[SuzyQ]

Hi.
I'm not quite sure if this belongs in this thread. someone please move it if it isn't

I'm in the final yr of engineering and campus recruitment is just going to start. The apparent order of companies is:
* TCS
* HCL
* CTS
* Wipro
* Satyam
* Verizon

As usual, my college has a one person, one offer policy. And i really want to try for verizon but it's freaking last.

Could you guys tell me how each of these cos are as employers. And advise on which ones to attend

i thought of skipping the first two and then attending the rest..

thanks

- confused suze

[Oxymoron]

hey this is interesting....there seems to be a change from last yr's policy in your coll eh? And am not sure it is advisable for a ECE or EEE student to try for Verizon...cos' last yr they had a predilection for CS and IT students only..they did take in some ECE students but they were exceptionally good at programming...though Verizon didn't come to my coll this is what I garnered from my other frnds..so you better verify it yourself. And getting in TCS,CTS and Satyam is not that tough even off campus..see if u want to be the 20k+1 employee...I personally wouldn't...even HCL has a predilection for CS and IT students..i.e in my coll they had...

Girish...!

p.s. Btw remember the campus selection is pretty unpredictable ..inspite of having all credentials one might still not make it..happened to quite a number of ppl in my coll and also in your coll.

[starsunil]

hi suzy.....

i would advise u to go for Hcl as well......HCL does some very good quality work. i work for cts and i dont have any complaints with my company so far.
So dont skip HCL......they do a lot of work in networking and VLSI work.....which i dont think the other companies u mentioned work on...

sunil

[SuzyQ]

Hey sunil. something to think about eh.

but this is (hopefully) going to be a temp thing while i study for CAT.

*scratches head in continued frustration*

am quite scared about not making it through even one of these cos. and ending up both jobless and CATless in a years' time

and girish i didn't understand. did you just shoot down every co on the list? you planning to get me a job at your bangalore co.?

[SuzyQ]

Also, anyone here working for TCS?

Verizon is the only company that pays higher. Everyone else is almost equal with wipro paying a little lesser.

So might not have to skip TCS anyway.

[Oxymoron]

Alright Suzy let me burst some bubbles for you having "been there done that" as far as campus interviews go. This is what happened in my college. SRM engg college.

HCL: Their written test was shoddy . There were 4 sections. One apti,one verbal,one C,c++ qns and another general "computer" questions. Am saying it was shoddy because they had given the same paper as in their previous campus selections and the whole paper was available in the net. Not even one question was changed..not even the options!! Every Tom,**** and Harry in my coll had it. They had also indirectly made it clear that they were not gonna take ECE,EEE students. This is with respect to HCL TECHNOLOGIES. There is supposed to be another division called HCL PERIPHERALS which promised to take ECE students. But they never turned up in my college. So the written test which was supposed to be an elimination test was "free for all". *if* my memory serves me right only 4 ECE junta made it to the interview round. And no marks for guessing what happened in the interview round. They were drilled on Cse subjects ..topics which even the Cse students wouldn't have heard of!! In hindsight it was an eye wash. But the methodology of interviews was the best among all the companies which has come so far in my coll! to clear the interview one had to be good in his subject. Each technical interview lasted for about 45 mins or so. With two rounds. As far as I can remember there was no HR interview. CTC promised by them was 2.4 lakhs per annum.

WIPRO : Their written test wasn't that difficult. Basic quants and verbal. there were some Comp qns too. Though some of the questions were repeated the paper was overall new. so no "free for all" this time. Though the paper was quite easy to clear. The interview was ridiculous. Lasted on an average 7 mins per person. Yes 7 mins!! The pay wasn't that great either. 10k during training and then 13k. But WIPRO came with the mindset of recruiting large numbers and well think they made my placement officer a happy man by taking abt 40 ppl. Interview was pretty general...some ppl were asked "technical" qns like "what is a pointer?" and what does "ISDN" stand for! AFAIR no branch preference was given. WIPRO just wanted the numbers. And having good acads does help a bit.

SIFY : Warning: *if* you are a SIFY employee kindly don't read further.
They had the worst recruitment procedure of all the companies <which I attended>
Their written test was insult to my intelligence to write and their interview even shoddy. Lasted on an average 3mins!!!! And from this "they judged" ppl and some of them went to the second round which lasted abt 10 mins...ultimately they took only 2 ppl from my coll. Pay not that great either. 12-13k per month.

The following companies came after I got placed so this is what my friends said. So standard disclaimer applies and take it with a pinch of salt.

