Chennai (PTI): From a theatre employee to a waiter in an eatery and now on the verge of becoming a civil servant, it is sheer will power and ambition that drove 29-year-old K Jayaganesh to clear the prestigious Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) examination, securing 156th rank.

For Jayaganesh, who hails from Vinnamangalam village near Vellore in Tamil Nadu, it has been a tough ride all the way since he completed his graduation in 2000 as he set eyes on becoming a civil servant.

After failing in his attempt to clear the examination thrice preparing from the environs of his native, Jayaganesh moved to the state capital to hone his knowledge and finally his determination paid rich dividends in this year's UPSC exam results which were declared on Friday.

With a degree in mechanical engineering, Jayaganesh first worked as a computer billing operator in a well-known theatre complex in the city to sustain himself, but realising that the job gave him little time to concentrate on his preparations, he quit it and joined an eatery as a waiter.

"After my graduation in 2000, I attempted thrice to clear the UPSC exam from my native place, but later realised I should come to Chennai for preparing for it," he told PTI here.

"I got a job as a computer billing operator at the Satyam Cinemas and was working there for one year. But I could not manage to focus on preparing for the exam," he said.

With backing from his friends, Jayaganesh managed to work as a tutor in a private IAS coaching centre for the past eight months even while preparing for the exam.

Dedicating his ultimate success to his parents and friends, Jayaganesh said, "I achieved the success after a long struggle".