The process took 2 months. I interviewed at Cisco (San Jose, CA) in Nov 2010
Interview
I started with the company from a Job Fair at my university. The turn around time between meeting with a PR and getting an e-mail took about two weeks. They let me know about on-campus interviews and I signed up for one.
At the interview, I was paired with a young gentlemen who asked mainly technical questions based around data structures and algorithms.
Afterwards, I was contacted two weeks after for an on-site interview. I had the interview in their Texas location. It consisted of 3 45-minute interviews. Compared to other friends who had their interviews at the same time, mine was fairly personality based. I was asked only one technical question, but my other friends were technically grilled. I think it matters for the random group you were placed in.
I had a fairly positive perception of the company afterwards. There were two or three presentations as well as a tour which highlighted the work environment and life. It seems very group-based, and those there seemed to be engaging and good listeners.
They care about your skills, rather than your background. They have a template which they provide and you got to fill that, everyone is provided a unique number. You are instructed not to disclose any of your personal details in the due course of your interview.
The interview process was two rounds. The first round was a behavioral interview. Straightforward questions, like tell me about the most technically challenging project you have worked on. The second round was a system design interview.
I applied online. I interviewed at Cisco in May 2026
Interview
Series of 4 interviews, First screening with HR Recruiter, reviewed resume and qualifications, second was hiring manager, reviewed experience and skills. Technical interview with team as a panel type interview, Last with hiring Director.
Interview questions [1]
Question 1
Technical questions on networking. Experience with work enviroment