Across the World with Cisco: From Scholar to Intern to CX Consulting Engineer

Once I was in college, doing a Bachelor of Science and IT, I began fascinated with including networking, too. Then, I discovered a level program in Australia at Griffith College in Brisbane, Queensland, that allowed me to do all of it. As I started to find out about networking, that’s once I found Cisco.

Whereas I used to be engaged on my programs, I used to be additionally looking out for alternatives that might give me extra expertise and data within the IT subject. I signed up for e mail updates relating to internships, and got here throughout the 4B Internship, a collaboration between Knowledge#3, Ladies in Digital (WID), and Cisco. I knew it was an incredible alternative — a chance to intern at Cisco!

The experiences all through the internship formed me in numerous methods. Being a lady in IT might be intimidating, and my college courses consisted largely of males. This internship — made up fully of ladies — gave me insights into the business and the boldness to see that I can do it, too. We had been launched to professionals of all ages and genders, and so they every had a special story of how they obtained to the place they’re now. The publicity to actual individuals contained in the business gave me a complete new perspective.

As a double main, I hadn’t set my thoughts on a particular path, however I at all times envisioned working in Science, IT, or each mixed. The internship launched me to roles I hadn’t even thought-about earlier than, and I used to be in a position to work together with professionals from digital advertising and marketing, authorized counsel, human sources, provide chain, and components of IT that had been unknown to me. An instance of this was Buyer Expertise (CX) inside Cisco, which, after studying extra about, felt like the place I belonged. I found that inside CX, as a consulting engineer, you get to work together with clients to be taught and perceive what they want, in addition to go into the technical components of IT — it was good for me.

As my internship was ending, I may really feel that any worry I initially had about working in IT disappeared. I had created a robust, supportive skilled community. It may be really easy to assume that you need to deal with and know the whole lot your self; nevertheless, this internship really confirmed me the significance of a crew, and I’ll at all times have assist and assist. Whereas I could not meet each qualification in a job description, essentially the most helpful expertise of this internship was how I considered myself in an IT profession and the way my confidence elevated. It was the very best introduction to working in IT and gave me the boldness to go for it.

When Cisco started posting open positions, I began making use of. I made it to the following rounds of interviews for options engineer and consulting engineer positions in Cisco Norway for the Cisco Buyer Expertise (CX) graduate program. Dwelling in Australia on the time, I needed to do the interviews at evening, however it was price it — the consulting engineer graduate placement was an incredible match.

Since September, I’ve been a part of the CX graduate program and have loved exploring the completely different focus areas and getting data and expertise from a number of areas at Cisco. We deep-dive into the areas we have to find out about for our roles, take Cisco certifications, and work in direction of turning into a full-time consulting engineer, which I might be by the point you learn this. I actually respect the crew and my managers. Everybody could be very supportive and there’s a lot to be taught from them.

What I actually love, although, is what introduced me to Cisco within the first place — the corporate’s international attain. There are solely two of us within the Cisco CX graduate program in Norway, however there are individuals throughout Europe in this system engaged on the identical sorts of issues. All of us met in Poland and know we are able to attain out to 1 one other at any time when we want assist. This international community got here full circle once I went again to Australia, reconnected with somebody from my internship, and labored from the Cisco workplaces whereas I used to be there. As I transfer ahead with my Cisco profession, I’m excited to proceed constructing this international community and see the place the long run and its world of alternatives will take me.

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