I applied online. I interviewed at Cisco (Santa Clara, CA) in Apr 2013
Interview
Went over my previous experience and they hired me. Asked questions regarding how TCP/IP
worked and multicast experience that I have. We discussed trouble shooting and network fundamentals. We also discussed how I would handle an irate customer that had been previously contacted.
I applied through college or university. The process took 4 weeks. I interviewed at Cisco (Raleigh, NC) in Oct 2016
Interview
Got the first online interview through my university. That interview was a 30min talk with one of the technical leads about my experience, knowledge, and interests. I then got an email 2 hours later with an invitation to "Cisco Day", which was 3 interviews at their Raleigh campus. Food and travel expenses were completely covered. The first interview was a behavioral interview with a technical manager. He also gave me puzzle questions. For example the 8 balls with one heavy ball and a scale problem (Google it). The second interview was a one on one presentation that was asked to be prepared when I got my invitation. The third interview was a technical roleplay where I was questioned heavily on network information. That day felt more like an advertisement for Cisco rather than an interview.
Interview questions [1]
Question 1
You have 8 balls, one is heavier than the other. You also have a scale that will compare the weight of two things put on it. How can you find the heavy ball with using the scale twice?