Typical day at work would be with several conference calls with a dozen or more people... stressful for me b/c it was hard to understand through the cultural gap (as an American while everyone else is from India) & often the only way to pick up relevant information.
I learned a lot, but it was hard to connect with the team as everyone is always so busy I could never get more than 1-2 sentences from them at a time without them ever looking up from their laptop.
Management often just told what they want to hear, then angry when unrealistic demands not met.
Workplace culture is that of India office--12 hour days not uncommon and expected to attend 'celebration' dinners for 3 hrs after work hours.
Hardest part of the job was being the only American around and having to depend on others for help when they are so busy you can't get more than 1-2 sentence responses from them.
Most enjoyable part of the job was when there was something I actually understood the requirements for and could do some work.
Overall, not the worst place to work--competitive pay, benefits are there, and it a LOT depends on the project you land in but this was my experience...
First, it is awkward being the only American in the room at all times. Even face to face communication is difficult. Half the time conversations are being held in another language so I missed out on a lot (even when I politely & repeatedly asked "what are you talking about? I don't want to miss out on anything.").
ProsCompetitive pay/benefits, exposure to big projects
ConsNo work/life balance, foreign culture, more emphasis on appearance than substance
4.0
Quality Assurance Manager | Stamford, CT | Feb 2, 2015
QA LEAD/SENIOR QUALITY ASSURANCE
Expertise on Retail, Business Process Management (BPM) and Business Rules Engines (BRE) applications in Pega Systems - Pega Rules Process Commander (PRPC) in Pharmacy Benefit Management and Siebel CRM Applications
Expertise in designing and developing Test Strategy, Test Plan, Test Cases by understanding the business logic and User requirements. Generating test reports, defect reports and product quality assurance documentation. Expertise in implementing SDLC methodologies including Waterfall Model, Agile Methodology and Rational Unified Process (RUP). Experience in testing applications built on SOA Architecture
Responsible for testing and reviewing of ETL mapping and transformation specifications based on the business requirements from various teams and the business teams
Handle the tasks of ETL jobs that are scheduled for file transfers from Operational Data Stores to designated file systems/directories. Expertise in Problem solving and Bug Reports using Defect Tracking Tools like Quality Center/ALM, JIRA, Bug Zilla, Issue Tracker and Rational Clear Quest
Expertise with Black Box Test design Techniques like Boundary Value Analysis, Equivalence portioning, Decision Table Testing, State Transition Testing and Error guessing techniques, Smoke, Functional, Regression, Beta testing and Integration Testing. Expertise testing the application on data driven testing to test the application UI
Working with development team to create a suite of test data (both input files and exp
MANAGEMENT
• Rich Project Management experience in Implementation, Rollout, Upgrade and Application support engagements
• Maximized resource utilization through comprehensive business analysis, leadership and project management skills.
• Assessed and Analyzed the legacy eco-systems Roadmap / Health / Sunset points by conducting impact analysis keeping completeness of the Business Processes
• In-depth knowledge and experience of PMO deliverables and metrics.
• Worked closely along with the Client Project Manager and other stake holders for defining project milestones and metrics to adhere to timelines and deliverables.
• Formation of change control body, and monitoring and driving each change and having close monitor on the scope creep
• Worked on both ASAP methodology and other traditional Project management methodologies.
• Project Monitoring through effective co-ordination with various client team, status meeting, Monthly Steering committee meeting along with the project updates to client management for a successful implementation
• Communication and effective co-ordination with both internal & client team to avoid all the ambiguities
SALES
• As SAP certified consultant responded over hundreds of RFP/RFI/ made presentations and demos to ‘C’ Level key decision makers effectively selling the product capabilities its credentials
• Exclusively worked on the template designing for SAP Pre-configured solution for Automotive and Process industries so as to reduce the implementatio
Currently giving large infrastructure support to one of the largest retails client in Canada as a Team Lead of Storage Team. My responsible is to manage onsite and offshore team as well as level 4 support.
Project Description:
Loblaw Companies Limited (Loblaw) is Canada's largest food retailer and a leading provider of drugstore, general merchandise and financial products and services. It’s providing Canadians with a wide, growing and successful range of products and services to meet their everyday household demands. Loblaw is the largest retail grocery store in Canada, with more than 1,000 stores across the country.
Loblaw’s mission is to be Canada’s best food, health and home retailer by exceeding customer expectations through innovative products at great prices.
Cognizant’s Involvement: After evaluation CTS selected as a best vendor to manage Loblaw’s IT infrastructure, CTS is giving onsite and offshore infra support from last 4 years.
Role and Responsibilities:
• Leading more than 10 members of Storage infrastructure team including onsite and offshore in Loblaw infrastructure.
• Planning and Leading Loblaw DR Server and SAN migration from old Data center to New Data center.
