Software Engineer Review
at Cisco
Graduate Job
Software Engineering
Harpenden
Review Submitted: October 2025
Overall Rating
5 /5
The Overall Rating is the average of all the ratings given in each category. We take those individual ratings and combine them into one final score!
5/5
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Overview of the Role
5/5
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Experience & Company Culture
5/5
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Recommendations & Advice
Overview of the Role
Overall, how would you describe your experience at Cisco?
The office in Harpenden is a wonderful place to work - everybody knows each other on a first-name basis, and there's a lot of support for learning on the job when early-in-career.
What are the main responsibilities of the role and which elements of the role do you enjoy the most?
The main responsibility of the role is writing software! Towards the end of the first 2 years, one also begins to start looking at the bigger picture, including writing designs for small parts of the system. I particularly enjoy seeing out a project to completion, especially when I've played a role in designing part of it.
To what extent does your role give you the opportunity to contribute meaningfully and feel valued by your team?
5/5
After the initial training (which takes around a month), one starts working on the real product immediately! This inherently is a meaningful contribution that is valued by everyone on the team.
How does your compensation package - including perks & benefits - fairly remunerate you for the work you do?
5/5
The role pays very well, especially given that we're not based in London. Salary also increases every year, particularly initially.
How well do you feel the role is preparing you for your future career?
5/5
The training here is fantastic - they expect people to stay for a long time, and therefore they train us very well. At the Harpenden site, all of the senior software engineers and managers were initially hired as graduates, and have stayed for many years.
How would you rate the extent to which you were developing new or existing skills through formal training and your day-to-day role?
5/5
There is a large emphasis on formal training at Cisco in Harpenden. Everybody starts off with an initial training course (around a month long, we still receive full salary during this time), but the education continues past that point. Upon joining a team, every new graduate is assigned a mentor, who helps them learn the ropes of that team. Within the first 2 years, one then is taught how to do good code reviews for others, how to design new parts of the system, etc.
Experience & Company Culture
How is the support you receive?
5/5
I'm very happy with the support I received from all of the managers I've had so far.
How is your work-life balance?
5/5
There is never pressure to work more than our required number of hours. Managers are also typically okay with people working nonstandard hours when needed, eg: I didn't have to take PTO in order to do my driving test, but instead stayed late that day to make up the lost time.
What is the organisational culture, values and general atmosphere like?
5/5
The Harpenden site has a lovely culture - everybody knows each other by first name, despite there being >80 of us. We work in-person, and therefore we all know each other quite well. Frequent company socials are an added bonus!
How would you rate Cisco initiatives when it comes to equality, diversity, inclusion and accessibility?
5/5
I've never had any problems here.
How would you rate Cisco CSR (Corporate Social Responsibility) initiatives?
5/5
Everybody is allowed up to 10 days off per year to volunteer for any charity.
Recommendations & Advice
Would you recommend Cisco to a friend?
Yes
Why?
Ultimately, I'm happy here, and I always feel supported (rather than pressured) by higher-ups.
How well did the role match your expectations based on the recruitment process?
5/5
When considering the recruitment & onboarding process, have you any specific tips or advice you would give to others applying to Cisco?
Given the location of the Harpenden office, I'd say this role is best suited for people who prefer working in a regular town (rather than a city), so consider that before you apply! One of the main reasons people leave within the first few years is because they live in London and would rather work there too.
(obviously this doesn't apply to other Cisco sites).
(obviously this doesn't apply to other Cisco sites).
