TCS Open Ignite Experience:
Long time ago I started my journey to TCS open ignite. I was a BCA student. When I was in 3^rd year, one day I entered in our college campus, saw a poster on the notice board. That was TCS open ignite poster. That time I just ignored it. After few days our HOD (Head of the Department) told us about open ignite program and he suggested to get registered in open ignite. Then we did our registration. But that time I didn’t take it seriously. After two weeks I just went through ignite site to see what is going on. On ignite landing page I found that I have to attend tests & challenges, videos and fulfil the survey. Then casually I attempted two test and completed two of the surveys. And downloaded one challenge, it was coding challenge. Then I started becoming interested to complete the challenge, after solving the problem I uploaded it.

     After few days I received a call from ignite team. They told me to watch videos, fill all surveys and complete challenges. And they were going to arrange an interview. After that I was very much excited. Then again I logged in and complete all survey and attend another challenge-it was algorithm challenge. The problem made me so much interested to solve it. After completing I submitted it. Then I watched videos with a lots of hope. And I was active in Open ignite.

     Finally I left it in Nov 2015, and did not submit any solution. I was quite disappointed about interview calls.

     28^th Dec, 2015, 09:17pm, I got a message in my mobile from TD-TCSIGN --- “TCS Ignite- Congratulations! You have been shortlisted for our interview. Please check your mail immediately for more details. NOTE: Soon we will share the link to download your Interview Card. Thank You”

     This message put a smile on my face, and again I was too much excited about interview. I prepared myself for the interview.

25^th Jan, 2016, 07:25pm, I got another message--- “TCS Ignite- Congratulations! We have sent you a mail regarding your interview. Please check it immediately to download your interview card. All the best!!”

     I downloaded the interview card and and got the schedule, according to that my interview was on 6^th February,2016 at 8:30am at TCS, Unitech Hitech Structures Ltd., New Town, Kolkata.

     They shared an App to get prepared for the interview. Where I found a lot of things like interview process, sample question etc.

      Gradually interview date was getting closer and I was preparing hardly by myself. Finally the date came. I was too much tensed and couldn’t sleep well. That night I was slept only for 2 hours and woke up at 3:45am. I decided to reach Kolkata by train, and the train was on 4:50am. At 7am I reached Howrah station. I took a bus from Howrah and reached there at 8:25am. Then I failed to find the actual TCS Ignite interview location and went to the another TCS building where also an interview was going on. I thought that I was in right place. I entered in the office and waited for the document verification. At the time of Document verification process they said that, “this is not for freshers, this interview is for experienced professionals”. Oh god! That was the most annoying moment in my life. When I left the wrong interview location, I was already too late & the time was running out I thought that I would miss my interview. But I didn’t give up. Finally I reached the exact location at 10:35am. After entering interview room I got a message—“TCS Ignite!! We are sorry to provide wrong map in the interview card. Requesting you to report to the below address as your venue ….”

Actually there was wrong map in interview card, that’s why interview started at 12:00 pm for that day.

     At last, they called all the students for interview. When I entered inside the interview room I was very nervous & too much tensed. First round was Aptitude Round with a duration of 10mins.  After aptitude round I rearranged the documents for verification process. After completion of verification round we moved to another hall for technical round. I sat on a chair & was eagerly waiting for my turn in technical round. After 15min I moved to project manager for technical round. First he asked me about my home, address, how I reached in the interview location, I told how I came. Then he asked me that whether I had my breakfast or not. I said no. then he offered me some biscuit (there was some biscuit on the table). First I refused to take that but he forced me to take. He was too friendly. Then he asked me what I have learned in my graduation, as I am a BCA student I told him total syllabus of BCA. Then he opened my Ignite profile, and he found that there is so many topics in my profile (like Java, C, C++, SQL, Database, Software engineering etc.). He asked me whether I know all the subjects or not. Then he started questing me on the topics which I had written on my Ignite profile. There were some topics that I had forgotten, I was not prepared for those topics. Then I told him that he can ask me questions on that topic but I might not be able to answer all questions. Then he asked about my favourite subject I told about C and C++ language. Then he gave me a paper and asked me to write a function of a sorting algorithm. Suddenly I forgot all the logics of sorting algorithms, then my mind was fully blanked. So, I have started writing the program from beginning, like-

#include<stdio.h>

#include<conio.h>

I was writing those lines but I was trying to remember sorting algorithm.

Then he said me to write the function only.   So I have started the function part and somehow I did it. Then he checked the code and gave me some unsorted numbers and told me to sort those number step by step on paper using diagram. Now I got my memory back and done it with full confidence. After that he gave me some SQL problems and asked me to draw an ERD diagram of a library management system. He helped me to do that. After that he asked me about Stack functions and I answered it correctly. Then He asked me some basic concepts of C and C++ language. I gave all the answers confidently. At last, he shared some information about IT industry like how IT industry works, what are the things I have to learn etc. This was my Technical Round (Project round).

After lunch I was waiting for HR round i.e. Ignite Round. After sometime they called me, I went to HR room, then she gave me a paper and asked me to write two programs, one was prime number checking and another was sorting numbers or strings, I chose number sorting. Then she asked me to introduce myself and asked some questions about my study and college, and at last she suggested me to improve my communication skill and as well as she also gave me some tips on it.

That’s how my interview was ended.

On Friday, Feb 12, 2016 at 03:16PM I received a mail regarding TCS Ignite interview update.

The mail was—

“Dear Candidate,
This is with reference to the TCS Ignite interview that you attended recently. We are pleased to inform you that you have successfully completed all the steps leading to an offer. Congratulations! … ”

Oo ho!! That was the confirmation mail that I was selected for TCS job. I cannot describe my feelings that I had. It was one of my best feelings that I ever had.

On Tuesday, Mar 8, 2016 at 06:17PM I received a mail regarding Offer Letter.

“Dear Soumesh Mondal,

We are delighted to inform you that you have been successful in our selection process.

Your Offer Letter is shared in the mail as an attachment. . . .

”

After that 29^th March TCS Ignite welcomes me into their Open Ignite Platform which is known as PEO (Pre-Employment Orientation) program. This is a program where we have to perform our best, we have to attend test once in a week and they gave weekly assignment. TCS offers more than 1200 graduate students every year. And they were going to take only around 500 student in first batch i.e. July 2016 and rest of all in Feb 2017. So all selected students gave their best to get a chance in first batch, they all performed their best on tests and assignments overall all PEO activity to get in first batch. And we all performed more than 1 month and on 6^th May, they send a message-

“Greetings from TCS Ignite! We have published your training calendar on your PEO landing page. Login today to view your joining scheduled”

 As soon as possible I logged into my account and I found that I was selected for Batch 1, joining date was 22^nd July 2016(Again another smile).

And on 27^th June they started Check-in process for our joining.

At last, on Monday, July 4, 2016 at 07:46PM TCS sent me an awaiting mail for joining letter-

“Dear Soumesh Mondal

Ref: TCSL Offer of Employment

Welcome to TCS-Asia's largest IT services, business solutions and outsourcing organisation.

To equip you with an enriching career in the IT industry, we have planned your Initial Learning Program (ILP) from 22ND JULY 2016 at Chennai. …

 ”

And then another journey of life begins ….