Got a Cisco Internship? 5 Tips to help you prepare for the fun!

Did you just accept your Cisco Internship offer? Congratulations – we’re excited to have you on board! Earlier this year, Jackie Shuler, University Relations Lead – East, provided us with The 5 Things You Can Do Right Now To Land an Internship and it looks like many of you took her advice. Excited about our incoming interns, Jackie and I continued our conversation and she shared another 5 tips on what you can do after you’ve accepted your offer to put you on the right track for success during your Cisco Internship! This is what she shared with me:

Reach out to your Recruiter. Your recruiter can likely tell you who you’ll be working with, and help to put you in touch with your hiring manager. Once you find out who your hiring manager is, you’ll be able to prepare for your role better by asking them questions directly. Ask them about what tools you might need to excel in your position, or what advice they could offer to help you get started more efficiently.

Network! Get together with other Cisco interns that may be at your school – whether they be past or present. Be sure to ask your peers questions, gain crucial information, and build a network of friends who will join you throughout this process. See what they might be expecting in their first few days or weeks at Cisco. This is a great way to connect over and dispel any nerves you may have. Plus, you’ll have a new friend to make getting started even easier! Remember that everyone may not stay at Cisco forever, so these will be great connections to take with you throughout your career.

Don’t forget to follow @CiscoUniversity and @WeAreCisco throughout social media or join the conversation by using #WeAreCisco!

Be Flexible. Have an open mindset to the experience, and know that things can change at any moment as business needs change. Do whatever it takes to be successful, and know that team players who can adapt and adjust to any situation are an invaluable asset to every company – but especially Cisco!

Ask Questions. Don’t be afraid to ask all the questions you have, and don’t find yourself caught off guard because you didn’t ask questions! This is a great way to find out how your performance will be evaluated, how you might better yourself for future roles, and learn about the team you’ll be joining. What will be expected of you? What should you be hoping to take from your role? No question is out of question here at Cisco.

Follow Through. Remember when we said to reach out to your hiring manager and ask questions? If your hiring manager recommends a book to read or a site to look into — follow through and make sure you complete those tasks when you say you will. Trying to establish yourself is great, taking initiative and setting the bar high is even better – but if you don’t follow through it will be even worse if you had never asked in the first place. Following through on the initiatives you inquire about will truly help you shine.

Do you have any tips or pointers for our upcoming Cisco Interns? Leave them in the comments section below!

Interested in being a Cisco Intern? Apply Now!