• Designing, Planning and implementing Legacy SAN segregation to separate Legacy devices from current Production SAN environment.
• Implementing Backup fabric separation from Production SAN fabric to improve PR SAN performance.
• Implementing Hitachi USPV to VSP Storage migration using
Started right out of college in the US, got a salary I was content with, told I would learn new things. Right out of the gate I was concerned b/c the 'training' was just the last batch of new recruits dumping their study notes on us... not really an expert or anything. Oh well, fine--they helped get us through the tests we wanted to pass. Spent months studying for certifications waiting for an assignment, almost hit the time out point where I would be let go. Got placed at a client site finally, and luckily I knew some of the languages/tech being used (none of the stuff I had been studying at the company's request but what I knew from school). More of the 'training' from other people on site that were busy with their own work. Kind of a 'sink or swim' scenario, which is fine, I guess it just bugged me a bit that they called the half hour or hour long info dumps 'training'. Part of the problem for me was the cultural gap (all my coworkers were on H1B visas), so I had to ask people to repeat themselves a lot, and it made me self conscious about asking for help, BUT, I will say that they did all help me how they could, and that made me want to get past the hurdles and be a part of the team. As I talked to some other new people I met during orientation that got sent to different client sites, I learned that I got really lucky perhaps. My experience was a good one, where others were worked very hard, mean managers, no niceties, sometimes no gig even and got let go (there's
Prossome experience, competitive wage right out of school
Conscultural gap for americans, bad internal websites, confusing expectations
Avoid: Too many managers, no autonomy, racial profiling, lack of ownership
The company repeatedly promotes people to 'artificial' roles within the company thus creating additional layers of management that cloud the ability to get clear information about decisions regarding your client assignment. This also happens in the HR department when trying to get resolutions to errors in vacation time or pay changes.
Due to too many managers, they regularly switched out the on-site project manager which led to the person in charge never fully understanding the environment he was supposed to manage and thus was constantly questioning existing, efficient, commonplace practices.
The last issue is that they regularly made little effort to keep talented, senior level staff for their clients. Choosing instead to hire lower paid and lower experience level employees while bluffing to the client and stating the replacement had the necessary skills. This was with the hopes that the replacement could quickly master whatever new tech presented. This issue of not having the correct staff for the client project was especially commonplace when using an off-shore service desk solution. Virtually none of the staff assigned to the off-shore team had any tech experience (as admitted to me by themselves during a conference call) and Cognizant refused to own up to it. Each middle manager parroting what the previous one told them about those individuals' qualifications.
The final straw was the racial profiling that occurs regularly on US-based clients. They repeatedly
Their DM's have 2 sell their services;they have 2 overhaul their jobs website;they have to fix their "final check" process;hiring process takes 2 long
1) Their DM's have to sell their services to end-client so as to get people on their bench back to work ! They don't do that now (because they say they are a premier company and not a Tier1/Tier2 bodyshop); rather the DM's just sit there hoping that the business will come to them. This is ridiculous and must be changed.
2) Their jobs website is a disaster: Most of their jobs are phonies (the next day, when I followed up the job never even existed), closed, on-hold or website mistakes. This is because clerks in India are data-entering the jobs and not the DM's directly; and because they're putting up potential jobs and not real jobs onto their jobs website.
3) Regarding "final paycheck" process: They sent it to where I haven't been for 2 months instead of to my home; and if it hadn't been that FEDEX called me first, my final check would have gotten lost. Then when I finally got it, it bounced; and the bank had to call them and I had to email/call them so as to get this embarrassing mistake fixed.
4) Regarding hiring process: Had to endure several challenging interviews and exams and thru their 3rd party make several 100 calls/emails; and it took a year to get hired.
5) Regarding their background check company HireRight: I endured this nightmare (several 100 emails to many many people and many calls as well) for weeks; and then it came back again 5 months later to haunt me again--I eventually passed 100% but it means nothing because any other company does care does not care
Pay & Benefits are acceptable. Stingy PTO. The work/life balance is non-existent(Project & position dependent).
- Depending on your project, work life/balance can be nonexistent. You will be working 12-16 hour days consecutively for weeks at a time with no reprieve.
- Management will arbitrarily remove people off your team/project, despite person having a niche skill or tribal knowledge about a system.
- Base pay is lower than the industry standard. The benefits package is excellent. PTO is stingy.
- Bonuses are good if you can get them, but they are based on team, not individual performance. You can kiss any chance of getting a bonus goodbye if your team is performing poorly in the extremely arbitrary rating system Cognizant implements even if your individual record is stellar. The rating system often doesn't reflect reality.
- Job Advancement doesn't happen. Period.
- Job Security is nonexistent, if your project ends & your skill profile doesn't fit any current projects you'll be let go. This has happened to countless friends I've had over the years. Cognizant didn't provide any opportunities to them to reskill despite their efforts.
