Cisco Interview Experience for Software Engineer

I recently had the opportunity to participate in the CISCO On-campus Placements, and I’d love to share my experience. It was a journey filled with anticipation, preparation, and learning. Here’s a detailed account of each round and how I navigated through them.

Round 1: Online Test

The first round was an online test conducted on the HackerRank platform, lasting 70 minutes. The test comprised two sections:

1. 15 MCQs covering Electronics, Computer Networks, Aptitude, and Data Structures. Thankfully, there were no negative marks, which provided some relief.

2. 2 Coding Questions:

• The first question was to find the longest non-repeating substring.
• The second question involved parenthesizing an expression with `+`, `-`, and `*` to maximize its value, a variation of the matrix chain multiplication problem.

Out of approximately 330 candidates, 170 were selected for the second round.

Round 2: Technical Interview

CISCO was offering four roles: CX-Platform, CX-PSS, IT, and Engineer, and I was selected for the IT role. We assembled in the auditorium at 8:30 AM and awaited our interviews. My turn came at 2:30 PM.

The technical interview was a panel interview with three panelists, whom I’ll refer to as P1, P2, and P3.

• P1 started with the classic “Tell me about yourself.” He then asked me to explain my project, which I did thoroughly.
• P2 inquired about the difference between Binary Tree and Trie data structures since I had mentioned Trie in my project.
• P3 posed a logical question: “Given the digit 8 repeated eight times (88888888), use only the `+` operator to make the sum equal to 1000.”

Next, P1 asked me about my proficiency in Data Structures, to which I rated myself an 8/10, mentioning that I wasn’t very fluent with Graphs at the time. He then asked me to write code for:

• Finding the middle node of a linked list.
• Given an array of size [1……1000], find the two missing numbers.

P2 also tested my knowledge of databases with a few simple queries. The technical round lasted about 25 minutes, testing my problem-solving skills, logical thinking, and project knowledge. It was crucial to stay patient and calm, admitting that I didn’t know the answer. Afterward, I waited outside for the next round.

Round 3: Managerial Interview

The manager, from the Supply Chain department, welcomed me with a smile. She began with “Tell me about yourself” and noted the positive feedback from the technical interviewers. She asked me to brief her on my projects, followed by questions about my hobbies and college campus.

Then came the big questions:

• Why CISCO?
• Where do you see yourself five years down the line?

Finally, she asked if I had any questions, to which I inquired about:

• The exact nature of the IT profile at CISCO.
• The culture at CISCO.
• The future trends in IT.

She provided detailed and satisfying answers. This round lasted about 40 minutes.

Round 4: HR Interview

The HR round was mostly a formality, where I was asked:

• If I was available for an internship starting in January.
• If I was comfortable working five days a week during the internship.
• If I had plans for higher studies.
• If I was okay with relocating to Bangalore.

The HR representative had a sheet to tick off “Yes” or “No” for each question. This round was brief and straightforward.

Results and Reflection

An hour later, the results were announced by our Placement Director alongside the CISCO Director and HR. I was thrilled to hear that I was placed at CISCO.

Preparation Strategy

My preparation journey started in my 5th semester, focusing on learning C++. I gradually built my algorithm skills using resources from Beginner for Beginner, and practiced problems on HackerRank, LeetCode, and Beginner for Beginner.

During summer holidays, I dedicated my time to solving problems on linked lists, trees, and watching tutorial videos by Tushar Roy, which were incredibly helpful.

My advice to fellow aspirants: consistent effort pays off. Keep working hard and stay dedicated, and you’ll achieve your goals. If I can crack it, so can you! Always focus on your preparation and don’t worry too much about the results.

Good luck!