an MA, I can do this.” It was for graduates and above, so I fit right in. Sanjay picked RRB Allahabad (he’s from UP), and I went with RRB Mumbai since I’m from here. That’s when the real fun started.
Finding the Jobs It’s a Hunt
Finding vacancies isn’t hard, but you gotta know where to look. Here’s what I do:
- RRB Websites: Every zone has one like rrbmumbai.gov.in for me. They post these CEN notices (job ads, basically). I check it every few days takes five minutes.
- Newspaper: My dad reads Employment News it’s this government paper with job listings. Old-fashioned, but it works.
- Friends: Sanjay’s the one who told me about his NTPC gig. Ask around someone always knows something.
- Online: I found some sites like freejobalert.com that list railway jobs. Not official, but quick.
I messed up once forgot to check for a week, and a deadline passed. Now I just peek at the RRB site when I’m bored. You should too jobs don’t wait.
Applying Not as Easy as It Sounds
Applying was a whole drama. I had to go online rrbmumbai.gov.in make an account, and fill in all my stuff. Name, MA degree, address, phone number. Then upload my photo, my degree certificate, all that. First time, my internet died halfway, and I nearly threw my phone. Ended up borrowing my sister’s laptop to finish it.
The fee was ₹500 ouch, but you gotta pay to play. Sanjay said it’s cheaper if you’re SC/ST ₹250, I think. I paid online, got a receipt, and then waited for the admit card. That’s the ticket to the exam. Took forever to come, and I kept checking like an idiot. Lesson learned: patience is key.
Here’s the basic deal:
- Make sure you’re eligible post-grad, age 18-36 usually.
- Fill the form online.
- Pay up.
- Wait for the exam card.
Sounds simple, but I swear, something always goes wrong. My photo was too big once had to resize it at a shop for ₹20. Annoying, but you get through it.
Getting Ready My Not-So-Smart Prep
The exam was the scary part. Sanjay said NTPC has two tests CBT 1 and CBT 2. Both are computer-based, multiple-choice. Covers General Awareness (news, basic stuff), Maths (school-level), and Reasoning (puzzles and all). I’m no genius, so I had to grind.
Here’s what I did:
- General Awareness: Started reading the paper headlines, some railway facts. Sanjay would ask me random questions like, “Who’s the Railway Minister?” Kept me on my toes.
- Maths: Dug out my old 10th-grade book percentages, time-speed, simple stuff. I’m slow, but practice helped.
- Reasoning: I like puzzles, so this was fun seating arrangements, odd-one-out. Sanjay and I would race each other.
I got this ₹150 book with old papers best money I spent. First test I tried, I got half wrong. By the tenth, I was decent. Online mock tests helped too free ones on YouTube. Just don’t panic about time 90 minutes goes fast.
The Hard Stuff
It’s not all easy, trust me. The competition is nuts lakhs of people apply. Sanjay said once, “12 lakh applied for 10,000 jobs.” That’s insane odds. Plus, figuring out if I’m even eligible was a headache some posts need specific degrees, some have age rules. I almost applied for a JE job before realizing it wasn’t for me.
Waiting’s the worst. After the exam, it’s radio silence for months. I check the RRB site daily nothing yet. Sanjay’s in the same boat. Then there’s more if you pass typing tests, medicals. It’s a lot, and sometimes I wonder if I’m crazy for trying.
Why I’m Still Going
I haven’t cracked it yet exam results are pending (it’s April 2025 now, still waiting). But I’m not giving up. Sanjay’s cousin who made it? He’s got a house, free train rides, and his parents are proud as heck. That’s what I want. A railway job isn’t just work it’s security, respect, a future. My MA feels useless sometimes, but this? This could make it mean something.
So, if you’re like me post-grad, unsure, but willing to try go for it. Check the RRB site, grab a chai, start studying. It’s messy, it’s tough, but it’s worth a shot. Maybe next time I’ll write about how I got in. Till then, good luck we’re in this together!
Published on April 1, 2025
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