Cloud Unfiltered Podcast, Episode 10: Carmen Collins & Casie Shimansky

Here’s the truth: When Cisco acquired the startup that I worked for three-ish years ago, I was not stoked.

I loved that startup. Loved the autonomy I had to get things done, loved the agility that comes from being small, loved our mission, and loved, loved, loved the people I worked with. I was in no rush whatsoever to be sucked back in to a corporate behemoth with a rigid culture riddled with unnecessary processes and strange, uptight people that overdressed for work every day because the man said they had to. No thanks.

But the deal was already done, and I wanted to help ensure the success of our product, so I resisted the urge to flee. And I’m so glad I did.

Because as it turns out, Cisco is one of the best places I’ve ever worked. And I think that’s ultimately because it’s a very merit-based company, which is to say—they don’t care much what you dress like, how old you are, or where you do your work, as long as you rock your job. They want people who are good at what they do and passionate about doing it, and that’s the bottom line. In fact, it’s not just that they tolerate your unique nature here—they support it. They encourage you to revel in it. To fly that freak flag.

The result? A whole bunch of really cool people work—and thrive—here. Incredibly intelligent and generous people that are all doing their part to help Cisco change the world for the better.

And that’s where Carmen and Casie come in. Their job is to put a spotlight on life at Cisco. To help those outside of our company understand what it’s really like to work here. To break down the stereotypes that people like my old self might be harboring, so that more unique and talented individuals start considering Cisco as their ultimate employment destination.

Is it easy? No. Carmen acknowledges that proving we’re not a corporate dinosaur is an uphill battle. But it sure sounds fun. These ladies are having a great time doing their jobs, and their interview with Niki provides a valuable peek behind the curtain for anyone who’s considering working at Cisco. This is definitely not our cloudiest nor our most technical interview, but I think you’ll enjoy it regardless. Tune in to Episode 10 to hear Carmen and Casie talk about:

Cisco’s donation matching program

Paid volunteering days

Our giant social responsibility team

Examples of how the company puts employees first

Our internship program

Why they let a different employee take over our Snapchat account every day

See the video podcast on our YouTube page, listen to the audio version on iTunes, or check out past episodes in our archive. And if you like what you hear, we invite you to subscribe to our channel so you don’t miss any of the other exciting podcasts we have scheduled over the next several months.