In 2021, I married another Cisco employee. Working from home together — even sharing a huge desk so we can sit together! — has made our first year of marriage a blast.
This, among many other perks, is why I'm "married" to this job and to hybrid work. Some of my favorite highlights are the walks we take, talks we have over coffee, and commutes back to the office we are about to share.
To quote Hamilton, “Then a hurricane came…”
My husband David and I met in 2018, when a hurricane drove us from our college campus to another city. We rode together, and as soon as we got back to the University of South Carolina, we were hooked!
I knew he was smart — he had a double major in business school. He was one year older, so I wondered where he would land a job. I knew he had the potential to work anywhere!
He began talking about a company called Cisco — I had heard of it! — and how he progressed through the interview rounds for a business analyst role. Before we knew it, he had an offer and was packing his bags for Durham, North Carolina, to work out of Research Triangle Park.
He started in 2019 and loved the office atmosphere. He sat next to his coworkers each day, chatting over coffee and joining meetings. He ate lunch in the cafeteria daily and would call me to tell me how good the food was.
David sent me a job opening at Cisco one day for a Project Manager within ONEx.
As a journalism student, I wondered if I could ever have a place in a company like Cisco. Did they only want people who could code? Did they want someone with more people and creative skills than technical ones? What could I possibly offer them?
I wanted a place there, but I didn’t know if Cisco would want me.
I decided to apply and had a few phone calls with the recruiters. I suddenly realized that Cisco has a place for all skillsets.
They expressed they were hoping for a project manager who could drive deliverables and care about people.
I was thrilled. I could do that!
When I landed the job, I was given a straightforward path to join David in Durham. We celebrated working at Cisco together by working together some days, sending GIFs, and trying to convince our friends to apply as well.
By the time I had been at Cisco for a few months, David popped the question. He proposed to me in September 2020, and we were married May 15, 2021.
When we look at our love story, we can’t help but include Cisco.
The flexibility they gave us to spend extra time together, working from home — as well as working from in-laws’ houses when necessary — has taken extra stress out of coordinating a work-life balance.
As much as we have loved working together from home, we are even more excited for a hybrid world that gives us the ability to interact with each other and our coworkers.
I have learned how important connection is and how beautiful it is to have someone to share things with.
I value flexibility in my workplace, and the way Cisco encourages and supports us has helped make our first year of marriage wonderful!
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