Pros
Work Culture is very good, you are open to take issues to senior managers where you feel your immediate manager/TL is unfair with you. But only luck can decide if he is fair or unfair with you. Time restrictions are not that stringent, but this again depends on the kind of manager you get, there are some who want the job done 3-4 days before the deadline and there are some who want job done in 3-4 weeks before the deadline!
Cons
1. Salaries: Cognizant is a beggar when it comes to paying people, especially freshers!! They pay half... I repeat they pay HALF the salary other companies are paying for 3+ years exp. guys. They do not value people who have stayed with the company for many years. I was in love with this company, but if the love isn't returned back, it dies. One can tolerate a little bit lower payment but literally less by 40-50% of industry standard is highly unacceptable. 2. Recognizing your special talents/Skills: This company is a complete failure at this. Your individuality is put in a dustbin and you work on things very much below your capability. There is no grooming from managers to recognize and enhance your skills/abilities. Cognizant doesn't care at all about your career/personal growth at all! 3. On-site Opportunities: What is that? Oh... only if you can be manager's dog you can go to on-site. You need skills to go on-site??? Nah!! 4. Food is better in jail. 5. Admin team work for themselves and not for the employees. They are hopeless people. 6. Some managers are really cunning. They lie about the project details when they are getting you in and you see all the different things when you are actually in. They cheat you. There are some good ones but tough to find. This is luck. 7. The whole rating process/concept is a joke and there is no way a employee can express his dissatisfaction if the manager is unfair with him. He has to accept low grades and curse his destiny. You are really a puppet in the hands of manager. You cant harm him anyway, but he can harm you the way he wants, whenever he wants. 8. Sports & Recreation: Employees are dogs and dogs don't play any sport. So Cognizant doesn't really care about Sports. Yes, they are intelligent to have 2 broken T.T tables (but usable) and 2 carom boards with missing pieces to show to the world that Cognizant cares for Sports and recreation. Zero recreation.