- Name: Jennifer Chin
- Role and Program: Community Relations Intern in Corporate Communications
- Degree: English; Communication
- University Attended: Stanford University
- Location: San Jose, California
- Date Joined Cisco: June 2008
What is it like to work here?
Cisco is a fast-paced and exhilarating place to be. As an intern, there are constantly new things to learn about your projects, about the company, and about professional life in general. You get to learn by seeing, hearing, and ultimately doing. It’s a great combination.
What is a typical "day in the life" like? What do you spend your time doing?
It’s hard to define “typical.” When things are going smoothly and there aren’t any time-sensitive items on my plate, my typical day might be spent in my cubicle, working on tasks at my own pace. When deadlines are looming or there’s a “fire” to attend to, my day can be spent jumping from meeting to meeting, both in person and virtually. Some of the projects I’m involved with include the Matching Gifts program, campus-wide giving back campaigns with the Silicon Valley Civic Council, and internal communications that encourage employees to volunteer. Part of the thrill of being an intern is that I’m thrown into the mix for all sorts of things. Each day is different!
How do you work together with your team?
The Community Relations team has a weekly staff meeting to ensure that all of us working on different projects remain on the same page. It’s also common for me to have various one-on-one meetings with the team members whose projects I support. And if I have a question or suggestion outside of those meetings, everyone is just a quick phone call, e-mail, or IM away. They are great about helping me and mentoring me, as well as making me laugh. We’re definitely a small and close-knit group despite being spread across the country; part of the team works out of RTP, and others are out in New England and the Pacific Northwest. This just means we make good use of Cisco’s communication tools, like MeetingPlace and TelePresence.
Why did you choose to work at Cisco?
Giving back has always been a priority of mine, and I couldn’t pass up the opportunity to work for a company who shares that priority. Cisco may be best known for being an industry leader in technology, but it’s also a leader in community involvement. The contributions, partnerships, and passions of employees and executives are always growing. I’m so proud that this company believes whole-heartedly in improving the communities where employees live, work, play, and learn.
What is your favorite thing about working here?
Hands down, the people. Not only is everyone friendly and helpful—something that I appreciate so much as an intern—but everyone is also invested and passionate about what they do. You can see it in the way that executives talk about the future of the company, the way engineers talk about a recent release, the way my team talks about the latest giving campaign, and even the way my fellow interns talk about their experiences. The Corporate Communications internship program in particular is small but tight-knit. We’ve gotten to know each other well, and it’s wonderful to meet peers who are looking to forge similar paths to me in the professional world. And now we all have solid foundations and incredible contacts!
