Cisco Systems Associate Systems Engineer Interview Questions & Reviews
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Updated Feb 9, 2012 – Interview questions and reviews posted anonymously by interview candidates.
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Difficulty Rating [?] Based on 10 ratings 
“Difficult” Interview
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Interview Experience [?] Based on 10 ratings
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Associate Systems Engineer at Cisco Systems
Posted Feb 9, 2012 — 1 of 1 people found this helpful
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4.0
Difficult Interview
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Overall Negative Experience
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Interviewed and No Offer
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Interviewed Nov 2011 in Research Triangle Park, NC (took 2 months)
1. simple phone interview
2. video presentation
3. all day event at the cisco headquarters
Other Details
I got the interview through a College or University and the interview consisted of a Phone Interview, a 1:1 Interview, a Group/Panel Interview and a Presentation.
Helpful Interview?
Yes |
No
Inappropriate?
Associate Systems Engineer at Cisco Systems
Posted Dec 28, 2011
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2.0
Easy Interview
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Overall Positive Experience
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Received and Accepted Offer
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Interviewed Nov 2011 (took 5 months)
I applied online as a graduate. Got a phone call to go through my CV and if they were happy they would put me forward for telephone interview. Got through and succesfully passed telephone interview approx 45 mins. There is 2 more rounds to get through. Interviewer couldn't be nicer.
Interview Questions
Negotiation Details
Didn't do any negotiating as I am only through to the next round
Other Details
I Applied Online and the interview consisted of a Phone Interview, a Group/Panel Interview and a Presentation.
Helpful Interview?
Yes |
No
Inappropriate?
Associate Systems Engineer at Cisco Systems
Posted Dec 20, 2011 — 1 of 2 people found this helpful
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3.0
Average Interview
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Overall Positive Experience
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Interviewed and No Offer
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Interviewed Nov 2011 (took 3+ weeks)
I initially submitted my resume through a job fair at schoole with the hopes of joining the Associate Systems Engineering(ASE) ranks. An important point to make for the title of systems engineer is that each company has a slightly different definition of the systems engineer. Cisco defines the systems engineer as a technical sales person with a focus on informing a customer about products and services available. The first round interview was a phone interview that consisted of a couple questions about my resume and then the interviewer asked about routers and switches. This question is geared towards your understanding of the TCP/IP architecture and doesn't have to be exact technical understanding of how the system works but do know the basic functionality. The second question was what are the difference between a switches and routers. I kept it high level and used non technical examples to explain the difference. After the technical questions i was able to ask some questions about what the next steps were and how to prepare. He talked a little about the final part of the interview process and got me in contact with one of the newly hired ASE. I was then recommended for the second round interview.
The second round in the interview process is a video presentation on what this phrase means to me "The Network is the Platform." I am not really that good at video presentation and did a fairly basic presentation with a video camera, a script and my smiling face. After submitting the video i got an email a few weeks later saying the spots were filled for the final interviews. I would recommend for the video just doing what comes natural for you.
Interview Questions
Other Details
The interview consisted of a Phone Interview and a Presentation.
Helpful Interview?
Yes |
No
Inappropriate?
Associate Systems Engineer at Cisco Systems
Posted Oct 17, 2011
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3.0
Average Interview
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Overall Neutral Experience
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Interviewed and No Offer
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Interviewed Sep 2011 (took a day)
I only made it to stage 1 of the ASE interview process:
My interview experience was virtually identical to the other September interview, albeit in a much shorter timeframe. I applied to the ASE position online and scheduled a Webex interview within a week. The guy interviewing me started with a speech about how competitive the position was, how hard it is to get a job at Cisco, and that I should keep other options in mind. It felt like being rejected before he had spoken to me. I wish I had more context for that so I could tell you why I was rejected (I know I look fairly good on paper so I must have messed something up).
I had the same exact questions, he was obviously reading from the same script. Tell me about Cisco, describe something technical, what is a router, what is cloud computing, etc. Other than those, it is many, many, many behavioral questions. If you have ten examples of "A time you failed", "A time you led a team", and "A time you came across an ethical dilema", you aren't prepared. Have 15-20 little stories ready, seriously. By the end of the interview I ran out of all examples and my answer quality suffered.
