The job was listed through my university, and after applying, had an on campus interview with a Director. I was asked about my background (they considered my educational and professional background as an engineer to be a good fit and very competitive) and also about what I knew about Cisco. One thing that was a big different was that I was presented with several different job options within one part of the business (Customer Value Chain Management), and I was pretty sure that they'd decide where I'd end up depending on how the interview process progressed. I was asked about my likes and dislikes during each step of the process, and they made sure I understood how their business was organized and what different groups worked on. The first interview was very much a get to know you kind of interview...they wanted to see how I thought, and maybe how I matched up with my resume (as I'd said, I felt that I'd met some requirements that they prefer). I'd say that the first round in person interview was to get a sense of my personality and whether they thought I'd fit within the company. It was unusual but I actually preferred it to my experience with some other companies. I had 4 rounds of interviews, one with a Director, a 2nd with a hiring manager, a 3rd with 2 hiring managers, and a final one with another Director. The hiring managers were the only ones who took a more "traditional" approach, using behavioral type questions, asking how I'd accomplished certain things listed on my resume, so be able to explain those things well. The toughest part was that I think that they disagreed with some of my descriptions of my previous jobs, which was a bit strange. I think that you should try to understand Cisco's history and culture (look up case studies that really examine parts of the company's culture-I'd had several Cisco case studies in school). Figure out what about their culture appeals to and resonates with you. And talk about that and make connections between it and your previous work experience and future professional and personal goals. The people were pretty transparent through my process, telling me in all but the 3rd round that they liked me and thought I'd be a good fit and that they were recommending that I proceed, so I don't know if that was just my interviewers but it was good to know that I'd performed well and had a good chance of continuing. The final decision was made very quickly after the final interview, and came just 2 days later. I'd say that Cisco likes people who communicate well, think quickly, can come up with creative problems to solutions, and who are very bright. Sounds generic but I'd say that the tone of the questions all fit into those buckets. Think carefully about what motivates and excites you and why you want to work for them, and make sure that everyone you talk to knows it.