Another Cisco Interview Scheduled

millworxmillworx Member Posts: 290
in IT Jobs / Degrees
Holler atcha boy!

Coming up on Monday! Unlike my last interview at Cisco Systems which was 4 interviews over the course of a week, this will be 3 separate interviews over the course of 2 hours.

It's an 18 mos contract position for a Cisco Network Engineer/Analyst. They've picked 3 candidates to interview (me being one of them). So once again I have a really good chance at a Cisco Job. From what I was told this time around I should have an answer by the end of the day.

Skills Required:
5+ years Cisco Network Engineer Experience.
Experience with ACL's, ASA, Firewall and VPN.
Routing & Switching Experience.
Experience with Nating Issues.
Web oriented documentation skills.
Excellent written and verbal communication, you will be required to make oral presentations to support teams. CCNA or CCNP or CCSP.

PERFECT, right up my ally! Man I hope I nail this job.......
Currently Reading:
CCIE: Network Security Principals and Practices
CCIE: Routing and Switching Exam Certification Guide
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Comments

  • ltgenspecificltgenspecific Member Posts: 96 ■■□□□□□□□□
    Gratz man! GL! The job is yours for the taking.
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  • RouteThisWayRouteThisWay Member Posts: 514
    Good luck!! Let us know how it goes on Monday!
    "Vision is not enough; it must be combined with venture." ~ Vaclav Havel
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  • mikej412mikej412 Member Posts: 10,086 ■■■■■■■■■■
    Good Luck!! icon_thumright.gif
    :mike: Cisco Certifications -- Collect the Entire Set!
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  • millworxmillworx Member Posts: 290
    So I'm prepping for this other interview at Cisco all weekend, and I was wondering, when they ask me why I want to work for Cisco if it would be appropriate to tell them that I just interviewed with Cisco a couple weeks ago and was narrowed down to the last few finalist candidates or not? Kind of show them how eager I want to work for them?

    This job also requires a lot of public speaking, giving presentations to decent sized client audiences, which I am a rockstar at! I used to have to give presentations in front of my church (about 180 people) all the time, so I'm super comfortable speaking to large audiences. So I guess that's a bonus.
    Currently Reading:
    CCIE: Network Security Principals and Practices
    CCIE: Routing and Switching Exam Certification Guide
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  • cisco_certscisco_certs Member Posts: 119
    Goodluck, it must be tough to get hired in cisco since its CISCO.
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  • millworxmillworx Member Posts: 290
    cisco_certs wrote: »
    Goodluck, it must be tough to get hired in cisco since its CISCO.

    Thanks, can't imagine it being that tough, I keep getting calls for jobs to work there and getting interviews (actually several rounds of interviews) to work there. Then again I guess it is tough considering someone so far one-ups me every time.
    Currently Reading:
    CCIE: Network Security Principals and Practices
    CCIE: Routing and Switching Exam Certification Guide
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  • IRONMONKUSIRONMONKUS Member Posts: 143 ■■■□□□□□□□
    You'll get it this time!
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  • darkerzdarkerz Member Posts: 431 ■■■■□□□□□□
    Working for Cisco Systems, Microsoft, Novell... Any of those companies, even Oracle, would be absolutely amazing. That's on your resume for life. You didn't work as a Technician for X company or Y contractor. You were in the den of creation, the one thats basing your entire certification structure and career.

    Quite an amazing thing, tbh.
    :twisted:
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  • millworxmillworx Member Posts: 290
    millworx wrote: »
    So I'm prepping for this other interview at Cisco all weekend, and I was wondering, when they ask me why I want to work for Cisco if it would be appropriate to tell them that I just interviewed with Cisco a couple weeks ago and was narrowed down to the last few finalist candidates or not? Kind of show them how eager I want to work for them?

    ^^^^
    Still dont know if this is a good thing or a bad thing to say during the interview.
    Currently Reading:
    CCIE: Network Security Principals and Practices
    CCIE: Routing and Switching Exam Certification Guide
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  • RouteThisWayRouteThisWay Member Posts: 514
    millworx wrote: »
    ^^^^
    Still dont know if this is a good thing or a bad thing to say during the interview.

