I applied in October through a university careers website and was contacted two weeks later about an on-campus interview. The interview consisted of discussing my resume and answering some coding questions.

My interviewer asked about all the technical skills listed on my resume. Since I know Java, he asked me some Java language-specific questions, such as describing polymorphism in Java. He also presented a brain teaser at the end.

During the interview, he mentioned I should expect to move on in the process because my GPA was high enough. Approximately one to two weeks after the interview, I received a letter of intent to hire from Cisco. I was asked to choose between San Jose, Atlanta, or Research Triangle Park. I was also asked to rank my preference for the following positions:

• Application Development
• Embedded Systems
• Test Engineer

I submitted my preferences, requesting Application Development in Research Triangle Park. However, I was informed that only Test Engineer positions were available at RTP, so I was placed on a waitlist with no guarantee of an offer unless a position opened up.

Within another two weeks, I received an actual offer. This offer was for Embedded Systems in RTP. The salary was not competitive with my other offers, so I declined. Additionally, there was no human contact throughout the entire process beyond the on-campus interview, and they did not offer an on-site visit. Therefore, I would not have felt comfortable accepting the position even with a competitive salary.

Brain Teaser:

It involved thinking outside the box to come up with a solution. The interviewer gave me a hint, and then I got the answer.

I don't really see the point of this kind of question, because I had heard something similar to the brain teaser he gave me, and I was able to get the answer quicker because of it.