It's probably worth mentioning that I was never asked a "Tell me about yourself" type question. Prepare to sprinkle your elevator speech stuff throughout the interview.
The guy mentioned multiple times how specifically not technical his job was. I was asked no real technical questions beyond the easy general ones. I realize the sales position isn't a very technical one, but if you're hoping to impress the interviewer with your certs, lab work, or product knowledge, I don't think that's too helpful here. My prepared answers often emphasized technical skill and leadership while answering the question, which felt like the wrong approach. None of my responses felt particularly well received.
I had prepared answers to many questions in advance and have very good technical qualifications. I got a rejection email within a week. Be good at presenting yourself is the only advice I can give. Again, that other September interview experience was tremendously helpful in preparing; it is a mirror image of my interview. The position seems ideal for someone with light technical knowledge who carries themselves very confidently. Be that person, not me.
Other Details
The interview consisted of a Phone Interview.
Helpful Interview?
Yes |
No
Inappropriate?
Associate Systems Engineer at Cisco Systems
Posted Oct 9, 2011 — 2 of 2 people found this helpful
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3.0
Average Interview
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Overall Positive Experience
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Interviewed and No Offer
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Interviewed Sep 2011 (took a day)
I was contacted via email by a recruiter at least 6 weeks after applying online. Scheduled a WebEx interview for a few days later with a Systems Engineer.
Took about 30 minutes as per the scheduled time slot. The guy seemed really down-to-earth and easygoing, but it was a bit strange at points. For example, I was asked to explain how a digital camera works. Off the cuff, I explained that I don't know the specifics, but that I assume there is some sort of equivalent of a codec mechanism that converts analog data (that being light) into digital data.
I was also asked a lot about Cisco's products/services. DO YOUR RESEARCH. I brushed up on financial data, history, culture, vision, competitors, etc. and thought I knew the company's products well enough. Big oops there. I don't think I even mentioned WebEx, which we were USING. I hammered home networking components and associated software/services, and explained my perception that Cisco would be on the forefront of the IPv6 transition. That was the best I could do for that question.
A big awkward moment came after I mentioned my awareness that Cisco was aiming to exit consumer markets. The interviewer mentioned HP, to which I made a slight at HP's expense; something to the effect of "At least Cisco doesn't produce a tablet..." to which he replied "Actually, we do--it's called the CIUS." I proceeded to explain my astonishment, being that Cisco's mission was realigned to exclude such products. He explained that the CIUS was geared toward enterprises , not consumers. Exactly my point, but I couldn't really say anything without sounding more pretentious or uneducated.
One more notable was the probing about Cloud Computing. He asked if I knew what it was, which I did. Then he asked if I knew any companies that provided Cloud Computing services aside from Cisco (probably saved my butt on that by saying "besides Cisco"; I would have overlooked the obvious yet again). So I mentioned Salesforce.com, Oracle, Microsoft--there are scores. Just be familiar.
When asked if I had any questions, I think I walloped him with one concerning ethics and whether or not the company ever requires its employees to make ethically dubious decisions, or at least ones employees might find conflicting with their own personal ethical standards. He answered and said it was interesting/good that I would be inquiring about something like that. He also liked that I remembered my first router was a Linksys, which I configured at 13 years old, and when I mentioned that it was around the time Cisco acquired Linksys.
The interview ended on a good note I think. He explained the next steps, saying "We will call you or--we won't," to which I replied "So it's either a 1 or a 0?" and he said "Yeah, it's pretty binary." I think I laughed and he didn't...
It's about 13 days later and I haven't received a call back. I think I'm in the trash pile for being an idiot.
Interview Questions
Other Details
I Applied Online and the interview consisted of a Phone Interview.
Helpful Interview?
Yes |
No
View Comments (4)
Inappropriate?
Associate Systems Engineer at Cisco Systems
Posted Apr 8, 2011 — 1 of 1 people found this helpful
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4.0
Difficult Interview
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Overall Positive Experience
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Received and Accepted Offer
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Interviewed Mar 2011 (took 2 months)
-Had phone interview with current Systems Engineering in the field. The interviewer basically asked questions to test you psychologically and your thinking abilities. Nothing technical - more common sense stuff.