- Management is consistently inept across the board. They range from simply being well meaning, but incompetent to maliciously stupid.
- Job Culture: If you don't fit into any niche you'll be left out to dry. People will make up things to report you to get you in trouble if they don't like you. I'd suggest knowing Tamil & having some understanding or appreciation of south Indian culture before joining this company if you want to have any chance of succes
Formly known as Bolder Outreach Solutions.Training is almost non-existent. People in lead positions are not mgmt./supervisory material. They have only obtained positions due to knowing and working with Area Manager in previous job. HIPPA violations are rampant! No local HR Department. All correspondence is done thru email with an average of 3 day response. Work is based in hospital setting and you have no support. The hospital says jump, mgmt. says how high. They do not support their staff no matter the issue. This is a contractor/vendor position. So job security! Applications are submitted to Social Security Administration and Bolder will submit any application to appease hospital and patient even if condition does not warrant. Adequate follow-up to applications are not followed thru even though patient is assuming they are receiving representation. Bolder does not show any compassion to families and patients. They insist you see uninsured patient/family member asap to assure hospital receives payment for services. This is hopefully accomplished by submitting Medicaid application, disability application, or completing financial assistance applications. Management is unprofessional and speaks and uses email to insult and ridicule staff. Management is back stabbing and tries to pit co-workers against each other. Was able to use this position to get back in workforce, pad resume, and gain contacts to obtain another position. Otherwise I would not recommend this organization to
Proshelping patients to gain insurance/financial assistance
Conspoor management, no hr onsite, no stability as contracted position
Cognizant is good place to work but as to improve some things
My experience at Cognizant was a mixed bag of good and bad. There are many well meaning people located at the top management positions the managers who run the divisions are some of the nicest bosses I have ever had. I just think the team managers at least in my case require some training in management skills and perhaps in training new recruits. I personally felt like the team manager that was training me didnt have a lot of patience and she felt bothered having to train me more. It almost felt like she made up her mind that she was going to do eveything she could to make sure I couldnt get hired on permanently. I tried my hardest but all i ever got was crticism on something I did wrong. I did not once get any feedback on what I did right so I was always guessing on what to do. That all seemed to change when she had to report to the account leader when she him and I would have a meeting all of a sudden he would say she had been trying to train me. I just dont think he was getting the hole picture. She was also going through some emotional things and I think that being the head of an all female team she didnt take kindly to having a man join the team. She seemed to hate guys with comments she would say and how she talked about her ex husband. I think her personal feelings towards him were coloring how she saw me. She is only human. Anyway I just think they have to do a better job of training and not lump training a new person along with the responsibility of leading
ProsLots of perks at facility great upper management
Consteam leaders sometimes not the best trainers; petty drama
I am going to be heavily biased here but I must stress I can only talk about my time during training. I sincerely wouldn't recommend Cognizant Technology Solutions as an employer to any graduate that is looking for a trustworthy company with organised employees, planning and communications.
Despite informing the representative during my interview that I would be lacking in technical skills such as Java compared to the other candidates, I was assured that the training would compensate for this. It did not, the UNPAID training itself is a crash course in the technologies Cognizant want you to know, getting thrown into mini projects with other candidates during certain weeks.
I severely debated leaving at the end of the first week, however decided to stick it out in the hopes it got better, again, it didn't as I felt completely out of my depth, but was still getting told by my trainers that I was doing fine.
During the 10 week period there were at least 5 times Cognizant were supposedly due to visit us to check our progress, but never did.
On the two or three occasions that they came to speak with us, the representative seemed to know less and less information, scrambling for answers to our many questions, but not checking in with us or the trainers to track our progress; giving the impression we were an inconvenience to them.
To emphasise my point, during the final two weeks of the training a new cohort started in the room next to us, and in those 2 weeks before we fin
ProsFree accommodation in Media City, Salford for training, good trainers at QA
ConsLittle communication, organisation, unpaid training
Cogizant's famous employee friendly culture nearly depleted
There are only 2 sides in Cognizant. In the project that I worked, I was given no leave. We used to work late nights and on weekends without benefits. Its like we were just objects for the upper management to earn in dollars. Just squeeze us like lemon and take all the juice. Then we saw the other side, who had literally no work and enjoyed playing games etc during office hours. Unfortunately the remuneration will be the same no matter which side you end up. From the upper managements point of view no matter how hard you work, you are all billed the same dollars. So we are all the same.
