This interview process is for a Software Engineer 1 (Grade 4) position at Cisco. It is designed to assess a candidate's foundational software engineering skills, problem-solving abilities, and cultural fit within the company.
Rounds·2
Timeline·~14d
Experience·0 - 2 yrs
Comp band·US$75000 - US$95000
Interview time·75 min
Evaluation
Preparation
Tips
Study plan
Fig · Study plan — 04 phases
01 / 04Phase 01 of 04
Weeks 1-2: Data Structures (Arrays, Lists, Trees, Graphs, Hash Tables). Practice implementations and complexity analysis.
Weeks 1-2: Focus on core data structures (arrays, linked lists, stacks, queues, trees, graphs, hash tables) and their common operations and complexities. Practice implementing them and solving problems involving them.
Phase 02 of 04
Weeks 3-4: Algorithms (Sorting, Searching, Graph Traversal, DP, Greedy). Focus on complexity.
Weeks 3-4: Dive into algorithms, including sorting (bubble, merge, quick), searching (binary search), graph traversal (BFS, DFS), dynamic programming, and greedy algorithms. Understand their time and space complexity.
Phase 03 of 04
Week 5: Coding Practice (LeetCode/HackerRank). Simulate interview conditions.
Week 5: Practice coding problems on platforms like LeetCode or HackerRank, focusing on applying data structures and algorithms. Simulate interview conditions by timing yourself and explaining your solutions aloud.
Phase 04 of 04
Week 6: Behavioral Prep (STAR method, resume review, Cisco research).
Week 6: Prepare for behavioral questions. Review your resume and identify key projects and experiences. Practice answering common questions using the STAR method (Situation, Task, Action, Result). Research Cisco's values and mission.
Questions
Locations
Fig · Regions — 03 locations
01 / 03Location
Interview focus
Common questions
Tips
Location
Interview focus
Common questions
Tips
Location
Interview focus
Common questions
Tips
Rounds
Expand a step for evaluation criteria, sample questions, and prep notes.
Technical Interview (Coding) · 45 min · Software Engineer / Senior Software Engineer
This round focuses on assessing your core technical skills. You will be presented with one or two coding problems that require you to apply your knowledge of data structures and algorithms. The interviewer will evaluate your ability to understand the problem, devise a solution, implement it in code, and analyze its efficiency. You will be expected to communicate your thought process clearly throughout the interview.
What they look for
Evaluation
Sample questions
Given an array of integers, find the contiguous subarray with the largest sum.
Implement a function to check if a binary tree is a valid Binary Search Tree.
Find the kth smallest element in a sorted matrix.
Prep for this round
Common rejection reasons
Behavioral And Managerial Interview · 30 min · Hiring Manager / Recruiter
This round is focused on understanding your behavioral aspects, motivation, and how you would fit into the team and company culture. You will be asked questions about your past experiences, how you handle different situations, and your career aspirations. The interviewer wants to gauge your communication skills, teamwork abilities, and overall enthusiasm for joining Cisco.
What they look for
Evaluation
Sample questions
Tell me about a time you had to work with a difficult team member.
Why are you interested in Cisco?
Describe a project where you had to overcome a significant obstacle.
Prep for this round
Common rejection reasons
DSA
Frequently reported on Cisco loops
Other guides
