Cisco

Role: Analyst

College: Not Specified (Cisco prioritized unbiased evaluation, removing personal identifiers from resumes)

Interview Date: October 20, 2025

Interview Type: Full-Time

Result: Not Specified

Difficulty: Medium

Rounds: 4 rounds

Topics Asked: Communication, Analytical thinking, Technical Problem-Solving, Core Computer Science Fundamentals (Projects, Technical Design Decisions, Authentication, Concurrent Requests, Database Optimization, Indexing), Cultural Fit, Problem-solving mindset.

Experience:

Cisco implemented a unique approach by asking candidates to remove personal identifiers from resumes (name, contact, CGPA, college, clubs) to eliminate bias.

Round 1: Group Discussion (GD): Approximately 90 seconds per participant. Around 75 candidates were divided into groups. Each participant received a random topic (e.g., "News Channel vs Newspaper") and had to speak, focusing on communication clarity, confidence, and structured thought. The candidate balanced perspectives and kept their response structured and time-bound. Around 50 candidates were shortlisted after this round.

Round 2: Technical Round: Approximately 55 minutes. This round focused on analytical thinking, technical problem-solving, and core Computer Science fundamentals. It began with an introduction, followed by a deep discussion on the candidate's project, covering contributions, technical design decisions, and challenge handling. The interviewer asked follow-up questions on authentication strategies, concurrent requests, and database performance optimization through indexing.

Round 3: Managerial Interview: Not detailed in the provided snippet, but mentioned as part of the four stages.

Round 4: HR/ETR Round: Not detailed in the provided snippet, but mentioned as part of the four stages, focusing on cultural fit and problem-solving mindset.