CTS : Written test includes quants which is CAT like if not tougher. Verbal is easy and some logical qns. They give no branch preference and higher acads is a major advantage. Interview kinda technical though would be related to ur branch. only some qns repeated from that available in the net.they recruit in large numbers..atleast 30+. CTC is 2.24 lakh.

TCS: Same like CTS though much easier qns. There might be some technical qns. Interview could be technical or HR depending on which panel you go to. So interview a game of luck. They recruit in large numbers atleast 20+. CTC is abt 2.04 lakh

VERIZON : No idea abt the written test but do know that they give a lot of emphasis on good programming skills. Like I said they showed branch preferences. Hopefully scenario has changed this time. You can ask someone in SSN engg college. Heard Verizon has already come for them.

And a final word on campus interviews...

MYTH: * one has to be very very good technically
* One has to have very good acads
* One has to have done paper presentations,done courses outside..blah blah
* It is only your technical knowledge which takes more precedece than your ability to talk.
* It doesn't matter whether one is in the good books of placement officer or not. He has no final say in the ppl recruited.
* The persons who got thro' are better than you in "some" way.
* Honesty always pays.
* Gender doesn't matter. < at the risk of sounding sexist...but this comes out of experience!>
* Providence doesn't play that big a role.

And I need hardly mention what the reality is...your gift of the gab takes precedence over a lot of other things. But ofcourse don't try to be "too smart"...will back fire:( And also have an earnest look of "desperately wanting the job". And other cliched things apply...you haven't taken your GRE...never even heard of CAT...and whatever your "future plan" is it involves only after 3 yrs with the company. If you are thinking "cmon! they are not that naive" you are right..they aren't ..but still try saying you are gonna apply for MS and also have your eyes on MBA and still get the job..I will take my hat off to you. Knowing the company's website thoroughly is a must.

That's it for now...goodluck with your campus interviews. and well see you in an IIM next yr

Girish...!

Originally Posted by SuzyQ

and Girish i didn't understand. did you just shoot down every co on the list? you planning to get me a job at your bangalore co.?

Not shooting down giving you the reality...and yup you are welcome to take my job in the company as soon as they are done chucking me out. Will let you know

[SuzyQ]

Thanks Girish!

Will hopefully not need your blore job and will hopefully see you @ iim next year

let's make it A and then go around to all the it co's and stick our tongues out at them

and no.. i'm not a sify employee.. neither is my dad though he was till a coupla months earlier.

[case]

Hi Oxymoron,

Thanx for your detailed posting . This sure will help people like me, 6th semester Electronics student in Bangalore, who will be facing the campus recruitment shortly.
We have, besides the companies already mentioned , Phillips, Tata Elexi, L&T , Talisma, Sasken , Robert Bosch (later), Siemens (later), Itiam (Later) coming as it stands. I need your inputs on the following : 1) Which companies prefer Electronics student 2) Their selction procedure


Thanx for your valuable guidance

[Francesco CATtie]

hey suze,
By the way, to which branch do u belong????
when TCS and Satyam came to our college, they did not opt for Mechanical Engg.
if u r from EEE or ECE u can opt for any of these companies as it does not make much diff after u join there...
well with regarrd to the policy, every college has it and ours was no exception.
SATYAM came to our coll first and i was thru it, and hence cud not take the tests of GE(IBC), TCS,Sierra Atlantic etc....lucky to get thru Infy (off-campus).

one more question .... Does HCL offer u a Tech job??? in our college and many others , they have offered a marketing jod for techies, and the job is really horrible... make sure it is a tech job...

[G O V A R]

Interesting proposition yours...

I guess Girish has mentioned most of what I have. But, I'll add to your confusion.

Since you are en route to an IIM next year, I'd say that you choose companies based on the 1) timings and 2) pay, unless you are vacillating on where you exactly wanna go.

Clearing a myth: the reality about work in all these companies is: what you work on really depends on your luck, and probably your manager's state of mind. ;-) I know people in CTS working in VC++ and in mainframe maintenance. But both of them get a decent 20K in hand. I don't think you have to think too much abt the kind of work. What you can really look for is the timing of work. Don't choose a company with flexi timings. You'll be baked alive (as I was).

Instead choose a 9 to 5 kinda company - say CTS or Wipro, and one which pays you well. That way CTS is a good start, in your order. Next could be Wipro. HCL would be good too, but for the pay?

I don't see why you are too worried abt all these when your eyes are on IIMs. Trust me, none of these companies will give ya some rocket science kinda interesting work. Be materialistic. How does that sound?