Meraki Application Support Engineer Interview Questions
& Process

Had about 3-4 sessions with different tech support folks and managers over a 4-week period. They were really nice throughout, felt more like a chat. They let you know pretty quickly after each part what they thought and how you did.

The initial stage was an audio-only conversation with a recruiter. She was really nice, spoke well, and was super friendly. Although they didn't explicitly call it a technical interview, I was asked some very basic networking questions, the kind you'd encounter in your first or second year of university. The interviewer also gave me plenty of time to talk and didn't interrupt when I went into detail about certain protocols, which I really appreciated.

So after I graduated, a software engineer recruiterd me and the whole thing took about 2 months and 6 interviews total. First up was this super nerve-wracking interview where they go through your resume, so you gotta sell yourself. Don't be too cocky though, this part really sets the tone. Talk up your wins, projects, and any internship or job experience. Keep it brief but impactful. They'll hit you with networking protocol questions, like how they work and why. I got asked about DHCP and STP. You gotta be able to break down stuff like CAM Tables, what MAC addresses are, and how IP addresses are used for routing. Know your OSI layers 2 and 3 inside and out – the concepts, how they're applied, and the reasoning behind them. Next up was a technical interview with a whiteboard session. It's you and a team member with a network problem to fix. You ask the questions, they give you answers, and you tell them what steps to take. If you did network troubleshooting in a class, this might be a breeze. The scenario was a computer that couldn't reach google.com. The trick is to start from OSI LAYER 1 and work your way up through the devices, explaining your thinking clearly the whole time. Keep in mind hints like firewalls, DHCP, cable problems, VLANs, IP helper, and autoconfiguration addresses. Then came a writing assignment. They give you a customer, their issue, and a screenshot. It's not really about solving it, but more about showing professionalism, good communication, and empathy. You need to format your email like a pro, with sections for acknowledging the situation, asking for more info, suggesting a cause and fix, outlining immediate steps, and a professional sign-off. They're checking your writing skills here. Make it substantial, like a page long, 12pt font, 1.15 spacing (though not strictly required). Format it like a real email. Don't email the results back, though. Read the prompt email carefully and submit it through their portal within an hour. Make sure to append the email to the original problem document, not as a standalone file. Then interviews 4, 5, and 6 all happened on the same day, back-to-back. This was another technical part, similar to the second interview but with more stuff broken. Watch out for rogue DHCP, VLANs, STP(!), cabling issues, DC config, and backup DHCP. Again, start from LAYER 1 and move up. You get an hour, and you're not expected to fix everything, but get really close. This is your chance to shine with problem-solving, how you ask questions, communicate with the interviewer, and how much you actually solve. Interview 5 was behavioral. They want you to talk about your resume and experiences, and answer their questions. Never lie; use real examples from anywhere you can and stick to the STAR method. They asked 7 questions: 4 were scenario-based, and the others were about customer relations. Think 'tell me about a time' or 'a customer calls and says this, what do you do?' or 'how would you handle this situation?'. Ask good questions at the end and engage the interviewer. Interview 6 was with a different person but the same style as 5, just different questions. Both recruiters and team members are looking for good communication, teamwork, and critical thinking skills. They need to know you're not just technically skilled. You have to show: 1. you can be a team player, 2. you're genuinely interested in the company, 3. you can handle customer interactions well, and 4. you can stay calm and collected in difficult situations. This job involves a lot of customer support via phone and email, so you need a voice that puts people at ease. You should be able to ask customers questions in a way that gets answers without causing frustration. Basically, be a communicator, a team player, and an optimist. You're the face of the company when things go wrong, and they want to see you get that. It's a ladder-style interview process, meaning if you don't pass one stage, they won't move you to the next. You have to pass all of them to be considered, so if you do well in all stages, you'll probably get the job. The interviewers will give you cues, like non-verbal signals or small hints, to show how you're doing. If you notice them taking notes, that's a good sign you're on the right track. This whole process takes time but it's super fair and really judges your actual skills. They're looking for you to demonstrate good skills throughout.