I left a good job two years ago because I saw this as a great opportunity for my career. I wish I had known about this site then. It would have saved me a lot of trouble and would have been better for my mental health. I can't believe I'm saying this, but joining Cisco was the biggest mistake of my career.
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I feel this is my bones. This is exactly me right now. I had a solid job in a medium-sized company, was well respected, and had the best manager i ever had. I let the brand if cisco cloud my judgement. I had no idea there were quarterly layoffs. I'm currently working on leaving. I refuse to live in constant fear.
Two years is a good time to leave. Leave now on your own terms vs getting LR'd on Cisco's terms. Always easier to land a new job when you have a job.
As a number of one trick tech companies who failed at everything else say, "fail early, fail often." The missing part is "learn from your mistakes." At Cisco you have the additional opportunity to learn from everyone else's mistakes.
Pay careful attention not only to what is going wrong but try to understand why and how you may prevent the same thing from manifesting at your next jobs. It will also help you with pointed questions in interviews to better route out whether the next company has the same kinds of problems.
A lot of those who have solid career with enough expertise and skills along with high motivation get so shocked and soon feel regret joining Cisco. They mostly soon leave voluntarily even if they don't get an offer from any company yet. They (and I) don't want to mar their (and my) career and resume by staying at such a low-level, childish, immature company.
is the medication free?
Cisco: where you can work your butt off for 100 hour weeks and no one will know, or care.
You can change it and move on.
I joined +20 years ago because I saw the TAC environment of teamwork and hard work.
We did work our behinds off, lots of long days and escalations.
But, we were rewarded well and the team effort was amazing.
Then, the layoffs, over and over, started.
Once good leaders turned into politicians.
People worked afraid; afraid to take the most difficult cases as it would be a detriment to their survival.
It turned me from a good engineer into an anxiety ridden family breadwinner trying to survive through the next layoff and next school year for our kids.
I lasted a long time, mainly with the help of an understanding spouse and a boatload of medication.
Now out, am so much at a better place; still working very hard, but without the politics.
They ruined a d@mn good company. Great job senior executives. Be proud!
For mental health, yes.