Interviewing at Ciena

1. Be Yourself

"YOU" are your most unique selling point.

At Ciena, we value integrity and authenticity. We encourage you to confidently share your goals, experiences, and motivators. This helps us understand your fit with our team. Let us know why you're the ideal candidate and how your skills can contribute to the team you'd like to join. You might be exactly who we're looking for, and we'll only know if we get to know the real you.​​​​​

2. Be Prepared to Tell Us a Story

Short anecdotes reveal your strengths and character.

These narratives help us understand your character, especially when faced with various situations. Tell us a story that best describes how you overcame a tricky situation. Share a moment when you were able to demonstrate your best traits.

Are you adaptable? Can you remain composed and focused under pressure? Do you thrive in a collaborative setting? Your unique experiences could set you apart from other skilled candidates.

3. Familiarize Yourself with Ciena's Products and Services

Ciena is a networking system, services, and software company.

Everything that we do is geared towards bringing the digital age into the next century. How you relate to our products and services will impact how much you'll thrive here.

Ask yourself:

• Can I relate to Ciena's products?

• Is what Ciena doing something I'd be interested in?

• Do I have experience or interest in handling their products?

• Do I have the skills and the passion to improve their products and technology?​​

4. Research the Role and the Company

An organization is not limited to its products and services.

Take the time to learn about our leadership and culture, then reflect if this is the type of environment you would thrive in. Reading up about us shows us that your interest is not only in the role but for a professional life in Ciena. Go through our 'About Us' page and learn what we are all about. It may even bring about some questions, and the best time to ask is during your interview. Understanding our core values will also allow you which traits to highlight and will help you reflect whether or not our principles align with yours.

5. Ask Yourself: Why Ciena?

A job interview is a two-way conversation.

It's an opportunity for our hiring team to assess your fit in our company culture and a means for you to decide if you want to be a part of it.

Ask yourself:

• Will Ciena help me realize my professional goals?

• What about my personal goals?

• Is Ciena the best company for me, right now and in the future?

• Can I relate with the culture and values of Ciena? Are they aligned with mine?

Before your interview, make sure you want us as much as we want you.​​​​​​

6. Build Rapport

The key to a call back is a memorable interview.

Relax and try to have fun during your interview. Your interviewers are the same people you may be working with. How you interact with them is a glimpse of what it would be like working together in the future.

Demonstrate your genuine interest in Ciena by preparing thoughtful questions about our culture, purpose, and values. Ask about the specific challenges and projects you would be working on in the role and how your contributions would impact the bottomline.

Also, just because you don't get the job offer now doesn't mean you never will. You may be better suited for another position now or in the future. And when we do have it, you might be at the top of our minds.