“What Do You Need?” The Question That Changed My Cisco Career

I still remember the feeling after one of my failed attempts at CCIE, an expert-level, eight-hour certification lab exam.

I had worked hard and invested years in preparation. I missed by a small margin, and somehow that made it even harder to accept. When you fail because you are far away from the goal, you know you have a long way to go. But when you are very close and still do not make it, it hurts differently.

At that point, I had a choice to make. I could tell myself that maybe this goal was not for me, or I could try again.

My own determination played a part in trying again, but the support around me, especially from Cisco leaders and mentors, truly kept me going. They did not make me feel judged by my failures.

They did not ask, “Why are you failing?” Instead, they asked, “What do you need?”
That question changed my career.

My journey is shaped by the three E’s — education, experience, and exposure — lessons I learned firsthand while helping my parents manage their business alongside my schooling. They believed real growth happens when learning, hands-on work, and real-world exposure come together.

I carried that belief with me when I decided to pursue a full-time master’s degree in networks technology and management while continuing to work. For almost two years, my routine was intense. I attended college during the day, worked night shifts, and slept only a few hours in between. There were many days when I felt exhausted and questioned whether I was doing the right thing.

But every time I felt like stopping, I remembered why I started.

During my daily travel to college, I used to pass by a Cisco office in Gurugram, India. I would see the logo and quietly imagine that one day I would work there. At that time, it felt like a dream. I did not know how or when it would happen, but I kept that vision with me, even when I got job in different city and I was crouched on the floor in a cold aisle of a data center, cabling Cisco Nexus switches. My goal went beyond simple hardware integration. I was determined to understand the heartbeat of every packet. That curiosity never faded.

After earning my master’s, I had the opportunity to join Cisco as a contractor. I was not a full, “blue badge” employee yet, but I started experiencing Cisco’s culture closely. Even then, my managers and mentors encouraged me to pursue my CCIE, lead projects, and apply my learning in real customer environments. I still carry the memory of gestures of support from leaders who helped me navigate the learning journey for depth of networking protocols. That was when I knew Cisco leaders genuinely cared about my growth, not just my output.

While preparing for my CCIE, I travelled every weekend for more than six months to attend bootcamp. It was a 12-hour overnight journey to another city and state, two full days of intense learning, and then another 12-hour journey back so I could return to work. It was physically tiring, but it also became one of the strongest examples of the three E’s coming together in my life. I was learning in class, applying it at work, and gaining exposure through large customer environments.

Then came the failures.

After few years of learning, my first two CCIE lab exam attempts were missed by a very small margin. I had cleared individual sections, but the overall result was still a failure. Later, I failed again. Each attempt took energy, money, time, and confidence. It was difficult not to take it personally. But Cisco leadership continued to support me. Even as a contractor, I saw how deeply Cisco valued talent. That is when the question “What do you need?” became a sign of trust. Leaders encouraged me, mentors guided me, and the environment surrounding me made it safe to try again.

Once I joined Cisco full-time, I was surrounded by tools for learning, gaining direct access to books, lab simulators, bootcamps, and exam support. Earning certifications came with recognition, making it clear that Cisco had created an entire ecosystem designed for me to grow and thrive.

Cisco’s support evolved as I did. My leaders enrolled me in the well-curated internal EXCELerate learning program, which pushed me to look beyond my day-to-day technical tasks. It challenged me to build design thinking, business alignment, an innovative mindset and presentation skills. Suddenly, I moved from simply solving technical problems to contributing to innovation disclosures, speaking at internal and external events, including Cisco Live, and improving delivery excellence for customers.

Recently, I took that growth to a new level by certifying my expertise in Data Center infrastructure, adding the CCIE Data Center to my existing CCIE SP and CCDE. I’m excited to apply this expertise to the AI-driven future we’re building here at Cisco.

Looking back, I see that I didn’t build this career from hard work alone. My parents laid the foundation by supporting my education, while my wife and daughter stood beside me, shared the sacrifices, and gave me the strength and purpose to keep moving forward. My mentors and leaders guided my learning, and Cisco provided the right blend of the three E’s — education, experience, and exposure — while adding a critical fourth: an environment where it was safe to learn, fail, and try again. This culture of genuine investment created a path for me to grow, while showing up with the intent to learn and improve opened the door.

I have learned that growth is not a destination. It’s a meaningful journey that is not built alone. It is shaped by the people, teams, and communities who believe in you, guide you, and support you along the way. There is so much more to learn and grow.

If someone reading this is facing failure right now, my message is simple: do not let one result decide your future. Pause, learn, ask for help, and remember why you started.

Sometimes, the question that changes everything is not complicated.

Sometimes, it is simply, “What do you need?”

Ready to find your own path and grow your career? Explore our latest opportunities and join a team that invests in you at careers.cisco.com

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