Life At Cisco

Most Mondays lack motivation. This particular Monday, after having woken up to our six year old English Shepherd mix Tucker pouncing on me, was not all that different. Until I sat down to check my emails and one caught my eye – Cisco RTP in Raleigh, NC had announced the approved buildings for the Do…

Prior to joining Cisco, I lived the start-up life for many years.  What drew me to the start-up culture was the fact you can build and create new things all the time and work on different, exciting projects – my fear of losing that is what kept me away from companies like Cisco for so long. I wish I…

My husband David and I are six months into our lives as U.S. expats living in London, and while it wasn’t easy – it’s been a road paved with moments that have highlighted what an incredible company Cisco is to work for. There were 14 months of career conversations with multiple Cisco leaders and ma…

There’s a timeless saying, “It’s never too late to learn.” I’m sure you’ve heard of it, yes? But, I’m actually here to prove it too! At fifty years young? I’ve gone back to school. What seems impossible for many, is quite possible when you have the drive and work at one of the greatest companies on…

Facebook. Twitter. Instagram. LinkedIn. Snapchat. Can you imagine a time when these words didn’t exist? I can! In fact, when I started my career as a Recruiter – none of these platforms were even a twinkle in the tech world’s eye. Now, they’re some of the platforms I use daily to share why I love li…

I love my team, and if you work at Cisco you’re probably thinking, “Hey! I love my team too!” It’s not unusual to hear – because we have some of the best teams around! But my team is even more than a team — they’re my work tribe. When you work day after day together toward the same goal, suppo…

I always saw myself as the climb-to-the-top office type.  But, after I graduated college, there were no ‘remote’ opportunities or flexibility in the workplace by any means. So I dove in – all in – to the corporate life, and I became a self-proclaimed workaholic. Years later, in a leadership role at…

14 colleagues. Habitat for Humanity. Cambodia. This was a recent volunteer trip we set out on, and our team name became Facta Non Verba. It means, “Deeds rather than words”. But I do have some words to share about the deeds we just accomplished in Cambodia. As recruiter at Cisco, my job is to share…

Let’s get this out of the way. I’m Carmen, and I’m a Harry Potter nerd. When times are dark, wise Dumbledore reminds me that I need only to turn on the light (Lumos!) Professor Lupin helps me remember that even if you’re “different,” you’re important.  Hermione helps me stand in my strength knowing…