I applied online. The process took 3 weeks. I interviewed at Cisco in Feb 2025
Interview
Initial phone screen asking questions about networks and layer 2 - layer 3 switching. That went fine. They then scheduled a follow-up interview. I asked if there would be a leetcode style portion of the interview. Instead of a yes or no, I was given new questions and an evasive answer. I informed them I would attend the interview, even my question was not answered. I was then told that they were no longer interested in speaking with me.
Standard panel, very simple leetcodes. reverse linked list kind of vibe s . I was literarly asked about how a linked list is structured and reversing it. there was almost no friction which I was shocked by one of the reason I did not accept
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.