He missed IIT placements during Covid. Now he has cleared 14 government exams

When the Covid-19 pandemic disrupted campus placements, IIT Kharagpur graduate Lomada Nagendra Sai had to abandon his IT career plans. After three years of preparation, repeated failures and nearly 30 competitive exams, he secured selection in 14 Central government recruitments, proving persistence can outlast even the toughest setbacks.When the Covid-19 pandemic disrupted campus placements, IIT Kharagpur graduate Lomada Nagendra Sai had to abandon his IT career plans. (Photo: Instagram/@lo_mad_nag)For most IIT graduates, campus placement is the expected next step. For 29-year-old Lomada Nagendra Sai from Andhra Pradesh's Kadapa, that plan collapsed during the Covid-19 pandemic.After completing a five-year Integrated BTech-MTech in Industrial and Systems Engineering from IIT Kharagpur, he had hoped to build a career in the IT sector. But with hiring slowing and placements disrupted, he decided to prepare for Central government jobs instead.Four years later, that decision has turned into an extraordinary success story. (Photo: Instagram/@lo_mad_nag) THREE YEARS, NEARLY 30 EXAMSNagendra Sai began preparing in June 2022 using online resources. His first attempts did not go as planned. He failed to clear several exams in 2023, including narrowly missing an SSC recruitment because of score normalisation. In 2024, he shifted to Hyderabad for dedicated coaching but again fell short in the SSC Mains.Instead of quitting, he restarted with renewed focus in 2025. Studying around 10 to 12 hours every day, he appeared for nearly 30 recruitment examinations in a single year.Check out this post by Nagendra Sai Lomada (Instagram/@lo_mad_nag):14 CENTRAL GOVERNMENT SELECTIONSHis persistence paid off.Nagendra Sai figured in 14 Central government recruitment selection lists, including posts through:AIIMS CREStaff Selection Commission (SSC)Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB)SSC Phase XIII recruitmentsHe was selected for multiple roles such as Social Security Officer, Upper Division Clerk, Statistical Investigator Grade II, Surveyor, Telecom Assistant, Surveillance Assistant, Assistant Administrator and several others.He eventually chose to join the Employees' State Insurance Corporation (ESIC) and is currently serving in Mahbubnagar, Telangana. Reports also state he has cleared nine Navy INCET posts, with final results still awaited. (Photo: Instagram/@lo_mad_nag) LESSON FOR ASPIRANTSNagendra Sai believes many candidates focus only on a handful of popular recruitment exams while ignoring numerous Central government vacancies announced every year.His advice is simple: apply wherever you are eligible, stay disciplined, analyse every mistake after an exam and don't let early failures decide your future.His journey shows that even an IIT degree cannot guarantee a smooth career path. Sometimes, persistence becomes the qualification that matters most.- EndsPublished On: Aug 6, 2026 16:31 IST