I started my career as a contractor with Cisco back in December 2003 with the Support Delivery Services IT Finance team. Even as a contractor, I could see from day one the incredible culture Cisco had, and everyone made me feel like I was part of the team and not a newbie. That’s when I knew that this was the company I wanted to build my career with. This is where I belonged.
Cisco as a company is very diverse, not just in the people who work here, but also in the available roles and opportunities. When the time came for me to look for a new role, I never thought of looking at any other company. I was fortunate to find a position quickly within Cisco in another group, and as I had expected, the new team was just like the old one when it came to exemplifying Cisco’s principles.
It’s not just the culture that’s drawn me towards staying at Cisco and building my career; it is the relationships I built. Especially the mentorship I receive from the various leaders in the company. Early in my career, with their support, I was able to find a full-time role, which not only helped me with my career progression but also gave me and my wife the stability we needed to start a family. We were always anxious living in the U.S. on an immigrant visa. Cisco helped us convert that to a permanent residency and eventually to citizenship to help us with our American Dream. Anytime I need some guidance, I know I can still reach out to any of the leaders within the company.
I have been with Cisco for almost 20 years now, and I have never looked at any other company for a role or career change because the career growth options Cisco offers are unparalleled. With the diverse options internally, I have the freedom to move around and explore new opportunities, new roles, and new challenges every couple of years. That way, I’m never stagnated. I’m always learning new technology and growing and expanding my career. I even recently started a new position as Principal Customer Success Manager with Duo in January of this year, and that’s what I love about working here: Cisco is truly one company with many career options.
And I cannot say enough about the benefits and flexibility I’ve experienced in my time at this company. I still remember the day a few years back when I was in a meeting and got a call from India saying my dad had a heart attack. My manager, who was in that meeting with me sensed that something was off after I came back. He immediately told me to get the first available ticket, go be at my dad’s side, and not worry a bit about work. The compassion, empathy, and support I received from him, all of my team, and leadership gave me the strength to go and take care of my dad and not worry about my job. Because they had my back, I was able to be there for my family, then come back and jump right back into work. The ability to manage a professional and personal life like this allows us to thrive. I’ve not seen any other company offer this kind of balance, and I’m thankful for a culture that feels like a wider family outside of my personal family.
Throughout the years, I’ve always told my wife about the things Cisco offers, from a healthy work environment where everyone is respected to the awesome work-life balance. She has seen first-hand the reasons why I have never looked at any other company for a career, and because of all of that, she decided to join Cisco as well. She’s currently an Engineering Program Manager and has been here almost 13 years now.
Cisco has been such a big part of our lives that neither I nor my wife can think of any other company we’d want to work for. Our daughters have grown up hearing about our love for Cisco and talk fondly about becoming engineers themselves to work for the company one day, just like their parents. Being a Cisconian runs in our family!
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