So, my interview was yesterday (28th May 2025) at 8:30 AM. I reached 10 minutes early for gate checking and ID card verification. A copy of the Aadhar Card was mandatory. After that, I was directed to the security hut to get my visitor ID card and then proceed to the venue. They handed me a declaration form to fill before entering the interview hall.
An HR came and instructed us to arrange our documents in a specific order before entering. The interview hall was quite spacious with a proper seating arrangement. There was a document verification team (three ladies, likely HRs) who checked our marksheets, Aadhar card, and Provisional Degree Certificate (if available). After that, we were asked to wait for our interview call.
My interview call came early. The first round was TR + MR (Technical + Managerial). I greeted the panel members and they asked me to sit. For around 5 seconds, we just smiled at each other, probably to make me feel comfortable. Since I had attended other interviews before, I wasn’t that nervous. I broke the silence by asking if I could introduce myself. They said yes, and I gave a brief intro covering my educational qualifications, technical skills, on-site internship, and my projects.
They asked questions based on my resume and the projects I mentioned, which I was able to answer. Then came some OOPS questions like pointers, difference b/w an array and a list, and method overloading. I explained the concepts and also used a paper to make it clearer. They asked me to write code to swap two numbers in two different ways, which I did.
Next, they gave me an HTML/CSS problem(because I had mentioned Web Development in my resume) – design a basic webpage with a header and a body, give them different background colors, and make the body occupy the full height and width of the screen. I solved it using height: 100vh; width: 100vw; in CSS.
They also asked me a question from OS: What is mutual exclusion? I explained it accordingly.
Then came some managerial questions, starting with why I wanted to join TCS. They asked if this was my first interview. I said no, and mentioned that I was already selected for Tech Mahindra, where I’m currently undergoing training. I added that offer letters would be released after an assessment.
When I mentioned TCS's good work culture as a reason for wanting to join, they smiled and joked around a bit. One of them asked, “What if TCS offers you a lower salary than Tech Mahindra?” I replied with a smile, saying, “If the difference is minimal, I’d definitely choose TCS for its culture and other benefits. But if the gap is significant, I’d have to consider my options” (we all laughed).
They teased me saying, “So you’ll pick a toxic company over TCS?”—still laughing. I clarified with a smile, “No sir, I never said Tech Mahindra is toxic. I just meant that there are some companies out there with that kind of culture, which I prefer to avoid.” They laughed again and said, “Yeah, we got it. We were just kidding.”
At the end of the TR+MR round, they asked if I had any questions. I asked what technologies I should learn before joining. They mentioned Artificial Intelligence is trending and I should start learning it. I also asked for feedback – they smiled and said, “You were good. All the best for your HR.”
My TR+MR Interview ended by 9:45 AM(30-35 mins), and then I had to wait 5 hours for the HR round. The waiting time varied for each candidate based on the order the panel members arranged our forms. My panel did it in ascending order, so the last candidate from our batch got the HR call first.
Note: Candidates who did not perform well in the TR+MR round were informed by the HR shortly after their interview and were asked to leave. Only those who qualified in the TR+MR round were allowed to proceed to the HR interview.
In the HR round, I was asked standard questions:
– Are you okay relocating anywhere in India? – Who is Narayana Murthy and what controversial statement did he make? – Do you agree with it? – If TCS imposed 12-hour workdays, what would be your reaction? – What are your top 3 preferred locations?
I answered everything and she smiled and said, “Thank you, your interview is over. You can leave, dear.” I greeted her and left.
Overall, it was a smooth and friendly process. Anyone preparing should revise their projects, brush up on OOPS, basic HTML/CSS(if you have mentioned Web Development in your resume), and be ready for both technical and casual conversations.
