Devi Sivakumar, Software Engineer II Intern, Cisco
Devi Sivakumar is a second-year MIMS student. Prior to the I School, Devi graduated with a B.Tech (Bachelor of Technology) in Computer Science and Engineering from the National Institute of Technology, Tiruchirappalli. This summer, she interned at Cisco as a software engineering intern.
Describe a typical day at your internship.
My internship was hybrid, and my team was fully remote and globally distributed. My day usually started with a check-in meeting with my mentor (based in Italy), where we reviewed my progress, discussed different approaches, and I received feedback. Afternoons were reserved for deep focus on my project work. On days when I went into the office, I connected with members of sister teams and met other interns, which gave me opportunities to network and learn about different areas of Cisco.
What was the most valuable thing you learned at your internship?
I gained hands-on exposure to 5G mobile technology and networks. Working on multiple projects helped me build faster, iterate with confidence, and broaden my technical and problem-solving skills.
What was the biggest challenge?
The biggest challenge was balancing hybrid work while collaborating with globally distributed teams across time zones. It required careful planning and communication to stay aligned and productive.
How did your work at the I School prepare you for this role?
The I School emphasized problem-solving, user-centered design, and data-driven decision-making — all of which were directly applicable in my role. While I was a software development intern, the Lean/Agile Product Management course helped me see the value of building user-centered software. For every tool and project I worked on, I prioritized user experience: asking questions directly to users, demoing my work, and incorporating their feedback. The Applied GenAI and LLMs course gave me a solid understanding of large language models, helping me to build a model context protocol (MCP) server for one of my projects.
Any advice for first-year MIMS students as they prepare for their internships?
My advice is to start the application process early and pace yourself — it’s truly a marathon, not a sprint. Be persistent, stay open to different roles, and use the process as a learning experience. Choose courses that include project work, since these give you concrete examples to discuss during interviews.
Did your internship influence your career plans after graduation?
Yes, my experience at Cisco strengthened my interest in working at the intersection of networking technologies and user-centered problem solving. It gave me a clearer sense of the type of roles and environments I want to pursue after graduation.
