Terrible experience - if you are not Indian and getting a senior job, think again - Assistant Vice President Cognizant Employee Review

1.0
21 Feb 2013
Recommend
CEO approval
Business outlook

Pros

Compensation not bad. Bonuses are good, but unreliable and not directly related to your own contribution. Some really great people among the mass of junior workers and Indian-descent men who have been promoted way beyond their ability.

Cons

I was hired as an AVP to develop a business. Budget cut immediately. Wanted tier-1 thinking and leadership, but with no investment. Ended up reporting to a young man in India who literally pulled all of my team away from me without telling me (or them). I was told on my exit that 70% of non-Indian descent people are gone within 12-months. Confirmed that my SVP had cut ALL the white people from his organization. Not worth the law suit. I found another senior job (outside the company) within a couple of weeks. If you think you are going to have a senior role in this company, think again. There are many many examples of people who've been told one thing and then faced another reality. They want tier-1 people to take their ideas, and then cut them. Finally, I was "released" with 2-days notice. Yes, really... they fired an AVP with 2-days notice.

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5.0
17 Jun 2026
Recommend
CEO approval
Business outlook

Pros

Work life balance and flex Fridays

Cons

Lower salary than market average

3.0
17 Jun 2026
Recommend
CEO approval
Business outlook

Pros

Cognizant can be a great place to work at. You have to be self-motivated and driven. You won't often be given a script on how to do your job well. But if you are willing to search for new opportunities, you will find success.

Cons

Just like many other tech companies, layoffs are happening all the time. This often brings many projects to a complete halt. Management never communicates when someone is laid off. And when they are laid off, they often never back fill positions, leaving existing team members working the equivalent of three jobs at once. Most teams there are skeleton crews, ensuring that they cannot reach their full potential.

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