# Grade 4
**Role:** Software Engineer · **Level:** Software Engineer 1
**Company:** [Cisco](https://scaleengineer.com/companies/cisco)
**Difficulty:** Medium
**Salary:** US$75000 - US$95000
**Experience:** 0 - 2
**Timeline:** ~14 days
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.
Canonical: https://scaleengineer.com/interviews/cisco/software-engineer-1-software-engineer
---
## Overall evaluation

- Technical Skills
- Behavioral and Soft Skills

## Questions asked

- What is your favorite data structure and why?
- Describe a time you faced a technical challenge and how you overcame it.
- How would you design a URL shortening service?
- Explain the difference between TCP and UDP.
- Tell me about a project you are particularly proud of.
- How do you handle disagreements within a team?
- What are your strengths and weaknesses as a software engineer?
- Write a function to reverse a linked list.
- What is object-oriented programming?
- How do you stay updated with new technologies?

## Preparation tips

### lists

- Review fundamental computer science concepts, including data structures and algorithms.
- Practice coding problems regularly, focusing on explaining your thought process.
- Understand Cisco's products, services, and company culture.
- Prepare to discuss your resume, projects, and any internship experiences in detail.
- Research common behavioral interview questions and prepare STAR method responses.
- Be ready to ask thoughtful questions about the role, team, and company.

### studyPlan

- {"title":"Data Structures","longDescription":"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.","shortDescription":"Weeks 1-2: Data Structures (Arrays, Lists, Trees, Graphs, Hash Tables). Practice implementations and complexity analysis."}
- {"title":"Algorithms","longDescription":"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.","shortDescription":"Weeks 3-4: Algorithms (Sorting, Searching, Graph Traversal, DP, Greedy). Focus on complexity."}
- {"title":"Coding Practice","longDescription":"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.","shortDescription":"Week 5: Coding Practice (LeetCode/HackerRank). Simulate interview conditions."}
- {"title":"Behavioral Preparation","longDescription":"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.","shortDescription":"Week 6: Behavioral Prep (STAR method, resume review, Cisco research)."}

## Location differences

- {"location":"North America","differences":{"tips":["Be prepared to discuss your academic projects and any internship experience in detail.","Showcase your eagerness to learn and contribute to the team.","Research Cisco's values and how they align with your own."],"interviewFocus":["Understanding of core computer science principles.","Ability to articulate technical concepts clearly.","Enthusiasm for learning and growth."],"commonQuestions":["Tell me about a challenging project you worked on during your internship.","How do you approach debugging a complex issue?","Describe a time you had to learn a new technology quickly."]}}
- {"location":"Europe","differences":{"tips":["Practice coding problems on platforms like LeetCode or HackerRank.","Be ready to whiteboard solutions and explain your thought process.","Familiarize yourself with common data structures and their time/space complexity."],"interviewFocus":["Strong grasp of data structures and algorithms.","Proficiency in at least one programming language (e.g., Python, Java, C++).","Problem-solving and analytical skills."],"commonQuestions":["Can you explain the concept of recursion with an example?","What are the differences between a process and a thread?","Describe your experience with version control systems like Git."]}}
- {"location":"Asia","differences":{"tips":["Highlight examples of successful teamwork and communication.","Demonstrate your understanding of software development best practices.","Be prepared to discuss your career aspirations and how Cisco fits into them."],"interviewFocus":["Teamwork and collaboration skills.","Understanding of software development lifecycle.","Communication and interpersonal skills."],"commonQuestions":["How do you ensure code quality and maintainability?","What are your thoughts on agile development methodologies?","Describe a situation where you collaborated effectively with a team."]}}

## Round 1: Data Structures and Algorithms
**Type:** Technical Interview (Coding) · **Difficulty:** Medium · **Duration:** 45 min
Assess core coding skills with data structures and algorithms problems.
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.
**Interviewers look for:** Clear and logical approach to problem-solving.; Ability to write clean, efficient, and correct code.; Understanding of time and space complexity.; Effective communication of their solution.
**Evaluation criteria:** Problem-solving skills; Algorithmic thinking; Data structure knowledge; Coding ability
**Common rejection reasons:** Inability to articulate thought process.; Incorrect or inefficient solutions.; Lack of understanding of fundamental concepts.
## 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.

## Preparation tips

- Practice coding problems on platforms like LeetCode, HackerRank, or Coderbyte.
- Focus on understanding the underlying data structures and algorithms.
- Be prepared to explain your solution's time and space complexity.
- Practice explaining your code and thought process out loud.

## Round 2: Behavioral and Managerial Fit
**Type:** Behavioral and Managerial Interview · **Difficulty:** Medium · **Duration:** 30 min
Assess behavioral fit, motivation, and alignment with company culture.
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.
**Interviewers look for:** Clear and concise communication.; Ability to articulate experiences and learnings.; Enthusiasm for Cisco and the role.; Alignment with Cisco's values.; Potential for growth and contribution to the team.
**Evaluation criteria:** Communication skills; Teamwork and collaboration; Problem-solving approach; Cultural fit; Motivation and interest
**Common rejection reasons:** Poor communication skills.; Lack of enthusiasm or interest.; Inability to connect past experiences to the role.; Poor cultural fit.
## 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.

## Preparation tips

- Review your resume and prepare to discuss your projects and experiences.
- Practice answering behavioral questions using the STAR method.
- Research Cisco's mission, values, and culture.
- Prepare thoughtful questions to ask the interviewer about the team and role.