💻 Cognizant GenC Next – 2nd Technical Interview Experience (5 Nov 2025) 🚀
Summary
I experienced a remarkably calm and respectful 2nd technical interview for the Cognizant GenC Next role, where the interviewer's patience and focus on logical thought process made it a positive experience.
Full Experience
Honestly, this round was one of the calmest and most respectful interviews I’ve had so far. A female interviewer conducted my round, and she was extremely polite, patient, and understanding. Midway through the interview, I actually got disconnected, and she waited for me to rejoin without a hint of frustration. When I couldn’t hear a few questions properly, she repeated them kindly every time, which really helped me stay relaxed and confident throughout.
My interview flow began with a self-introduction, followed by an explanation of my projects, where I discussed my role, the tech stack I used, and the challenges I faced. She then asked me about the programming languages I knew.
For the coding part, I was asked two straightforward questions live on a compiler. She focused on understanding my thought process more than just the final code. After the coding, we delved into core Java concepts like OOPs (with real-world examples), constructors (and if they can be overloaded), an overview and use cases of the Collections Framework, the basic working of HashMap and when to use it, performance differences between ArrayList and LinkedList, what Wrapper Classes are and their utility, and Exception Handling (try, catch, finally, checked vs unchecked). We also touched upon JavaScript basics, specifically the difference between let and var, and what NaN is and when it occurs.
Finally, we had a brief HR-type discussion involving basic yes/no questions about shifts, relocation, and tech stack flexibility, without any situational or behavioral questions. The interview lasted around 30 minutes and felt more like a conversation than an interrogation. The interviewer genuinely valued clear explanations and patience over speed or perfection.
Interview Questions (11)
Implement a function to reverse a given string. I was initially asked to use StringBuilder and then to re-implement it using a loop to demonstrate logical clarity.
Write a program to remove special characters from a string, where the input string is taken from the user.
Explain the core concepts of Object-Oriented Programming (OOPs) with real-world examples.
Discuss constructors in Java and explain if they can be overloaded.
Provide an overview of the Java Collections Framework and discuss its common use cases.
Explain the basic working mechanism of a HashMap and provide scenarios for when to use it.
Describe the performance differences between ArrayList and LinkedList in Java.
Define what Wrapper Classes are in Java and explain their usefulness.
Explain Java's exception handling mechanisms, including try, catch, finally blocks, and the distinction between checked and unchecked exceptions.
Explain the key differences between let and var keywords in JavaScript.
Define NaN (Not a Number) in JavaScript and describe common scenarios where it occurs.
Preparation Tips
Based on my experience, I recommend focusing on strong Java fundamentals, including OOPs, Collections, and Exception Handling. It's also crucial to practice string-based coding problems, as they seem to be a favorite. During the interview, speak your logic clearly, as interviewers value clarity over complexity. My advice for anyone appearing soon is not to stress; it's not a hard interview. Focus on confidence, clarity, and calmness.