Hardware Engineer Interview Experience - San Jose, California
October 1, 2018
Positive ExperienceNo Offer
Process
On-campus interview.
Only one technical question regarding low-pass, high-pass, and band-pass filters.
Most questions focused on my projects and my contributions to them, as detailed on my resume.
I was asked about my interests and the reasons behind them (e.g., DSP, Digital Design, Networking, Power, etc.).
The interviewer provided a brief overview of their role and the responsibilities of an intern.
Questions
What are the different filters you know?
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Interview Statistics
The following metrics were computed from 18 interview experiences for the Cisco Hardware Engineer role in San Jose, California.
Success Rate
78%
Pass Rate
Cisco's interview process for their Hardware Engineer roles in San Jose, California is incredibly easy as the vast majority of engineers get an offer after going through it.
Experience Rating
Positive78%
Neutral22%
Negative0%
Candidates reported having very good feelings for Cisco's Hardware Engineer interview process in San Jose, California.
Cisco Work Experiences
3.0
Nice place to work, but too many layoffs
Hardware Engineer • Current Employee
San Jose, California, United States
March 24, 2014
Pros: Work-life balance, good 401(k) plan.
Cons: Too many blood relatives are employees.
2.0
Cisco is the right place to learn, but there are bad politics
Hardware Engineer • Current Employee
San Jose, California, United States
December 1, 2008
Pros: They had a good Medical-Dental-Vision plan. I also had an opportunity to take courses at Stanford, which helped me in my career.
Cons: They had a mass layoff in 2001. They were also trimming the bottom 10% for many years after 2001.
If you happened to do your job and work hard, and your manager didn't like you for any reason, then managers could abuse power, and you would end up on the list for the next layoff.
My engineering team was technically okay, but I have seen stronger teams. The ASIC methodology was not good enough, and I found it difficult to fix as my manager was not open to improvement.
There was little support for internal IP, although the usage of internal IP was encouraged. I managed to re-engineer and manage to do my job, but found the process to be inefficient.
Even junior engineers are trained to think more in terms of business, compared with other places which are engineering-focused. Cisco is a combination of startups, and that's a factor in their internal politics.
I also had to log in and work on weekends because my manager did the same.
5.0
Good Hours, Low Pay
Hardware Engineer • Current Employee
San Jose, California, United States
November 15, 2022
Pros: Great balance for work hours
Cons: Not as great compensation for comparison.
- 3.0Nice place to work, but too many layoffsHardware Engineer • Current EmployeeSan Jose, California, United StatesMarch 24, 2014Pros: Work-life balance, good 401(k) plan.Cons: Too many blood relatives are employees.
- 2.0Cisco is the right place to learn, but there are bad politicsHardware Engineer • Current EmployeeSan Jose, California, United StatesDecember 1, 2008Pros: They had a good Medical-Dental-Vision plan. I also had an opportunity to take courses at Stanford, which helped me in my career.Cons: They had a mass layoff in 2001. They were also trimming the bottom 10% for many years after 2001. If you happened to do your job and work hard, and your manager didn't like you for any reason, then managers could abuse power, and you would end up on the list for the next layoff. My engineering team was technically okay, but I have seen stronger teams. The ASIC methodology was not good enough, and I found it difficult to fix as my manager was not open to improvement. There was little support for internal IP, although the usage of internal IP was encouraged. I managed to re-engineer and manage to do my job, but found the process to be inefficient. Even junior engineers are trained to think more in terms of business, compared with other places which are engineering-focused. Cisco is a combination of startups, and that's a factor in their internal politics. I also had to log in and work on weekends because my manager did the same.
- 5.0Good Hours, Low PayHardware Engineer • Current EmployeeSan Jose, California, United StatesNovember 15, 2022Pros: Great balance for work hoursCons: Not as great compensation for comparison.
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