Trending @Cognizant; Feeling Stuck
So, 2 years back in July 2022, I joined Cognizant and everything was well and good. I wanted the Java Developer domain and I got that too. Everything went smoothly. Completed my internship with flying colors and was confident of my future.
Then everything started falling apart, first I was put on the bench and was asked to find a project by myself; tried my level best but hardly anyone would respond.
After about a month I was then tagged in a Project. Received no communication from anyone and after about pinging 100 people got to know that this is just a dummy project and while in a dummy project all I can do is skill up because I didn't have access to tmp. Coincidentally the adp team constantly allocated me different courses and programs; but still I didn't have any exposure to real projects. Meanwhile I was moved from one dummy project to another.
All my internship friends faced the same issue but eventually they got the project starting this year.
Fast forward to March 2024, I was released in PDP again when I got access to TMP! Applied to a lot of projects; got few interviews but upon knowing that I don't have any exposure to real projects.. they rejected or at least that is what I understood.
Fast forward to today, been on ageing for 15 days. Until now have applied to many openings being it 1-3yr experience or more. But most of the openings are getting filled or cancelled even before considering my profile. No talent manager or tsc team has recommended any openings since day 1. I am not getting where I am getting wrong.
Now I feel I am stuck. I have wasted my precious 2years. I don't know whom to approach or how to switch even.
The TSC team should have acted as an interface and mapped me somewhere but how come they couldn't even recommend a single project. I feel I have wasted my talent in cognizant.
Why am I writing this? Because I feel I can't be the only one who is at this stage. If you are someone who has been in the same stage, please let me know how can I get a project ASAP! This is taking a huge toll on me; I am not able to focus.
As of now what I am doing:
- applying to relevant openings on tmp
- sending cold emails/ text on teams to relevant managers for openings
- posting on career communities
- texted my talent manager as well as building hr for help; got no help
but nothing seems working!
- applying for profiles outside cts
You waited 2 years?? Why didn't you switched in the first year??
that's the biggest mistake I did! I thought eventually I'll get project... but to think of it now, I should have tried from day 1 when I got tagged to dummy project
Ohk. Np.
How much did you upskilled in two years?
I hope you have done some courses and some projects right?
First of all you are not alone in this. There are thousands who just had same experience. Please don't waste your time here. Get out of Cognizant the only sane advice anyone can give is just leave. This is a sinking ship..
You are not alone … even i am almost the same stage … i have joined cognizant in 2022 and was kept in a support type project for 6 months and then later was kept under a dummy project for another 6 months … i mailed my managers about projects but no replies … and later was kept in bench from feb 2024 … now i am not able to get projects and even not able to get opportunities outside Cognizant because i do not have any project experience … no one wants a candidate with no client and hands-on experience … wasted my time totally…
Cognizant is doomed and more after Ravi Kumar joined as CEO. Outside market conditions are also very bad. I will suggest you keep applying outside and try your luck and if you are interested about or passionate about anything else then go for it. Maybe this situation can act as a blessing in disguise.
All the best.
Dear , Please outside of CTS (I didn't face such incidents which happened to you , But still)
Just try outside, and don't tell them that you are on the bench , instead tell them you are on a project and can be joined with one month of time and since you are on bench CTS will release within one or two days
I am got in even worst situation , joined in July 2022, onboarded in Client project and also changed location for that one, but still they are not giving work and after changing location they are saying hiring is freezed, my energy , money and time wasted
I don't understand what the management is doing! I have few friends who are also in same situation as of yours... But they are atleast not worried about losing job
Upskill and complete some certifications to get opportunities outside Cognizant
Hi buddy, I joined Cognizant in September 2023 and I was on bench for 9 months. After that we were compulsorily called to office, I had to shift to another state even after living in a metropolitan city where 2 cognizant offices are nearby my location. I asked my manager to not send me to a different state but he said he'll get my offer revoked if I won't go to another state. Now, it's been 2 weeks with another manager and the workload is too much and 5 days a week that too night shift is a mandate and I've been demoted instead of getting a promotion when I got this project, and it's not even a project but an operations based role. What should I do? Should I resign in September as I will complete one year. It's getting harder to face every day as I'm not liking this work, shift timings and the cultural barrier is also there. Very confused as in what to go. I've started to show health problems already due to night shift. Feel like going back home and find better opportunities. Haven’t been able to focus or upskill much but I believe in myself that I can genuinely do better if I really put my mind on upskilling myself
As per my suggestion please ask them to release from the project by showing them a health issue. Go to the bench and don't look at the project within cognizant. Instead prepare during your bench period and apply outside.
Don't worry about the same situation.
