TCS Codevita Interview Experience

Hello folks!!!

I am Vamsi Varun. I just wanted to deliver you my personal experience of TCS Codevita Interview.

So writing this post. It is so long but worthy do read it and comment your views below for sure.

Hope this will be helpful.

By the way, this is my first face to face interview of my life :P

TCS Recruitment Process:

TCS has different recruitment processes like TCS Ninja(3.35LPA,), Codevita(3.35LPA), Digital(7LPA) etc., to hire students. These offers differ based on the role and package they offer as mentioned above.

• In TCS Ninja, you have to write National Qualifier Test(Online) at TCS Dedicated centres all over India to get an interview call from TCS (if you qualify). This is a nice initiative I feel because any student from any corner of India can apply to TCS irrespective of their college. After you qualify,  you'll get a direct interview call (at a common college in that area) and hire them according to your performance. If the performance in National Qualifier test is too good, then you will also be selected to attempt TCS Digital Exam.

• TCS Codevita is actually a Worldwide Programming Competition held prestigiously by TCS every year. There will be three rounds in this contest. But after clearing the first round you'll be called for a direct interview through which they will give Codevita offer which is similar to TCS Ninja as the package is equal for both. But the only difference is they will be called as the codevita hires and may have some preferences. Those who got selected in this can directly give TCS Digital exam for 7LPA otherwise codevita offer continues.

• TCS Digital is another recruitment process in which a qualifier test followed by an interview similar to Ninja process but the role and package differ a lot. Generally, the chance for TCS Digital will be given through the National Qualifier Test or Codevita Selection.

I had participated in TCS Codevita and cleared the first round. So I got a mail from TCS asking to attend an interview at JNTUH for codevita offer. My participation in codevita is just intended to compete in a programming competition and had no thoughts about the interview call or job offer!!! Yet I decided to give a try.

TCS Interview at JNTU, Hyderabad:

Booking Tickets to Hyderabad and preparing documents required for the interview and all done in a flash. I personally felt that I need at least three days to prepare for that psychologically. Because I knew in the coming days I have to attend continuous interviews and some will be in Hyderabad. So thought of getting used to Hyderabad well in these days.

                                                                     My preparation includes all the basics of the well-known subjects in computer science like C, C++, Java, OOPS, OS etc., All these are required for the most of the interviews these days so took much time to revise them properly.
 You have to change your resume according to the company's requirement and job profile. My job profile was Assistant System Engineer Trainee. So took little care to prepare my resume according to that. Now comes the most important part i.e. preparing mentally for the interview. 

Preparing mentally and technically are two different things. Even if you're technically strong you also have to prepare mentally to overcome the pressure factor. Otherwise, all will go in vain. I've seen many people who are technically very strong but was rejected. This was just because they didn't prepare well psychologically and could not able to answer in Managerial Round(MR). You should be able to tackle any situation there. This happens only if you are confident enough.

Confidence comes when you have clear thoughts in your mind, know enough details about the company, job profile, various employee policies of the company, it's currently working technologies what not!? Extract every possible information useful for you to drive the interview. You should also be able to answer any question about yourself like - tell me about yourself, what are your strengths and weakness, why should we hire you, how confident are you at the things, what is the toughest situation you've faced, how good are you at teamwork etc., You'll know this kind of things when you read a lot of interview experiences at geeksforgeeks and sites like that.

Coming back to the context, my preparation ended on the day before the interview. I felt confident enough to give it. I've explored a lot about the company, it's background and noted some convincing points which I am going to share with you.

My slot was at 2:30 PM and I was present there by 12:30 PM itself (We can't trust Hyderabad traffic right!! :P ). There were 25 panels taking interviews that day. After a long time, I was called for Technical Round at 6:00 PM roughly.

Entered the room with my file, wished them and asked for their permission to sit. They said yes. Seeing my trouble, they've asked me to take some water (I had a little cough that day). There were three persons in the panel (Two young people and an old man). But only one person asked me everything. Other two were checking something in the laptop(maybe verifying things in my resume) Our long conversation was as follows.

Interviewer: Tell me about yourself.

Me: Told (Started with my native place, said about my family, schooling, why I chose CSE, what I've done in three years and ended up with my projects).

Interviewer: So you do a lot of programming.

Me: Yes sir, I like it.

Interviewer: You've solved 200+ sums in hackerearth.com. Do you like hacking???

Me: No sir it's not about hacking. It's an online coding platform where many problem statements are given and we have to write a program to solve it. They will check our program through various test cases and if it passed all of them, it means we've solved it.

