Company-wise Interview Preparation
What it is & where it is used
Every company type tests the same core skills — fundamentals, problem solving, project knowledge, communication — but with different emphasis and formats. Knowing the pattern helps you prepare the right material.
| Company type | Typical emphasis |
|---|---|
| Indian IT services (TCS, Infosys, Wipro, HCLTech, Cognizant, Accenture, Capgemini, Tech Mahindra, LTIMindtree) | Fundamentals (OOP, C#, SQL, .NET), project explanation, client communication, flexibility (shifts, relocation, technologies); aptitude tests for freshers |
| Global product companies (Microsoft, Amazon, Google, Oracle, Adobe, Salesforce) | Data structures and algorithms, system design (senior), behavioural/values interviews, high hiring bar |
| Global Capability Centres (GCCs) (banks, retailers, manufacturers with Indian/Taiwan tech centres) | Mix: strong fundamentals + domain + design + stakeholder skills |
| Consulting / Big Four (Deloitte, EY, KPMG, PwC, Accenture consulting) | Technical breadth, client-facing communication, case/scenario questions |
| Startups | Practical coding/take-home tasks, ownership, speed, full-stack breadth, culture |
| Taiwan employers | Hardware/semiconductor/electronics giants, software companies and foreign firms in Taipei; language requirements vary; work permit eligibility matters for foreigners |
Important: interview processes change frequently and differ by role, level and team. The patterns below are general and based on publicly shared information (company career pages and candidate reports). Always check recent candidate experiences (Glassdoor, AmbitionBox, LeetCode Discuss, Blind, PTT Tech_Job for Taiwan) and ask the recruiter about the exact rounds.
Versions & history
How company hiring has changed:
| Period | Change |
|---|---|
| 2000s | Mass campus hiring by Indian IT services with written aptitude tests |
| 2010s | Online assessments (AMCAT, CoCubes, HackerRank, Codility); product companies standardise DSA + system design loops |
| 2018–2020 | National qualifier tests (e.g. TCS NQT launched 2018–2019); tiered fresher roles (e.g. TCS Ninja/Digital, Infosys Specialist Programmer, Wipro Elite, Cognizant GenC tiers) |
| 2020–2022 | Fully virtual interviews; hiring boom and high attrition; online proctored tests |
| 2023–2024 | Hiring slowdown, layoffs at many tech companies, longer processes; growth of GCCs in India |
| 2025–2026 | AI-assisted screening, stricter anti-cheating measures in online assessments, more emphasis on practical skills and AI tooling familiarity |
Lifecycle
General end-to-end process (experienced hires):
- Application / referral / recruiter outreach (LinkedIn, Naukri, Instahyre, 104 in Taiwan).
- Recruiter screen: experience, skills, notice period, CTC, location.
- Online assessment or technical screen (coding/MCQ) — more common for freshers and product companies.
- 1–3 technical rounds (concepts, coding, project deep-dive, design).
- Managerial / techno-managerial round.
- HR round (behavioural, salary, joining date).
- Offer → background verification → onboarding.
Fresher campus/off-campus process (Indian IT services, typical): registration → online test (aptitude: quantitative, logical, verbal; programming MCQs; coding; sometimes communication/game-based) → technical interview → managerial/HR interview → offer → training (e.g. initial training programmes before project allocation).
Tools used to develop
- Company career portals — official process and role names (TCS iBegin/NextStep, Infosys careers, Wipro careers, Cognizant careers, Accenture careers, Amazon.jobs, Microsoft careers, Google Careers).
- Candidate reports: Glassdoor, AmbitionBox, LeetCode Discuss (company tags), GeeksforGeeks interview experiences, Blind, Reddit (r/developersIndia, r/cscareerquestions), PTT Tech_Job and Dcard (Taiwan).
- Practice: LeetCode (company-tagged lists require Premium), HackerRank, PrepInsta / IndiaBix (aptitude), this site's Coding Practice, SQL Server and Practice panels.
- Values documents: Amazon Leadership Principles, Microsoft's culture (growth mindset), Google's hiring guidance — read them before interviews.