Pros
- A huge company with many opportunities - Some of the smartest people in the world - Best way to join Cisco is through an acquisition - If you are smart, you can be successful even with average work. Depending on type of job, position, and business unit. - Promotions can take a very long time, unless you have a senior-manager or VP godfather, or you accomplish an outstanding and disruptive project and get noticed by executive management. - Job security
Cons
First of all let me say that there is a huge variety of very different experiences in different BU, and across different job functions, so my review might not represent an entire organization. Also, many of the 'negative' aspects are found in probably any organisation of this size. - A very political organization where you can find people care more about their position than their job duties. - Senior accountability often not seen. The company is aware and is trying to change that. - Can be very aggressive as you move up in management positions with many A-type aggressive managers. Can lead to conflicts of interests and internal competition. - Stanford MBA management style, however not really as open as it might appear on the surface and criticism is not accepted well. - You could find yourself 'lost', unappreciated, and unsupported if you have a bad manager (who could otherwise be brilliant and a nice person). I have seen it happen several times. - It will take you much longer to move ahead and progress your career if you are working in an office remote from the main office where your BU management sits. Even with growing use of conferencing and TelePresence. Especially if there is a major time zone difference.