Certis Cisco
 

Hi, I was looking for more info online on Certis Cisco but ended up with only reviews on their security officer jobs...

Would it be possible for anyone to share more about the company for their office-based jobs?

1. I understand that their pay are usually below market median, but how about their bonus and benefits?
   
2. Is it racially balanced or skewed towards any particular race (or perhaps only in certain departments)?
   
3. Do people have a lot of CCA to do (plan retreats, DnD, etc)?

Thanks!

typical GLC pay, environment and welfare.

pace depends on which department you are in.....

u might want to share which dept u are keen....

Hi, GLC pay as in more like Keppel and PSA's with low base and (really) high bonus? Or just low base and ok bonus? I am keen in their IT dept. Thanks.

just low base and ok bonus....

Security firms suck big time.

Stop wasting ur time working in this organisation.

They would rather employ cheap foreign people than to employ locals like u who cant afford to accept low salaries.

U are better off washing toilet bowls.

Anyone working/worked there? Able to shed some light on CISCO's corporate environment?

Very backward rank based culture, worse than some stat boards. They tried to bring in some mid/snr managers from bigger GLCs a few years ago, but most left after seeing the mess.

Sounds pretty bad. How do they survive so long? Staff attrition must be pretty high in their corporate functions too?

Bureaucratic organization...

Cisco office side is always 2 big groups. 1 group is the super old birds been there >10 years, most are deadwood and go through motion wayang everyday and pass time almost no turnover. the other group are those <2 years there very high turnover as these ppl come here then resign shortly after getting a job elsewhere.

Recently got invited to interview to join the talent management programme.. starting as a Management Grade (10).
Anyone has experience with this programme, and can share what it's like? And the rough remuneration that I can expect as a Grade 10?

Thanks.

I would advise you not take job titles and big words like talent management program in Certis too seriously. They are poor paymasters famous for using inflated titles to make the job sound bigger than it is.

By proper mnc standards their Grade 12 is roughly assist manager, 13 manager , 14 sr manager, 15-16 director. 10 is just a typical fresh grad hire rebranded to make it sound like management associate program in the banks.

Thanks for your feedback! The HR also kind of promised that I would hit AVP by mid 30s.. it all does sound too good to be true.
So Grade 10 is for fresh grads? That'd be weird considering that I have 4 years of experience.. anyway I'll keep my eyes open before taking it up.

Anyone else has anything to share?

AVP in Certis doesn't mean sh1t honestly, just a fancy name for AM/M in most big companies. IIRC it is just grade 12/13 when I left few years ago, heard from colleagues things haven't change much.

If your 4 years exp is relevant, you should try to get in at 11 instead of 10, otherwise what's the pt of start from zero again? If its a real MAP in some bank or MNC then still got logic, Certis seems pointless.

My 2c.

Thanks again for your valuable feedback.
I suppose I can still go for the interview etc; if they offer me a package that gives me a substantial pay rise (though unlikely), would it still be a worthwhile move?

Really depends on where you are coming from. If you are now in SME / GLC or some Asia company then I suppose if they can give youa big raise can consider. If you are already in a global MNC then my advice is to stay put. To get stuck with a small backward GLC so early in your career in the CV can limit future prospects, also their kind of culture probably very hard for you to adapt if you are used to typical European / US global culture.

How much you are drawing now and what is your expectation?

certis turnover for gen y very high. half of my dept left within a year and the rest are 2-3 years there. pay is so so, lower than civil service but better than some sunset industry like semicon, it, manufacturing etc. culture very red tape & everything base on rank. avp=ad in cs, so standard promotion for deg hires

I'm actually in a sort of GLC now, work life balance is very good. Drawing basic of 4.7k plus around 3 months of bonus, probably won't move if I draw less than 5.8k in my next job.

If that's the case I suggest you tell the Certis HR upfront on the phone how much you want before coming down for any interview. I don't think they are looking at anywhere close to 5.8k for a grade 10 job. 5.8k sounds to me like high grade 11 or low grade 12. No point wasting both party time if expectations so different.

whats the range for grade 10?
whats the typical annual increment?
whats the typical timeframe to get "upgraded" ie. G10 to G11?

I'm interested in that question too. The HR told me that for this talent mgmt programme, promotion can be expected once every 2 years, but im not sure for other employees. I've already shared my salary expectation in the initial phone call, so i'll see what's their next move.

cannot be lah - maybe 1st promotion take 2 years, but even top banking fo cannot guarantee promotion every 2 years long term.

