HCL Certifications

1. Certifications to Include in HCL Resume

HCL generally prefers certifications that are relevant to the role you are applying for (GET, PGET, or lateral roles). Including certifications in your resume demonstrates that you have taken extra effort to build your skills beyond academics.

Recommended Certifications for GET/PGET

A. Programming & Development

• Java: Oracle Certified Java Programmer
• C/C++: CPP Institute certifications
• Python: Python Institute certifications
• Web Development: HTML, CSS, JavaScript certifications

B. Database & SQL

• SQL Fundamentals or Advanced SQL certifications
• Oracle Database Administrator (OCA/OCP)

C. Cloud & DevOps (Optional but useful)

• AWS Certified Cloud Practitioner / AWS Developer
• Azure Fundamentals
• DevOps Foundation / Jenkins / Docker basics

D. Data Analytics & AI/ML

• Data Analytics Basics (Google Data Analytics)
• Machine Learning with Python / AI certification

E. Other Useful Certifications

• Networking: CCNA (Cisco Certified Network Associate)
• Cybersecurity Basics: CompTIA Security+
• Software Testing: ISTQB Foundation Level

Tip: Only include certifications you are confident about, because interviewers can ask technical questions based on them.

2. Questions Asked About Certifications in HCL Interviews

HCL interviewers often ask questions to check your understanding and practical knowledge from the certifications. They are usually short, direct, and scenario-based.

Examples of Questions

Programming Certifications

• “You mentioned a Java certification. Explain polymorphism in Java with an example.”
• “In Python certification, what are Python decorators? Can you give a real-time example?”
• “Explain difference between abstract class and interface.”

Database Certifications

• “What is normalization in SQL? Explain 1NF, 2NF, 3NF.”
• “Explain ACID properties in databases and why they are important.”
• “How do you write a query to fetch the second highest salary in a table?”

Cloud/DevOps Certifications

• “You mentioned AWS Cloud Practitioner certification. Explain what S3 is and how you can use it.”
• “What is a virtual machine? Explain the difference between IaaS, PaaS, and SaaS.”

Data Analytics / ML Certifications

• “Explain the difference between supervised and unsupervised learning.”
• “What is a confusion matrix in Machine Learning?”

Networking / Security Certifications

• “Explain the OSI model layers.”
• “What is a firewall and why is it important in cybersecurity?”

3. How to Prepare

1. List only relevant certifications – Don’t overload your resume.
2. Understand key concepts – Go beyond just the certificate; be ready to answer “how and why” questions.
3. Practice examples – For programming and DB certifications, write small code snippets or SQL queries to explain concepts.
4. Tie your projects to certifications – For example, “I used Python basics learned in certification to automate XYZ task in my internship.”