Thread regarding Cisco Systems Inc. layoffs

Caste society.

guess no one here knows the game, I went to CL many times on Ciscos dime, only time I worked more than 10 hours a week, mostly walking around trying to find customers, paying for their drinks and letting them know where the party is, then paying for their drinks at all the bars. We used to be able to expense off the naughty bars and other things, but that really got hush hush around 2014, now its just mis cash expense. Customers expect it, they toll hard trying to get our stuff to work , expect they get taken out for a good time while there, only attend a few break outs to justify their trip.

Then you're either a b—s—ter or a VP/Snr Director. Actually, if you are the latter, you are also the former.

guess no one here knows the game, I went to CL many times on Ciscos dime, only time I worked more than 10 hours a week, mostly walking around trying to find customers, paying for their drinks and letting them know where the party is, then paying for their drinks at all the bars. We used to be able to expense off the naughty bars and other things, but that really got hush hush around 2014, now its just mis cash expense. Customers expect it, they toll hard trying to get our stuff to work , expect they get taken out for a good time while there, only attend a few break outs to justify their trip. Oh and the CCIE party is a joke, its somewhere lame and only old dudes, no talent , everyone customer facing is out at the private parties.

Maybe those employees that get to go party give better head than you do.

I attended many conferences in a different company -I am done with them - I'm happy with the current virtual conferences ! It gets frustrating and a check mark activity after the initial excitement wears off.

The real party is GSX (or whatever it's called now....I think it was canceled this year). Totally obscene amounts of money blown on drinking, smoking cigars, and other things that are left off the expense reports. But that's no surprise.....it's a conference of sales folks....that's their MO.

I worked at Cisco for 14 years, and never went to CL, MWC, etc. A little annoying, but it was always a popularity contest. At previous companies I did work lots of trade shows, working the booth and talking to customers. It's tiring work and your feet hurt at the end of the day, but it's fun afterhours.

I wouldn’t say CL is “thankless”. I work in a BU and it’s one of the most rewarding things we do. But i agree that it’s not just one big party. Prepping for a session, if you want to score well and not make a fool of yourself in front of hundreds of people, is massive work. Delivering a presentation is stressful. Spending all day on your feet at a booth is tiring. Sure there are parties but it’s not why we’re there. If you really want to go to CL get a job as a TME or PM or something. We send people to CL because it’s how we generate interest in our products. Anyways with COVID who know when we’ll do one again!

Your question answers itself.
The fact that you see some of those sessions as parties and a benefit to those attending says that you look at it wrongly. CL is not a Party, it’s mostly thankless hard work. If you want to go to CL get a skill that people are willing to pay to hear about, get CL to accept your topic, then put together a new presentation on this topic, and stand up and deliver it to the audience. Then wait your survey score to see how you did. Maybe after that you can go out and have a meal. Note, there are a few low- or non-contributing hangers-on, but way above our pay grade.
Ok, maybe IMPACT is a party. Join sales, get into a high risk account and work all year with a customer to exceed goal. Well done, book your ticket. You’ve deserved it. Again, quite a few hangers-on with VP or “C” in their title. I hope you also do well next year, or you’ll be out.
ECN? As a white male, I don’t get an invite. Grow girlie parts to get invited to networking events.
MWC or any other tradeshow? Happy to have you on the stand baby-sitting demos or educating visitors for 8 hours per day. After that, you’ll be too footsore to party.
Conference? Sure, get skill in area people want to hear about. Write proposal to organizer and get accepted. Write a paper/presentation and deliver to very large audience. Well done, 2 free drinks at reception event.
So, your problem is that you see all these events as benefits that you feel you deserve. In fact, you have to demonstrate that you have value to offer to get invited. Then when you’ve delivered that value (outside your day job mostly) you have deserved a drink, if you’re not too exhausted to attend.

• Maybe you are in an organization where outsourcing jobs to India is a priority in 2021?
• Maybe you are in an organization that needs to layoff full-time employees and replace them with contractors in 2021?
• Maybe you are in an organization that views university hires as subservient temporary labor?

The goal of the university program is not to retain or grow young talent. It's to boost hiring metrics in America by hiring young/cheap labor. View Cisco as a community college. There's no shame in attending a community college, but you better transfer within two years.