Haha Certis HR doing their usual big cannon fairy talk again... They are just as bad as STE, but at least STE not so thick skin to go around acting like some diva company.

what's the typical promotion increment %??

30+% for the good performer

Anyone still has any more comments? So far it has all been really negative, haha.

30%?!? wow...serious? yearly increment?

what do u expect?

when was the last time u heard fresh grads in good unis fighting among themselves to enter this so call management program from certis cisco?

in fact any grad with good grades and common sense will laugh at the thought of joining some local security guard co. in the first place.

it's still a job, dude.
Don't be so stuck up.

nobody is faulting cisco for a job even if its lousy. prob is cisco has tendency to make big misleading claims that makes even a top fortune 10 mnc blush.

fake titles, fake mgt programs, claims of global exposure (just sg + 1 or 2 country), false claims on potential bonus (hr like to hint that min 3 months is guaranteed), promise promotion every 2 years, every dirty trick they can think of in the hr playbook they chut pattern gao gao.

good to see forumers here set the record straight.

just wondering, why are u leaving ur 4.7k job? i seriously doubt the package by cisco can offer u higher since they target mainly fresh grads.

money aside, does joining this programme in cisco offer you something ur current company cant offer you? if u're forsaking more than you'll gain (or promised), then dont waste time.

from the way i see it, leaving a 4.7k job with (just) 4 yr of work for an unknown mgt trainee programme at a poor rep local security company doesnt make sense at all..

HR can promise you heaven and earth now. but whether it's true or not, you wont know after 2-3 years later. can you wait 2-3 years? can you even tahan 2-3 years? what if it doesnt work out say after 6 months, are you going to wait and hope or jump ship?

tldr: stick to ur 4.7k job, unless it's really f-up

Well, I have stated my expected salary clearly to HR and also in the application form.. it's a roughly 20% rise. I don't really see a lot of career prospects in my current job now.. it might be jumping from a hole into another, but I'm just keeping my options open. If they somehow decide to offer my expected salary (I know it's unlikely), I don't see how it can be worse than staying in my current job.
Thoughts? Or if someone can offer some better career suggestions, I am definitely open :)

maybe u can share a little bit on your background?

where did you grad from?
what did you study?
what's your existing job about?
what are the shits you are facing right now?
what are the career paths you are exploring at the moment?
what do you hope your next job can provide?

with a 20% rise, u r looking at grade 11....so grade 10 ain't going to get u ur expected salary

Yeah well, I'm not sure which grade i'll be in yet. Anyway, it seems that they're thinking of putting me into e-cop.. which is the cybersecurity arm of Certis Cisco. Anyone knows anything about e-cop?

it stinks enough to be inside certis, but e-cop!?!?!? i hope ur not joking... seriously think carefully what sort of cv ur trying to build. do u think any mnc/bluechip/ministry is going to take u seriously after u get stuck in e-cop for a few years?

So conclusion, even with 20% pay rise and possible opportunity of accelerated career progression, no point joining certis/e-cop?

It really depends on what you are looking for over long term. A SME like e-cop might give you short term pay increases especially if they are desperate enough. Conversely a reputable mega MNC management program will unlikely give you increase as they are not short of top talents who desperately try to get in.

But it is quite undeniable that the career options e-cop can offer are very limited. My best guess is even if you can become the GM/CEO of e-cop, the pay is probably similar to a regional manager in a mega MNC.

If you ask experienced headhunters, they will tell once you reach mid career the MNCs and local blue chips tend to be selective and are usually adverse to hiring SME people due to a variety of reasons which include cultural differences, outdated knowledge on systems platform & business process, lack of overseas exposure and inability to manage complex matrix relationships.

In summary, it's all about what your long term goals are. If you just want to get increases fast, easier to stand out among your colleagues and don't mind cruising on a lower glass ceiling, SME might be a good alternative. If you want big exposure, an environment in which you compete and interact with high caliber people and don't want to limit your options too early, then I would advise you stay put.

Thanks a lot for your valuable advice!
I'm actually moving on from my first job in one of the local MNCs, so i'm really not sure what to expect. Haven't heard a single good thing about Certis Cisco so far though so I guess its a really big red flag...

care to share what's your current role and industry?