TCS’s main focus is IT. They are really good at IT. If you are a developer and are willing to learn every programming language (and TCS fully enables that), you will likely be kept busy at TCS. But good luck getting by financially in North America. Every developer I knew in North America was woefully underpaid and struggling to make ends meet.
But my review is about User Experience (UX) at TCS. UX Research and Design is a strategic and necessary component for most IT development, and failure to recognize and develop MATURE UX capabilities will result in inferior products and solutions (because the end user will never be part of the solution).
TCS tried to build a UX division during the 8 years i was there, but leader after leader either failed at building a modern, scalable and effective UX practice, or bailed from the task. UX at TCS is an afterthought, not a strategic and well-staffed offering. TCS believes that several junior UX people can substitute for one senior UX person, so senior UX people are laid off. TCS continues to fail to "crack the UX code" and is thus incapable of providing great UX services in North America.
Many projects have been “left on the table” (e.g., won by other consulting firms) because TCS lacked the UX resources and/or lacked the vision to be able to do this type of work. Look up “What are the top UX research best practices demonstrated by consulting firms?” in any AI engine. TCS is never included in any resulting list of consulting firms, and TCS engages in only the “trendiest” of best practices (e.g., Design Thinking workshops). TCS is obsessed with the next “shiny object” and UX just isn’t shiny enough.
UX Research is neither understood nor valued at TCS. It feels the same with UX Design too. Most UX Designers end up doing only tactical work, meaning they are just wire-frame jockeys with little insight into user experience, and no opportunities to contribute to strategic UX.
I had a manager that totally understood my skill set. For 7 years he found UX Research projects for me, and my contributions resulted in happy clients and better UX experiences for their customers. But he was one-of-a-kind at TCS, and has long since left. Once he was gone, TCS couldn’t find any UX Research projects for me so I was laid off. They wouldn’t even keep me on as a senior UX Research strategist or advisor (I’ve been in UX for 25 years).
