When I first learned of my Cisco internship, I was both nervous and excited. One of my main fears was how a remote internship would affect my learning and overall experience. With most of my team in the UK and Canada, I wondered how connected, and cohesive working would feel. My fears were quickly dispelled once I met my team and got assigned to exciting projects. Throughout my internship, I was able to make meaningful connections with those on my team and contribute to ongoing projects.
My internship had a bit of a rocky start, but even with that, it still didn’t take away from my learning experience. I could not get online during the first two weeks of my internship due to some laptop and network difficulties. Yet, even with that roadblock, my team was still able to give me meaningful work. I was able to sit in on many key meetings and learn about the inner workings of my specific team and those they work with. I also got to do research and met with many team members one on one to learn about their personal career journeys. During those first two weeks, I was able to really see how special the people at Cisco are. My team members took extra time out of their days to accommodate me not being on the network and shared meaningful work and meetings for me to attend. Those first two weeks set me up for a great rest of my internship.
Once my laptop and network issues were sorted, I was able to work on a few important projects. One significant aspect of my work involved research. I was specifically tasked with research to help further the product lead growth for three new products. I investigated what events our competitors were attending and made recommendations as to which events Cisco should attend. I researched our key audiences and deep-dived into larger companies on LinkedIn to determine who would be best to market our new products to. Although this work was tedious, I knew it was vital information to help move the selling of our products forward. I also created an e-book about application observability, which will later become a gated asset for Telescope. It was great to know that the work I was contributing would be used to help move the team forward. It made my work feel meaningful, as I knew it wasn’t just busy work but items that would be utilized.
In addition to research, I also got to work on a project that tested my project management skills. I was tasked with overseeing and scheduling the next stage of the Autonomous Living project. The project first started a few years ago to connect caregivers with technology and give those they work with more freedom. I was tasked with scheduling teams to create a video follow-up about the technology and its benefits. This project involved organizing a film crew in Toronto to interview caregivers about their experience using the technology, what benefits it gave them, and those they care for. This was my first real experience with project management, and it was amazing to have my first project be something so impactful. I also learned how to juggle so many moving parts and the importance of organization and communication when managing a project like this.
One of the most significant benefits of this internship was the ability to work hybrid. I was able to go in person to work from the Boston offices, which I found super helpful. I would plan my weeks around going in person and plan when I was working from home. This hybrid workstyle is something I had never experienced before. Still, I enjoyed it due to the flexibility of working remotely and the ability to focus at an in-person office. I had been most worried about missing the in-person aspect of an internship, so the ability to have this option available to me was so valuable. The people working in the office were just as friendly and welcoming as those on my team - this made me realize how great the working culture at Cisco is.
I thoroughly enjoyed my experience working at Cisco this summer. I was always welcome to ask questions and incorporate my ideas in meetings. I also enjoyed the various intern events throughout the summer. It was a great way to feel connected to the intern community, even when most of us were spread across many time zones and countries. I felt like I was treated like an equal and less like an intern, which was the best part of my entire time. The experience and skills I gained during my time are invaluable, and I will carry them throughout my career journey.
