Pros: Great benefits, very competitive salaries, and a wide range of directions available in a big company. As a well-established high-tech company, Cisco attracts top talent with a great benefits package. On the whole, Cisco looks after its employees and provides good facilities.

Cons: Limited opportunity to innovate, corporate politics, and a demoralizing business model. Being head-quartered in the USA, Cisco has a very American approach. It is difficult to influence company direction or progress through the corporate ladder without spending time working in San Jose. Working in the UK often means calls and conferences well into the evening, long hours, and a heavy impact on your personal life. The company acquires businesses with large market shares and then implements cost savings. This results in missed opportunities to grow markets and innovate, and a feeling of not being engaged with the market or end-customer.

Pros: Great working environment with an excellent team collaboration.

Cons: Join only if you know how to handle pressure :-)

Pros: Enthusiastic coworkers, some very capable. Good benefits and flexible working arrangements.

Cons: Product direction unclear and frequently changing. Poor integration of acquisitions leading to technical silos and isolation.