Process
The interview process usually involves 3-5 rounds, but this depends on the team's preferences. Sometimes, 2-3 interviewers might assess you in a single round.
If you are interning with Cisco, there is a very good chance you might be extended a full-time offer.
Their interview process can be a bit slow, unless there is an urgent requirement.
Questions
Most of the rounds were technical.
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Interview Statistics
The following metrics were computed from 436 interview experiences for the Cisco Software Engineer role in United States.
Success Rate
42%
Pass Rate
Cisco's interview process for their Software Engineer roles in the United States is fairly selective, failing a large portion of engineers who go through it.
Experience Rating
Positive58%
Neutral30%
Negative12%
Candidates reported having very good feelings for Cisco's Software Engineer interview process in United States.
Cisco Work Experiences
5.0
Lots of free time but slow
Software Engineer • Former Employee
Richardson, Texas, United States
September 7, 2025
Pros: - Lots of free time
- Legacy project
Cons: Not much career development.
3.0
Not much perks here
Software Engineer • Current Employee
San Jose, California, United States
March 1, 2015
Pros: Workload is low, you don't need to work hard to survive. Trainings are a lot, but your manager has to approve, so you can't take whatever classes you want.
Cons: Promotions are slow, take years, and don't offer much salary increase. You can only get some more bonus, but it's still far from the average in the Bay Area.
4.0
A good, no-hassle company for results-driven specialists
Software Engineer • Current Employee
San Jose, California, United States
March 18, 2012
Pros: They are a very ethical and respectable company, with a very flexible work policy. They continually solicit feedback from employees on internal policies and meeting effectiveness. They offer many different challenging job roles within the networking field, and large campuses to keep internal moves from affecting your commute.
Cons: The hours are long, they have a forced ranking system, and there is lots of internal competition over engineering projects and resources. Execution is all-important, and quality suffers. They are overly frugal; employee families are never invited to company events.
- 5.0Lots of free time but slowSoftware Engineer • Former EmployeeRichardson, Texas, United StatesSeptember 7, 2025Pros: - Lots of free time - Legacy projectCons: Not much career development.
- 3.0Not much perks hereSoftware Engineer • Current EmployeeSan Jose, California, United StatesMarch 1, 2015Pros: Workload is low, you don't need to work hard to survive. Trainings are a lot, but your manager has to approve, so you can't take whatever classes you want.Cons: Promotions are slow, take years, and don't offer much salary increase. You can only get some more bonus, but it's still far from the average in the Bay Area.
- 4.0A good, no-hassle company for results-driven specialistsSoftware Engineer • Current EmployeeSan Jose, California, United StatesMarch 18, 2012Pros: They are a very ethical and respectable company, with a very flexible work policy. They continually solicit feedback from employees on internal policies and meeting effectiveness. They offer many different challenging job roles within the networking field, and large campuses to keep internal moves from affecting your commute.Cons: The hours are long, they have a forced ranking system, and there is lots of internal competition over engineering projects and resources. Execution is all-important, and quality suffers. They are overly frugal; employee families are never invited to company events.
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