    Honestly, I wouldn't bring it up unless they do. That is just me. Large corporations usually have very meticulous HR departments. I would almost bet on the fact that they probably already know. Bringing up the fact that you were passed over before probably isn't the smartest idea. Desperation doesn't mean a good fit lol. (not saying you are desperate, but what they may perceive it to be).

    Answering the question, I would list positives about the company that shows you know some things about them (who doesn't know who Cisco is? lol). Then relate what you think your experience can bring to the position you are applying for. Go over the job posting, and come up with a couple direct examples you can give them on how you have done that in the past, anything you would do different, etc. Show enthusiasm and innovation.

    That is just my opinion.
    "Vision is not enough; it must be combined with venture." ~ Vaclav Havel
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  • millworxmillworx Member Posts: 290
    Well FML. Things just got more interesting. Put the last of my money in my gas tank the other day, which is enough to get me to and from my contract job until I get paid in a week. And what do ya know, I go out there today and the caps off and my tank is on empty. Oh how I love living in the ghetto. I guess I'll be walking the 4 miles to the job interview come Monday morning.
    Currently Reading:
    CCIE: Network Security Principals and Practices
    CCIE: Routing and Switching Exam Certification Guide
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  • phantasmphantasm Member Posts: 995
    millworx wrote: »
    Well FML. Things just got more interesting. Put the last of my money in my gas tank the other day, which is enough to get me to and from my contract job until I get paid in a week. And what do ya know, I go out there today and the caps off and my tank is on empty. Oh how I love living in the ghetto. I guess I'll be walking the 4 miles to the job interview come Monday morning.

    PM inbound.
    "No man ever steps in the same river twice, for it's not the same river and he's not the same man." -Heraclitus
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  • Dakinggamer87Dakinggamer87 Member Posts: 4,016 ■■■■■■■■□□
    Good luck with interview!! icon_thumright.gif
    *Associate's of Applied Sciences degree in Information Technology-Network Systems Administration
    *Bachelor's of Science: Information Technology - Security, Master's of Science: Information Technology - Management
    Matthew 6:33 - "Seek the Kingdom of God above all else, and live righteously, and he will give you everything you need."
    Certs/Business Licenses In Progress: AWS Solutions Architect, Series 6, Series 63
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  • millworxmillworx Member Posts: 290
    Well I totally rocked my three interviews at Cisco this morning! Nothing more intense than three separate interviews with CCIE's!

    Man it was intense, one was a R&S + Security CCIE, the other dude was a R&S CCIE and CCDE, the other guy was a R&S CCIE. Man, I got grilled on everything, routing protocols, ASA/PIX setup, NAT, questions about what is SIA and how to you limit it, lots of ACL questions and scenarios, lots of IPSec troubleshooting questions.

    I walked out of each of those interviews feeling very confident. These are Level 4 Network Engineers and I will myself be working as a Level 4 Net Engineer. Each one at the end told me that I'm very well composed, and I display a great amount of technical talent, and bottom line just plain liked me because I'm also friendly and outgoing. Also said how in the interviews in the past for other positions lot's of people just bomb out on a lot of the questions or were very shy and soft spoken.

    They need someone who is comfortable dealing with people on a day to day basis and is very well spoken and can convey technical issue's in a non technical manner and also has good documentation skills.

    My last interview was my favorite, getting grilled on EIGRP mostly and some on ASA configuration. He asked me what I would consider as my weakness, and wanted my to rate myself on my experience with ACLs, Routing Protocols, Firewall technology. I said I would say I'm about an 8, I'm very knowledgeable about most everything and the core concepts, but I'm not a robot, I don't know everything, and personally if someone says they are a 10 I'de be inclined to think they were overconfident because nobody knows everything. But even though I dont know everything, I know where to go to get the information I need to resolve an issue. And being technically inclined when I'm thrown into a sink or swim situation, I swim because I pickup new techniques quick. We hit it off REALLY well. Then he threw out the SIA question at the end which I answered perfectly and talked about creating stubs where needed etc to mitigate the issue and whatnot.


