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.
I applied through an employee referral. The process took 1 week. I interviewed at Cisco (San Jose, CA) in Dec 2018
Interview
The process was very straightforward. Had a phone screen and later they set me up with a panel of 4 for Webex interviews. The last round was with the Director who never called. Later the recruiter set up another call on some other day and he did not bother to call again. This has been the worst experience I have faced. The recruiters did not have the courtesy to respond to my issues. I had to call the recruiter and she informed that they have decided to not move forward with my candidacy. It was shocking how unprofessional these people were. And they did not even apologize for wasting my time.
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