NER CAREER CENTER

Cisco IT & Cybersecurity Careers

Explore careers in networking, cybersecurity, technical support, cloud, software, customer solutions, and early-career technology opportunities with Cisco.

Networking and security skills can open multiple doors

Cisco develops networking, security, collaboration, and other technology products and services. Its career areas extend beyond network engineering to include software, technical support, customer experience, IT, professional services, and solutions engineering. Candidates should explore several job families and evaluate the actual qualifications for each opening.

Early-career opportunities

Cisco advertises roles categorized as early in career, internships, and other opportunities for students and people beginning their professional careers. Availability varies by team, location, and recruiting cycle.

• Entry-level careers: Search Cisco’s dedicated entry-level careers page and filter by job family and location.
• Internships and co-ops: Check student opportunities and confirm enrollment, graduation date, and other eligibility requirements.
• Early-career engineering: Look for eligible software, network, security, test, and technical support opportunities.
• Customer and sales development: Some early-career positions combine technology knowledge, customer engagement, and business development.

A useful starting point: Cisco certifications

Cisco’s Certified Support Technician (CCST) certifications are designed to validate foundational skills in areas including IT support, networking, and cybersecurity.

• CCST IT Support: foundational knowledge for help desk, end-user support, and computer support roles.
• CCST Networking: foundational networking concepts, devices, media, and protocols.
• CCST Cybersecurity: foundational security principles, network and endpoint security, vulnerability assessment, risk, and incident handling.

Certifications can support an application, but employers may also require practical experience, education, communication skills, or other qualifications.

Important guidance for entry-level candidates

• Do not assume every Cisco engineering position is entry-level or accepts candidates without professional experience.
• Search multiple job families, including technical support, early-career engineering, IT, customer experience, and internships.
• Review required qualifications separately from preferred qualifications.
• Demonstrate practical skills with networking labs, packet analysis, troubleshooting reports, scripts, security exercises, or software projects.
• Be clear about what you completed in coursework or a lab versus what you did in a paid professional role.
• Location, work arrangement, education, work authorization, and experience requirements vary by posting.

Build your next step with the National Employment Registry

NER helps entry-level IT and cybersecurity candidates make their qualifications discoverable to registered employers. It is not a job board and does not represent Cisco or guarantee an interview, job offer, or employer response.

Registered NER job seekers can access the detailed Cisco application guide, including targeted searches, application preparation, interview guidance, and follow-up steps.