# Grade 6
**Role:** Software Engineer · **Level:** Software Engineer 2
**Company:** [Cisco](https://scaleengineer.com/companies/cisco)
**Difficulty:** Medium to Hard
**Salary:** US$110000 - US$140000
**Experience:** 2 - 5
**Timeline:** ~14 days
This interview process is for a Software Engineer, Grade 6, at Cisco, focusing on assessing technical skills, problem-solving abilities, and cultural fit for a Software Engineer 2 level position.
Canonical: https://scaleengineer.com/interviews/cisco/software-engineer-2-software-engineer
---
## Overall evaluation

- Technical and Behavioral Assessment

## Questions asked

- Describe a complex technical problem you solved.
- How do you approach debugging a large codebase?
- Design a URL shortening service.
- Explain the difference between a process and a thread.
- Tell me about a time you disagreed with a team member and how you resolved it.
- What are your thoughts on code reviews?
- How would you optimize a slow database query?
- Describe your experience with version control systems like Git.
- What is polymorphism?
- How do you stay updated with new technologies?

## Preparation tips

### lists

- Review fundamental computer science concepts: data structures, algorithms, operating systems, and networking.
- Practice coding problems on platforms like LeetCode, HackerRank, or Coderbyte, focusing on medium to hard difficulty.
- Study system design principles and common architectural patterns.
- Prepare for behavioral questions using the STAR method (Situation, Task, Action, Result).
- Research Cisco's products, services, and company culture.
- Understand the specific technologies and programming languages mentioned in the job description.
- Prepare thoughtful questions to ask the interviewer.

### studyPlan

- {"title":"Data Structures and Algorithms","longDescription":"Weeks 1-2: Focus on core data structures (arrays, linked lists, trees, graphs, hash maps) and algorithms (sorting, searching, dynamic programming, graph traversal). Practice implementing these in your preferred language and analyze their time and space complexity.","shortDescription":"Weeks 1-2: Data Structures & Algorithms fundamentals. Practice coding."}
- {"title":"System Design","longDescription":"Weeks 3-4: Dive into system design. Study concepts like scalability, availability, consistency, load balancing, caching, databases (SQL vs. NoSQL), and microservices architecture. Work through common system design interview questions.","shortDescription":"Weeks 3-4: System Design principles and practice."}
- {"title":"Behavioral Preparation","longDescription":"Week 5: Prepare for behavioral questions. Reflect on your past experiences and identify examples that showcase your problem-solving, teamwork, leadership, and communication skills. Practice articulating these using the STAR method.","shortDescription":"Week 5: Behavioral questions preparation using STAR method."}
- {"title":"Company Research and Question Formulation","longDescription":"Week 6: Research Cisco thoroughly. Understand their business, products, recent news, and company values. Prepare questions to ask the interviewer that demonstrate your interest and understanding.","shortDescription":"Week 6: Cisco research and question preparation."}

## Location differences

- {"location":"Global","differences":{"tips":["Research Cisco's presence and projects in your specific region.","Be prepared to discuss how your skills align with local industry needs.","Highlight any experience working with diverse or international teams."],"interviewFocus":["Adaptability to different work environments.","Communication style in a global team.","Understanding of local market trends and technologies."],"commonQuestions":["Tell me about a challenging project you worked on.","How do you handle conflicting priorities?","Describe a time you had to learn a new technology quickly.","What are your strengths and weaknesses as a software engineer?","Why Cisco?"]}}
- {"location":"Technical Focus","differences":{"tips":["Brush up on data structures, algorithms, and object-oriented design.","Practice system design problems, focusing on scalability, reliability, and maintainability.","Be ready to discuss your experience with cloud platforms (AWS, Azure, GCP) and containerization.","Prepare to explain your thought process clearly and concisely."],"interviewFocus":["Deep technical expertise in core software engineering principles.","Problem-solving and analytical skills.","System design and architecture capabilities.","Proficiency in specific programming languages and frameworks relevant to Cisco's current projects (e.g., Python, Java, C++, Go)."],"commonQuestions":["Describe your experience with cloud-native architectures (e.g., Kubernetes, Docker).","How would you design a scalable microservices system?","What are your thoughts on CI/CD pipelines and automation?","Discuss a time you encountered a significant performance bottleneck and how you resolved it.","Explain the principles of RESTful API design."]}}