    Either way, they said I'm a very strong candidate at the end, and hopefully I'll be working with them soon. Network Engineer IV for Cisco Systems wont look too bad on my resume :)

    I should have my answer by tomorrow. But apparently from what I was told they already were considering me as the best candidate, and they wanted to feel me out as a person first. Sooooooooo.... Pretty sure I nailed it =]
    Currently Reading:
    CCIE: Network Security Principals and Practices
    CCIE: Routing and Switching Exam Certification Guide
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  • badboyeeebadboyeee Member Posts: 348
    Hope you get the job!!
    2011 Certification Plans so far:
    [Cisco: CCENT (ICND1)-> CCNA (ICND2)]
    [MS: MCP-> MCDST-> MCTS / MCITP:ESDT7-> MCITP:EDA7]

    Class taking:
    [Cisco NetAcademy - Network Fundamentals (35%)]

    Video currently watching:
    [CBT Nuggets - CCENT w/ Jeremy (50%)]
    [CBT Nuggets - 20-721 (40%)
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  • mikej412mikej412 Member Posts: 10,086 ■■■■■■■■■■
    Sounds like things went well!! icon_cheers.gif

    I guess it's time to chill some beer to be prepared to help with the remote celebration drunken_smilie.gif -- as soon as you get the good news. icon_cool.gif
    :mike: Cisco Certifications -- Collect the Entire Set!
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  • millworxmillworx Member Posts: 290
    Word. Just checked my email and apparently I missed a phone call from United Health Group while I was on my interview. Looks like they are getting back to me on a job application and want to interview me for a Network Engineer II position. Hah.. Something better stick soon! That job is pretty decent too, listed salary was 82k-95k
    Currently Reading:
    CCIE: Network Security Principals and Practices
    CCIE: Routing and Switching Exam Certification Guide
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  • phantasmphantasm Member Posts: 995
    Glad to hear it well!! I wish nothing but the best for you.
    "No man ever steps in the same river twice, for it's not the same river and he's not the same man." -Heraclitus
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  • Dr ITDr IT Member Posts: 351 ■■■■□□□□□□
    Congrats Again - you have made it so far ( which is an achievemnt indeed ) hope your nail the Job .

    Working for Cisco is a big big add-on on your resume and which will eventually help you ..

    Congrats and keep us posted once the offer letter is in......:D
    Venturing in to the Unknown

    Target 2018 : SSCP VCP- DTM

    The Difference between the Ordinary and the Extra-Ordinary is that Little " Extra ".
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  • MrAgentMrAgent Member Posts: 1,310 ■■■■■■■■□□
    Any updates today?

    millworx wrote: »
    Word. Just checked my email and apparently I missed a phone call from United Health Group while I was on my interview. Looks like they are getting back to me on a job application and want to interview me for a Network Engineer II position. Hah.. Something better stick soon! That job is pretty decent too, listed salary was 82k-95k
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  • millworxmillworx Member Posts: 290
    MrAgent wrote: »
    Any updates today?

    Well it's only 10am here so far, so not yet, I should have my answer on this job later today. And if not, I still got the Sys Admin offer I can accept =] *Crossin my fingers* I'll update soon
    Currently Reading:
    CCIE: Network Security Principals and Practices
    CCIE: Routing and Switching Exam Certification Guide
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  • Repo ManRepo Man Member Posts: 300
    Good luck man. Hope you get it.
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  • vColevCole Member Posts: 1,573 ■■■■■■■□□□
    Good luck! icon_thumright.gif
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  • RouteThisWayRouteThisWay Member Posts: 514
    Good luck!!!

    Quick question, they said they asked what your weakness was. Did you answer this in the form of lack of technical experience or in the form of an intangible trait? No right or wrong answer, just curious what you went with :)
    "Vision is not enough; it must be combined with venture." ~ Vaclav Havel
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