Cisco hosted 1700 hundred interns this summer season as a part of its dedication to growing rising expertise that may sooner or later work at Cisco. The intern program has been round for many years, which Chris Harrison is aware of very effectively. He began as an intern and is in his twenty sixth yr at Cisco. We celebrated Nationwide Intern Day by sharing his story.

Deal with the Total Internship as an Interview

As Program Supervisor, Position Technique and Enablement, Chris Harrison manages instruments and applications to assist workers leverage the abilities that they’ve. It’s a becoming position for somebody who acquired his begin because of pure curiosity, a capability to attach the dots between jobs and take dangers to study new issues.

Born and raised in New York Metropolis, Chris studied electrical engineering expertise at Rochester Institute of Know-how in New York the place college students have been required to finish co-ops (internships) as part of their sophomore/junior and junior/senior years. His first internship was with Motorola.

“At Motorola, I used to be turned on to Cisco as a result of I used to be within the buyer help group trouble-shooting their modems, and each name I acquired was, ‘I’ve a Motorola modem related to a Cisco router’ so I wished to study extra about how this Cisco router labored with the Motorola modem,” stated Chris.

How Chris Selected Cisco and Vice Versa

Recruiters got here to Chris’ faculty campus searching for interns. Chris interviewed with Cisco after his curiosity was sparked interning at Motorola. Quickly after, Chris was flown to San Jose to satisfy the hiring supervisor and three take a look at engineers who drew on the whiteboard and requested how he would clear up completely different conditions.

“Once I landed [in New York], I already had a voice message saying, ‘Congratulations, you’ve been chosen for this internship,’” says Chris. The intern place was a take a look at engineer on Cisco’s Restore Operations group. Chris had the chance to return to Motorola, however he was impressed that Cisco flew him to San Jose for an interview and nonetheless remembers the totally stocked break rooms with free drinks, popcorn, and sweet – completely different from something he’d skilled on the East Coast. It appeared definitely worth the threat to strive one thing new quite than going again to Motorola.

“Folks have been strolling round in shorts and flip-flops,” stated Chris. “In my thoughts, this was so California, a bit of laid again. Northern California and Silicon Valley within the 90s had a special vibe, and that was one thing I used to be inquisitive about.” He moved to San Jose and lived within the dorms at San Jose State College for the summer season.

Connecting the Dots Between Work and the Classroom

The Cisco internship was completely hands-on. The Restore Operations group needed to handle units in for restore from the second they arrived till they have been shipped again out. “Earlier than, I sat within the cubicle,” stated Chris. “With this job, I went to the manufacturing facility ground.”

They have been accountable for the circulation, the take a look at scripts to ensure issues have been working appropriately, and for updates. Chris would rotate each two weeks to study completely different elements of the method. Additionally they developed a take a look at line on the manufacturing ground and generally simulated a failure and requested the place the issue was.

“Studying easy methods to discover the place issues have been damaged helped me find out how they labored, and my internship expertise was excellent,” says Chris.

Chris rapidly made the connection between the restore work he was doing at Cisco and the technical help work from his Motorola expertise and tied all of it again to what he was studying for his Electrical Engineering Know-how diploma. All of it got here collectively, and he may additionally apply what he realized on the job to the idea he was finding out in class.

Shock on the Job

One Saturday, Chris shocked his boss. “It was Saturday, all my mates have been, out and I had nothing to do, so I made a decision to go to Cisco, go to the lab and do some work,” he stated. “I put collectively some take a look at racks to take to the manufacturing facility, blasted the music, and closed the doorways behind me. Then impulsively, the music stops,” stated Chris.

It was his supervisor, who checked out him and requested, “What are you doing right here?” Chris defined after which requested his supervisor the identical query. His supervisor stated his household was away tenting and invited Chris to the films after which dinner. It was an sudden second that left an impression on each of them.

Chris returned to highschool across the Thanksgiving vacation. Weeks handed. Then, on January 5, Cisco’s recruiter phoned Chris. “How’d you want to return to Cisco full-time whenever you graduate?” requested the recruiter.

Chris was shocked at how early the provide arrived, as full-time presents are normally made within the spring. Based on his supervisor, “Any 20-year-old prepared to return in on a Saturday is somebody I’d like to have on the group.”

Chris doubts that this one incident was accountable for his touchdown the job however insists that it was the serendipity of this occasion and the constructive impression he made with group members as somebody straightforward to work with that contributed to this final result.

Twenty-six years and lots of roles later, Chris continues to be having fun with the alternatives at Cisco, and far of his work immediately includes leaving a legacy for future generations to develop and develop satisfying careers.

He attributes longevity at Cisco to the flexibility to have a number of alternatives and completely different careers and the help of leaders and mentors all through the corporate.

“It was life-changing for me to return to varsity after the internship,” says Chris. “It was a number of work, however I didn’t consider it as a job. It’s at all times been about enjoyable and studying. Because of this I’ve stayed so long as I’ve.”

His recommendation for these in search of internships and job alternatives?

“Once you’re right here [in the job or internship] it’s at all times an interview, even whenever you don’t suppose others are paying consideration. The chance to make a great impression isn’t whenever you get the internship. It occurs the minute you stroll via the door.”

Consider your complete expertise as an interview, since you’re not simply interacting along with your group and different groups.

Chris says this expertise gave him his first glimpse into what professionalism meant, how individuals interacted and engaged, and helped him mature in his profession as he returned to varsity.

“Even when you’re there for 3 months, you don’t know what [others] will suppose,” says Chris. “Although chances are you’ll be categorised as an intern, consider it as an interview to see how you’re employed in that setting.”

Chris’ Recommendation for Interns

-Don’t be afraid of the chance; the employer doesn’t count on you to know all the pieces.

-Employers need contemporary views from a university scholar – contemporary concepts and new set of eyes.

-Don’t be afraid to interact and meet new individuals inside new organizations and this may increasingly develop your community inside that group together with along with your friends. (Chris continues to be mates with members of his co-op group from faculty, lots of whom at the moment are administrators and VPs at different firms.)

-Networking is essential with group and along with your friends as effectively. Be taught as a lot as you’ll be able to throughout and after the internship.

 

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