## Round 1: Online Coding Assessment
**Type:** Technical Screening (Coding) · **Difficulty:** Medium · **Duration:** 45 min
Coding challenge focusing on data structures and algorithms.
This initial round typically involves a coding challenge, often conducted via a shared online editor. The interviewer will assess your ability to translate a problem into working code, focusing on fundamental data structures, algorithms, and problem-solving techniques. Expect questions that test your understanding of time and space complexity.
**Interviewers look for:** Clean, efficient, and correct code.; Logical thinking and problem-solving skills.; Ability to explain code and approach.; Understanding of time and space complexity.
**Evaluation criteria:** Coding proficiency.; Understanding of data structures and algorithms.; Problem-solving approach.; Code clarity and efficiency.
**Common rejection reasons:** Inability to articulate thought process.; Lack of fundamental programming knowledge.; Poorly optimized or incorrect code.; Difficulty in understanding or applying algorithms.
## Questions

- Given an array of integers, return indices of the two numbers such that they add up to a specific target.
- Reverse a linked list.
- Implement a function to check if a binary tree is a Binary Search Tree (BST).

## Preparation tips

- Practice coding on platforms like LeetCode, HackerRank.
- Focus on common data structures and algorithms.
- Be prepared to explain your code and thought process aloud.

## Round 2: System Design Challenge
**Type:** System Design Interview · **Difficulty:** Hard · **Duration:** 60 min
Design a scalable software system.
This round focuses on your ability to design complex software systems. You'll be presented with a high-level problem (e.g., design Twitter, design a URL shortener) and expected to break it down, discuss requirements, propose an architecture, and justify your design decisions, considering aspects like scalability, performance, and fault tolerance.
**Interviewers look for:** Structured approach to design problems.; Ability to identify requirements and constraints.; Sound reasoning for design choices.; Consideration of various system components and their interactions.
**Evaluation criteria:** System design capabilities.; Understanding of scalability, reliability, and availability.; Trade-off analysis.; Knowledge of distributed systems and databases.
**Common rejection reasons:** Inability to design scalable and robust systems.; Lack of understanding of distributed systems concepts.; Poor trade-off analysis.; Not considering edge cases or failure scenarios.
## Questions

- Design a system like TinyURL.
- Design a news feed system.
- How would you design a distributed cache?

## Preparation tips

- Study common system design patterns.
- Practice designing various popular applications.
- Understand trade-offs between different technologies and approaches.
- Be prepared to draw diagrams and explain your design clearly.

## Round 3: Behavioral and Managerial Fit
**Type:** Behavioral and Managerial Interview · **Difficulty:** Medium · **Duration:** 45 min
Assessing behavioral fit and motivation.
This round assesses your behavioral and cultural fit. The interviewer will ask questions about your past experiences, how you handle challenges, work in teams, and your career aspirations. The goal is to understand how you operate and if you align with Cisco's culture and the team's dynamics.
**Interviewers look for:** Honesty and self-awareness.; Ability to learn from past experiences.; Positive attitude and enthusiasm.; Good communication and interpersonal skills.
**Evaluation criteria:** Behavioral competencies.; Teamwork and collaboration skills.; Communication clarity.; Motivation and alignment with Cisco's values.
**Common rejection reasons:** Poor communication skills.; Lack of enthusiasm or interest.; Inability to provide specific examples for behavioral questions.; Mismatch with team culture or company values.
## Questions

- Tell me about a time you failed and what you learned from it.
- Describe a situation where you had to work with a difficult colleague.
- Why are you interested in this role at Cisco?

## Preparation tips

- Prepare examples using the STAR method.
- Be honest and authentic.
- Showcase your passion for technology and problem-solving.
- Ask thoughtful questions about the team and role.