Interviewer: Well, what is the toughest problem you've solved in it?

Me: Said about a maze problem (based on the flood-fill algorithm).

Interviewer: How did you solve it? Explain the algorithm?

Me: Explained it clearly.

Interviewer: Which programming language you like and why?

Me: C++, because of its Standard Template Library and easy to use syntax.

Interviewer: So how do you handle exceptions in C++. Write syntax on paper.

Me: Wrote.

Interviewer: Do you know Oops concepts in Java? If yes tell me why multiple inheritance is not possible directly in Java?

Me: Yes sir, because if we have the same methods with two definitions in two different classes then ambiguity occurs which method to use if third class inherit those two classes. So we use interfaces to solve the conflict.

Interviewer: Tell me about virtual tables(Views) in DBMS.

Me: Said the definition.

Interviewer: Given a situation and asked me whether using the virtual tables will work or not.

Me: Maybe no!!! Loses its consistency I guess.

Interviewer: Tell me correctly.

Me: I don't know it accurately sir, but to my knowledge, it's not possible.

Interviewer: Yeah it's not possible for some conditions and explained some other cases for which it works!

Me: Ok sir, it's my bad!

Interviewer: Tell me the difference between Development and Maintenance in SDLC.

Me: Told.

Asked three more questions on Software Engineering. I can't answer all of them. So told him Sorry sir, I am not well versed with SE but I will learn it for sure.

Interviewer: Ok then tell me what you know about TCS?

Me: TCS is one of India's top IT services company. It's in top 10 in the list of India's fortune 500 companies. It is celebrating its 50th anniversary this year. Also, the first IT company in India to cross 100 Billion marketization, Installed in 46 countries etc.,

(Result of my rigorous exploration of the company's profile)

Interviewer:(Seems impressed!) Ok Why only TCS?

Me: Sir, I know about TCS since my childhood. It's in the top 10 list of fortune 500 Indian companies indicating the care you take for your employees. I am also interested in onsite. As TCS is installed in 46 countries I feel it's the best place for me to work.

Interviewer: So any questions?

Me: How will be chances for a fresher like me to get the onsite opportunity?

Interviewer: It depends on projects available and on many factors. You have to prove yourself first. Then if the situation favours you'll definitely get it. No limitations for fresher’s!!! Any more Questions?

Me: No sir!

Interviewer: Thank you. You can leave!!

Me: Thank you, sir!

Successfully completed TR, MR and called for HR after 30 mins.

HR Round:

It was quite a simple one. He asked me to introduce myself. Asked whether I am ok with relocation or not. He tried to convince me to choose my flexible location but I clearly said I am ok with any location. Asked my family background as well. Then we had a discussion on my projects and the question was why I had done projects only in C? As a CSE student, we expect more from you, right?

I said I have working knowledge on C, C++, Java and Python as well, but due to the activities and competitions that I've conducted and attended in my third year, I could not able to do projects on those languages.

He is ok with it and said the bond is one year with TCS if you break it you have to pay 50k.

I said ok.

Why you are so serious from the beginning, is it because you've  waited for long hours?

I smiled and said that I have to wait if I want to work with TCS. So that's not an issue sir. I am a little sick so that might have affected my face.

He asked if any future plans?

I told him that I have no immediate plans but I may plan for MS two to three years later and moreover, TCS has a policy of Study leave of two years for their employees to do MS and come back so there will no problem for me I guess.

He is impressed with that (knowing about that policy) and asked which one I choose? Teamwork or Working single?

I said that I prefer self-learning so I do learn things myself but coming to work I choose teamwork.

He said that's it for now. Thank you. You may leave now!

I wished him back and left. It's around 8:00PM when I left that place!

Usually, I don't expect much after giving any test. So that the results won't affect me greatly. But I was satisfied with my performance at the end. That's what most important I feel rather than the result.
You have to be satisfied with your performance in the interview whatever the result may be.

After the interview, prepare a list where you should improve and make sure you don't repeat them in the immediate attempt.
I had also prepared the same and found some things would have been better like explaining things more clearly etc.

Finally, I got selection mail from TCS and offer letter as well(that letter contains 20+ pages!!! Really took a long time to read it!! Lol).

Many of you might think that for TCS and that too for 3.3LPA  preparation can be a little less. Even many asked me this as well. But whatever the company is! Be it TCS or Microsoft, you have to prepare your best for your first interview. If you do well in the first interview that positivity continues for a long time. That is what happened to me also. I've attended many interviews after that, with great confidence. Your hard work will pay off for sure.

Good Luck and bye for now!
Cheers :)