A Little #LoveWhereYouWork Magic – Connecting on Valentine’s Day

If loving where you work is wrong – we don’t want to be right!  We’re honored to have been named on Fortune’s 100 Best Companies to work for at #6 (that’s a 42-point jump, in case you were wondering.)

I never planned on dating a co-worker. Not only did the idea seem taboo to me, and something I just wasn’t interested in, but there’s always the concern of seeing someone just a little too much, right?

Sometimes, however, our best laid plans go awry. While we both work at Cisco, the chances of our paths crossing were pretty slim. Justin and I work in different departments, have different professions, and our buildings are the furthest apart on Cisco’s 40-building headquarters.

But thanks to an online dating app, Justin’s stark determination, and a little #LoveWhereYouWork magic – we connected and decided to meet.

Our first date was ironically on Valentine’s Day 2017. February 14th just happened to work for our schedules as we were both booked weeks out. He warned me about a “heart suit” that he had to wear that morning for a company event – and could potentially show up in for our date during lunch.

Of course, the infamous heart suit was worn that afternoon.

I was impressed by Justin’s silly and bold personality, and he quickly became my best friend. We continued to grab lunch together, go to fun work events, and support one another during stressful weeks and late work nights.

Over the past year and a half, I’ve learned that being an official #CiscoCouple has its perks! One of my favorite things about working at Cisco together is being able to attend and participate in work events with each other! What’s not to love about dressing up as Star Wars characters for the annual #WeAreCisco May the 4th Be You With celebration? Justin rocked as a Storm Trooper, while I wore my homemade Ewok costume and we took photos and interacted with our fellow Cisco employees and their kids.

Another memorable moment was Cisco’s annual Family Day – when employees bring their families to work to show them around and meet colleagues. While most people bring their kids, we don’t have kids – so, we brought Justin’s parents instead! They were so cute and since Justin is the resident “Bow Tie Guy” at Cisco, they surprised him and wore bow ties of their own. They enjoyed the live entertainment, ate a variety of food, and really loved all the Cisco swag they got to pick up. The highlight might have been how his parents got to meet our co-workers though – some were already big fans of theirs via Justin’s social media posts!

Working at Cisco, for me, has always been a #LoveWhereYouWork moment – but getting to work at Cisco with my significant other has really shown me a whole new level of how great this company is!

Here’s a few more reasons working at Cisco with my significant other has me feeling those #LoveWhereYouWork vibes:

1. It takes less effort to explain your work to each other, and there’s always someone there who understands those tough and/or long days we all have.

2. You may be able to bounce ideas off each other and brainstorm ways to help evolve your strategy at work or your career growth.

3. Cisco technology for the win! It’s easier to communicate and organize your schedules by syncing calendars, meeting over Cisco Webex, and chatting over Jabber.

4. It’s fun to extend your professional network by meeting each other’s colleagues and friends.

One thing’s for sure – I know I wouldn’t have participated in half as many events or grown as much as I have if it weren’t for my Cisco partner-in-crime.

We’ve even brought the #WeAreCiscCisco #LoveWhereYouWork campaign to its most literal meaning – as we’re now engaged! I’m so glad to be able to share these experiences with one another and get to see, firsthand, why Cisco is such a great place to work.

Cisco Employees – have you participated in the #WeAreCisco #LoveWhereYouWork contest yet? Don’t forget to take a photo and share on social media why you love working at Cisco – tag #WeAreCisco #LoveWhereYouWork to be entered and possibly win cool prizes! Contest ends February 28, 2019.

Want to #LoveWhereYouWork too? Apply now.