Welcome to Cisco Raleigh!

This is the first in a series of Cisco site guides to help employees who visit different offices or for those interviewing.

Welcome to Cisco in in Raleigh / RTP (that’s Research Triangle Park for you non-North Carolinians). Should you ever have the opportunity to visit or interview at our location, we thought we’d share a few tidbits to make your experience a little more awesome (than it already will be, of course.)

Cisco Raleigh employees ready to welcome you to campus!

Fun Fact:

We’re number two! That is to say that we’re the second largest Cisco campus in the United States (after the San Jose Headquarters campus). But for those of us that work here it’s number one in our hearts.

About Us:

There are about 7,000 Cisconians that work here, in 12 buildings covering around 300 acres. So if you come and visit us, you’ll need to bring your walking shoes.

Coolest Spot to Visit:

Building 7 is my personal favorite building – be sure to stop in during your visit. The break rooms on each floor are unique to our campus.

Want to take a break from innovation? Sit in a first-class 747 airplane seat that comes with it’s own personal TV.

Need a beach vibe to help you relax? The Cabana room lets you adjust the lighting to either sunrise or sunset and sit in a lounge chair with sounds of waves hitting the sand. It’s almost like being there. (Almost.)

Where to Eat:

Let’s be honest. If you’ve seen the WeAreCisco Snapchat stories, you’ll know that Cisconians like to eat. If you’re hungry, my personal recommendation is that you hop over to Building 10 for the cafeteria there. We have three of them here, but it’s the biggest – don’t pass up the smoothies. Plus, there’s a coffee shop there. Coffee fuels innovation, in case you didn’t know.

If you want to take a campus break for a bit, one of the employee favorites for a local lunch is Backyard BBQ! This hole-in-the-wall barbeque pit is an absolute must. I recommend going at an off-hour though because the line to this place wraps out the door during peak hours. Traditional North Carolina barbeque at a super affordable price is no joke!

Where to Burn off Those Calories:

After you’ve gotten dessert in the cafeteria, or gotten that great North Carolina BBQ, the RTP site is one that has healthcare on campus. Pop over to the fitness center (right across from Building 9) and get your workout on. Have a Fitbit? Connect it to the machines to track your workouts (and even earn rewards.)

Here’s a secret – if the gym isn’t your thing, you can still get some exercise in after work by playing some disc golf with coworkers. We have an outdoor course near Buildings 4, 5 and 6 (and there are some of us that have gotten pretty good, be careful who you challenge.) We also have basketball courts, volleyball courts and a putting green. We also have lots of Greenway trails if you like to run.

Ajantha, a Raleigh Cisconian wrote a blog post about running on the RTP Greenway trails. Check out the link embedded in my blog text!

Best Time To Visit:

There’s never a bad time to come to RTP, but the time of year I enjoy living here in the Raleigh area is spring and fall – both are great opportunities to get outside (it’s hot here in the summer, so come prepared for high air conditioning inside and fogged up glasses when you walk outside of the buildings into the humidity.) Our campus has a walking trail where you can experience the fall color and get those steps in.

This is Raleigh Cisconian Sabrina, enjoying the fall colors.

Best Photo Op:

RTP Cisconians tend to like to take pictures in Building 11’s entryway, because we have a very cool art installation in the form of the Cisco logo. You’ll see a lot of selfies here. Here’s a photo of a big group of employees filming a video there.

Some RTP employees shooting a video in our cool lobby in Building 11 with logo art.

Dress Code:

Dress code is casual in RTP. You’ll see almost everything from employees in t-shirts and flip flops, to pant suits, to active wear for those using the onsite gym. However, if you’re interviewing, you’ll want to look your best. Maybe not a suit, but first impressions matter!

This is NOT the dress code, but we like to be a little goofy some days.

Best Hotel Close to Campus:

When people come to the offices from other campuses, they sometimes ask me where to stay. There are several hotels about 15 minutes from campus (you’ll still need a car or an Uber). Plus, the airport isn’t far! Hilton Garden Inn, Marriott, Wyndham – take your pick!

Hope to see you soon at Cisco RTP! Stop by and say hi when you’re here.

Want to join Cisco in Raleigh, or any of our other worldwide locations? See our open career opportunities.