-Had to make a 2 minute video presentation about Cisco's Flip Video Camera and post it on YouTube for the interviewers to see.
-Day long interview/assessment at RTP's campus.
1.) Technical Interview - Since I had some qualifications already, my interviewer didn't ask me any stupid questions (like OSI models or what is a router/sw.) I basically had a conversation with him explaining what I know about networking and drawing topologies on the board. He/she did ask several trick questions to make me second guess myself so watch out for that. Either you know or you don't. Don't pretend to know it. - I passed.
-- So if you have networking credentials already, don't expect them to ask you baby questions. Brush up on your networking knowledge.
-- If you have NO networking experience, they will give you a booklet to read. UNDERSTAND the key concepts. Do additional research.
2.) Sales Simulation - talk to a pretend client and advising the client on a Cisco product. Create the relationship. Find customer's business needs. Close the meeting. BAM!
3.) Tech Presentation - Present for the 10 minutes. Answer questions they have. They will ask you questions you should have covered in your research. i.e. "explain this topic in less than 10 words." -- If you don't know a REALLY good answer for that, then you probably still don't know what you're talking about.
Advice:
- Be yourself
- Say what you KNOW is right (don't BS)
- Smile, be friendly
This is a very rigorous interview process. They want to look for candidates with confidence, great interpersonal skills, and leadership abilities.
Got the offer. Everything is non-negotiable :-/ but it's a really awesome deal. Doesn't get any better than this at Cisco.
GL Mates!
Interview Questions
Other Details
I Applied Online and the interview consisted of a Phone Interview, a 1:1 Interview, a Group/Panel Interview and a Presentation.
Helpful Interview?
Yes |
No
View Comments (1)
Inappropriate?
Associate Systems Engineer at Cisco Systems
Posted Apr 4, 2011
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3.0
Average Interview
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Overall Negative Experience
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Interviewed and No Offer
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Interviewed Sep 2010 in Raleigh, NC (took a day)
We were a group of 50 individuates. We were divide into groups of 5 and every group would interview with 3 groups. We had one presentation, one simulation (selling a product to a client) and one technical interview.
The only thing I didn't like was the fact that different groups interviewed with different people and they could've scored interviewees differently.
Interview Questions
Other Details
I got the interview through a College or University and the interview consisted of a Phone Interview, a 1:1 Interview, a Presentation and a Skills Test.
Helpful Interview?
Yes |
No
Inappropriate?
Associate Systems Engineer at Cisco Systems
Posted Mar 15, 2011
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4.0
Difficult Interview
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Overall Positive Experience
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Received and Accepted Offer
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Interviewed Sep 2010 in Research Triangle Park, NC (took 3 months)
My first attempt to get this job took place in 2008. Unfortunately the ASE program had stopped hiring briefly for a few years. However, I was determined enough to keep in contact with the recruiters so that when the job did finally come up again in 2010 I was one of the first candidates to be interviewed. Persistence really pays off, trust me.
The first round of interviews was a 1-on-1 phone call with a former ASE within the company. This was more to feel you out, see what kind of a person you were and if you'd be worth the company's time. After passing that interview you are brought in for a full day of interviewing. This is the difficult part.
The full day interview consists of a couple of 1-on-1 or group/panel interviews where you have to give a prepared presentation on a topic they give you, a technical interview, and a roleplay where you act out the part of a salesperson (as if you had the job already) and the interviewers are the customers. (This interview process is nearly the same for ASR candidates as well.)
My suggestion is to prepare a LOT for these interviews. Cisco is an amazing company but they really only take the best people. You have to be a little technical but you really have to be a fun, engaging person. They're looking to make sure you can talk to customers and communicate your point. They want someone who can build a relationship with customers and sell solutions/products that will create a lasting relationship for Cisco.
Interview Questions
Negotiation Details
The negotiation phase is a bit difficult. For me at least they had standardized the salary, and despite negotiating on my part I was unable to raise it at all. Obviously it starts out pretty high, but I did have to take a pay cut for this job. My benefits are incredible though, so take it as you will.
