I applied through a recruiter. I interviewed at Cisco (Belgrade) in Dec 2022
Interview
Interview took place in late 2022 during process of Cisco's acquisition of Syrmia Networks.
I went through two stages - HR interview that was pleasant and technical interview with software lead. Interviews were standard, general questions, I didn't know some domain questions, but mostly it was good experience, I was called for third round of interviews during which lead and HR told me that acquisition caused delay in interviews and to expect next round in which I am called in two or three weeks, since then it seems that they totally forgot about it, just for different recruiter call me again in new process 10 months after that, which I declined. It's OK to reject someone, but it is a bit amateurish to forget about a process.
Standard panel, very simple leetcodes. reverse linked list kind of vibe s . I was literarly asked about how a linked list is structured and reversing it. there was almost no friction which I was shocked by one of the reason I did not accept
I applied online. I interviewed at Cisco (Bengaluru) in Jun 2026
Interview
The interview started well and covered backend concepts, Java, system design, and coding. I answered the questions confidently and had a positive interaction throughout.
After receiving the rejection, I spoke with HR to understand the feedback. I was informed that the interviewer believed I was looking at answers during the interview. This came as a surprise because I was not referring to any external material. I have a habit of looking away while thinking or recalling concepts, which I believe may have been misunderstood.
I wish this concern had been raised during the interview so I could have clarified it immediately. If there are concerns about a candidate’s behavior, discussing them in real time or asking for a room scan can help avoid misunderstandings.
Overall, the interview questions were fair, but I feel my evaluation was influenced by this misunderstanding rather than my technical performance.
Interview questions [1]
Question 1
Sort a nearly sorted array. I was asked for an optimal solution and discussed the time and space complexity.
They care about your skills, rather than your background. They have a template which they provide and you got to fill that, everyone is provided a unique number. You are instructed not to disclose any of your personal details in the due course of your interview.