I joined EPAM as Data Engineer, and it was a grave mistake. This is a staffing company, nothing more, nothing less. Even if their internal job portal lists a few roles, most will require you to learn additional technologies like Databricks or Palantir. I’m currently on the bench with the constant threat of job loss if I don’t secure a project soon. The staffing team will reject you even if there’s a single skill mismatch.
This company feels like a complete sham. HR will lie, claiming your project is already decided or that you’re a direct client hire—don’t believe them. They’re a bunch of liars. After joining, if you reach out, they won’t even reply. Sometimes, they’ll say, “My job was to onboard you; the staffing team will handle your project.” First, they conduct 3+ rounds to issue an offer. After onboarding, you face 1-2 hours of internal interviews, followed by two more 1.5-hour client interviews. Meanwhile, clients interview 10-20 other candidates in parallel. Even if you perform well, clients need only one candidate and will likely choose someone with a slightly better skillset. So, you get rejected again. If you fail to secure a project within 3-4 months, you’ll be asked to resign.
Unlike most finance companies that focus on core skills during interviews, EPAM expects you to know everything from A to Z, putting immense pressure on you. My honest advice: don’t join this company. Instead, choose a better organization where your client is already assigned. Sitting on the bench for too long here will lead to being let go. This has been a truly terrible experience after spending three months on the bench as an data engineer resource.