Since the time I began working at Cognizant India, it's famous employee friendly culture has only been degrading. As in most companies, here too there is a lot of internal politics for promotion, performance rating, work visa. Most upper management are incompetent and so they know that politics is the only way for them to survive. Instead of trimming billable resources, Cognizant should trim this "dead wood" at the top who have spoiled the culture for everyone. Their only competency is bending in front of clients and shaking their heads for whatever they say, agree on low billing to get contracts(and get their own promotions), and make the employees below work their ### off to complete the project within unrealistic deadlines. The only motivation is through fake promises of promotion, visa etc. When you dont get anything as promised they will put in more fake promises.
The talent manage
ProsNothing
ConsLong hours, fake promises, incompetent management, politics, burn out
• Proficient in Accounts Receivables\Payable, Reconciliations, A\R reporting and Analysis.
Accounts Receivables and Collections:-
Financial Reporting and Analysis of all the on account credits, past due aging invoices, posting of invoices, bank statements deposits and Details report to the Clients based on the companies and cost centres they are responsible.
Accountable of all the cash received through cheques, credit card, and wire etc., remittances.
Processing and auditing all the cash posting applications of A\R process.
Creating batches and receipts for the received BOA Lockboxes in Oracle through interface and manually per business rules.
Processing reapplication and researching on Unapplied, Unidentified receipts.
Tracking prepayments and applying the invoices the same on billing basis.
Lockboxes and Credit card reconciliation of BOA report with Oracle.
Preparing monthly accruals of the received batches of the BOA lockboxes and sending daily Lockboxes detail report to Clients.
Processing Invoice Adjustments Customer Courtesy, Sales Tax, Customer Disputes etc,
Creating Debit-Memo for refunds, Bad debts recovery and unapplied receipts to reserve.
Preparing of check request refunds forms of A\R process and sending request to A/P for payments with approvals.
Preparing and analysing past due invoice reports on aging.
Preparing Bad debts invoices report and sending for adjustment approval.
Sending e-mails regarding past due invoices for payments, follow-up e-mails and Final Demand Letters to past due customers.
Report
Technical Skills:
Experience in VMware - ESXi 4.1/5.1/5.5
Configuration of ESX Servers, vSphere Client and Vcenter Server
Performed Upgrades from ESXi 4.1 to ESXi 5.1/5.5
Performance and resource management
Managing & configuring ESXi servers on HA clustered environment
Handling datastore clusters & LUNs
Performed P2V and V2V operations.
Health Check for VMs and ESX hosts
Deploy Virtual Machines and use Clones, Snapshots, templates
Manage VM hardware resources – Disk space, Memory, CPU, NIC, VMTools
Troubleshooting Issues related to Virtual Machines & ESXi servers.
Experience in Windows Servers (2003, 2008 & 2008R2 | R2)
Install new / rebuild existing servers and configure services, settings, directories, storage, etc. in accordance with standards and project/operational requirements
Research and recommend innovative, and where possible automated approaches for system administration tasks.
Configuring windows Clusters on multiple virtual Machines
Performance Tuning and Resource management
Perform daily system monitoring, OS Health checks (Disk Usage, CPU and Memory Monitoring)
Verifying the integrity and availability of all hardware, server resources, systems and key processes, reviewing system and application logs, and verifying completion of scheduled jobs such as backups.
Perform daily backup operations, ensuring all required file systems and system data are successfully backed up.
Worked on services like IIS, Telnet, DNS, DHCP
Group Policy and
Questions And Answers about Cognizant Technology Solutions
What is the best part of working at Cognizant Technology Solutions?
Asked Oct 7, 2019
Employee friendly.
Answered May 20, 2022
Every other Friday off
Answered May 17, 2022
Does Cognizant Technology Solutions offer any benefits?
Asked Jul 19, 2016
1. You get a whopping 10 days of vacation which cannot be encashed.
2. Either delayed or no salary hikes or promotion. Promotions are reserved for boot lickers.
3. Super useless HR team and Managers.
Answered Jul 18, 2021
One of the most interesting benefits offered is that you can pay a monthly fee to have an attorney on retainer. 401k employee will match your contribution after 1 year. Health insurance has a high deductible.
Answered Mar 20, 2020
How long does it take to get hired from start to finish at Cognizant Technology Solutions? What are the steps along the way?
Asked Jul 13, 2016
I took about a month to be accepted into the I
company due to the extreme back ground checking, once that was done, once hired i had to go through about 1month of training for the job. Then you had to keep a passing percentage once you hit the floor .
Answered May 28, 2019
I have had a phone interview and a in person interview and did the computer test. Now what's next did i get the job
Answered Mar 25, 2018
"How are the working hours?
"What is the best way to get an interview?"
Asked Feb 6, 2016
10am to 6pm it will depend on project .
Answered May 28, 2019
8 hours working to the technology
Answered Oct 9, 2018
How are the working hours at Cognizant Technology Solutions?
Asked Jul 6, 2016
10am to6pm
Answered May 28, 2019
8 hours to do the work from sutabilitya and to the full relaxation and no pressure cts. Thank for alot
