One Company, Many Careers — Fostering Career Growth at Cisco Meraki
At Cisco Meraki, the energy and passion of our employees shape our vibrant community and empower us to make intuitive and secure technology for our customers. Our ongoing series, One Company, Many Careers, highlights the abundant opportunities to grow and transition careers at Meraki. We’ll explore various career journeys and how Meraki empowers employees to advance their careers and evolve. Welcome — we’re happy you’re here.
For this edition of One Company, Many Careers, we interviewed Kinga Olejnik, a Warranty Coordinator at Cisco, who started her career on the Meraki recruitment team. Kinga described how Cisco and Meraki provide employees with resources that foster growth and opportunities for career transitions.
Please share a high-level summary of your current position and what attracted you to Meraki.
As a Warranty Coordinator on the operations team, I manage warranty activities by interfacing with the Cisco service and logistics teams, and handle escalations and bulk return materials authorization (RMA) requests. I am also a Meraki Now subject matter expert. I became interested in Meraki after a call with a recruiter whose description of the Meraki culture intrigued me. However, it was my interview with Meraki that impressed me the most. During my interview, my recruiter introduced me to the team in such a way that made me feel welcomed and comfortable. The entire interview process was like a microcosm of the inclusive and warm culture at Meraki, which sealed the deal for me.
You started in recruitment before joining the operations team. Can you tell us about your career journey?
I started at Meraki as a Recruitment Coordinator, where I was exposed to different teams and encouraged to explore other departments. As I spoke with many Meraki and Cisco employees in various positions, I became curious to explore how products move within the company from an operations standpoint. In pursuit of my new interest, I took several courses through the Cisco Learning and Development program and decided to apply for the operations role at Cisco that I currently hold. Being supported to grow and provided with the resources to make a career pivot at Cisco Meraki is remarkable.
How would you describe the culture of the operations team?
The operations team at Cisco possesses a professional and productive culture. We are a group of hard-working, passionate individuals who are always ready to support each other. Our sense of urgency, determined attitude, and high productivity ensure we meet our goals effectively and efficiently. We believe in collaboration, transparent communication, and mutual encouragement, which all contribute to our individual and collective success.
What makes Cisco and Meraki special workplaces?
Both are unique for many reasons, but most importantly, the people who work here make it special. Cisco and Meraki are composed of talented, supportive, caring, and friendly employees who set a high bar. Additionally, employees have a lot of autonomy; I appreciate the freedom to manage my time and make decisions. Cisco and Meraki emphasize career growth and work-life balance. The flexible time off and the option to work remotely have enabled me to visit my family and travel abroad. I no longer have to compromise my personal life for my career; I can have it all.
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