Cisco

A solid company, worthy of its place on the DOW. It has a unique product portfolio consisting of advanced switching hardware and enterprise software.

The company is creating an interesting value proposition for itself by equipping its signature networking hardware with the latest AI features and machine learning analytics. This is definitely a good step business-wise.

There are no complaints about the business direction that the company is going.

Perks:

• Free snacks every day, but you have to pay for cafeteria food.
• There's often some free food from events, though, so that shouldn't bother you too much.
• Free bagels on Fridays are guaranteed.

Lots of culture fusion events, with free swag. People are friendly. A good portion of engineers are older (past their 30s), which is a good sign for a tech company, proving stability. You are probably safe for at least a couple of years if you work here.

Uninspiring environment.

Most employees go home by 5:30.

With stability comes boredom.

The company has certainly been able to adapt to the times, but its slow pace, safety, and security may not be what people are looking for in terms of career growth.

Not ideal for new grads seeking accelerated growth.

Inspire your interns and full-timers with cutting-edge projects that perhaps even exceed industry standards. Make people feel like they are learning the latest and greatest.

If you must give boring tasks, at least give more and give them often. Some people wish to prove themselves. Flexibility is good, but too much can be frustrating.

Give more context about the overall architecture of the business. Get people excited about working on unique products; there are lots of opportunities to easily inspire people, and it is not being done. Cisco has very interesting products – use them to your advantage!