Cisco Mock Interview

Practice 34 Cisco interview questions covering networking fundamentals, technical scenarios, and behavioral competencies.

Question 31 of 34

Tell me about a time you failed.

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Rachel Hills

Rachel Hills Lowe is a PR and Communications Professional with experience interviewing candidates for copywriting, marketing, and communications positions.

Some degree of failure is inevitable in a position that challenges you and forces you to grow. The interviewer is asking this behavioral question to get a better idea of how you respond to professional adversity, whether it's an unhappy client, a project gone awry, or a missed deadline. Use this question to demonstrate your ability to learn from your failures and to emphasize your dedication to ongoing professional improvement. While you should certainly give an honest answer that demonstrates your professional growth, avoid examples of deep mistakes that will reflect poorly on you.

Rachel Hills

Rachel Hills Lowe is a PR and Communications Professional with experience interviewing candidates for copywriting, marketing, and communications positions.

"While I always strive for the best outcomes for my client, I can think of one situation in particular where I felt strongly that my team and I did not do enough for a client. We were overstretched in the scope of our work and did not devote sufficient time to the project. It was also my first experience managing a long-term client project. As the client lead, I took ownership of this failure and set up a meeting with my supervisor to discuss the mistakes made along the way, and we worked together to make a concrete plan to improve project management in the future. I now consider project management one of my strengths and learned a great deal about what not to do from this experience."

Rachel Hills

Rachel Hills Lowe is a PR and Communications Professional with experience interviewing candidates for copywriting, marketing, and communications positions.

"A few months back, I created a project proposal that in the end did not address the root questions that needed to be addressed. I ended up having to completely redo the proposal. From this failure, I learned the importance of open and direct communication from the start of the project. I realized that I didn't ask sufficient clarifying questions from day one, and as a result, various miscommunications led to a proposal that missed the mark. I worked quickly to address my mistake and came up with a proposal that satisfied the client's goals. In addition, I've avoided such lapses in communication by being assertive and communicative right off the bat when it comes to diving into a new project."

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34Cisco Interview Questions & Answers

Customer Service

1.At Cisco we have detailed procedures in place for client technical support. What would you do if those procedures did not appear to be working?

Discovery

2.At Cisco we seek to hire those with a passion for the IT industry. How do you stay up-to-date on industry changes and current events?

Customer Service

3.We put a great deal of pride in our customer service at Cisco. How will you contribute to our high customer service standards?

Communication

4.Cisco seeks to hire individuals with excellent communication skills. Describe your communication style to me.

Discovery

5.Our industry is a competitive one. Why do you want to work for Cisco?

Education

6.Walk me through your post-secondary education and how it will help you in your career with Cisco.

Education

7.At Cisco, we strive to support the continued education of our employees. If you could take a course or workshop on any topic, what would you choose?

General

8.What questions do you have for me about Cisco?

Experience

9.Tell me about your experience in IT services.

Direct

10.Tell me about your availability. Would you be willing to work over 40 hours a week?

Behavioral

11.We are looking for individuals who can effectively manage stress. Which aspects of work bring you the most stress, and how do you handle it?

Operational

12.Give me an example of a time when you had to be extra diligent in order to meet a deadline.

Salary

13.What are your salary expectations?

Behavioral

14.How do you make tough decisions that impact your team members?

Discovery

15.Tell me something about yourself that I wouldn't know from reading your resume.

Leadership

16.How do you demonstrate leadership qualities even when you are not in a leadership role?

Leadership

17.How do you evaluate success among your team members?

Management

18.Describe your ideal boss.

Experience

19.We are asking for 8 years of industry experience and you have just 5 years. Why do you think you are qualified for this position?

Behavioral

20.Give me an example of a time when you had to change a major component of your project due to the introduction of new information.

Behavioral

21.When you suffer a setback, how does that emotionally affect you and your work?

Discovery

22.How would your most recent manager describe you?

Diversity

23.At Cisco, we place great value on fostering a culture of diversity and inclusion. When have you worked amongst a diverse group of people?

Management

24.What type of management style brings out the best in you?

Discovery

25.How have you worked to develop yourself professionally throughout your career?

Direct

26.Why is this job with Cisco right for you at this time in your career?

Discovery

27.We are looking for individuals who are effective leaders and decision-makers. What decisions did you routinely make in your last position?

Behavioral

28.If you were hired today, what would you accomplish first?

Technical

29.This role requires an understanding of coding basics. What programming languages would you say you're most familiar with?

Technical

30.What software programs do you use in your current work, and how adaptable would you say that you are in learning and using new programs?

Behavioral

31. Tell me about a time you failed.

Competency

32.At Cisco, connecting the unconnected is at the heart of what we do. What professional experience do you have with technical networking?

Operational

33.Many Cisco teams are still operating in a remote capacity. What skills do you think it takes to be an effective remote worker?

Situational

Cisco Mock Interview

Tell me about a time you failed.

34Cisco Interview Questions & Answers

1.At Cisco we have detailed procedures in place for client technical support. What would you do if those procedures did not appear to be working?

2.At Cisco we seek to hire those with a passion for the IT industry. How do you stay up-to-date on industry changes and current events?

3.We put a great deal of pride in our customer service at Cisco. How will you contribute to our high customer service standards?

4.Cisco seeks to hire individuals with excellent communication skills. Describe your communication style to me.

5.Our industry is a competitive one. Why do you want to work for Cisco?

6.Walk me through your post-secondary education and how it will help you in your career with Cisco.

7.At Cisco, we strive to support the continued education of our employees. If you could take a course or workshop on any topic, what would you choose?

8.What questions do you have for me about Cisco?

9.Tell me about your experience in IT services.

10.Tell me about your availability. Would you be willing to work over 40 hours a week?

11.We are looking for individuals who can effectively manage stress. Which aspects of work bring you the most stress, and how do you handle it?

12.Give me an example of a time when you had to be extra diligent in order to meet a deadline.

13.What are your salary expectations?

14.How do you make tough decisions that impact your team members?

15.Tell me something about yourself that I wouldn't know from reading your resume.

16.How do you demonstrate leadership qualities even when you are not in a leadership role?

17.How do you evaluate success among your team members?

18.Describe your ideal boss.

19.We are asking for 8 years of industry experience and you have just 5 years. Why do you think you are qualified for this position?

20.Give me an example of a time when you had to change a major component of your project due to the introduction of new information.

21.When you suffer a setback, how does that emotionally affect you and your work?

22.How would your most recent manager describe you?

23.At Cisco, we place great value on fostering a culture of diversity and inclusion. When have you worked amongst a diverse group of people?

24.What type of management style brings out the best in you?

25.How have you worked to develop yourself professionally throughout your career?

26.Why is this job with Cisco right for you at this time in your career?

27.We are looking for individuals who are effective leaders and decision-makers. What decisions did you routinely make in your last position?

28.If you were hired today, what would you accomplish first?

29.This role requires an understanding of coding basics. What programming languages would you say you're most familiar with?

30.What software programs do you use in your current work, and how adaptable would you say that you are in learning and using new programs?

31. Tell me about a time you failed.

32.At Cisco, connecting the unconnected is at the heart of what we do. What professional experience do you have with technical networking?

33.Many Cisco teams are still operating in a remote capacity. What skills do you think it takes to be an effective remote worker?

34.If you weren't able to answer a client or colleague's question, how would you handle that situation?