Feeling so much emotional as I step into the last day of my Cognizant life. Yes, I have decided to step out of the safe zone that I have really enjoyed for the last 11 years.
Before joining Cognizant:
I joined Cognizant on December 30th, 2010. I was just a kid passed out of College and starving for a job. Attending every interviews that come across. Purchasing news papers to note down the job openings (Yes, I have did that). Those 8 months after finishing College without a job still has been one of the most difficult times in my lifetime so far. I have never had tough days in my life before that and after that period. It was frustrating, depressing, and very un motivating. Life was steering away from the dreams and I was hopeless on the future. Back then I did not have much exposure on anything other than IT. It was the only hope I had. So it was not an easy peasy way I got to join Cognizant. When I had the job offer in my hand I had tears in eyes. It meant a lot to me at that time and even now.
Tough times never last and they did not!
Academy days:
Cognizant Academy in ASV Suntech Park OMR has been just another college life. Made some great friends and had a rocking time. 30 of the batch mates were together only for 4 months but we all became so close in that short period of time. It was absolute cracking fun and we also learned (Mainframe or something I can't recall). And, I was the batch representive for my batch. I still can't recall why I raised my hand to become a rep. I have never once been a class leader in my school (mostly Arva kulaaru I think). Which didn't help much as I was the last one to get into a project after 4 months out of 30 peeps. Fun bench times!
Album: https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.1740217313403&type=3
Wings 2011: https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.1592110210818&type=3
Thank you Cognizant, for College Life 2.0!
Coimbatore life:
This is where I become a Tester. Being a tester has made me better on how I approach things personally in life. More on that later. But I never wanted to be a tester before joining Cognizant but I do not regret being tester even one bit now. I am proud to be a Tester and will be part of something relating to that until I retire (Retire? Lol!!)
After enjoying 4 months of bench life at home after Academy got over, I had to dig deep (not to find my inner thoughts) to find my ID card and move to Coimbatore to join a project. Where I met bunch of amazing friends and a beautiful city. Wherever I went I was just blessed with great friends and brilliant workers from whom I learned a lot. I learned every bit of testing in this project which is useful to me even now.
Every day in Coimbatore has been great and the quick 4 hour bus ride to home on every weekend was so cool. I felt so close with my parents than living in Chennai.
Alubm: https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.2373593667416&type=3
Wayanad Trip: https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.3276015347394&type=3
Local Trip: https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.3024931510455&type=3
I regret leaving Coimbatore, have a feeling that my work career would have been lot better if I stayed.
Or maybe not!
Back to Chennai:
So apart from work life, though I was having lot of fun in Coimbatore I envied my peeps (Brother & Cousins) in Chennai and I really had to move back to Chennai to join the party. This part is where I truly become a Velacherien and loved being Chennai guy. See, I studied in Chennai but barely crossed Tambaram in college days. Believe it or not I have only watched 3 movies in theater in my entire college life!
I worked in 3 projects during my 7 years Cognizant Chennai life and this is where I was told Manual Testing is not a thing anymore and the work I loved doing is soon going to obsolete. I loved manual testing, the total control and knowledge I had over the application and the domain knowledge I possessed I felt my career was indestructible with my ability to study and test an application inside out. But, to keep getting salary and not to be thrown out of the company - I learned Automation Testing, Selenium, and Java (which would eventually feed me food in the coming days)
After being promoted to a Test Lead role, had a great experience in managing work for the team and interacting closely with client to solve project complex situations. Really loved this work and ended up taking Scrum Master certifications going out of way as a Tester. Managed some of the best team members and I was able to get the best out of them which had a good experience for them as well (I hope).
As days passed I learned that, just having a great knowledge on one application, one Automation tool and staying put is not enough. You should keep learning new things as everything in the head was becoming obsolete so quick. Promotions were harder to get, competitions was getting high, And well, the onsite dream was just a dream.
Keep learning to move on to the next level or stay in that same place forever!
UK:
Depressing life 2.0 was kicking in as the Onsite aspirations was getting no where close. I only went to airports to drop off friends or receive them and was wondering when I would get a chance to really board a flight and work in a client location. Ever since I joined Cognizant I was obsessed to work in a Onsite location and meet new people.
Finally after lot of denials got an opportunity to move to UK and work as an Automation Test Lead for banking project. Getting out of a IME domain after 9 years to Banking was really cool. Things fell through at the right time for us (see I used 'us' and not 'me'. Yes, I got married in this time period!😇)
Moved to different project within UK - Manchester and feel in love with the city. (Not Mancity FC just the city). Manchester in UK felt like Chennai in India for me. Not sure of the exact reaction but love live here for the time being.
You are going to get it, You just have to be patience! A 5 years of patience in my case!!
Leaving Cognizant:
Everything was going alright. Everything has always been going alright at Cognizant for me. But I was getting too comfortable at times and wanted to leave the safe zone and explore on other ways of working in testing and learn new stuffs. To be frank, I have tried to leave Cognizant at various points in the past 11 years but it seems it was never meant to be, until now.
I got an opportunity to work for a huge product based company within UK and I have always wanted to work for a product company and see how the work life is. Once, I got that offer I have decided to leave Cognizant and move on with the life.
Being the first company and working there for a 11 years out of your 32 years of the lifetime is something.
Unfortunately, Every beginning has an end, like every end has a new beginning! On to new beginning!
THANK YOU FOR MAKING ME WHO I AM
VIJAY VIGNESH
2011 - 2022
Hope you have loads of fun at your new job!
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