Cisco

I applied for the Software Engineer Intern role at Cisco through the on-campus recruitment process. Since Cisco works heavily in networking, I expected Computer Networks to be an important part of the process, but the hiring rounds also covered DSA and core computer science subjects. The first stage was the online assessment. It consisted of programming questions along with multiple-choice questions based on computer science fundamentals. The MCQs covered topics such as Computer Networks, Operating Systems, OOP, DBMS and basic programming concepts. The networking questions were mostly conceptual, while the OS section included topics such as processes, threads, synchronization and memory management. The coding section tested basic DSA and problem-solving ability. I worked through the coding questions by first understanding the constraints and then choosing the appropriate data structure and algorithm. After clearing the assessment, I was shortlisted for the technical interview. Technical Round The technical interview started with a short introduction and a discussion about my resume. The interviewer asked about my projects and the technologies I had used. I was asked to explain what I had personally implemented and some of the technical decisions behind the projects. The discussion then moved to DSA. I was asked a coding problem involving a data structure and had to explain the approach before implementing it. The interviewer also asked about the time and space complexity and discussed whether the solution could be optimized. The next major part of the interview was Computer Networks. Since Cisco is a networking-focused company, the interviewer asked several questions around networking fundamentals. We discussed the OSI model, TCP/IP, IP addresses, DNS, DHCP and the difference between hubs, switches and routers. I was also asked questions about how data travels through a network and what happens when a user accesses a website. Some questions were scenario-based rather than direct definitions. This required me to connect the theoretical concepts with real-world networking behavior. The interviewer then moved to Operating Systems. Questions included processes versus threads, deadlocks, scheduling and memory-related concepts. I was also asked about synchronization and why mechanisms such as semaphores are required. There were a few questions from DBMS and OOP as well. The DBMS discussion included basic database concepts and SQL, while the OOP discussion covered concepts such as inheritance, polymorphism and encapsulation. I was also asked some questions related to C++, since it was one of the languages I had mentioned in my resume. The interviewer wanted to make sure that I understood the language fundamentals rather than simply using it for competitive programming. The interview was interactive, and the interviewer asked follow-up questions based on my answers. Whenever I mentioned a project or technology, there was a possibility that the discussion would go deeper into it. Unfortunately, I was not selected after the technical interview. Looking back, the biggest lesson from the process was that DSA alone was not enough. I had prepared mainly around coding problems, but Cisco placed significant emphasis on Computer Networks and Operating Systems. This is consistent with recent Cisco internship reports, where candidates have reported technical rounds combining DSA with CN, OS and detailed resume discussions. For preparation, I would focus on DSA, Computer Networks and Operating Systems first. For CN, I would revise the OSI model, TCP/IP, DNS, DHCP, HTTP/HTTPS, IP addressing, routing basics and networking devices. For OS, processes, threads, scheduling, deadlocks, synchronization and memory management are important. I would also prepare every project on the resume in depth. Recent Cisco candidates have reported interviewers spending considerable time discussing project implementation and the candidate's actual contribution. Overall, I wasn't able to convert the Cisco interview into an internship, but the process helped me understand that for a company like Cisco, strong core CS fundamentals and networking knowledge are just as important as solving DSA problems.