avoid if you can.......but if you like really really really really want to join...........consider general stream over legal stream..........with LLB you can actually apply for both.........general stream candidates have mostly better prospects in terms of exposure and career progression within the organisation when compared with legal stream........while there is almost automatic/ time-scale promotion upto AGM, the stagnation for legal stream in AGM level has been kept excruciatingly longish.......

Was asked by someone to answer this question – opinions are always subjective, but here goes.

TL;DR – depends on what the person is looking for. There will always be some trade-offs. Don’t compare it with something like UPSC, it’s more similar to an in-house job.

Listing the good (great), the bad (good/average) and the ugly (bummers) below:

Great things:

1. Work life balance - 8 to 9 hours on most days and no one bothers you after you leave office. No 24*7 availability. Weekends are completely off with a few rare exceptions unless you are posted in the departments responsible for briefing external counsels (in that case, you may have to work for a few hours on certain weekends). Lots of time to have a personal life outside work, pursue a hobby, spend time with family and friends, etc.

2. Work atmosphere – The work atmosphere is quite accommodative and relaxed. People are not dying of work and not every deliverable is due “as of yesterday.” Work pressure is easily manageable. Less scope of toxic behaviour since the relaxed work environment does not bring out people’s worst behaviour.

3. Exposure – Although the quality of exposure varies from department to department, it is generally much better than a typical PSU because of the regulatory setup. SEBI is considered to be a dynamic regulator and the exposure is great for people who want to build a career in securities laws.

4. Job stability - Once you are in, there are negligible odds of being fired. There is no undue pressure to keep giving your best every single day in order to survive. The chances of burnout is very less and the job is sustainable in the long run.

5. Leaves - Around 15-20 public holidays + there are different types of leaves such as casual leaves, ordinary leaves, sick leaves etc. So you can roughly get around 30-40 leaves per year apart from public holidays and weekends.

Good / Average things:

1. Pay - Definitely one of the highest paying jobs in the public sector. In fact, the fresher pay is at par with fresher tier 1 law firm salaries. But the pay disparity really kicks in after 4-5 years (SA level onwards). After 7-8 years, tier 1 law firm counterparts may earn between 2-3X and there is no comparison there.

2. Career Trajectory - Lots of luck and variables at play here. There is stagnation in promotions at the middle levels, which can become a great source of frustration as you see your counterparts grow in the private sector. However, things do get better after a point and it helps if you have joined the organisation at a relatively young age.

3. Other opportunities – Although it’s not very common and happens at a later stage, there may be chances to go on deputation to other regulatory organisations like IBBI, IFSCA, CCI etc. Some people also switch back to the private sector after some years (also see the 2nd point below).

Not so good (Bummers):

1. Bureaucratic setup - The organisation is not completely free from the trappings of a government setup - expect some amount of favouritism, sycophancy and red-tape. The ‘Yes Sir/Ma'am’ culture exists and there is plenty of office politics. Also, your boss has a lot of discretion to make your life either easy or tough.

2. Personal growth - Over the years, some people get a bit too comfortable and tend to become complacent. There's no real incentive for being hard working or smart. Because of this, one may gradually become lazy, dull, inefficient and almost a liability. In that case, switching back to the private sector becomes a big challenge. However, this also largely depends on the person himself/herself – there are people who have quit SEBI to do really well for themselves in the private sector.

Hope this helps in some way.

Ias may be a tough nut to crack. You seem to be very cut off from the reality, given your little knowledge on what it takes to become an MLA. An mla is ten PhDs combines in people management. Of course, the means may be cringeworthy; but it does take away the dexterity of MLAs in managing masses.

Please spend sometime outside before making such ludicrous comments reeling of ignorance.