I applied online. The process took 3 weeks. I interviewed at Cisco (San Diego, CA) in May 2015
Interview
It was medium to difficult. Asked about bit level manipulations, writing codes for algorithms like sorting, searching, graph and tree traversals and few more. Asked about the projects done as part of coursework. Asked some theory questions related to OOPS, operating systems and network basics.
Standard panel, very simple leetcodes. reverse linked list kind of vibe s . I was literarly asked about how a linked list is structured and reversing it. there was almost no friction which I was shocked by one of the reason I did not accept
They care about your skills, rather than your background. They have a template which they provide and you got to fill that, everyone is provided a unique number. You are instructed not to disclose any of your personal details in the due course of your interview.
The interview process was two rounds. The first round was a behavioral interview. Straightforward questions, like tell me about the most technically challenging project you have worked on. The second round was a system design interview.