Stability of Solutions Engineer

[pwanakal]

I’m in the process of getting into Cisco as an Associate Solutions Engineer.

I have been reading about the LRs - the 4000 employees being laid off due to AI makes it seem like there’s never real stability at Cisco even if one is a high-performer. I understand big companies will understandably have LRs but it seems performance is not accounted for in the decision.

I wanted to get your thoughts on whether Solutions Engineers have more job security than Sales or Marketing for example - do quotas need to be met every quarter to ensure you won’t be made redundant?

[Ramblin Tech]

LR/RIF headcount decisions in Cisco's Sales organization tend to be made based on forecasts of future sales (Solutions Engineers are part of the Sales organization's pre-sales SE force). That is, the headcount must be rationalized against the projected sales over the next year. If the forecast says headcount must be cut in a group, performance may, or may not, play a role in which individuals are tapped for exit.

Underperforming individuals typically are dealt with through continual management processes rather than waiting for massive LR events, so LRs often include people who have performed well in the past, but unfortunately have become attached to projects or customers that do not have the required growth projections. You could do worse than have Cisco on your resume/CV, but you should not have expectations of life-long employment with Cisco, or any single tech company.