When I started interviewing for Cisco, I was overwhelmed.
I didn't believe I was the number one candidate for a project management internship, as I was a telecommunications bachelor graduate and was studying computer science.
Well, I have seen firsthand how my mom's feelings and perspective on her work changed before and after landing a role at Cisco.
I learned about all the amazing feats Cisco has accomplished and the culture and values it so avidly fosters.
I got to see my mom in the middle of workdays as she could work at home.
I volunteered alongside her and learned how Cisco matches each hour spent with a $10 donation to the cause.
I had a week reviewing Cisco technical architectures, along with another week of soft skills training.
I started working on small tasks, found a mentor, attended meetings shadowing my colleagues, and realized that I understood 10%, maybe 15%, of what was said during those meetings.
That's when I started to truly grasp how big Cisco really is.
Before I knew it, I was doing tasks on my own, taking requests from our pipeline at the Project Support Office, where we support project managers, and I started working on customer-facing projects with the support of my mentor.
Diving headfirst into challenges that initially intimidated me, I volunteered for various roles, such as being a facilitator for the Project Management Office All-Hands only a month after joining Cisco and as a panelist for My Onboarding Journey.
I have joined local Cisco university engagements, embracing opportunities that push me out of my comfort zone.
I've even leaned on my technical background to support our team's transition from a sunsetted tool to Microsoft platforms.
This involved working on automations to streamline requests from project managers directly into our pipeline.
I'm also developing an automatic availability tracker for our team and have contributed to the Project Support Office SharePoint website.
Finally, I fully embrace Cisco's commitment to continuous learning, seizing opportunities to expand my knowledge through online courses on learning platforms.
Beyond my role, I've had the chance to volunteer for different causes, now proudly contributing as part of the Cisco team.
All of these opportunities and activities have helped me evolve in different ways: I'm making progress on my learning journey, doing a better job at presenting, I'm more confident in my work, I've met amazing people, and I'm continuously motivated as I feel like I am bringing value to the people I work with and the company.
I have never been someone who has been very passionate about what they did, but just like with my mom, that all changed with Cisco.
I never thought I would be the person to say this, but I truly love what I do, I love the people who work here, and I love where I work.
This Cyber News was published on feedpress.me. Publication date: Tue, 19 Mar 2024 12:13:04 +0000