My Cisco (Spring Intern + FTE) Interview Experience

There were a total of 4 rounds, and I was eliminated in the first one, which had two interviewers.
Round 1 consisted of two parts — an AI-Assisted Coding section and a Technical Discussion.

Round 1: AI-Assisted Coding + Technical Discussion

Part 1: AI-Assisted Coding

The round began with an AI-assisted coding task.
We had to pick one problem from a given set and solve it using any AI tools (ChatGPT, GitHub Copilot, Claude, Gemini, etc.).
The process involved:

• Solving one problem within 24 hours using AI tools.
• Documenting which tools were used, their impact, and any modifications made.
• During the interview (30–40 minutes), walking through the solution, explaining the role of AI, discussing challenges, and ensuring code quality.
• Making live modifications to the project using AI assistance as requested.

The six available problems were:

1. Expense Splitter Service
2. IoT Sensor Monitor
3. Rate Limiter Monitor
4. Travel Itinerary Planner
5. Lab Resource Scheduler & Waitlists
6. Smart Home Controller (Scenes & Schedules)

I chose Problem 1: Expense Splitter Service, built it, and deployed it successfully.

However, I had used Gemini by copy-pasting prompts instead of integrating AI tools directly in VS Code.
The interviewer expected me to use AI integrated within the IDE (e.g., Copilot).
He then suggested two live changes to my code that had to be implemented using AI tools.
I managed to complete one of them successfully.

Part 2: Technical Discussion

The second interviewer focused on CS fundamentals.
Some of the questions were:

• Difference between process and thread
• How heap memory is created
• Functions of the new keyword
• Declaration of a const char* pointer in C++
• A few OOPs questions (can’t recall all)

This part involved deep follow-up questions based on my answers to test understanding.
The full round lasted for more than an hour.

Tips

• Be well-prepared in OS, OOPs, and Computer Networks.
• Choose your keywords carefully while answering; they often lead to cross-questions.
• Make sure you know how to use AI tools live within your coding environment.
• Practice modifying and explaining your own code in real time.

Summary

Round 1 at Cisco was a mix of AI-assisted coding and core technical discussion.
Even though I didn’t advance further, it was a great experience that showed how AI-assisted development is being integrated into modern technical interviews.