As Program Manager, Role Strategy and Enablement, Chris Harrison manages tools and programs to help employees leverage the skills that they have. It\u2019s a fitting role for someone who got his start thanks to natural curiosity, an ability to connect the dots between jobs and take risks to learn new things.<\/p>\n

Born and raised in New York City, Chris studied electrical engineering technology at Rochester Institute of Technology in New York where students were required to complete co-ops (internships) as a part of their sophomore\/junior and junior\/senior years. His first internship was with Motorola.<\/p>\n

\u201cAt Motorola, I was turned on to Cisco because I was in the customer support organization trouble-shooting their modems, and every call I got was, \u2018I have a Motorola modem connected to a Cisco router\u2019 so I wanted to learn more about how this Cisco router worked with the Motorola modem,\u201d said Chris.<\/p>\n

How Chris Chose Cisco and Vice Versa<\/h2>\n

Recruiters came to Chris\u2019 college campus looking for interns. Chris interviewed with Cisco after his curiosity was sparked interning at Motorola. Soon after, Chris was flown to San Jose to meet the hiring manager and three test engineers who drew on the whiteboard and asked how he would solve different situations.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhen I landed [in New York], I already had a voice message saying, \u2018Congratulations, you\u2019ve been chosen for this internship,\u2019\u201d says Chris. The intern position was a test engineer on Cisco\u2019s Repair Operations team. Chris had the opportunity to go back to Motorola, but he was impressed that Cisco flew him to San Jose for an interview and still remembers the fully stocked break rooms with free drinks, popcorn, and candy \u2013 different from anything he\u2019d experienced on the East Coast. It seemed worth the risk to try something new rather than going back to Motorola.<\/p>\n

\u201cPeople were walking around in shorts and flip-flops,\u201d said Chris. \u201cIn my mind, this was so California, a little laid back. Northern California and Silicon Valley in the 90s had a different vibe, and that was something I was interested in.\u201d He moved to San Jose and lived in the dorms at San Jose State University for the summer.<\/p>\n

Connecting the Dots Between Work and the Classroom<\/h2>\n

The Cisco internship was totally hands-on. The Repair Operations team had to manage devices in for repair from the moment they arrived until they were shipped back out. \u201cBefore, I sat in the cubicle,\u201d said Chris. \u201cWith this job, I went to the factory floor.\u201d<\/p>\n

They were responsible for the flow, the test scripts to make sure things were working correctly, and for updates. Chris would rotate every two weeks to learn different parts of the process. They also developed a test line on the manufacturing floor and sometimes simulated a failure and asked where the problem was.<\/p>\n

\u201cLearning how to find where things were broken helped me learn how they worked, and my internship experience was very good,\u201d says Chris.<\/p>\n

Chris quickly made the connection between the repair work he was doing at Cisco and the technical support work from his Motorola experience and tied it all back to what he was learning for his Electrical Engineering Technology degree. It all came together, and he could also apply what he learned on the job to the theory he was studying in school.<\/p>\n

Surprise on the Job<\/h2>\n

One Saturday, Chris surprised his boss. \u201cIt was Saturday, all my friends were, out and I had nothing to do, so I decided to go to Cisco, go to the lab and do some work,\u201d he said. \u201cI put together some test racks to take to the factory, blasted the music, and closed the doors behind me. Then all of a sudden, the music stops,\u201d said Chris.<\/p>\n

It was his manager, who looked at him and asked, \u201cWhat are you doing here?\u201d Chris explained and then asked his manager the same question. His manager said his family was away camping and invited Chris to the movies and then dinner. It was an unexpected moment that left an impression on both of them.<\/p>\n

Chris returned to school around the Thanksgiving holiday. Weeks passed. Then, on January 5, Cisco\u2019s recruiter phoned Chris. \u201cHow\u2019d you like to come to Cisco full-time when you graduate?\u201d asked the recruiter.<\/p>\n

Chris was shocked at how early the offer arrived, as full-time offers are usually made in the spring. According to his manager, \u201cAny 20-year-old willing to come in on a Saturday is someone I\u2019d love to have on the team.\u201d<\/p>\n

Chris doubts that this one incident was responsible for his landing the job but insists that it was the serendipity of this event and the positive impression he made with team members as someone easy to work with that contributed to this outcome.<\/p>\n

Twenty-six years and many roles later, Chris is still enjoying the opportunities at Cisco, and much of his work today involves leaving a legacy for future generations to develop and grow satisfying careers.<\/p>\n

He attributes longevity at Cisco to the ability to have multiple opportunities and different careers and the support of leaders and mentors throughout the company.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt was life-changing for me to go back to college after the internship,\u201d says Chris. \u201cIt was a lot of work, but I didn\u2019t think of it as a job. It\u2019s always been about fun and learning. This is why I\u2019ve stayed as long as I have.\u201d<\/p>\n

His advice for those seeking internships and job opportunities?<\/h2>\n

\u201cWhen you\u2019re here [in the job or internship] it\u2019s always an interview, even when you don\u2019t think others are paying attention. The opportunity to make a good impression isn\u2019t when you get the internship. It happens the minute you walk through the door.\u201d<\/p>\n

Think of the entire experience as an interview, because you\u2019re not just interacting with your team and other teams.<\/p>\n

Chris says this experience gave him his first glimpse into what professionalism meant, how people interacted and engaged, and helped him mature in his career as he returned to college.<\/p>\n

\u201cEven if you\u2019re there for three months, you don\u2019t know what [others] will think,\u201d says Chris. \u201cEven though you may be classified as an intern, think of it as an interview to see how you work in that environment.\u201d<\/p>\n