I would suggest talking to the recruitment team about any questions you have, and make sure you can get the best out of the deal. Salary may not be negotiable but some other smaller things are. Plus, as an ASE or ASR you will be interviewing again internally for Cisco in about a year, so keep in mind you can negotiate there as well.
Other Details
I got the interview through a College or University and the interview consisted of a Phone Interview, a 1:1 Interview, a Group/Panel Interview, a Presentation and a Skills Test.
Helpful Interview?
Yes |
No
Inappropriate?
Associate Systems Engineer at Cisco Systems
Posted Feb 22, 2011 — 2 of 2 people found this helpful
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5.0
Very Difficult Interview
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Overall Negative Experience
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Interviewed and No Offer
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Interviewed Nov 2010 in Research Triangle Park, NC (took 2 weeks)
I talked to Cisco reps at a career fair at my University. Then I had an interview on campus the next day. The campus interview was very easy- why do you want to work here? tell me about yourself?- type questions. I was referred for the Associate Systems Engineer position. For this position, I first had a phone interview. The phone interview was very easy - similar type questions to the campus interview. He also asked me to describe something technical to him. About 1-2 weeks later I received an email saying I had been selected to move on to the next round. The final round was an all-day interview at Cisco's RTP office. It consisted of giving a technical presentation on one of their three product categories, doing a sales simulation for which we were given some preparation materials to study, and a technical assessment (for which we were given about 60 pages of technical material to learn).
There were approximately 80 people that interviewed for about 20 slots over a span of two days. On the day I interviewed there were about 50 other people interviewing for the same position. There were about 25-30 Cisco employees performing the interviews, and interviewees were randomly assigned to the different interview stations. The employee to which you were assigned had a large effect on your performance. For example, during my technical presentation, my interviewer interrupted me after about 2 minutes and asked me very difficult technical questions that had nothing to do with my presentation (e.g. How would you explain the internet to your grandma? What's the difference between Linux and Windows? What's the difference between and IP phone and a regular phone?). I never got the chance to finish my actual presentation. Other people said their presentations were very easy and they weren't asked any questions.
The sales simulation was pretty easy, but that was probably because I had nice interviewers. I took notes, and they said that was a good thing. The technical assessment was very difficult. Although I had spent a lot of time learning the material, and I had a good idea of the question they were going to ask (since I was last and I had heard other people discussing it), I was ill-prepared. Again, however, I think this depended a lot on the interviewer. When I talked to people afterward, they said I was asked much more difficult questions than they had had. The interviewers kept saying throughout the day that you didn't need to be a technical expert and that it didn't matter if you knew everything, but that is not the impression I got at all. Instead of a general understanding and some major key points, my interviewer expected me to have memorized every single word of the technical material. For example, the guy asked me what year Ethernet was invented. I was also asked questions that weren't covered in the technical literature they gave us (like what typical wired internet speeds are and in what instances you should use fiber optic cable).
The rest of the day was spent taking tours of the office, learning about the different rotations you could have as part of that position, and listening to presentations about how great Cisco is. I was there from about 7am until about 6pm. I spent probably around 15-20 hours preparing for the interview. All the feedback I received throughout the day from my interviewers was very positive. About two weeks later I received a rejection email. All in all, it left a bad taste in my mouth about Cisco.
Interview Questions
Other Details
I got the interview through a College or University and the interview consisted of a Phone Interview and a Presentation.
Helpful Interview?
Yes |
No
Inappropriate?
Associate Systems Engineer at Cisco Systems
Posted Dec 5, 2010
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3.0
Average Interview
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Overall Positive Experience
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Interviewed and No Offer
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Interviewed Nov 2010 in Durham, NC (took 6 weeks)
Had a phone Interview, then 3 weeks later I was scheduled for an on-campus interview in Durham,NC. It was a whole day affair that consisted of a sales simulation, Presentation and a Technical Interview. The Sales simulation consisted of me and a customer( simulation).The presentation was on a given topic with no notes. The technical was a bit intense. All basic CCNA protocols were asked and all the rest questions were from my resume and past experience.
Interview Questions
Other Details
I got the interview through a College or University and the interview consisted of a Phone Interview, a Group/Panel Interview and a Presentation.
Helpful Interview?
Yes |
No
Inappropriate?
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